fcajump

I also could be wrong, but I think that Strong Ent. Materials manual states the strength of Type II/III gutted at 100-lbs. But on the order of 30-100 times what is should be taking during normal use. (of course my numbers are off the top of my head)... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Interested here too. Unless he just means they can't even climb out on the step against the wind. I've seen that quite a bit. That would require abs too. I have seen women that just don't have enough arm and pec strength to maintain a good mantis. But that doesn't preclude jumping, just jumping 'better'. While not at all standing behind the statement made by another, I will say that I saw a female student that should not have jumped (yet)... Couldn't/wouldn't get the concept of a PLF. Instructor was, IMHO, too nice for her own good. Heavier woman, skinny ankles and very bad form... Next time I saw her was after her second jump while recovering from her second broken (sprained?) ankle. NOT to say that she should not jump, just that more conditioning/training would have made it safer. JW PS - some of the best jumpers I know are female, got no problem with "them"... matter of fact, we need a lot MORE of them!!!

THANK YOU!! (you saved me a lot of typing... ) Besides... my wife would love for me to have less work to do... She's been bugging me for years to charge by the hour. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

You (and I) keep assuming that all riggers read the manual. Unfortunately, I think we have too much evidence to suggest that not everyone uses: current manuals check lists tool check lists common sense the phone (when uncertain, call the mfg) correct tools JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I realize that your question focused around hard (fast falling) objects, but ANY object should be a consideration... My DZ is along a road. I like to do intentional cut-aways. My spot always errs away from the road and runway. (and usually I have a jumper following it) Even those flying tubes need to consider the actions of a driver who suddenly finds himself with your fabric draped over his car. Y'all be careful out there... JW PS - and when you do drop something where you did not plan to, go with apologies and humility to get it. Demanding your property when it landed on a neighbors land does not keep good neighbors. Doubly so when it was potentially hazardous to them. Finally, do not assume that because YOU had an emergency, that they will understand the (perceived) danger to them, their property, or their livestock. An apology can go along way, no matter the "why". Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I don't use one either. But I try to ensure my signature and description of work done is complete and readable. The only problem I've found is that if the pen will write consistantly on Tyvek, it often soaks through. Great for durability, but lowsy writing surface. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but would like to hear more about the insurance requirements in different countries. USA has no insurance requirement, but IF you are a member of USPA (required at some DZ's, but not nationally) then you have some limited liability insurance (does not cover the jump plane or other jumpers as I recall, just injury/damage to the uninvolved). JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Might try http://www.brsparachutes.com/default.aspx Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Mentioned to a pilot at a DZ I was visiting that "if you ever need to use that thing (his emergency rig), you're dead". While admittedly a slight over statement I got his attention. I then explained that using the velcro to hold his chest strap wasn't enough, and that he should feed it through the friction adapter. He told me that no one had ever told him how to do so!! Ever since, my roaming eye-checks of gear includes the pilot. Remember people, they are part of this thing too and many of them know less about the gear than our students. BTW - wouldn't hurt to buy the pilot a beer, or at least tell him "thanks" at the end of the day... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I've torn out more than one repack the next day for this kind of overnight concern. If I can't sleep, it comes out. Haven't found anything wrong yet, but I believe in the inner voice. Glad you listeded to it!! Nearly paniced when my tool check came up short one day, until I could lay my hands on the missing items (in place on another repack that was interupted and awaiting a part). I use an inspection check list and tool checklist. If time permits, I also seporate the assemble process from the inspection process. (put it together, pack other things, then pick it up fresh for inspection & repack) That way I am less likely to see things correct when in fact they aren't. Best to you, JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Must be... I dun seen the photomagraphs. And if you see it in a picture, it MUST be true!! Well, these good folks have pretty much talked me into waiting for my C2, not drenching the old C1 and finding a better use for the outdated. If I am waiting until the C2, then maybe I'll take up the offer to come to Maytown. Does DDWolf swim? (He's likely one of the few that I would trust to hand me gutter gear, come to think of it..., though I will likely still get my old rig out for it...) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

