nigel99

i call bullshit. no real info, just like your profile. where do you jump? did you talk to the dzo about it? guessing you didn't. I know someone who was hit by a swooper - it resulted in a hospital visit. Different circumstances though. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

You beat me to it. http://www.skylark.ua/en/suitrw/ There are a few people around jumping these suits. I have only heard good things about build quality. At the end of the day a cheap decently fitting jumpsuit is a good investment. I wouldn't splash out on an expensive suit until you really know alot about what you want and need. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Hi Peter, RSL would help slightly in reducing the delay post cutaway and is a good idea. BUT as you know it doesn't solve the root cause. Sadly we have very little data publicly available on which containers are exhibiting these problems. It would be a shame to move from a Wings to Brand X to find that Brand X was less reliable than the Wings. We are probably at the point where the only rig that can be truly trusted for this failure mode is a Racer (I don't jump one, and never have). Certainly John is the only manufacturer drawing attention to this problem, everyone else is pretending it doesn't exist. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Your idea of logic seems to be to insult when you disagree with a post. Now you're promoting some bizarre conspiracy theory. Manufacturers are typically passionate skydivers who know a lot about equipment and failures. Should we ignore their advice because you choose to ignore risks? We elect the BoD and they take their responsibilities seriously, if you don't like it you have a vote like the rest of us, you can even run for a seat if you care enough. The arguments have already been presented and are clear. This is about skydivers getting injured or dying after AAD activation where 700 ft is not enough. This is not to protect gear manufacturers dying in sewing machine incidents, it's to save OUR lives. Raise the AAD activation to 1000ft and you risk two-out incidents unless you get skydivers to pull higher. It doesn't take a conspiracy to understand this, it was made clear on page 1. I don't think it is a conspiracy, however I do believe the current system that is in place guiding the choices in gear design is fundamentally broken. The following quote is taken directly from the PD reserve manual, and yet despite this quote they openly sell a 99 reserve. I am using PD as a random example that $$ trumps safety in the skydiving business, and the pressure to deliver what people are asking for is intense. At this point the only way I can see this being fixed (especially in the USA) is for the FAA to step in with both feet and take a firm grip of regulation. Self regulation has clearly failed, and a huge part of the problem is that your average skydiver now selects gear on features unrelated to reliability or safety. Average Joe jumper hasn't got a clue how gear works, and actually has no interest in how gear works. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Fify - not a packers responsibility. Surely a packer is expected to ensure that as far as possible everything is 'right'? Yes its nice when the client stows brakes and tidies up. Wrong. You lay it down the way you want it packed. Excess stowed? Stow it yourself. There are many places that you get extra and better service from a packer, but certainly not expected. I have 1-2 packers that I trust with my setup. Still I'll hook the RDS back up, stow my excess brakes line and cock my pilot chute. Not that they can't or won't, but I make it easier on them and I know the critical portions are done by me. I strongly disagree. I pack most weekends to supplement my jump budget. It is the responsibility of a packer to ensure that they only close a rig in a safe and jumpable state - blaming the jumper is completely unacceptable. It IS acceptable to not take on a pack job or charge extra because it is a mess, rush or whatever. I've helped students learn how to lay down their gear neatly, with brakes stowed, pilot chute cocked because the more prepared it is the more packers are likely to put their pack job at the front of the queue. Packing mains is a big responsibility and should not be taken lightly, I know of an incident recently where someone was very nearly killed due to a packing error on a main - in fact the person has multiple broken bones and a very long road to recovery. Not every screwup is covered by 'don't worry they have a reserve' Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Fify - not a packers responsibility. Surely a packer is expected to ensure that as far as possible everything is 'right'? Yes its nice when the client stows brakes and tidies up. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Ummmm, you don't use solar panels to "run" anything. The solar panels would be used to just to charge the batteries instead of plugging in or running a generator so not sure what you mean. They won't put as much juice in as plugging in but on a sunny day, why wouldn't you?? It's the perfect appication. I'm an electrical engineer, kind of know the basics of how solar panels and batteries work, I should have said a solar system or setup. Bill outlined a system costing thousands to run a small fridge, you can get a small gas camping fridge for a couple of hundred. So for cost effective power, I would use gas for heating and cooling, generator for high power electrics and solar for lighting and entertainment. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I think that is the core issue. The current structure, coupled with people keen to sue is broken. People are too dumb to realise that all design involves tradeoffs AMD mistakes. An independent body with teeth has the ability to dig into root cause analysis and provide a meaningful report. Instead we are left with arse covering, finger pointing and marketing to soft through... Also while good designers are usually the biggest critics of their own design, it is human nature to defend your 'baby', throw in the fact that nowadays any admission of a mistake will get you roasted, I really doubt you'll see any manufacturer admit to a tradeoff too far or mistake... Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Thanks Peter, You've nailed the heart of what I was looking for. So the question becomes what is 'right' the old mindset, or are action cameras now low enough risk that the technical concerns can be ignored? My honest feeling is that luck is playing out and that the old mindset is still correct, despite being unpopular. A large part of why I believe this is because the extended pole mounts are becoming more mainstream (look at the,recent team gopro video on ABC). Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Chuck, It's been my experience that snags are no longer treated seriously. So saying 'no one' is an exaggeration. I'll give an example USPA will not publish photos if they are not taken by a member, but the previous issue of parachutist had half the jumpers in full face helmets with standard go pro mounts, big old thumbscrew plainly visible on some. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Ok so this is a bit of a rant, along with an open mind towards learning something new... Firstly it appears that all concern about camera snag hazards have disapeared in the new era of the GoPro type camera. Stuff that bothers me 1) Cameras on full face helmets 2) Cameras with no cutaway system 3) Cameras full of snags 4) Cameras on 'poles' or whatever they are on helmets. 5) RW jumpers in a stacked up exit, their camera nicely tucked into other peoples handles! There are 10 million threads on why newer jumpers should hold off of jumping cameras that isn't the point. I have grown up in the rigid 'only an idiot doesn't have a helmet cutaway system' and MAYBE now that cameras are so much smaller it isn't such an issue. At what point do the rules (best practice) change to reflect small action cameras? I see a number of G3 helmets with Contour or Sony AS15's on the side and they are truly low profile and very low snag hazard (note low hazard != no hazard) Also things have changed quite quickly as well (certainly at my local dz). 18 months ago it was freefliers with cameras and from memory for the most part they were open face, now everyone has a camera and most are on full face helmets. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Forget solar for anything other than lite use as an economical solution. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Truth be said, he is a well known and kick-ass skydiver. He's probably laughing at this article as much as we are, it's hard to believe that he never had a line-twist before, but some Royal Press Office, Public Relations or some Personal Marketing Guru in Dubai must have though that this was a perfect chance to present him as a heroic and fearless sultan or something like that, maybe trying to build a little cult of the personality, with the video, a cooked interview, and everything else... don't forget that certain articles are aimed at a) the general public, not the skydiving community b) the people of Dubai, not the western audience with more often than not gives a flying shit about the Dubai Royal Family. I agree Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

