nigel99

Um, don't think that's what they meant, by "low drag"... Oh and some us still have those big ass rigs and canopies, hell I just up-sized my reserve last yr. Low drag is due to the small size of the pilot chute, due to it having to fit into the rig? Is that right? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

The recent incident posted by Peek prompted me to do some research on the patents published on Cypres and Vigil. The good thing about patents is it generally shows you how the various companies do things. Firstly it looks like Cypres have covered the market in using a combination of temperature and pressure sensors along with an accelerometer. This patent runs until 2018 and is pretty broad in scope and probably prevents the competition from accessing those without using some clever workarounds (you can almost always work around), alternatively the competition could license the technology from Cypres. Details of the Cypres algorithm aren't patented as far as I can tell - they have chosen to patent the hardware implementation. This means that the details of their algorithm remain 'secret'. Vigil uses a successive approximation algorithm. At first glance the calculation gets more reliable the LONGER you are in free-fall. The parameters used to estimate the descent rate are least reliable as you climb through the first few hundreds of feet due to how it appears to work. Feel free to read the patent and flow charts and agree/disagree with my assessment. I'm pretty sure reading it that the student mode is most susceptible to false fires and the aircraft simply 'dropping' through turbulence over a 3/8's of a second period could cause a fire. In short I believe the Vigil is designed to be very accurate in descent, AFTER you have climbed to a reasonable altitude. I think a Vigil may not be very accurate following a short free-fall descent. So on a low altitude hop and pop things could be interesting. Note that as the Cypres algorithm is not published similar concerns may apply - however they have an accelerometer that gives an 'independent' metric for the algorithms, providing substantially more data for decision making. Having read the patents, I would strongly recommend a Cypres over a Vigil, and am considering trading my Vigil in for a Cypres. I'd be really interested in seeing other peoples analysis of the various patents. This is obviously my interpretation of public documents, and companies don't always do things in the way the patent is published (and they're under no obligation to do so). So for example cypres may not use an accelerometer. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Thanks, I've already been chatting with Kurt and he has been very helpful. I'm quite happy being the local organiser, I just need to get to know more locals (which takes time, especially when you can't get out the dz often). Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I've actually surprised there hasn't been more people reconstructing the OP to fit 'Picky Daters' Luckily I don't fit his profile, so the thought never crossed my mind. Someday he'll come out of the closet though and then well be hearing about how bitchy men are Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

My parents forced us to eat all sorts of shit, and I'm a fussy eater. To be honest I'd rather be a fussy eater than some of the other social fuckups that people have. If you tell me I've just eaten fish and there is reasonable doubt, I guarantee you'll be cleaning up puke. I have no control over it and it's not high on the priority list. Especially that most people who try and convince me to eat fish, tell me it tastes like chicken - I'll stick to chicken. As to more annoying than picky eaters, people who constantly bash women and specific professions (engineers, lawyers, teachers etc) are way up my list. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I hope you're right Andy. You're probably the only instructor left on dz.com prepared to treat Shah seriously, I hope he takes the opportunity to learn from you Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

There is no reason to practice or perform rear riser landings. Broke a steering line on opening, landed on rears rather than cut away. Chris, someone up thread mentioned an undercurrent jumper with low jump numbers may be better off cutting away. Obviously gear maintenance counts, because you don't want the toggle to fall off at 300 foot. I am curious about it, as I'd rather not land on rears. Hopefully I'll get some good education in 2 weeks time when I get crw coaching

I've no idea why they have those requirements. The last time I had the opportunity I fell below the minimum experience. My guess is that it has to do with lower exit altitudes with less airspeed. A less experienced person may freak out. But it doesn't hurt to ask,. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Damn those magic rotors that are blowing air down, but suck parachutes up Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

And people think you are being funny, a skydiver afraid of heights! Someone once told me that he are afraid, because our subconscious is wanting us to jump, or at least calculating a jump. He reckoned that's why we're not afraid when jumping. I've always liked that explanation, even if it is a load of rubbish. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I've seen both B and C required, depending on the organiser. I've not come across low jump number A license holders being allowed (I know someone with 800 jumps and an A license, and am pretty sure he's jumped helicopters) Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

