Hooknswoop

Check ssk's web page and the manual, lots of great information, like the question you asked. Hook

I am pretty sure it is above 15,000 FT MSL that O2 is required to be available. I have seen O2 used in CO maybe 2-3 times, and then it was by the Instructor, just because he could, until the pilot took it back. If people actually used it, then I could see a small added expense (O2 isn't expensive), but again, no one uses it. O2 as a justification for higher lift prices in CO doesn't fly. Hook

Same process to turn it off as to turn it on. Unless you are changing a good bit of elevation on the way home, enough that it thinks you are climbing in an aircraft, let it turn itself off (after 14 hours, regardless of pressure change).

Depends on the DZ. Some have an O2 bottle w/ one tube, and the pilot isn't gonna give it up, some have it available to all the jumpers. It only has to be available to the passengers, we don't have to use it. Hook

1-2 jumps on a canopy means nothing, as the original poster proved: Irrevelent. Again, 2 good landings means nothing. I am evaluating what's going on and going from there. He has made too big of a jump. Landing should not be painful. He has too small a canopy and doesn't yet posses the skill to handle the difficulty in flying it and he knows it. I am by no means conservative when it comes to canopies, and I do have a lot of experience in teaching canopy control and advising people on canopy choices. People learn at different rates, have different physical abilities/attributes. Jump numbers on a canopy is only a small part of the equasion. Performance is at least as important. Experience and ability go hand in hand. A whole bunch of ability isn't as good without experience. a whole bunch of experience isn't much good without ability. I have seen people with 1000+ jumps that are poor flyers and people with 100 jumps that are outstanding flyers, but the 1000 jump person has experience that helps them that the person with 100 doesn't have. Back to this. Is it possible? Yes. Is it a good idea? No. Now apply this to the original poster. They are making a BIG downsize and having problems, it is a no-brainer to me that he isn't in that 1% catagory that can manage to pull off such a tremendous downsize. Lastly, what does it hurt to slow down? Is it a big deal to be flying a canopy well within their limits? Must everyone fly a canopy on the edge of their abilities? First question I ask people when they ask me about downsizing to a different canopy is "Why?". I often get a blank stare as they try to come up with a reason. There is a belief that downsizing is part of the natural progression and if you are not downsizing often, you are stagent and being "left behind" by the "better" skydivers. His landings are painful, he is in over his head. you didn't really answer my question. you said with coaching, he will be fine. That is for a 100 sq. ft. downsize. What if he had downsized 120 sq. ft., 130 sq. ft. At what point would you have responded: "You have downsized too much and no amount of coaching will save you. Buy a larger canopy"? Hook

270-169 = 101. By my math it is 100 (actually 101) sq. ft. I don't think it is sensationalizing at all. What would "really downsizing 100 sq. ft." be to you? Hook

PA still measures their canopies differently than PD, so a PD 120 is larger than a PA 120. So how much do you think someone can downsize in one shot and be OK as long as they get qualified canopy coaching? The orginal poster made too big of a jump in canopy sizes and has recognized it. Canopy coaching would help, but a larger canopy would the smart choice. Canopy coaching doesn't do him any good if he hurts himself on his next landing. There is still a learning curve. I agree that confidence helps, but it only allows someone to use their abilities that are already there. All the confidence in the world won't help if the ability to safely land the canopy isn't there. Lots of confidence doesn't make it safe for someone to downsize from a Manta 288 to a Velocity 79. Be careful with advice. Hook

Comfort is subjective, what is comfortable to one, is un-comfortable to another. Hook

Another option is new risers with the inserts installed. A very good option if you don't already have velcro-less risers. Hook

