nigel99

Went vice versa with me. One of the students of the form I had been form teacher with for 6 years was a skydiver (you can start at 14 in Germany and get your licence at 16) and he persuaded them to cough up the money for a tandem jump as their "Thank you for being our teacher" present. I was overwhelmed, excited and very very grateful. Really nice students, still in contact with some of them. They came to watch me jump so I had to (just kidding). I had seen parachutes in the air before but having grown up behind the Iron Curtain parachuting still was the sport of young, bold, strong and extremely healthy men to me. I had thought about tandem jumps, but considered them "too expensive". I was a little tight with money at this time so the present came handy, so to say. Well, so I entered the AN-2. I didn't like the freefall that much (instructor stood in the door for about 1 minute with me awkwardly hanging in the pax harness, yelled "Head up!!!" into my ear when I wanted to look down in freefall and the opening was a cracker - got me bruised all over) but I liked the canopy ride. Folks there told me that everyone could become a skydiver nowadays (provided this and that) and so I got hooked up. Had to hassle with my GP (parachuting with ASTHMA?) and had to beg to get into the "mini course" (2 S/L jumps) because they wanted me to wait until next year to start a "real course". Did 5 S/L jumps with a round so I'm still pretty good at doing a PLF but I changed the club once I got to know about this AFF thing Spent money worth a Beamer (but like my Skoda Octavia) since and had a lot of fun. (Pain, too. But that's another story ) Edited for typos and elaborating Interesting story. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Thanks. It sounds similar to what I have heard about a Pilot then. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

And how's that working? Obviously not too well otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. It is totally ignored. In fact very few people are even aware that this information is in the SIM. If it was moved from being 'informative' to being a requirement it would make a difference. The USPA is very light on regulation unlike many other national bodies. In fact the 'rules' (requirements) section of the USPA manual is only 2 or 3 pages long. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Hi Jack, Sorry I should be clearer. I think you are in the UK from memory, so possibly not familiar with the current US SIM. The SIM recommends that A & B license holders (less than 200 jumps) stick to a maximum 1:1 wingloading, C license holders maximum 1.2:1 wingloading. Finally D holders 1.4:1 unless they get further training. SIM also recommends that 150 square foot and less are reserved for D holders regardless of wing loading. This sound more conservative than Brian Gemains chart. The SIM guidelines don't seem to draconian. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

What is it about the Safire opening that you prefer? Second question is a Safire trimmed as steeply as a Sabre 2? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

You've got a distorted view of the situation. Yes a small format camera is less of a snag hazard than a larger setup, but as people have pointed out that is not the only risk. If you are really open minded about it, read up on all the camera incidents over the years. Look at how they have contributed to incidents. It is all about risk management. By the way I know very few jumpers with over 100 jumps who don't jump with a small format camera. I can't say that I have seen or heard of any problems amongst my friends. But when looking at the bigger picture, it is extra risk at a vulnerable stage of your progression. I wish the community would put as much effort into the wingloading recommendation as they do the camera recommendation. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Glad you are healing up. Brians book is a good read. Don't pressure yourself though. If you are so nervous that it is causing you to screw up find ways of reducing the anxiety. Increased knowledge and skills are a very good way. So if it is freefall then get good in a tunnel. If it is canopy flight then perhaps learning to paraglide would help. For some people it just takes time to grow into themselves. I jumped from 16 to 20 years old. I was tenacious, but thoroughly terrified. I used to pray on the way to altitude that if I didn't die I would give up. Once I opened the canopy though I was ecstatic. I took a 15 year break and during that time I got relatively good in the tunnel. I always wanted to get back in the air. When I started again, ALL the fear was gone. Now it is nervous anticipation on the way to altitude, but not mind numbing fear. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

The camera jumper is experienced. The argument about camera during AFF is different. There are instructors present to ensure the student does what they are supposed to. For what it is worth, do a search or speak to AFF instructors about this. Having a camera flyer does involve precautions and risks. The instructors need to know the camera flyer is not going to interfere with their job. On solo status as a student I don't know what the dive plan would be, but one assumes the camera flyer would set the plan, in the same way a coach would. So at a predetermined altitude even if the student has lost focus, seeing the cameraman tracking off and deploying should wake them up, in a safe manner. Over-all you are ignoring alot of variables. Just for one example, with a camera on jump run or two minute call you are going to be switching it on etc, that has to detract from your own gear check and spotting activities. Remember that a single mistake could kill you. The KISS approach helps. Minimise variables and you decrease the risks. People seem to forget that having cameras increases the risks, even for a guy with 5000 jumps. It is just that the guy with 5000 jumps is experienced enough to deal with a lot more than the 100 jump wonder. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=38fOUwQ66xM I grew up where all the indigenous people were absolutely terrified of witchcraft. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

But the other example is that girl from Hollister(?) that died from an un-intentional turn on an off field landing. I think it was a small elliptical canopy and less than 200 jumps. Many of the fatalities or injuries are where people don't intend to do a high performance landing. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I'm not convinced that restricting wing loading on its own will solve this kind of problem. Yes, a high wing loading makes for faster crashes but if Sangi has lowered his wing loading by 0.2 or whatever, would he still have hooked in? I reckon he would have and that's because the root cause of his accident wasn't too high a wing loading but rather too much of a rotation done at far too low an altitude. The thing is Sangi deliberately set up his pattern that way. He got away with it a fair few times (and many people fall into the same trap) until one day he didn't. Restricting wing loadings may reduce the severity of the injuries or it may not but I'm not convinced it tackles the root cause of the problem, which was essentially just plain old crap flying. Maybe it would be better to try and restrict the severity of the stupid shit people can do instead of just trying to make stupid shit slightly less deadly. Just a thought. I think you are correct. There is a saying that seems popular in the US "you can't fix stupid". By restricting wingloading you hopefully allow people to bust a bone or bruise their ego, on the path of learning. It should reduce fatalities. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Thought this was appropriate for the thread. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Is Santa gay? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I took legislation to be of the government type, not a BSR from USPA. Am I wrong in that or is a BSR also called legislation? My understanding is that the US operates as follows: The FAA is the law. All aviation falls under the FAA's oversight. The USPA as the only association representing skydivers, is the voice of skydiving to the FAA. The BSR (basic safety requirements) are compulsory rules for USPA members only. There is no real sanction for breaking a BSR, other than possibly being expelled from the USPA. As such we tend to treat BSR's as rules or legislation. Hopefully I am correct, if not I would love to get a better understanding. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I guess that would be mostly correct. Less government is more. I understand there has to be laws and whatnot but with limits. I am all for safe and responsible skydiving and would love to get more into whatever I can do when I get back to the states. It took me a while to figure out. At first I figured you were planning on joining the mad-skills camp straight after your A license. Ultimately the USPA needs to catch-up the BSR's to reflect modern times. I am pretty sure the current BSR's evolved out of previous fatalities. We just need the BSR's to include more on the parachute itself now. I think that you will find there are many experienced jumpers who do not want more Federal involvement. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

If I am understanding correctly, you are approaching this as a political argument. You are ideologically opposed to government regulation? If that is the case the best thing that you can do is to actively join in the promotion of safer, more responsible skydiving. By asking the USPA and fellow skydivers be responsible, we reduce the risk of external intervention. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Dave, you might be missing the fact that some people resent the fact that 'you' were able to have any canopy choice. 'You' are now telling them that they don't know any better and need guidelines. BTW I do support a BSR on wing loading and I would be affected by it. Going by the current recommendations, I have nearly 400 jumps before I could jump a 150. At my present rate of progression that is about 10 years. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Is there any reason you would jump with only 1 glove? I hadn't noticed it at first and went back because of your comment. The glove is on her deployment hand, so that was not a consideration. Thanks for the video Squeak. Interesting and educational. The powerlines were scary. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

There is now flaw there. We should be able to do as we like. However your overextending yourself since I never said nor implied that jumping with no training is their right. You're not paying attention to what I'm saying. When you jump you affect the pilot, other air traffic, and targets on the ground. This is no longer only affecting you. That's not trying to protect someone from themselves. If you were to argue that someone jumping too small of a canopy puts them at risk of landing on you or running into you in the air then I might give some weight to your argument. You're not going to convince me with arguments of hurting ones self though validating legislation. It is a matter of perspective. You appear to feel that if someone believes that at 200 jumps they are able to jump katana, they should be allowed to. Why should you not extend the same courtesy to the guy who has done 1 AFF jump and feels ready to jump solo? My example of no training was intended to be extreme. What you don't seem to realise is that for the most part, everything that we do as skydivers affects other jumpers. In purely selfish terms, you killing yourself under a Katana means that I miss my next load, because the DZ is temporarily closed for jumping. The DZO has to deal with media and shit and probably at least some paperwork so that person has ruined at least 1 persons day. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

The flaw in your logic is that by extension, we should be able to do what we like. As adults someone should be allowed to arrive at the dz and jump with no training, because that is their "right". The problem is that we have defined a student as someone with less than an A license. The reality is that while you are continuing to learn, you are a student. Some disciplines require hundreds of jumps in order to qualify to become a student. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

So you bought the Porsche? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Jump numbers on type and with a currency requirement sounds like a good idea. The only hesitation I have, is it might make you feel like a beginner/loser if you stay on a conservative wing. I know that I am driven to get licenses and ratings. Would being on a low canopy license increase my desire to downsize? Ultimately it comes down to culture. Currently being on a 210/190 is uncool and you are told you will want to downsize. Maybe the new low bulk fabrics will allow small harnesses with more reasonable sized main and reserves? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

i agree with you that seatbelts are very important. BUT... If i am literally strapped into a plane, i want to be able to unstrap myself in case of any emergency. If the shit hits the fan, i do not want to be dependent on someone else unhooking me. Good point! I'm glad we are having this discussion. Anybody got suggestions for alternatives here? 1. Somebody belts you in. 2. You leave it off. 3. ???? Sharing a seat belt with another? Surely that is a sign of poor design or loading? It's not something that I had thought about previously. I guess because we normally attach the belts to our rig you could always try and get out of the rig. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.