Hooknswoop

She is referring to a non-rated AFFI taking AFF students, on video. Madolyn's response to being informed of this was, "What do you want me to do, take away a rating he doesn't have?". I have met another until recently regional director that took the same attitude. Hook

Very cool. Keep us posted on future test jumps. Did it also give you airspeed? Hook

I am not trying to bash RSL's, but go to the fatalities web page and look at the fatalities I pointed out. They have been a contributing factor, if not the cause of fatalities before. The question is which risk is greater? What is best for each individual jumper. Not all jumpers are the same and an RSL may or may not make sense for each individual jumper. Hook

http://www.skydivingfatalities.info/search.asp?MinDate=1%2F1%2F2000&MaxDate=31%2F12%2F2000&Country=US&CountryOp=%3D Fatality #20 for the year 2001- possible/unkown Fatality #28 for the year 2001 Fatality # 16 for the year 2000 Fatality # 18 for the year 2000 Fatality # 18 for the year 1997 There are advantages and dis-advantages to RSL's. The more you know about them, the better founded your deciscion to jump with one or without one. Don't rely on one person's opinion of them. Research and educate yourself on RSL's, then discuss the issue with experienced jumpers, Instructors, and S & TA's, then decide for yourself Hook

http://www.pia.com/SSK/cypres/ You should check out this web page if you own a Cypres. It has everything from a Misfire Report (great reading) to how to turn off a Cypres that doesn't want to turn off. Hook

Yes it is legal and easy to remove, but like Ramon said, you can't re-close the reserve. Make sure to check your Cypres User's Guide, or go to http://www.pia.com/SSK/cypres/ for a down-loadable manual and the service form. There are a fw notes about removing and shipping the Cypres in the manual. Also-for the 4yr check, new batteries, shipping, and insurance, it totals out to $245.75. Shipping charges may vary, of course. Hook

I think they define it as something that can interfer with the "Approved" portion of the parachute. Changing the location of the main closing loop isn't considered an alteration because it doesn't affect the "strength or operation" of the TSO'd components. I recently ran across an old Vector II with the main closing loop tounge similar to old Javelins, with the grommet facing the D-bag. I called RWS and they said to sew a piece of elastic under the bottom flap grommet and cut off the tongue. I agrree that it shouldn't be taken lightly, converting a spandex BOC to a Cordura BOC. I would contact the manufacturer and see if they were willingly to convert it. If not, and I reallly wanted the conversion, I would take the rig to a Master Rigger with a really good loft and have them do it. The conversion isn't a simple process and has to be done correctly. Hook

I'm not sure if a non-rigger can replace a pouch, even if they can (not arguing if they can or not) I woouldn't recommend it. The issue is who can replace a spandex pouch with a cordura pouch. Tough question. Hook

Monkey- great to finally meet you. Heard you weren't feeling well the last morning I was there. Too much nig-noggery?? We will have to go fly wing suits next time. Glad the reserve ride turned out OK, nice job. Riser inserts. I see absolutely no down-side to the metal riser inserts. Like it was already stated, make sure they are takced in place. If the slide down out of the channel, they can slip through the r-ring locking loop and prevent the 3-ring from releasing (I have seen this happen, it was caught on the ground). Even at light wingloading, riser inserts will do their job, which is to prevent the cutaway froces from increasing if the risers are twisted around each other, trapping the excess cutaway cables. Also, the channel where the excess cutaway cable goes can "grip" the excess cable, increasing cutaway forces. I don't think there is a minimum wing loading before someone should consider inserts. They can't hurt, they can only help. If you don't have them, get them and have your rigger install them with super-tack. Cheap insurance. Hook

Kinda narrow-minded. I have had my RSL installed on my intentional cutaway/back-up/demo rig before. With the chest mount, it makes it harder to find handles, so having the RSL is a nice back-up. I am not a student (Instructor, in fact), a low time jumper (3200 jumps), nor am I unable to pull my own handles (proved that for the 13th time yesterday, no RSL's on any of those cutaways, nor on any of the 43 intentional cutaways I have). RSL's have their place, and to brand them as for incompetent or low experienced people is silly. Someone reading your post that has an RSL installed on their rig could very easily take that comment as an insult. I understand if you do not wish to have one installed on your rig, but a lot of different people read these forums with many different circumstances and "one size fits all" definately doesn't apply to skydiving procedures/gear choices/emergency procedures, etc. Hook

Alan- You have my respect. The thread is: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=249465 I don't think it applies to containers either. "Any change to the configuration, method of operation, or method of packing the main parachute, up to and including the main canopy attachment links or the male end of the quick release fittings, is a main pack alteration. Any main pack alteration that affects the strength or operation of the auxiliary parachute, including the harness, must be regarded as an alteration of the auxiliary parachute and handled accordingly." I found this. Kinda vague, but it could be interpreted that as long as it doesn't affect the harness or the strength or how the reserve works, no approval is needed and it isn't an alteration to the "approved" harness container or reserve. I'm not sure on this one. What do you think, Alan? Hook

I wonder if anyone mentioned to him that cameras work better when they are tunred "ON"? Hook

I'll research this and see what I can find. The FAR's and FAA documents are very muddled. (Is that a word?) Replacing a BOC with a BOC not offered as an option n a container isn't the same as putting a pocket on the slider of a main canopy. Hook

