davelepka

If you can pull your toggles down as far as you can reach, and the canopy does not stall, you're pretty safe from an unintentional stall, and may not be getting 100% of the flare performance. So it's good and maybe a little bad (just maybe, and only a little). That, said, you jump at one of the top DZ on earth. Ask for some help there. Maybe book a canopy coach for an hour, and get some ground training. Do a hop n pop, try some stalls, and have the coach critic your landing. It should be cheap and well worth the price.

Again, here's where I'm saying if it was set above your intended pull alt., it would signal mid-track, and you would know to flare out, and dump, and by the time you did, you'd be at your pull alt. Additionally, if the beeper fails, you'll be expecting it sooner, and you'll be missing it sooner, and moving on without it sooner. Sooner as in higher, which is always a good thing.

This is the worst resason ever to pick a canopy. If you want to be a swooper, get that idea out of your head ASAP. You need to be selecting very specific canopy types and sizes during your progression, all in relation to your current skill level, and money has nothing to do with it. Any canopy you need can be bought used, and for a scope of prices depending on the condition. Any canopy you currently have can be sold for most of the cost (if not more) than the next canopy you need. There are two problems with this plan: 1. You can't quickly find the canopy you want used. 2. You can't sell your canopy quicly when you want to switch. The end result of both problems are that you end up flying what you have longer, which is the best thing you could ever do. You will want to switch canopies too soon, and you won't know as much as you think you know about your current wing when you're ready to switch. Jumping it more will only help you. Now that your equipment problems are solved, let em say this. Some have advised that you need to do high pulls and spend extra time under canopy. This is good advice, BUT, you need to realize that one jump equals one landing. Period. I don't care if every jump you make is a 13k hop n pop from now on, if you put 100 jumps on a canopy, thats 100 landings. Time under canopy is a good thing, but it won't make a swooper any faster than pulling at 3k. Nothing will. It will make you a better swooper when you build up the jump numbers, but it will not get you there in fewer jumps. Some guys get this attitude, where they decide they want to be a swooper, and they buy the pants, and do the high pulls, and think they are in. Not so. I don't care who you are, without the jumps, you're just fooling yourslef (nobody else is fooled). I'm not trying to discourgae you, I'm hoping to encourage you to do what many other swooping hopefulls don't do, which is deal with reality. The reality is that becoming a swooper is a project that will take many years, and alot of money, but it is worth it. As for your question, buy a canopy that makes sense for your current experience. Don't plan ahead for what might happen, plan for today, and the fact that you will be jumping the canopy today. Put at least 300 jumps on every canopy you buy. Any less, and you're cheating yourself out of learning. You'll spend some time, maybe 50 jumps, getting up to speed on a new canopy, and any less than 250 jumps, and you'll sell the canopy only knowing a small fraction of what the canopy can do. Get a canopy thats smart for you today. Put soem jump on it, than add a few points to your WL with a smaller size of the same wing. Keep this up untill you're in the 1.6 to 1.7 range, than switch over to the Crossfire/Katana class, and plan on going through 2 of those. The first will be either no increase in Wl or a very small increase, the second will get you close to 2.0. Do a few hundred on that wing, and then you can do whatever you want. Most likely a crossbarce and 2.0 or above.

I know I coverd this already, but I thought of a better way to say it. Setting the beeper for after you need to know is being REACTIVE to the problem. Setting it for before you need to know is being PROACTIVE toward the problem. My feeling is it's better to be ahead of the curve, and deal with problems before they occur. I'm sure your methos works well for you, but you have loads of experience without a beeper, and proven that you can keep an eye on things on your own. I'm not syaing that the OP can't do this as well, but since we don't know that for sure, maybe my method is the better way to set up his beeper on the outset.

I never suggested that in any way. The concept is if you should loose awareness, and skydive unitl you hear beeps, where would you want that to be? I for one, would like to know ASAP that I've lost awareness, and certainly BEFORE an essential event like breakoff. If the guy should space out, and get wrapped up in a skydive, lets clue him in before he needs to take action. If you set it at or below, by the time it beeps, and he responds, now he's way behind the curve. If he is 'woken up' ahead of time, he's ready to get back up to speed, and proceed with the skydive as planned. If he should be jumping with others without beepers, and they all loose awreness, now you have an entire formation going low. Thats fucking stupid. How about preventing a fuck up, and having the skydinve move along as planned. If the beeps happen, and you weren't expecting it, you knwo you fucked up, but you're still high enough to follow the plan. You don't need to be reminded that you fucked up, yo need to be reminded NOT to fuck up. You don't always get a next time if you fuck up in skydiving.

