chuckakers

Anything dangling from a jumper can be a risk. It's more a matter of what kind of trouble and how severe the possibilities. That said, I don't see a big risk with a bit of plastic tubing dancing 6 or 8 inches above a jumper's head/neck. But then again.... Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I have see plenty of stowless bags in use and have never heard of a pattern of premature line wear. If you are in doubt, call UPT. If there have been any issues they will know about them. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Did it differ much from saturating it with Scotchgard or silicon spray? Yes, by a big margin. This stuff made the fabric behave like extra crispy zp. He sometimes had to tweak sliders to accommodate changes in opening characteristics after treatment. As far as I know there were never any major issues with treated canopies. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The first tuck tab was the Talon "Tongue", a friction grip tab on the main pin cover. 1986. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Leonard Morehead - Bryan, Texas Leonard invented a process dubbed "Leonardizing" in which a tired old F-111 canopy can be given a second life with a coating he developed. He charged $1 per square foot and it worked. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

the so-called 'pro-pack' used to be called 'trash-packing' back in the day... be interesting to know just who was responsible for re-naming it... I don't remember who gets the cred for pro packing, but whoever it was originally named it for the acronym for "proper ram-air orientation". I guess it sounded better than trash pack, which BTW can also be done with a side pack. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Sandy Reid, Rigging Innovations.... Velcroless pin covers and riser covers (tuck tabs) Articulated harness (chest and hip rings) Bio-curv Bio- yoke Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Throwout. If you don't like the pull forces sometimes on your throwout, you'll hate them on a pullout. One of the primary advantages of the pullout was to avoid premature deployments. Those risks were greatly diminished when the sport moved from leg strap mounted p/c's to BOC. Also, with more modern rigs that employ freefly friendly throwout handles, the advantage of pullouts is even less valuable. Besides, if you get a pullout you'll have to wear a silly straight pin necklace. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

At our DZ we teach "grab both handles" to our students. Seems to work well. Most hard pulls are caused by poor technique, IMO. I agree, John. Things like failing to peel a cutaway pillow before pulling it cab cause the sensation of a hard pull. I have never peeled a pillow in 10 chops but did have a hard pull on one. That could have been the issue. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Given the altitudes you discussed, I wouldn't consider a chop without checking the brakes a bad move under the circumstances. Understand this: line twists on a large, docile canopy flying straight ahead are quite different than line twists on a spinning canopy of even a moderate wing loading. Your responsibility is to get a controllable canopy over your head and to do so at an altitude that will still give you survivable landing options. You saddled at 1800 and at least by USPA standards that's pretty much the bottom. I have yet in my nearly 30 years in the sport had to bury a friend that performed EP's with sufficient altitude or higher, but have buried several that for whatever reason did not or could not. PLEASE do not get it in your head that you would be better served to screw around looking for brake releases and other crap when the sh*t hits the fan. You performed well. The wad over your head was going to kill you so you did exactly as you trained to do and you lived. Bravo. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

No. Supplex is a light cotton-feeling fabric that isn't actually cotton. It can be woven in a variety of ways, but that used for jumpsuits behaves like typical cotton fabric - not stretchy or elastic in construction. http://www.invista.com/en/brands/supplex.html Supplex used in jumpsuits feels like a light "cotton-like" fabric. It's durable but stays fairly cool in warm conditions because it's light and breathes. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Wendy - the Tony Space Suit is a freefly suit. My guess is that the OP wants the suit for that purpose, but just in case.... To the OP - if you are wanting this suit for freefly, the supplex is fine and other than a proper fit there isn't much else to consider. However, if you want an FS suit, Wendy makes a good point. You might want to consider a suit designed for it and built for your needs. My personal favorite for slow falling belly flyers if the Tonysuit Pit Special. It can be customized for the fastest possible fall rate by doing the following: * Snug fit (see an experienced dealer to make that happen) * Nylon front - fastest fabric for the front yet still the greatest range when flown correctly * Spandex lower arms * Supplex wherever else that is an option (except booties) as it has slightly less drag than 4-ply * Smallest grippers made from supplex - again less drag by being small and using lighter fabric * No inside leg grippers and no back of arm grippers to reduce drag * Booties - yes they increase drag but they are essential for maximum performance for belly flying. Get the regular size bootie made from Parapac. Supplex or 4-ply aren't "draggy" enough for true performance and cordura creates more drag than a slow faller will typically want. Regardless of freefly or belly, get used to the concept of wearing weights. That's a different conversation, but one I suggest you have. The right suit can do a lot to help speed you up, but most really slender/small people need weights to allow them to fly naturally with greatest efficiency. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Supplex is a good fabric and the fastest thing you will find in a Tony suit. Supplex looks very light and doesn't look durable, but it's every bit as strong as 4-ply. The most important thing for you to get the right fall rate will be getting the measurements right. Jumpsuit measurements can be tricky, so be sure to get a Tony dealer with experience to take your measurements. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

So those stories about the ghost of Andy Thornton are true. Go figure. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Thanks! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Hey skyhoppers, I head up the load organizing at Skydive Spaceland and have several guys approach me about learning speed skydiving. I want them to learn correctly and safely and I am sharing various links with them for knowledge, but I'd like to get some "best practices" info from a first-hand source. Wondering if someone can recommend a speed guru or would like to help out. Thanks! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Is that a hypothetical scenario or did it actually happen? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

