davelepka

There's alot of talk about donwsizing and canopy selection in this forum, and anytime it looks like a jumper might be pushing his luck, the inevitable response is, "What are you going to do when you have to land that thing in a backyard'. It's the 'worst case scenario' (wcs) argument, and it's a valid position. Unfortunately, recent incidents have shown us another wcs that we maybe hadn't thought of. How about being in over your head with a canopy that flies too fast and dives too far on a perfectly good spot? There's been some inane chatter about organizing exit orders based on canopy type and WL in concert with separate landing areas as a means to segregate the swoopers from the non-swoopers. This is retarded for a few reasons, the first of which is that we already have criteria for selecting the exit order, and it serves a more immediate safety concern, that of group separation at opening time. If we comprimise that, landing order will make little difference. Another reason, and the more relevant one is this - If you're not capable of safely flying your canopy within the confines of the current exit order and landign zones, then you're not ready to fly that canopy. I've only been on a Velo for about 700 jumps or so. Before that I had 3000ish on a Stiletto. One of things I've noticed with the Velo, is that for me to continue to make the same jumps as I used to, complete with the sickest swoop I can manage, it takes an additional layer of planning. With a faster descent rate, and needing about twice the altitude to make my turn, I need to be eyeballing the load before we even get on the plane. I need to pick my opening altitude accordingly, and once my slider is down, the real work begins. Traffic management, and sequencing myself into or around the pattern becomes a full time job. I'm not even thinking about my swoop. I already know where I'm going to swoop, and I know how to do the actual swoop. The canopy ride becomes reduced to me, my initiation point, and getting there with clear air under me. The idea of the swoop isn;t anywhere near my head until I'm at my initiation point, and have clear air. Then and only then, do I shift my focus to the swoop. It's alot like the advice we give guys eager to fly a camera. Learn how to fly your body first, then add the camera, and this way you can focus on the camera. This is the same thing. Get your swoop together first on hop n pops, or high pulls. Learn the ins and outs when you're on your own up there. (This is the part the newbies will agrue with) THEN move up to the X brace canopies. You have no business flying the baddest fastest canopies around unless you're the baddest fastest swooper around. Really. Learn, and I mean really learn on a lighter loaded canopy with a more relaxed planform. This will ease the workload and pressure in the area of traffic management and sequencing, and free up your mind a little to focus on other things. Be one of those guys you hear about from time to time, "He can really tear it up on a Sabre2" or " He can out swoop Jimbo on his Velo with an X fire2, it's unreal". Keep in mind that no one ever thinks an accident will happen to them. None of you are immune out there, but you can do alot for yourself, and in this case, other jumpers by stacking the deck in your favor. You can't expect a canopy that is three times as fast and dives five times as far as other canopeis to be easy to integrate into a sky full of the other stuff. Add to this just the skill needed to fly these canopies in an empty sky, and you reaaly need to be a high performance pilot to handle these wings. This doesn't exactly address the two recent incidents, but it's a start, and unfortunately I think these two incidents aren't isolated, they're just a start as well. Which emerging trend comes out on top in the end is up to you guys. All joking aside, the fact that it's up to you guys doesn;t bode well for the future. Jumpers in general seem to succeed in reaching new heights (or depths) of stupidity all the time.

As an outside observer, you can say whatever you want. As the supposed 'victim' of some wrong doing at the hands of another jumper, your comments would be out of place. It's your fault for leaving yourself open to whatever happened to you. Don't get me wrong, accidents do happen, but in the case of a true 'accident' all parties are equally at fault for the incident.

Thats bullshit. Here's the way it works- Either you've figured out that you can't trust anyone up there, and that counting on another jumper to perform in a certain way in order for your personal plan to work out is a giant mistake. In this case, you have no one but yourself to blame when things don't go how you want. If you haven't figured that out yet, then you have no place to yell at anyone. That guy is a douche.

Having 1000 jumps just means that you had the time and the money to make the skydives. It doesn't stop you from being a dick.