Good move. Make sure you set it for higher than each altitude you want to know. It's like this, you're better off with it reminding you, 'Break off is in five seconds' than letting you know right at breakoff. It keeps you ahead of the skydive, ready for the changes. You know whats coming before it happens.

You could read it that way. You could also read it as an attempt grab 100% of the authority in making a determination as to the safety of the location for a DZ (he did represent himself as a Safety and Training Advisor for the USPA. Seeing as the city council members most likely have no idea what an S&TA is or does, this actually seems like a good tactic to sway things into your favor. If that is what he did, I give him credit for throwing that shit at the wall to see if it would stick).

Figure on a minnimum of $4500, if you're training in the US. Of that, $2500 or so you can get back if you sell the gear that you bought. A more realistic number would be $5000 to $5500. The real problem is the ongoing money you'll spend on jumps and new gear and jumps and new gear and jumps, and make sure you have some for new gear. It'a not uncommon for a weekend fun jumper to have $8000 to $10,000 tied up in equipment, and make 200 to 300 hundred jumps per year (depending on if you can jump year-round or not). Add in travel expenses, beacuase you'll want to go places to jump, and the yearly cost could easily be $5000 or more. But really, don't worry about the money, it'll work itself out.

There was a newspaper article posted about the meeting. It didn't seem to have been written with any bias, more like a play by play, which is why I gave it some credit. The interesting portions - In my opinion, what really made me believe that these guys were not really 'playing fair' was - With no prior knowledge of local DZ politics, this Alderman was leary enough of the motivations of these two DZOs that she had the matter shelved unitl she could consult with an uninterested third party. If you look at that article, plus the accounts of the locals who started this thread, it doesn;t look good for the current KC area DZOs.

This is what I'm saying. It's no secret that the DZ business is tough, with long hours and narrow margins. On top oif that, this guy has to deal with city council, and the related permits and leases, he has to overcome start-up costs, and the other DZ competing for business. Isn't that enough? Do the current DZOs really have to stand up in a public forum and spread soem 'questionable' informatoin about skydiving? So it's unlikley that the locals were remembering back 11 years, and all the trouble the DZ caused. It is possible that the airport tennants may have distributed fliers in order to keep the DZ out. However, the actions of the current DZOs at the city coulcil meeting are pretty clear, and that sucks.

Yeah, I read it, but considering the length of this thread, and my limited attention span, my best guess is it was last October. Either way, the old DZ closed 11 years ago. Were there problems with off landings, livestock and parties? I guess it seemed coincidental that fliers were circulated with warnings in those areas, and then matching complaints came in from the population. It is possible that some folks remembered the old DZ, and the problems (if there were any), and started a grass roots campaign against a new DZ. It's also possible that the current DZOs are responsible, as has been inferred earlier in the thread (yeah, somehow I remember that, though).

I would hope that any new DZ, intending to operate under the BSR's, and join as a gourp member would have the same. Any reason Mr Bangs would support this perticular DZ?

Thanks for passing this along. This is the sort of thing that makes me believe the stories of competing DZOs circulating fliers in an attempt to sabotage the new DZ. How would these residents get these sort of ideas? It seems a little more informed that I would guess the averge citizen would be in regards to a DZ.

Dear Ryan, You'll always be beautiful to me, no matter how much you weigh. Don't let those other guys get you down, they're just being superficial and immature. Your beauty comes from within. On the other hand, if you would stop blowing your money on pie, you wouldn't be having this problem. Dave

I haven't seen either one. I applaud the DVD, but wonder of the poster is a bit short sighted? Evryone knows you want to survive a canopy ride, and that snapping a femur is a bad thing. The poster is advertising a complicated concept, that requires additional action from the consumer. "Buy Pepsi" is a good poster. Maybe a better use fo the money used to produce the poster would have been to brun and distribute more DVD's. Or how about hosting the DVD on the web for all to access at their leisure? If you just want to advertise the DVD, and to watch it. I'm sure that Parachutist could spare some space for advertising, or even dress it up like an article or movie review. In the end, it is progress, and thats a good thing.