Compared to what? What does he normally fly? When you get to less than 100 sq. ft., packing is very easy, ZP or F-111. Why not make it ZP? The more a canopy de-pressurizes as you land, the more is "scrunches" up, making the real sq. footage smaller, increasing the stall speed and shortening the distance of the swoop. An F-111 bottom skin allows the canopy to de-pressurize faster than a ZP bottom skin. It makes a bigger difference on the top skin, but it also makes a difference on the bottom skin. ZP openings have been tamed. I don't see where the trade-off is worth it in a high performance canopy. I haven't jumped a Firebolt, so this is simply based on knowledge of other canopies/materials. It is possible that the F-111 bottom skin increases performance somehow, but I doubt it. Hey Jumpshack, send me a demo! Hook

They lowered the standard whent hey changed the course. 2001 PIA, Don Yarling presented a discussion on the "Instructor Shortage". Then the course was changed so more people would pass. Only way to do thatis to lower the standard. I felt they should have created an "official" pre-course that trained people to be AFFI's, not make the course easier to pass. I have flown with some AFFI's that went through the new course, some of them would not have passed the old course. Hook

If it is just dirt, let it dry and brush it off with a nylon brush. Otherwise, full disassembly and a bath tub. Hook

I have never been a fan of chest mounted altimeters. You can mount them upside down, so others read them right-side-up. I have found several problems with the idea. 1) People forget to zero their chestmount. Not a huge deal unless you trvel to another DZ at a different elavation. 2) They get banged up pretty good when they (or their packer) moves/drops/drags the rig. So their accuracy degrades quickly. 3) Unless everyone wears them, it takes more time to look around the formation for a chest mount than it does to look at a wrist mount. 4) I would rather use on my own gear than someone else's questionable gear. I use my eyes and internal clock for altitude awareness more than anything. 5) A chest mount can nail you on the chin in the event of a hard opening. Hook

What would you do if: 1. You showed up to the DZ early, before the pilot. The pilot calls and tells the DZO he is running a little late. A load has formed, geared up and is waiting on the pilot. The pilot arrives, jumps out of his car goes directly to the airplane, and without a pre-flight, starts it up and tells everyone to get in? 2. You know that the pilot bail-out rig being used in the aircraft is out of date? 3. Your friend's reserve is out of date and he wants to go make a jump with you, and use his out-of-date rig (you don't have a spare available for him top use)? 4. One evening you witness the DZO forging a 100-hour inspection in the jump-ship's logbook? 5. The pilot tells you the DZO has disconnected the tachometer to prevent the meter from showing that the 100-hour inspection is past due? 6. You become aware that the pilot's medical has expired and they are still flying jumpers? 7. The battery in the aircraft is bad (leaking) so the DZO removes it and "jump-starts" the aircraft for each load? 8. The winds pick up in the afternoon and jumping stops. A few people have started drinking, including the pilot. The winds calm in the evening and a few of your friends want to make a sunset jump, and the pilot agrees to fly? 9. On jump run, your are in a cloud, nothing but white in every direction, the pilot, turns and yells for you to go? 10. Your rigger returns your rig to you, but did not replace you AAD batteries that have expired? 11. You become aware that the pilot is not calling Air Traffic Approach before dropping jumpers? 12. You witness your DZO pack a reserve for a local glider pilot without a rigger's ticket or the supervision of a rigger? 13. You witness a rigger pack a Seat bailout rig, but does not have a Seat rating, only a Back rating? 14. You land off, in a tree, 20 feet above the ground? 15. At 500ft you initiate a hard toggle turn, and your steering line breaks? 16. During taxi, you notice two jumpers without their seat belts on, or only draped over their leg? 17. During take-off you notice the cameraman in the back of the airplane is not wearing his camera helmet and it isn't secured with a seat belt? 18. Your friend "pencil-packs" his reserve when he discovers it is out of date on the first day of a big boogie? Hook