There is the minor detail that this requirement is intended to help a student practice an emergency exit. Exit as *stable* as possible and pull. Yip I get that you have to exit stable to 'pass' that stage. But so many people are freaking out about being 'low' that I don't see the harm in doing a fun hop and pop first. This weekend I saw a guy 'fail' his AFF 9 (our hop and pop requirement) because he exited stable at 5k and then did a 10 second delay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FioNMWrjxmU I enjoy this comedian in the way he sticks it to the establishment. His social experiments are classic Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Relax and enjoy it. From 5k you have 10-15 seconds till 'normal' pull altitude. There is absolutely no need to rush it - heck dive out if you want to

It is a very funny perspective. I guess being a public figure turns a mundane story into something newsworthy, whether the person at the center of the story makes a big deal of it or not. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Until the recent CYPRES issues, I never checked my AAD was on after I started the day. So if a guy set his AAD in the AM and a guy changed it without him knowing..... And he was like me and "Sets it and forgets it". Then he would not catch it. ***For all that 'multi mode' seems like an inventory management feature And it *should* reduce the cost if they only have to make one model, not cost more. I know where you are coming from on the 'set and forget', but the exact same argument could be used for someone else putting in an offset (any modern AAD) or turning it off. I completely agree on the cost issue. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Frankly on a Vigil there is no excuse to ever get on the aircraft with it in the wrong mode. It is written in bold letters across the display. Either people aren't checking their AAD is on or they are retarded. For all that 'multi mode' seems like an inventory management feature that is more geared towards manufacturing and the sales channel than end user. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

The reason every rig is not a poptop, is because everything has a tradeoff. But a large part is fashion, people more than ever before are choosing skydiving rigs, not based on performance, but brand and appearance. Just go through the first few pages of gear and rigging to see how many people want to squeeze x reserve or main into Y container! Never mind all those highly loaded reserves out there. Safety third... Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

That's why Teardrops are great - poptop and 1 pin

First things first, you MUST deal with the congestion. I take decongestants and nasal spray to clear out for jumping, believe me the pain from sinus issues can be awful. There are issues that have already been laid out, hearing, visibility are high on the list. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Firstly does the course fee include the eval jumps? Secondly at $20 a jump ticket it will only take 25 coach jumps before you come out on top - that's not bad at all. If cash is tight maybe do a deal with the dz? I got a 'free' coach course in exchange for a commitment of 12 days dedicated to coaching at the dz

It's probably not the input you are looking for, but I really believe people should spend time learning on their relative work skills before moving onto freefly. With that in mind I would suggest a decent fitting RW suit - there's no need for it to be new. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

You can choose not to buy beer, but if you do that you'd better not be drinking other peoples fines... That's just being a twat. If you honestly believe that then you don't understand the point of a beer fine. Alternatively he's saying he likes beer and ignores the rule, buying more cases even if he could get away with less? In that case he's a hero. Unless it's Bud light, in which case your first comment stands Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.