Actually, no death was required. I was promoted to director of ethics for Dave Corp. years ago when I realized what ethics are, and that they seemed important to me. Real quick, you do realize that every post on this board is simply the opinion of the poster, and doesn't represent any form of law or contractural obligation to anyone for anything. Each reader is free to ignore or respond to posts as they see fit. First off, I'mnot sure what I'm biased for or against. You know I'm not from Kansas right? Anyway, this statement seems contradictory to me. Yes it is a free market, and all are free to voice their opinions. However, in this instance it seems those statements may not be based in truth, and are being made in an attempt to sabatoge the efforts of the new DZO. This is supported by the article posted where one of the Alderman had suspicions that the competing DZOs have made statements whose truthfulness was called into question by the fact that the competing DZOs have a financial interest in the matter. Her suspicions were so strong in fact that she sheved the matter for a later date in order to seek counsel from an uninterested third party. Now, I'm all for the free market concept, but to stand up and twist the truth around in a public forum for your own benefit is exactly the behavoir my post was protesting. Allthough it does fall under the freedon of speech, it really is the worst bastardization of the concept. This just doesn't make any sense. I'm the one calling for fair competition, based on the quality or value of your product or service. How then, could my emergence be the downfall of the concept? Again, I'm not sure what your point is. I do own a business, thats one of the few points thats not an opinion. Debating that is like me debating your name is Hugh. Everyone knows there's no new porn on the web. I know what I've read, which is what I base my opinions on, which is what the other posters base their opinions on. These discussions have value only within this context, this may be why you don't see threads from DZ.com printed out and presented as evidence in a court of law. It's just chit-chat among jumpers. The truth is, the post you are replying to came out of reading the newspaper article posted that detailed the events of the city council meeting. Seeing as the article posed no bias, and was merely an account of the events, I took it as fact, and drew my feelings and opinoins form there. I too have heard "The check is in the mail", and I know thats never true! I don't have any direct experience, but if a guy tells you he won't cum in your mouth, and then does, he doesn't respect you, and you should kick him to the curb! I'm not sure who 'these guy' are. You've sort of floated that pronoun out there on it's own, and it's applicable to either side of the story. Either way, I'm sure all DZOs involved have put time, money, and effort into their respective DZs (or perspective DZ, as the case may be). Thats the whole point here. Just putting out the effort does not gurantee you success. You have to put out out the right effort at the right time. This is what ensures the quality of the participants in the free market. Those who are below par simply fail, and end up working for someone else (or on walfare or crack). In this issue, the actions of the existing DZOs suggest that they fear for the health of their own business with the opening of a new one. This is where I think they should look inward, and find a way to offer a better service in order to overcome the competition. Don't go to a city council meeting and lie to get the DZ shut down even before they open. Thats the pussy move, and thats what I have a problem with. Boxers. I wear boxers. They don't buch up too much, but I hear the boxer-brief is the real anti-bunch sloution. I'm not sure how that would be true. How does the 'rest of us' see me as an attorney or an Enron exec? What have I done to encourage or even suggest that conclusion? Furthermore what does that have to do with the company I keep? For the record, I'm not sure how you've come to the conclusion that I'm running Enron of Ohio. What investors have I duped? What pensions have I dried up with rediculous bonuses and (no pun intended) even more rediculous golden parachutes? 'Welcome to America' appeared at the bottom of another post I made on this thread in reference to a guy who seemed to disourage the free market. Incuding it in this post was more a disappointing message to myself about the state of affairs in the US. This type of behavoir is here to stay, and to me, thats a shame. Heres' where this whole post gets interesting. This is quite a statement for a guy who just riddled his post with assumptions about me, my employment and motivations. I guess I can see the ,'An eye for an eye' mentality, but the irony of using a piece of advice that your post has failed to follow as your closer is too much to ignore. I'll feel free to appear as intelligent or ignorant, or just plain stupid as I see fit. If you really think that being the smartest guy in the room is always the best bet, and that demonstrating it is part of that, good luck. You'll need it.

The more I think about this issue, it really bugs me. The current DZOs are using local politics and slightly related federal issues to prevent a new guy from starting a business. This is on par with unscroupulous laywers using loopholes to free guilty clients, or big busness using power and influence to sway lawmakers into protecting the interests of said big business. What the fuck ever happened to good old competition? Presenting a better product or better value, and succeding based on the merits of your business? I run a business that has no federal ties, and you don't need a city counsel meeting to start. I have competition, and the only defence I have to them is TO DO A BETTER JOB THAN THEM. What ever happend to that? This whole thing is rediculous. These DZOs are showing their wekness, and true colors with their actions here. Stand up, be a man, and let the guy start his business. Let him take his shot, just like you have the oppertunity to do so. This legal undermining is backhanded and shady. This is a snapshot of one of the problems in this country. Competition keeps business strong and lean. it makes you work for every inch you gain over your competitors. What these guys are doing is the equivialant of letting the air out of a guys tires before a race. Man up, and race the guy fair and square. This pussy shit really knocks you down the level of ambulance chasing lawyers, and the entire executive line-up from ENRON. Welcome to America.

This pretty much clears up the doubt people had that these DZOs would stand up and say these things. They made their remarks, and a third party, with no interest in the local DZ politics suspected their intentions to be less that honorable. This seems a little off to me. If running a DZ is so hard, and the new DZO is so underqualified, why go through all the effort to try and keep him down. Let him try, and have the insurmountable curcumstances get the better of him. It's like this, if I stood up and declared that I would compete with NASA, and get a man back on the moon, I don't think NASA would out any effort into derailing my undertaking. This DZO however seems to be doing everything he can prevent the compettion from succeeding. It shows he believes the new DZ to be a credible threat.

Thats the answer. That post compared to an FX of the same size, which had a higher MSW. The canopies are made the same way, with many of the same materials. The difference is in the design of the wing. The FX will provide acceptable performance at higher loadings. Reserves are different in that they are tested to certain standards. They prove their reliability to certain weight limit, but the limit isn't based on flight performance, but on structural integrity. Typically reserves are tested to beyond the certification limits, and then overbuilt on top of that.

I'm guessing that reserve will be used up with all the supplies the EMS guys use up getting him stable for transport, before he even gets in the ambulence. If they call for a helo, he'll spend twice that for the cost of the helo starting up on the pad. Once they actaully take off, the skies the limit (pun intended).

Thats the best jumpsuit you will ever own, unless you order another Flite Suit. Save the patch. After a few thousand jumps on that suit, you'll want to put it back on.

If he's qualified to jump at that WL, than he's qualified to select his own canopy. If he's not qualified to jump at that WL, no canopy would be a good choice for him. As ballpark guess, I'd say to be qualified, he'd need at least 1000 jumps, with 300 or 400 at 1.7 or better, and a good track record as a canopy pilot. Anything less than that, and he's kidding himself if he thinks he's ready. Lemme guess, this guy is short on cash, and he found a 'great deal' on this canopy. I'm pretty sure his current wing is at least a 135, most likely closer to a 150.

What a concept. It called commerce, and thats what the DZ is there for. Jumpers pay for a service. I know that many jumpers go above and beyond,and will pitch in at the DZ to help things run smoothly, or improve the facility. I applaud their efforts. However, when the shit hits the fan, and the business isn't working, the DZO will shut down, and look for another way to put food on his table. Regardless of his 'friends' and the work they have doen, the guy has to eat, and he buys his dinner with the money that jumpers pay for the service he provides. I have a job, and if i want to get paid, I have to deliver a service. If someone can offer a better service, or at a lower price, I don't get paid. If you don't take care of your customers, someoen else will. Welcome to America.

Please factually inform me of these parameters, how they pretain to DZ operations, and more specifically, how the meeting of the DZO and helo ops manager revealed that co-existance on that airfield would be problematic. Don't you have that informations? Not to worry, it's OK if you don't. I don't have that info either, which is why the two of us are SPECULATING. Don't get pissy becasue mine makes more sense than yours. Nobody ever suggested that the helo ops would be put on hold for skydiving ops. It was illustrated how the skydiving ops could stand down and allow the helo ops priority clearance. In fact, it was shown how easily the DZ could accomadate this. As for a gurantee they will not interfere, they can gurantee to do everything in their power not to interfere. Just like a pilot landing at this airport cannot guarantee he won't have a main gear collapse and veer off the runway into the parked helo, the DZ cannot prevent unforseen circumsatnces from occuring. Nobody can. Now stand up, un bunch your panties, and open your mind to idea that a better DZO may open a DZ in your area. You'll be jumping there soon anyway.

Thats what I'm saying. I'm sure that the DZ pilot and the helo pilot will be drinking coffee together in between hops, and when the time comes, the DZ pilot will do what he can to clear the way for his buddy who's involved in something a little more important than jump ops. I just noticed that 'justthefacts' works for a DZ in the area. Maybe it's 'justselectedfacts'?