Part of this is ignorance. If people don't understand a pattern, and how to use it, and how other people use it, you can't expect them to attach too much importance to it. If the education was in place to transfer the book knowledge, and the culture was in place to support compotent canopy piloting (not swooping) as being cool, you would see a different situation. Non-swoopers would take pride in flying a clean pattern, with dead on accuracy, and sweet flare. Just like AC pilots take pride in flying a clean IFR approach down to minnimums and putting it right down on the numbers. If they know how and why, and that their friends are all watching to see how good they are, then they'll do what you want them to do.

How about this, you want to swoop, you are 100% responsible for everything you do. If you want to swoop you have to be faster and smarter, and plan ahead better than everyone else. Period. Here's what everyone is missing. All this discussion is the result of recent accidents. That's right accidents. Even if we come up with separate landing areas, separate jump runs, this rule and that rule, accidents will still happen. Nothing will ever change the fact that if you want to go big, you have to be ready to cover ALL of your bases. You're the only one in control of your canopy, and if you can't operate in a sky full of retards, than skydiving isn't for you. The canopies are top of the line, the goal is the longest, fastest sickest swoop ever, and keeping with that theme, the pilot has got to be just as good. That said, these recent accidents are stupid, and could have been avoided somehow.

An importsnt note to make is that I indicated that at my home DZ, with an (as in one) otter full of jumpers I know I can swoop into the pattern. This is a case of not seeing the whole picutre. At another DZ, or with a bigger or multiple AC, or if there's a meet in progress with visiting teams, none of what I said applies. Any of those factors casue me to forefit an essential level of control, and thus makes it not possible to swoop in the pattern. These are things that I know before even boarding the plane, so the decision was made for me. This is the type of thing I'm talking about. If you don't understand the factors I need in place to do what I do, or don't undertand the no exceptions policy I have on any one of those factors not being present, you could mis-constue what I'm doing. The thing is, none of this is rocket science, and if presented, I think anyone smart enough to earn a license could easily grasp the info. Diligence in planning, and observing the rules is another story, and I think that the general failure to do this is whats going to necessitate separate landing areas in to the future (not to mention the growing popluation of swoopers. If there were more swoopers at my DZ, again, I might have to operate in a different fashion).

More of the problem is the swoopers who don't fully understand the concept of traffic management, back up plans, and sound desicion making. It's possible to swoop into a regular LZ with an otter full of jumpers around provided you're willing to do the work. Counting canopies, and sequencing yourself into traffic, having and being open to using a back up plan (or two) are essential. The real problem I think comes back to education. Just because I can swoop into the main LZ at my home DZ with an otter full of jumpers I know doesn't mean that other are equipped to do so. The problem comes from the observer who sees what I am doing, and without understanding what's behind it, takes it at face value, and assumes that it's oK for him as well. This is where the educational side of it would help. For example, I'm sure that very few pilots will watch Sean Tucker do his arishow routine, and then attempt to replicate it in a 152 Aerobat or a Citabria. The reason is that pilots are educated to the hilt during their training, and they have enough of an understanding of the differences between an aileron roll or two, and the full on blender-on-overdirve bit that you see at the airshow. Without the knowledge base to correctly understand what I'm doing, and what's involved, I have unwittingly become a bad role model. There are two choices as remedies. I can stop what I'm doing, and maybe take away the inspiration for the ensuing hazzardous situation. The other choice is to educate the up and comers, and let them understand the full scope of whats happening. Let them know that when I learned to swwop, I needed to turn over the center of the LZ becasue I was never sure of where I would end up. Make sure they see that you need to be at a point where the swoop is second nature, and the traffic mangement can be your primary activity. I, of course, vote for option two. Part of it is because I don't want to change what I'm doig, sure, but the bigger part is that option two has extensive education attached to it. This will only lead to smarter and better swoopers who can go on to create even more smart swoopers, and set a better example than I am.