Same way I always do. I "S" fold the bridle up and place it on top of the mesh. Fold the PC in half, so only fabric is showing, then fold it in half again, so it looks like a piece of pie. The roll it up along the fold and stuff it in the BOC. This keeps the fabric from bunching up at the mouth of the BOC. TG was having hard pulls on her PC and she asked me to- re-pack her PC. I packed it this way and she kept having me re-pack her PC the rest of the day....No more hard pulls. Find the DZ on the way to altitude. You can read a newspaper by a full moon. The mono-chrome color the moon provides will mess with your depth perception. Don't make a low turn to avoid your own shadow, mistaking it for another canopy (it has happened). Make sure to let your eyes adjust, it takes about 30 minutes to fully adjust. Any exposure to white light during the 30 minutes and you have to start all over. I have seen people wear sunglasses for 30 minutes prior to a night jump. You'll be nervous, so be ready for it. Night jumps are a blast. My last (legal) night jump was a 4 point 12 way. Hook

Here's a pic. Hook

I don't get it. Hook

I always tie a light stick to the base of my PC. It can be seen from many different directions, and makes it possible to find my main in the vent of a cutaway. Hook

Because they aren't planning on actually shooting anyone. They carry the weapons for training purposes. I think the Secret Service has enough to worry about w/o a division of armed soldiers able to get within 20 ft of the President. The only time soldiers are issued ammunition, is on the range or in a real-world combat enviroment, or when guarding a sensitive location. Otherwise it is a liability, accidental discharges, etc. I always carried a 20 round magazine w/ 18 rounds in it stashed away while in the field, you never know..... Hook

http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=health&cat=obesity_and_weight_issues I definately believe it. I did tandems for over a year near Houston. "Are you ready to skydive?!" "MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" "OK, here we go!" Hook

Sounds like a training issue at your DZ. SDAZ has an awesome system for keeping the landings safe. First person down sets the lnading direction. If you do not wish to land in the same direction as the first person that lnaded, you can land away from the main landing area, in any direction you wish. The only problems I saw was when people did not follow the rules. Hook

I only have one way of assembling my 3-ring releases. Am I wrong? Sometimes there is only one "best" way to do something. Generally the "best" way to do something can change given unusual circumstances. I prefer the; Surfers (if any) Belly-largest to smallest group Free-flier-largest to smallest group AFF Tandem Wing suits High pullers Exit order. As the head winds increase on jump run, leave more room between exits. If the first group out is a large belly group, start the climb out eraly enough to allow for the longer climb out time. If the second group is a largish (can't have a lot of large groups on one plane) belly group, the climbout time will ensure seperation. When in doubt, leave plenty of room. Hook

Sorry, Velcro. Some use elastic keepers. A jumper on the formation loads at the SDAZ boogie had a reserve ride because he had a floating "pud". The only reserve ride out of 6, 27-ways. Hook

Bottom-Top-Right-Left. Both my Javelin and my Micron Two reasons. 1. Right flap first prevents the possibility of the PC bridle hanging up on the right-hand flap (not an issue on my Micron). 2. Right flap first puts the flap against the bottom flap from the closing loop to the corner of the rig, holding the PC bridle more secure. Closing the left flap first creates a gap between the right flap and the bottom flap, where the PC bridle is routed. If the manufacturers are always correct, then why aren't all rigs the same? Why do they make improvements to their containers? Why are there AD's? Hook

Just got back from SDAZ and I made a few observations while there: --The smaller canopies seemed to make it back from long spots better than the larger canopies. --In light to no-winds, the jumpers with the smaller canopies seemed to have the higher percentage of stand up landings. --In heavy winds, the jumpers with larger canopies seemed to be the only ones getting dragged through the desert. --The jumpers with the smaller canopies seemed to have better accuracy skills than the jumpers with the larger canopies. There were definitely exceptions to these observations. I don't think that smaller canopies produced these results, I think it was the pilots. I REALLY don't think that if the jumpers having issues that were jumper larger canopies would find all those issues gone if they downsized. I think the jumpers under the smaller canopies figured out how to land early on in their skydiving career and quickly were relaxed for their landings. Whereas some of the jumpers jumping the larger canopies had a harder time learning to land and didn't get as comfortable landing a canopy as quickly. I think a big factor in progressing as a canopy pilot is possessing the ability to self-critique and analyze each landing. Then decide what to do differently on the next landing, and finally, to actually make the change(s) to how you land. (This also applies to free-fall skills). Watching a jumper make the same mistakes over and over again, I realized that they were happy to walk away from the landing un-injured, didn't care what they did wrong, and had no plans for changing or improving how they landed. They were satisfied with their landings. "I opened, I landed, I'm not hurt and the sand and dust will come off the rig and my jumpsuit. That's good enough for me." My advice: 1. Don't ever be satisfied. Always seek self-improvement. 2. Look around at others. If someone is out tracking you, ask them how they did it (I did, thanks Doug Parks for the tip). If someone beats you to the formation, ask them how they did it. If you see someone do a very smooth sit-to-head-down transition, ask them how they did it. If you see someone fly a canopy very smoothly, ask them how they did it. Have someone video you in free-fall or under canopy. Compare what you are doing to what the really good skydivers are doing. Watch videos of really good Free-flyers/RW flyers/Bird-suit flyers/etc, analyzing them for technique. 3. Read. Read anything you can get your hands on canopy piloting, rigging, free-flying, RW, tracking, etc, and question what you read. If you don't understand something in the article, ask someone to explain it to you. Remember, these articles are written by someone and may contain errors. A recent article I had published I tried to send in a change, but missed the deadline. 4. Find qualified mentors. No one knows it all, and sometimes two qualified people that disagree are a perfect resource. You can listen to both opinions and their explanations for why they think the way they do, then decide which opinion fits your situation the best or makes the most sense to you. Make sure someone you chose as a mentor will say, "I don't know" when they don't know. 5. Apply what you observe and the tips you receive to your flying. Visualization helps tremendously. 6. Start over at #1, above. This is a continuous process that requires effort. Want to be a great skydiver? Want to be a safe skydiver? Work at it. Hook

They did. Hook