Hooknswoop

i think you two are talking about 2 different Brad's. But having flown with them both, I think they are both top-notch. Derek

I've read both threads. Seems to me that Gary didn't snitch, but, realizing that the jumper and the pilot wouldn't get in trouble, believing the jumper didn't fully appreciate the situation, and personally knowing the FAA person, he was trying to make an impression on the jumper. He did not file a complaint with the FAA. His intention was not to get the jumper or anyone else in trouble with the FAA. I think he felt that if an FAA person talked to the jumper, the jumper might realize that the FAA was around and jumping a BASE rig out of a balloon in front of them was not a good idea. If Gary had not personally known the FAA person, or filed a complaint with the FAA, that would be a different story, but that is not what I understand happened. I disagree with those that say they would never call the FAA. I have never called the FAA, but probably should have in one particular case. I think that attitude is what allows DZO's to get away with breaking the FAR's because they know no one will turn them in and the FAA is unlikely to catch them unless something goes wrong. Self-policing does not mean never call the authorities, it means every jumper is responsible for ensuring the rules are followed. Now, I'll be the first to admit have broken numerous BSR's and busted a lot of clouds. I have jumped a BASE rig out of a balloon. I did it with the full knowledge and understanding of the pilot. It was not at a skydiving event, there was no video, and the chances of the FAA being around were slim to none. Had I gotten caught, I would have withheld the pilot's information and taken the wrap. Had a USPA rep taken action against me for a BSR volition, I would have taken the hit. If a jumper or DZO is putting others at risk or being an idiot, I would expect skydivers to do their job, self-policing, and take action as necessary. Unfortunately, this does not usually. They will allow a cover-up of someone jumping a BASE rig out of an airplane. Skydivers just want to do their thing, do not want to be told they can't do something, and do not want to be bothered with self-policing. When a jumper does take a stand, they generally find themselves an outcast, other jumpers will avoid them like they have leprosy, and they sure as hell won't support them, regardless if they are right or not. If you are operating outside the rules, don't whine if you get caught. Man up, take the hit and move on. Too many skydivers act like it is their right to break the rules. Too many skydivers act like someone that does stand up for what is right is a traitor to all skydivers. Too many skydivers do not take responsibility for self-policing. It is not fair to expect someone that does stand up for what is right to stand up for any and every infraction, regardless of how small or risk being called a hypocrite. This is where good judgment comes into play. Would you expect a police officer to write a citation for every broken law they see? Or would you expect them to use their better judgment and issue citations for the more serious infractions, warnings for smaller infractions and let slide the trivial infractions? What if you knew the DZO was not doing the maintenance on the aircraft? What if you talked to them about it and they told you to pack sand and jump somewhere else if you don’t like it. What if none of the other jumpers at the DZ you talked to about it cared and basically told you they don’t want to hear about it? Would you do nothing? What if the next week, the plane crashed, killing your fellow jumpers and several unsuspecting students? What if you could have prevented it by calling the FAA? Are you morally partially responsible for their deaths? If you could have prevented their deaths and didn’t, what kind of person does that make you? What if you fellow jumper told you about the lack of maintenance and you told them you didn’t want to hear about it. What kind of person does that make you? What if you friend is stoned out of their mind and are on the way to the airplane to make a jump. If you don’t do whatever it takes to stop them and they bounce, what kind of person does that make you? Their friend? Loyal? A non-traitor? What if your friend was about to jump a BASE rig out of a balloon and you knew the pilot didn’t understand they were putting their license at risk? What if flying hot-air balloon was how this pilot made a living and fed their family? What if you knew the FAA was about and had a good chance of witnessing the jump? What would you do if you couldn't stop them from jumping? Doing the right thing can be difficult. Especially in skydiving where so few do the right thing and so many do not. What kind of person are you? Derek

Do you have a current driver's license? Derek

LOL, you have to custom order them from a jumpsuit manufacturer. Derek

It isn't ability, just body-type. You don't want to be hper-arched to fall faster, you won't be able to move. Rely on the tools available to adjust your fall rate range, i.e. weight belts and jump suits. Derek