How the heck is tunnel going to help his canopy control? To the op the most scared I have ever been was looking for my wife following her level 1. The compassionate Dzo who was in the car complaining about not needing another fatality, really didn't set my mind at ease Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Squeak, having had a chance to digest what has been said, it looks like the driver for this is airport access. I honestly don't know enough about which dz's will be negatively affected. As far as I can tell the US dropzone closest to my heart will benefit as the skyride one nearby operates into a tiny landing area at the airport (not entirely sure if it is federally funded though). As a USPA member I'm prepared to do my bit to help fellow skydivers. I think the USPA members are going to have to 'grow up' though and lose some of the attitude that all rules are bad. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Those "27 supposedly reported issues" have been written up by the FAA and the NTSB. Those 27 issues are now part of the FFA Accident and Incident Database (AIDS) with a 15 digit reports number. The FAA is using these reports to support implementation of AC, AC 150/5300-13. Remi, do you think they are going to all this trouble to make it easier for jumpers to gain assess to airport? I don’t think so. Sparky Due to the rather tenuous nature of the incidents, could the FAA not be showing how infrequent problems are? Sometimes a case study with few incidents over a 30 year time frame is a powerful positive argument. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

It's an interesting topic. I've got zero knowledge of tandem so can't comment either way with any authority. Personal opinion is that it opens the door to problems. Putting a camera on a tandem passenger, gives them the motivation to capture a shot of the plane they are about to go in, increasing the potential for a prop strike to occur. It increases the snag potential simply by being there. Commercially it seems to undercut the dzs own income stream. It seems hard to justify charging much, when the client is doing the work. Pretty sure most people who shoot their own video don't care about paying to have it edited. From a business point of view seems it would be better to offer a quality product. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Advantage of the USPA system over other systems that I've been exposed to, is that it has more freedom allowing you to progress based on commonsense and judgment. Disadvantage of the USPA system over other systems I've been exposed to, it has more freedom and allows you to progress based on commonsense and judgement. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Part of the problem with the forums is that it is international, and people are really keen to help. But their advice is given through the prism of their local regulations. It's worth bearing that in mind, along with the fact that all to often people giving advice make mistakes so always take it with a pinch of salt. In the US the USPA sets the training program that most (but not all) dropzones follow. The USPA makes the sim available free of charge. Read the sections on Basic safety requirements and also the license privileges and requirements. Unless you are certain that the local dz follows the Integrated Student Program I wouldn't read that part. Purely as you may then get confused when they get you to do things differently. I would avoid reading sections 5 onwards until you have completed AFF - some specific areas of advice are different for students and again you don't want to get confused. The hardcopy of the sim has extracts from FAA regulations that are worth knowing at any time. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

You've got me curious. What AFF level, did your instructor deploy for you or did you have an aad save? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Hey Nigel, I am President of RelWorkers Unlimited in Vic. We have been trying to get some interstate rivalry going alongside our Victorian State League. The coming season is due to kick off in the next couple of months. I'd be very happy if we could get something going. Send me a PM either here or on skysurfer. Cheers, Scott Excellent - I saw the Vic RelWorkers details. Seems everyone in WA either does freefly or wingsuit

Very little, this has been coming down the pike for two yrs, now... it's all about airport access and airport sponsors telling dzo/skydive companies to keep out it's not safe here, no room. Thanks for giving the background. In that case what positive proposals can be put forward that help airport access? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

What is "perceived" about it? The USPA has failed us in this regard and now we're facing a serious threat by the FAA. I am not surprised in the least. Actually Dave "we" have failed us, not the USPA. Look at the uproar every time someone suggests the current system is broken. It looks like skydiving in the US is about to undergo a major upheaval. I don't know what can be done, and as a USPA member I'm prepared to submit feedback to the FAA. But I refuse to support the status quo. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Hi Guys, First of all I am trying to find out if there is a 4 way league in Western Australia, at the moment I don't believe there is. What is involved in setting a league up? Our geography is such that clubs are scattered over a large geographic area. Would scoring be feasible on an honour system, so teams don't travel to compete? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Came across a new one this weekend. First of all found a jumper with more than 400 jumps, who didn't even consider the fact that we were flying from a different location (1000ft difference in elevation, rendering the aad useless, in default mode). But they had a Cypress and I tried to help them restart it. Try as we might it took forever as it simply didn't respond to button presses. Apparently it has been getting progressively worse when turning it on (they didn't know how to turn it off). I would certainly classify it as faulty, so my first broken Cypres that I have come across. If I was the owner I would be sending it in under warranty. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Does anyone get accurate speed readings from their Viso 2? My last 3 jumps were hop n pop, but I ended up doing 20 second delays. I had the viso set to student mode, and SAS. The 3 speeds were 500mph, 840Mph and 600Mph! Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Yeah, that's what they ALWAYS say. . . A little bit of jitters? Perfectly normal from time to time, esp. if you haven't jumped in a while. I know a guy with over 5K jumps that still gets that little "rush" now and then. Had a fantastic time. Got to do jumps from the Navajo our team came 4th in accuracy competition. Spent the evening chatting to squeak and Karen.