All good advice Terry... (fortunately I saw my rigger this morning in the mirror, and he said it was a great idea) As the ragged out rig has an almost new harness, no problem there. The biggest thing to convince myself is going to be on the condition of the reserve canopy... but it will be TSO-worthy, or it won't be in the rig. Boat/driver I need. Safety diver/swimmer I have and he has both the jumping and diving experience. Location... I'm working on. Unfortunately the last time my old DZ went gutter-diving into the Potomac, I was sick. Then they started with the "in the pool and we'll throw it over you" routine... so while I have the training by the book, I want the real thing!! JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Ok, so I'm sure others have thought of this, but hadn't seen it go by before... My Cypres 1 turns into a pumpkin on June 30th this year. Already have plans to replace it, but what to do with the old unit...? Well, also sitting around are: retired (very functional) rig retired (airworthy, but ragged out) main soon to be pumkin Cypres retired but airworthy reserve (LoPo26) inflatable PFD Hmmm.... WATER JUMP!!! Yes, I have and will jump without an AAD, but choose not to. And since this thing will be NA on July 1, seems like no loss. Now I just need to assemble the rig and figure out where to arrange for this... Anyone else in WDC or NortherVA interested, qualified, and have gear ready? Would be cheeper to share the load... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Depends on the Owner and problem as to whether or not I mention it to them (~50% of the time I have). Depends on the rigger and the problem as to whether I go to the rigger, local DPRE, or MFG. (past experience: I have done all the above.) But I always do SOMETHING to get the word back to the rigger involved. (Usually calling the MFG is to confirm what I think I am seeing vs their instructions, and/or they were involved in some way.) (the real "JW" ) Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Make sure the reserve is still appropriate for the jumper weight. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

The Delta II does, but then its important in how the canopy is packed when using the OSI. (OK, so its not exactly "modern", but...) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Not good. Why I don't use packers. I've seen wide variations in how packers are supervised. I've seen wide variation in how riggers pack mains. Not surprising that packers supervised by these same riggers pack in many (creative) ways. Most packers I've seen pack better than most jumpers (many packers are better on mains than some riggers packing their own mains). But QC is entirely up to the attention of the rigger on hand at the time. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I've been on one Demo where the FED wanted to see proof that the 120day repack cycle was complied with on the MAINS... (he knew the rule, just not what to do when we pointed out that there is no documentation requirement on it...) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Depends entirely on: your experience your experience at the particular DZ your experience with the gear you're using your health/fitness the weather conditions the DZ's special events of the day (2 CASA's at a Cessna DZ) your planned dive (complexity/other's experience) your experience with that type of dive your "audience" (if any... such as that cute-young-thing you were chatting up last night... telling her about yourself the "Sky God") Other than these things, currency is highly over rated... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

CONGRATS!!! on surviving. As to stable, well... better pull a bit unstable/head down than spend the rest of your life trying to get stable. (A local DZ lost one that way years ago ) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

That's odd considering they are not even required on some dropzones. I would think it would be better to have an AAD that "might" fail as opposed to not having one at all, unless a useless unit would somehow interfere with the reserve being deployed. Its also against the regulations for an out-of-date emergency 'chute to be on the aircraft, even if the person is safer with a 'chute at 121 days rather than not having one at all. At some point they have to draw the line in the sand. Hopefully the line for repacks will get a little longer soon... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

No medical is required. Ok. Strong did with I got my TI. And I've kept it since I got my Pilot's ticket. Minimum controllable airspeed with the critical engine inop. Well then, the climb rate would be worse if you got below this then wouldn't it... The TBO is not required to be followed for Part 91 operations. You can run the engine till it dies. Really... scary, but that explains some things. 2 Years Ok... I'll buy that... The briefing must include the procedures to be used in case of an emergency with the aircraft or after exiting the aircraft, while preparing to exit and exiting the aircraft, freefall, operating the parachute after freefall, landing approach, and landing. That and more is in the brief I give, though I've seen some TI's that don't take the time to look the student in the face before they board. Nothing at all to do with any DZ that I know of. Any similarity to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Glad to hear it. Sorry, I've been reading some sniping posts lately... THANKS. Glad to see I got most off the top of my head and the errors (where I should know the answer) in my actual practice is more conservative than the regs... Blue ones Derek Jim Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