Knowing the score or not isn't a factor here. we're all jumping out of airplanes, and if you don't understand that you may not come back from your next jump, then you need to get a reality check, and move forward with a new understanding (not you personally). BASE is a little different. In the US, it's still an outlaw sport. Concessions are made to allow access to objects like jumping after dark, breaking and entering, and jumping in less than ideal conditions. All of these factors are detrimental to maintaining safety (relax BASE guys, I know you do what you can). We have a more controlled enviornment when we skydive, which could afford us a safer situation. I'm not suggesting a ban on anything, or a removal of freedoms. It's just about having a system in place that allows for the personal expression for all involved. Freeflying is a fine comparison. Near collisions between freeflyers and rw guys from different groups used to be a problem. Different airspeeds, and different rates of freefall drift were the culprits. In the beginning, freeflyers got out first because they would fall faster. Made sense at the time. Know we know that the effects of freefall drift dictate the faster faller gets out after the slower groups. Problem solved, with everyone still doing their own thing in freefall. Swooping is a new deal. We can't expect it to fit into the system created for the old deal. I'm sure we can adapt and overcome, and find solutions to the problems. All we need is a body to help govern us and move in the right direction.

I've always thought of patterns as being easily adjustable. Stretch out one leg, or tighten up the other to make it fit. Unusually shaped landign areas often times present problems with pattern use, not overflying hazzards, and lading in an area with clean air. None of these problems are deal breakers, and a properly eductated jumper can overcome them, and create a flight plan with a solution that adheres to the field pattern, and provied a safe flight path for themselves. Did ya catch where I said, 'Properly educated'? That education needs to include visiting jumpers as well. Mayeb orientation to a new DZ needs to include a briefing on field procedures. Pilots have charts for the airports they are going to. These include runway diagrams, radio frequencies, and other specifics to that airport. These are all written in a standard format with universal abbreviations so all pilots appraoching the field have the same info. Did you catch where I said, "Standard" closely followed by, "Universal"? I never said it would be easy, like my grandpa used to say, nothing worthwhile ever is.

Yet another failure of the USPA. How are you supposed to buy promotional branded products if you can't even find them? Skydivers everywhere are losing keys left and right, and the USPA doesn't seem to care.

Have you done a search on this topic? This had all been covered ad-nauseum. The USPA needs to get their collective heads out of their asses and recognize that the trend for open canopy incidents representing the majority of incidents and fatalities has continued and will continue to rear it's ugly head until the issue is addressed. Education and emphasis are the key factors here. Teach jumpers more about thier canopies. Give them the information they need to use their canopies to their fullest potential and to make sound decisions from exit to landing. The eductation will in turn lead to the emphasis. By having the governeing body place importance and training in the area of canopy piloting it demonstrates the importance of always striving to imporve your canopy piloting skills. The current state of required training has canopy piloting about as important as spotting (which we all know is a skill that has been allowed by GPS ot fall by the wayside). A poster and a DVD does not cut it. The BOD knows the problem exists, and several of them know that it really does need a great deal of attention (I have personally spoken to them about this) however the meeting s come and go, and issue is either swept aside alltogether, or given a cursory glance, and is never the focal point of any real action. Will this stop collisions? Who knows, but I can't help but think that the more info everyone has, the more organized patterns will be, and the more predictable pilots will be. This last incident in Eloy, with the near miss, looks to be a prime example. If I read correctly, the jumper who was almost hit had just completed a right turn onto final. At my home DZ, and other I've been to, there is a left hand landing pattern. Is the pattern at Eloy a right hand pattern? Is their a dedicated pattern at all? A simple thing like a universal pattern direction at all USPA DZ's with sinage to support this, and maybe a mention everytime an experienced jumper signs a waiver for the first time would be a good start. In all reality though, don't expect much from the USPA except for ever increasing dues, a pretty new building and some swell keychains and polo shirts that apparently make great gifts.

For the price of one sushi roll, you could feed a small family at Taco Hell. Part of what you're paying for is the quality of the ingredients, the care used in handling them, and the training of the chef, who knows what to serve, and what to put in the garbage. It's the old 'you get what you pay for' thing. Or it's the old 'thats what you get for eatng at Taco Bell' thing.

I think you're missing a key point here. Having a 'dogfight' with canopies wouldn't really work. Imagine a dogfight with planes that have a limited speed range, cannot climb or maintain level flight, and cannot fly inverted. Kinda limits the options, huh? Aside from that, what the useful range of a paintball gun? How tight would you have to fly to connect with a shot? Keep in mind that if you're sprialing down after someone, you're shooting into a headwind that can range from 40 to 80 mph, depending on your canopy. Whats the range then? Trust me, there's nothing good about this idea aside from bonfire chit chat. This should never get off the ground in any way.