Most of the 4-way RW fly at about 70% at SVCO. A tight, custom-fitted RW suit will make a huge difference. Depending on your body weight, height, width, density, etc, you may also need a weight belt in order to put you flying comfortably at 70%. I do make them, but I am swamped right now. I have about 14+ to make in the next few weeks. To fly with others in the tunnel's baggy suits, it depends on the other flyers. If they are also in the tunnel's suits and similar size, 60-67% is a good range. I struggle a bit when it is down that low (60%) on my belly. Derek

What's with the PA? And no, we are nt Texans, she is from ND and I'm from CA. Derek

LOL- ya, that one too Derek

The Instructors out at LV (great bunch of guys) have flown in SVCO and could best answer this, but I would recommend a SV tunnel for skydiving skills. Another option besides SVO is SVCO. Derek

No live jumps. First they practiced hooking onto the rollers that they would slide down the pole with and jump through the door into the water. Then we suspended them from the overhead crane, let them close their visor, turn on their O2 and inflate their waterr wings, and dropped them into the water. Then we would put them under a round canopy of the same type they would actually jump, that was spread out on top of the water. They would get themselves out from under it and then climb into their rafts and spray each other with their raft pumps Bail-out training was a blast. They were using a seat belt as the quick release to drop them into the water. I built a 3-ring release harness that they still use today. Derek

Here is a pic of what they wear during launch. I think they wouls have to be relatively low and slow to actually survive a bail-out. Derek

Right, no one really believed they could get away with it. If they knew they had a problem that would prevent landing, but wouldn't be problem until they weree very low, they might pull it off. But even if they had know about the wing leading edge damage while in orbit, they still couldn't have gotten out safely. It was nice to see the shuttle fly again.

I used to train the astronauts to jump from the shuttle. No one really believed it would work, but they all trained to do it and wear parachutes. Derek

You back up and running yet? Derek

Try packing the main wider, should be wider than the d-bag when you go to put it in the bag. Derek

We dove 46% NITROX, which really helped, but that still didn't stop me getting some decompression sickness symptons on the way to altitude a few times When you are down for 4 hours a day, you build up Nitrogen. The best way to determine flying after diving is high altitude diving charts. I could not find ANYONE in the know willing to even discuss minimum times before flying. Derek

Canyon carving Sunday? I just installed some new Pazzo brake and clutch levers and a Accumen gear indicator. Derek

Do they make them with 2 seats? All the ones I have seen only have one seat. Derek

Try this: Stand at the top of a flight of stairs. Think; 'Arms all the way up, lean foward against chest strap, take a deep breath' With a coach watching, walk down the flight of stairs quickly. Begin to 'flare' at about 10 feet off the 'ground' Finish the flare a the last step, not before and not after. Do this several times. Remember, flaring is like stopping a vehicle at a stop sign. There are many variables that determine when you begin to apply pressure to the brake pedal and how much so that you stop at the stop sign. Landing a canopy is the same thing, flare as necessary to stop as you reach the ground. It is amazing how many people with have either not finished their 'flare' and are standing at the base of the stairs, or have finished their 'flare' and are 8 or 9 steps up off the ground. You will look silly doing this drill, but if it is silly, but it works, it isn't silly. Derek

It runs at about 70% for belly flyers. I sit fly at between 75 and 77% Derek

I think it depends on the tunnel. Gary and Eliana couldn't believe how quiet SVCO is. Derek

I have seen exactly that happen. Their reserve deployed as they did a front loop. Stowing the excess cable in the velco sandwich is a very bad idea. The slack is there for a reason. Derek

You are missing the point. It isn't that the Reserve or the harness is rated to less weight. It is that the reserve produces more load force during opening than the harness is certified to. How much weight under a PD-113R would produce a maximum peak force of 3,000 or less pounds during opening? No way to know, so de-rating doesn't fix the issue. “The strength of the harness must always be equal to or greater than the maximum force generated by the canopy during certification tests." "A PD-113R label shows the average peak force of 3639 pounds. The Mirage is TSO’d under TSO-C23b, Low-Speed Category (3,000lbs.)." Derek

RWS may go to Spectra reserve ripcord cables, which is very easy to attach (and replace) to a RWS RSL-style reserve ripcord pin. Derek

I think after 6 months, he is definately blowing me off. Derek