This had nothing to do with challenging his DZ as much as it was his challenging us to - Think. If so, that is a fine motivation. (BTW - how exactly does one become an "Anvil Brother"? Jim "The Flying Brick" Wine) Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Nope, complete junk!! Matter of fact, it is dangerous just to have it on hand (liability issues, you understand). So, ship it to me and I'll "dispose" of it for you. (as a favor to you). I would suggest that it does have resale value, but I would also warn the newbie that it needs a good inspection (including main) and that many of his/her instructors may or may not be familiar with the performance behavior of this age system. I will leave to those who jump Racers and freefly as to whether this vintage is good for "unusual attitudes". Good luck. Jim Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

QuoteGuessing without the manuals in front of me... 1. Who may pack a Tandem Main according to the FAR’s?PiC, Rigger (or under direct supervision of rigger) 2. Does a Parachutist in Command (tandem instructor) need a current FAA medical certificate according to the FAR’s? Yes, class 3 3. What is the lowest a USPA “D” license holder may deploy his/her parachute according to the FAR’s? no limit 4. What are the FAA’s minimum requirements to be an AFFI? none 5. On a twin engine aircraft, what does the blue line on the airspeed indicator signify? single engine best climb? (I'm not twin rated) 6. Is the engine on an aircraft used for parachute operations (FAR Part 91) required to be overhauled according to the manufacturer’s recommended Time Before Overhaul (TBO)? yes for commercial use 7. What inspections are required by the FAA to be completed for an aircraft used in Parachute operations by the FAA? for commercial ops - annual + 100 hour + mfg times on certain equip + FAA time requirements on certain equip (ELT, Nav radios) 8. What are the FAA’s minimum requirements to be the pilot in command of a airplane used for parachute operations? Private (40 hours) for NON commercial ops, commercial rating for commercial ops 9. What are the FAA”s requirement’s for seatbelt use in aircraft? Must be installed and on for Taxi, T/O and Lndg 10. What is the FAR’s specify as the minimum exit altitude for a skydiver? none (except demos with CoA) 11.What is the minimum equipment required to be worn by a skydiver by the FAA? TSO'ed single harness/dual canopy with TSO'ed reserve - in date, main repacked by rigger or jumper within 120 days 12. In order to act as pilot in command at night, what additional requirements must be met by the pilot? Night current (3 T/O and Lndgs w/in 90 days at night), lights 13. To what standard of reliability and accuracy must skydiving altimeters certified to in order to be legal to use in the USA? none, nor is there an FAR requiring their use 14. To what standard of reliability and accuracy must Automatic Activation Devices be certified to in order to be legal to use in the USA? none, nor is there a requirement to use then, BUT if installed they MUST be maintained per the mfg's requirements 15. How long from the date of the reserve packing must a FAA rigger keep a record of the work completed? 3 years? (not sure, I keep all) 16. Self-regulation refers to rules and standards set by non-profit organizations that represent industry. Skydiving in the USA is self-regulating. What happens when the rules and standards set forth by the USPA are not met? self-regulating means self-policing. Only what the membership requires its leadership to enforce. 17. What are the FAA’s minimum performance standards for main parachutes? none (though alterations must be made by rigger or next jumper to use it) 18. What are the FAA’s requirements in regards to main parachute manufacturers? none 19. According to the FAR’s, a Parachutist in Command is required to have; ”a minimum of 3 years of experience in parachuting”. How is this experience defined? For example; does 1 skydive per year count as a one year’s experience? yes - for THIS requirement, though there are other requirements that would not allow this minimum. Additionally, the PiC must meet currency requirements (3 tandems in the last 3 months as I recall) 20. What are the FAA’s minimum briefing requirements for the passenger of a tandem skydive? Location and use of ripcord, location and use of altimeter 21. How many skydives does the FAA require before a skydiver may jump solo without the supervision of an Instructor? none Now... that was fun (and likely 1/2 wrong). But I suspect that your point was not to run a fun Monday morning quiz, but more likely to Monday morning quarterback your local DZ. IFF this is the case, I would suggest that the planned followup e-mail should NOT be posted and that this is the wrong place to air your complaints. IF my assumption is wrong, and this was posted for entertainment/educational value then simply consider my concerns as part of the 1/2 that I got wrong.