If you read the OP, the guy says He specifically states that the snivel is the problem area, so thats what I addressed. I'll look forward to it.

Better Tip - Don't film anything unless all the jumpers involved have been briefed on all aspects of the dive including exit slots, freefall manuvers, breakoff altitudes and procedures, and pull altitudes. Figure the shit out on the ground when everything is moving slowly, and you're got all the time in the world.

The smaller slider will do the trick. Look for one that is an inch or so shorter along the cord, but the same size along the span. Cutting a hole in a slider is pretty old school, and might work except that you would also be cutting through the drawstrings and channels used to collapse the slider. You could also check the length of the brake lines from the canopy down to the fingertrap. If these are too long, then your openings will slow down. Of course, if the brake lines are right on, and ALL the other lines are too short, you'd get the same effect (highly doubtful thats the case). All this talk about PC's is nonsense. If you're having a long PC hesitation which is adding to the time from PC throw to open canopy, then maybe the PC is to blame. If the deployment is normal from PC throw to the canopy coming out of the bag, followed by an extended snivel (which is what I think you're talking about), then the PC has already done it's job, and it just along for the ride (like you).

Here's the way I see it. When was the last time you got hit in the nuts with something? Or accidentally banged yourself in the nuts? Hopefully it's been awhile, and it's because you are careful with your boys down there. Treat your cameras the same way, and you'll be golden. A better comparison might be to your pin. I hope you're careful with your pin and handles when moving around in a small AC, just give your cameras the same treatment. Plan your moves ahead of time, then follow your plan.

Side mounted video has an increased risk for a riser strike which makes the box a good idea. If you get a riser strike on a top mounted still, then you've done something really wrong. As far as tandems goes, you're the biggest risk to a top mounted camera. If you can keep from dinging it on the door, or in the plane, it should be fine.

There's an optional -35 available as well. I wonder what thats all about? Anyone know the specs on a P and W -35? Does that make it a Really Super Otter?

Just have a baby already so you'll be too busy to post. Please.

IF you only have two days in Fla, the weather can easily ruin your entire trip, and if the cost of the bunkhouse is a faxtor, look into a closer DZ. Find the closest year-round DZ to where you live, maybe within driving range. This way you can seave the airfare, and if the weather looks bad when you want to go, you can postpone the trip for a week or a few days with no penalty. About the rig, see if you can order a new container, buy the canopies from the existing rig, then rent the container for a small per-jump fee unitll your new one arrives. Buying the whole thing and banking on selling the container later might backfire on you. If it doesn't sell when you want it to, you're stuck, or you may end up lowing the price to get a sale, and taking a loss on the deal. You should be able to rent the container from the DZO for a very reasonable fee, especially if you ordered a new one through him.

Now that you're not a student, you pick up a few advatages as well as disadvatages. As much as it sucks, the DZ has a limited amount of time and lift capacity to service however many customers they have. If they run out of daylight and have tnadems that didn;t get to jump, they may never return, and tell their friends about their giant waste of time. Chances are, an experienced jumper is more likely to return. I'd look at a couple of factors before I got too upset - First, was this your first jump of the day? If notm the DZ was just trying to give someone else a turn to make a jump. If it was, that kinda sucks. Next, was this the last load of the day? If it was, it was their last chance to get the tandem up, so they had to take the slot. If not, did they make sure you got to make another jump later in the day? Last, how hard did the staff seem to be working to keep things moving? If they're draggin ass and wasting time, they're really using up your time by being lazy because it's your slot they take to make up the time. If they appear to be running smoothly, and showing some hustle, then cut them some slack as they're doing everything they can service as many people as possible.

All I can add is that when you actually go to touch the water, keep your foot loose, and make sure it's able to bend back if the water catches it. If it's too stiff, and you dig it into the water deeper than you plan, it'll grab your foot, and try to pull you under. Plan more on just dragging a toe, maybe with your foot turned kinda sideways. As an extension of the idea not to reach for the water, sort of set your foot in position, and fly it down onto the deck. It's similar to docking in freefall. You don't want to reach for a grip, you set your hand in position, and fly it into the grip.

You really are an idiot, and if your vision was actually perfect, you'd be able to see that.