Bertt

I'm just going to address one aspect of your question. You ask if you could buy a 210, sell it, then get a 170; get leg straps resized, etc. These kinds of things are possible, but I think in general you'll be better off to buy the right thing to begin with rather than buying the wrong thing and trying to make it right. Trying a demo canopy before you buy anything is a great idea. You don't have to outrun the bear.

A couple of rounds per year in pilot emergency rigs. I wasn't sure which choice to pick, so you can add this reply where you think it fits. You don't have to outrun the bear.

There's two ways to learn from experience. The cheap way is to learn from other people's experience. I read incident reports from several industries I'm involved in because I'm a cheapskate. You don't have to outrun the bear.

It's a breadboard with an indicator to show which way to pass the bread ?? You don't have to outrun the bear.

Thanks for the replies, guys. Those were helpful. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Any polymer chemists or x-ray technicians out there? I'm wondering if x-ray radiation degrades nylon. I'm not talking about the occasional x-ray at the airport. Would a really strong x-ray dose cause the polymer to break down. Any insight you have or literature you can point to would be helpful. (Yes, I've done some searches, but either I'm not looking in the right places or there's not much out there.) Thanks.

When you read the "Dual Square Report" referenced by Councilman24, keep in mind that it's not a "Square Reserve, Highly Tapered Main" report. You should read and understand it, but it's my opinion that it's less relevant to most skydivers now than when it was written. You don't have to outrun the bear.

"When a pilot is in control of a canopy, it is his/her life on the line." I would just like to emphasize one point. That statement is only partly correct. It's actually the canopy pilot's life on the line and everyone else in the same airspace - including people that you might not have seen. That's the reason for a landing pattern. You don't have to outrun the bear.

I can't believe this thread has gone this long without someone mentioning that a picture's worth a thousand words. You don't have to outrun the bear.

I use single-wrapped, small rubber bands for just about everything, so that's one opinion. At any rate, it should be pretty quick to try one type and change if that's not suitable.

You pretty much answered your own question, didn't you? Sometimes I tell people I fell off a ladder.

Did the reserve ripcord have a kink in it indicating it had been pulled by the RSL? You don't have to outrun the bear.

I just packed a Triathlon 135 into a W-8 with a PD143 reserve. Good fit. And no, I'm not jumping that rig. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Okay, here's my 2 cents worth. I've heard of leg straps restricting blood flow, but the nausea doesn't really fit in with that. Like everybody else has said, the best idea would be to see a doctor about this before your next jump. You don't have to outrun the bear.

For what it's worth, here are a few points to consider. First, it's real important to get a harness that fits you. It sounds like that one would, but you need to be sure. Either get yourself measured by someone at your dropzone who knows what they are doing, or find someone with a harness/container like the one you're considering and be sure it will really fit. Second, you probably don't need to be using a 120 now. A 150 would probably be okay soon, but, as Chubba said, talk to your instructors about what size canopy to get. The issue here is that a main big enough for you might not fit in that container. The information you provided would tell you how big a main it can hold, but frankly, I'm not going to look it up right now. You can get one of your local riggers to look it up, or email the manufacturer. The fact that the Cypres needs a 4-year is not a big deal, but that should be considered in the price. The last one I sent off took 3 weeks to get back. You can usually get a local rigger or the dropzone owner to act as an intermediary to check the gear before you send payment. Ask about this at your dropzone. Last, don't jump on the first thing you see. There will be other good deals out there. Make sure you get the right gear for you. Don't get something that's almost right just because you're anxious to get something. You don't have to outrun the bear.

That's a neat website. It looks like those questions might be from the old practice exam. The FAA changed the written test recently. Rigger candidates will want to look at the FAA Parachute Rigger Handbook (publication FAA-H-8083-17) before taking the current test. You don't have to outrun the bear.

I don't bother non-scientists with science. I just say "Dude, that is so 90's", shake my head, then walk away. That creates enough doubt in their minds about their coolness that the next time they use the 45 degree rule they hesitate briefly, then they decide to stick to their methods and jump - thus achieving the correct, timed separation. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Just a thought - keychain alarm (125 decibel alarm small enough to fit on a keychain) You don't have to outrun the bear.

Reading the SIM is a good idea, but the fact is, the tandem you did gives you more experience and information than most AFF students start with. Concentrate on one jump at a time and don't over-think it; just do it. Have fun. You don't have to outrun the bear.

I don't know about Canadian rules, but for the U.S., FAR 65.131(c) says that Each certificated rigger who packs a parachute shall write, on the parachute packing record attached to the parachute,..... I think the card is supposed to remain with the parachute. You don't have to outrun the bear.

No, it's not normal even for a fast opening parachute. If the parachute was packed correctly and doesn't give other jumpers a problem, it should work for you. Even though you don't have a history of back problems, you could have some small injury that only shows up when your back is stressed a certain way. The only way to be sure is see a doctor and probably get an MRI or something. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Thanks for that. I recently saw a different painting inspired by that same great story. I heard an interesting story about the type of battle damage those bombers could endure. It seems that some engineers were asked to look at returning bombers to determine where to strengthen them to increase their survivability. The engineers decided it would be best to add armor to the places that didn't have bullet holes. Their reasoning was that the bombers that got back survived the damage they suffered. The ones that didn't get back were probably hit somewhere else. You don't have to outrun the bear.

You might be interested to know that a lot of experienced jumpers are more nervous being a tandem passenger than they are when they jump solo. (Tandem instructors have to take an experienced skydiver as passenger on several jumps as part of their training.) Once you get used to being in control of the jump, your point of view changes. Have fun.

Didn't we just do this? (What book would you recommend for a newcomer .... )

Start getting your own gear when you know you're going to skydive enough to use it. You don't have to outrun the bear.