In general, I see self supervision similar to private pilot students being cleared for solo flights. They haven't yet earned a license but have demonstrated enough competence to perform in a limited capacity without direct supervision. I'm not sure that what we call it really matters beyond semantics as long as it's understood what the term means and what privileges it affords. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I explain it to non-jumpers like throwing an apple core out of your car window and watching it arc first before falling. We, as jumpers, are the apple core. I got the stomach-drop feeling only once, on a peculiar tandem exit, but never again. To the OP, I'm surprised you're feeling that on every exit, but I wish you luck and hope you're able to overcome the fear. Roller coasters/drop towers would probably be the best way to simulate that feeling and try to get used to it, if that's what you're trying to do. Blue skies! Nice analogy. If the OP is jumping a Cessna it is possible to get a bit of a trap door feeling because of the slower jump run airspeed, especially if the pilot slows it down a lot. Years ago I knew a pilot that would try to hold the nose up as jumpers climbed out and would come very close to the stall point at times. Talk about mushy exit air. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Dan has this one right. I may have not have the physics exactly right but here's a layman's explanation. The dropping sensation comes from the rapid change in speed that is felt when a person jumps from a stationary or slow moving object. The dropping sensation is greatest at the beginning of the fall because the rate of acceleration is greatest at low speeds when wind resistance is not impeding that acceleration. As the body moves faster wind resistance slows the rate of acceleration and the "zero G" feeling subsides. If a person jumps from a fixed object their body accelerates from 0 to 60 or 70 mph in just a few seconds. That results in a "stomach in the throat" feeling or what some call a "roller coaster" sensation. From there the rate of acceleration is diminished because of wind resistance and the falling sensation diminishes along with it. When a jumper leaves an aircraft going 80 or 90 mph they never experience the rapid rate of acceleration experienced when jumping from a stationary object and thus don't get the same falling sensation. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What????? Do you think we just float away from the plane? We absolutely drop and not slightly. Of course we strike an arc because we are moving forward at the moment of exit, but the vertical acceleration is nearly identical whether dropping from a stationary object or a moving object assuming the jumper doesn't do something to modify that like tracking up the hill or using a wingsuit to surf the horizontal wind. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't think Google had anything to do with this jump. I think the only reason the company was mentioned is because Eustace is a big wig with them. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not sure what you mean by USPA making seat belt use "fashionable". As I remember it the message was more like "wear 'em or the feds will crack the whip". Not sure about maintenance costs being the reason for retiring old birds either. I think a lot of the fleet upgrades came from aging turbine aircraft becoming more affordable at the same time the sport was growing like a weed, creating an audience that could support them. Add in the competitive advantage that a turbine gave drop zones and many DZ's were forced to upgrade or die. BTW, in my experience very few jumpers of any experience level snug their belts. I would agree that we should make it part of our routine. The less we can move in a crash, the less mess we will make. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Good ones. I didn't eat the instrument panel, but the next day I was sore everywhere the seat belt touched my body. Without seat belts, I probably would not have made it. I encourage every jumper to use them on every jump. Just be sure they are tucked out of the way before you jump, especially when exiting small aircraft. Bill, I often wonder how much good our seat belts actually do in typical configurations. Depending on the set up our belts are often single-point connected and I almost never see jumpers snug them up, making them less than effective in keeping jumpers in place in a crash. The belt thing came after the Perris thing and the touted benefit was keeping jumpers in position so we wouldn't crush one another in a high G situation. Single point belt configurations may minimize movement if tightened, but most jumpers I see where them in a way that they could still move 1, or 2 feet before the belt would stop them. That would still equate to a lot of carnage in a high G scenario. I see our current seat belt use as a band aid on a much bigger problem at best, and window dressing to satisfy the feds at worst. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

And thus didn't get an ounce of the positive press for the sport that Felix did. What is your definition of "positive press"? I think it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to judge the benefits of either of these jumps to "the sport". It is my understanding that Joe Kittinger's record was a byproduct of government research, whereas the Baumgardiner and Eustace records were dome mainly to break records (although I am sure that something was learned in the process). What effects do "records" have on any sport? It wasn't difficult for me to see the benefits at all. It translated to the drop zone and that's where it counts. I interact with a lot of the tandem jumpers at my home dz (and we do a LOT of tandems) and for months after Felix's jump our first timers were commenting on how cool/exciting/interesting it was. There was so much press about his jump that it spurred thought, questions, and more than a few people to actually make the decision to jump. Several folks mentioned that seeing the record jump is what started the conversation that eventually resulted in them making reservations for a skydive. I consider anything in the media that shines a positive light on the sport good press and in this case we got a lot of it. Let's face it, Felix's jump was damn sensational and the way it was presented allowed even the whuffos a pretty good understanding of what they were seeing. More media coverage of Eustace's jump could have increased our exposure even more. More good press, more positive results on the drop zone. As for your comment about what effect records have on the sport, that's not the point. The good press didn't come from either man setting a record. The benefit from Felix's jump - record or not - came from the media coverage of an exciting skydive. It was also a lot better press than a teenage girl too lame to perform EP's or two Cessna's colliding on jump run. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX