jim_32766

It may be difficult to hear the audible alarm if it is on your wrist. True. He would probably have to compare the data from the ProTrack to his memory of altimeter indication at time of deployment and under canopy. While this takes a little guess work on snivel time, it would at least eliminate the helmet pressure differential from the equation. I wasn't suggesting he use the ProTrack on his wrist on a regular basis, just to work on finding an answer to the question he raised. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Johnny - thanks and I know what you mean. It's a small number of jumps compared to most people at the DZ, but it's still a great milestone. As you can see from the pics skymama posted, I was definitely on cloud 9 - or at least falling through it! Congrats on your A license too! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

which is still ridicilous.. Hey VB, don't change it now, I just got there!

I have a ProTrack inside my H2 helmet and it sounds its alarm at roughly the same time I see the proper altitude on my wrist mounted Galaxy III. I wonder if you are experiencing pressure changes via your helmet causing the ProTrack to read lower. Have you compared the under-canopy readings to see if they agree when the relative wind has decreased? You could try both on your wrists and compare on the next jump. That would eliminate one variable. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Great picture! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

She did a great belly jump! Any time an experienced skydiver makes a newbie look good in a skydive, you know they were flying really well. They had to be to cover the newbie's mistakes! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

I had an amazing day of skydiving today! I had the great fortune to meet skymama and normiss in person, then jump with them on my first 3-way skydive - with 6 points made, on my 25th jump, qualifying for the A-license. As the saying goes, "You could ask for more . . . but you wouldn't get it." Thank you skymama and normiss for making my 25th jump very memorable! You are true ambassadors for the skydiving community. Blue Skies! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Wow - sorry to hear the news. It's no fun getting excited about a new adventure only to be rejected. I have heard that Deland has, in the past at least, done some training of pretty heavy people. You might have to do combine AFF and a vacation to stay long enough to accomplish it all, but that might be worth looking into. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Ya know, if they determined n-way by weight instead of number of belly buttons, you could be your OWN 2-way. It might get interesting though on how to score points. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Make sure to ask your instructors for the Lutz special on that first dive. They'll know what you mean. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Definitely take Mr. Bill up on that offer. I am sure you will be well cared for with him making the introductions. Don't worry about all the high jump numbers. As you can see I am just a beginner myself. It's amazing how welcoming most of the community is and how much help and advice they willing share. Just keep asking those questions and keep absorbing the knowledge! Oh, and $100 for 5 flights in a tunnel sounds pretty good. That will really help make the control become more natural. Blue skies! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

I spent some time in a wind tunnel and then did a tandem before starting AFF. Those two pre-AFF steps definitely helped me. As skymama said, there is plenty of sensory overload going on during the early stages of learning to skydive. Getting some of that out of the way first may save you from needing to repeat a AFF level. Of course, what works best for one person is not always what works best for another. You and your brother-in-law may both be just fine jumping right into AFF. Best of luck and let us know how it goes! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Congrats on completing your 1st AFF jump! Isn't that an amazing experience? I liked it much better than the tandem. There is something comforting about knowing you have your own chute. Interesting that you commented on the lack of the "dropping" feeling that is common to roller coaster rides. I am often telling my non-skydiving friends that sensation doesn't occur much in skydiving. Great write-up too. Keep us in the loop as you progress. Blue skies! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

There is a wealth of data on this forum regarding those topics, and many people with a ton of experience (unlike me) that can help you. That said, your AFFIs will be the closest to you and will know your abilities the best. Trust them to give you good guidance regarding wing loading (WL) and canopy type. During your early jumps they will be in control of all this anyway. Regarding your wing WL question, WL is your total exit weight (you plus all gear) divided by the square feet of the canopy. When you start AFF this will be less than 1.0 lb/ft2, often around 0.7 lb/ft2 or even less. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ While it is true that skydives are made above 17,999ft MSL, only the pilot in command has filed and is flying a IFR flight plan when that occurs. Even in that situation the rules for cloud clearance apply for the skydive activity. The individual skydivers involved in the jump do not file and fly IFR flight plans. The FAR is clear regarding VFR cloud clearance for the skydivers, and for the pilot, for the skydive activity. There are actually two separately stated subparts to the prohibition stated in 105.17 that make it clear we skydivers have to stay clear of clouds: "No person may conduct a parachute operation, and no pilot in command of an aircraft may allow a parachute operation to be conducted from that aircraft— (a) Into or through a cloud, or (b) When the flight visibility or the distance from any cloud is less than that prescribed in the following table:" (expanded text from table is shown below) While at 1,200 feet or less above the surface regardless of the MSL altitude - 3 mile visibility, 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, 2,000 feet horizontal More than 1,200 feet above the surface but less than 10,000 feet MSL - 3 mile visibility, 500ft below, 1000ft above, 2000 horizontal More than 1,200 feet above the surface and at or above 10,000 feet MSL - 5 mile visibility, 1000ft below, 1000ft above, and 1 mile horizontal Taking this all the way back to the OP - his decision was 100% correct. As you can see from the FAR, the pilot is also responsible for the skydivers regarding cloud clearance and should not have been turning the light green while in a cloud, or in a position that would cause the skydivers to violate the cloud clearance rules if they were to exit. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Unless the pilot had filed and was flying an active IFR flight plan there are several "wrongs" in this situation. The plane should not have been in the the cloud to start. Skydivers can't file and fly IRF flight plans for a skydive so no jumpers could exit the plane into a cloud without more violations. You definitely were in the "right" by staying in the plane and requesting proper cloud clearance. This all assumes you were jumping in the US under FAA rules. I've heard there are some countries that allow an in-cloud exit, and through cloud jumps. Blue skies! (it really means sky blue - not cloud gray) The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Congrats on overcoming the fear of exiting the plane. That's quite a hurdle for many people. I definitely had some apprehension the first time out the door. I hope you heal quickly and can get back into the air soon. By the way, your user name is great. I've been in Joburg a number of times and there are a few reasons to have concern while traveling there. Blue skies. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Congrats on the decision and action to get that tandem jump in the log book. You and your girlfriend are really going to enjoy the experience. Make sure you get the video. As for the apprehension, you wouldn't be normal if you didn't have some apprehension about leaving an airplane over 2.5 miles above the earth's surface! Try to remember to take deep breaths and relax. The more relaxed you are the more you will enjoy the ride. I started with some tunnel time and a tandem, then took the AFF course. Like others will tell you, it's been a very rewarding experience. Have fun! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

In Reply to ------------- The cloud clearance regulations also apply when flying a canopy. -------------------------- Tis true, there aren't many instrument equipped canopies. Got stay out of the soup with those too. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

The rules make more sense if you think of them as being written for airplanes - which they were. Given the limits of horizontal movement during the average skydive (wingsuits of course have more) the above and below rules don't fit skydiving very well. If you jump with a cloud below you will be compliant at first, then in violation as you fall through the cloud per the above/below rules, and then compliant again once more than 500 ft below the cloud. Obviously the way to avoid this violation is to plan your jump to miss any clouds by 2000 feet horizontally (under 10K feet). If you do that you don't have to worry about the above/below numbers. An interesting tidbit - the FAA examiners I've dealt with in the past have all said that a cloud in the early stages of formation, or dissipation, that you can see through doesn't warrant application of the VFR clearance rules. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

Andy - I'd say your olfactory senses are in good shape! The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

That is funny. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

The challenge will be to find anyone that had such a widely publicized and outrageous skydive. My guess is the media deserves as much, maybe more, credit than Lutz himself, as they will misquote and misrepresent to get as much dramatic effect as possible. Still, it was Lutz on the dive. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

That's one of the best hook knife stories I've heard! It also makes me glad I don't have shoe strings when I jump. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

I am glad people take the time to share the losses they have experienced and lessons they have learned, and use it to impart some wisdom to others. Us new-comers simply don't have the information or frame of reference that the old-timers have. It's very valuable when delivered in a rational and caring way. Similarly, I've seen AFFIs tell students, "go try something else, this just isn't for you" and really appreciate that kind of integrity and life-saving honesty. That said, I am glad it wasn't me they were talking to at the time. The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.