I don't think the FAA meant natural substances. "Within 120 days before the date of its use, if its canopy, shroud, and harness are composed exclusively of nylon, rayon, or similar synthetic fiber or material that is substantially resistant to damage from mold, mildew, and other fungi, and other rotting agents propagated in a moist environment; or (2) Within 60 days before the date of its use, if it is composed of any amount of silk, pongee, or other natural fiber, or material not specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. " Pilot bail-out/emergency rigs usually use rubber bands for stowing the lines and the FAA is aware of this. Even though the FAA doesn't actually state it, I think they don't consider rubber bands or bungee material causing a rig's re-pack cycle to be dropped to 60 days. I don't know if I would call rubber; "substantially resistant to damage from mold, mildew, and other fungi, and other rotting agents propagated in a moist environment", but it hasn't seemed to be a problem and the FAA doesn't seem to think it is either. I have replaced broken or worn safety stows, but I haven't seen one rotted, even after years of being packed in high humidity environments. I don't think that it is ignored, but accepted that rubber is OK for 120 (+) days. Hook

And if you give me any more lip, I'll crack three more on the other side!

Do you have metal housings for your reserve rip cord and cutaway housings (in the harness/container)? By your argument, these same metal housings can be slammed in a car door,pinching the cable, causing an impossible cutaway/reserve pull. Would you want plastic housings for your reserve ripcord and cutaway housings? If you subject your lifesaving gear to that much abuse, then jump it without insepction, you deserve what you get....... Metal inserts are the way to go. Hook

Sunpath, Altico, and now, I believe, Mirage Systems all produce BOC's w/ a "Reserve Side Main Pull". There are probably others too. Hook

In a previous post, I said that Stunts had gone out of business. I have been informed I was wrong. Stunts no longer produces sport rigs, but still manufacturers the Eclipse tandem system. Sorry for my error. Hook

Not sure how this got under "General Skydiving Discussions", but even if it wasn't a fake, my first thought was what if his right arm was injured, it would look better using his good arm than doing nothing. Hook

Remember, 1) Pull, 2) Pull on time, and 3) Pull stable. If it is pull time, PULL! You don't want to spend the rest of your life trying to get stable. People tend to tense up at exit, start to relax, tense up for the pull and opening, then begin to relax, then tense up for the landing again. Be aware of these "peaks" of tension and be prepared for them, relax. Hook

Whatever you did to not spin......do that at pull time. Some people teach putting the thumb of the left hand on top of the head while the right reachs for the handle. I don't pull that way, and it causes the student to drop their head, de-arch, etc. I teach to look over the top of your left hand (keeping it low), using it as a gunsight/front sight post, on the horizon. This keeps their head up, allows them to read their altimeter as they pull, keeps their shoulders more level, and is easier to hold a heading. Most turns I have seen at pull time are to the right. As the student lifts their left hand up and they reach back with their right hand, they drop their right shoulder and lift their left, = right turn. Hook

LOL- right big grey area. OK, I get to claim befoire noon too I forgot to put that in. It would be legal, in my interpretation of the FAR's. A local FSDO can do just about anything they want, even to say that assembling a Cypres into a Cypres-ready container is an alteration, requiring a Master Rigger ticket to do. I would definately dis-agree with that. And I wouldn't fault you for that. I don't know if anyone was shipping reserves without links, I haven't run across that, maybe before my time. I think the real issue is that Senior Riggers are given a huge responsibilty. It is important that a rigger recognize their own limitations and not do something they shouldn't, even if it is legal for them to do so. I know of at least one DPRE that does not require the candidate to pack a round for the practical. But once they are a rigger, they are authorized to pack a round reserve, but may have no experience, instruction or training on how do pack them. A good rigger wouldn't pack them, even though they are authorized, until they get up to speed on them. I hope that was a good example of what I am trying to say. Ethics in rigging are at leat as difficult as the rigging itself. Hook

Yep, I'm sure. I'm not a Master Rigger yet, soon though. Both PC's are TSO'd and a Senoir Rigger can assemble a reserve and it is up to the assembling rigger to determine compatability. Changing the length of the bridle would be a alteration, minor or major is irrelevant because you have to be a Master Rigger to alter an approved system (reserve and/or harness). Hook

The Driver has spoken and I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing that up. Hook