nicknitro71

I did not mean to come across so harsh. Yes something very wrong happed in the jump and you guys got very lucky. Next time make sure evrybody knows what to do, not just you. Memento Audere Semper 903

You really have to ask the question? I think you guys were very, very lucky. Memento Audere Semper 903

If that is the case why? I don't get this one. To save 50 cents? Memento Audere Semper 903

Not on a 500 way but yes I jump with and without one. Memento Audere Semper 903

Are all Smarts make like that? As pointed out it seems to me the stops are too far up. I don't like it. Where are the Aerodyne guys when you need them? Memento Audere Semper 903

Too true. It's funny to see semi-careless skydivers become anal about skydiving gear safety when they pick up BASE... Memento Audere Semper 903

Or the best and most natural students on the planet Memento Audere Semper 903

I guess we should all quit jumping off things then... Memento Audere Semper 903

My 28" pulls 160 LBS Probably 30 LBS If I drag a PC chances are I was too dumb to cock it, too dumb to check the kill line length, or even too dumb to check the condition of my PC. I know I won't have a PC in tow if I cocked it, if the kill like is the proper lenght, and the damn thing just looks right. By the way, I take an anal care of my rig, especially the PC, and I triple check that it is cocked every time. One malfunction I don't want to have is a PC in tow. Memento Audere Semper 903

First I would reach back and pull the bridle. If that does not work or I cannot find it right away, one hand on the red, one on the sliver and pull both at the same time. This is the way I see it: if nothing is out go for the silver. If something is out either red and then sliver or like in this case both at the same time. This is what I would do, it does not make it right, of course. Memento Audere Semper 903

Yes Derek but human behavior changes if humans feel the safety of a back up device, it’s the nature of the beast. Does it make it right? That I cannot answer but it definitely helps exploration and the setting of a new niche, evolutionary speaking. Let me give you few examples: When humans first developed tools that can kill, like a sharp rock tighten to a long stick, they took more chances when it came to food hunting and exploration. They knew their chances of survival went up because of the back up device they just developed. They did not act the same as if they did not have one. They were willing to try something new and more dangerous that they did not feel comfortable doing before. When aeronautical engineers learn to increase the speed and maneuverability on aircrafts by developing smaller wings they encounter a problem: those aircraft could not be landed without the power of an engine and some pilots refused to fly them and some got killed doing so. So they develop ejection seats with parachutes and pilots changed their behavior: they started flying those aircrafts that there were not wiling to fly before. Again they changed their behavior due to a backup device. If we did not have a reserve we would not be jumping the main canopies we are jumping today. Because a reserve most of the time functions quite well, we take the chance of jumping a main canopy that it’s a lot of fun but it could get unrecoverable due to a single line twist. AADs especially the Cypres have an outstanding track record. We know they work. In a jump, like a hot 500 way, where chances of getting hit are very real, many people chose to be on that jump because they have an AAD. Without it many of them would not get on the jump. Running a red light because you have airbags is just stupid and it does not make a good example. Let me give you a better one. I have a 4X4 truck. It’s normally a 4X2 but I have the backup of 2 additional wheel drive. I would not take it to work in a heavy snow storm if I did not have the back up of the 4X4 but because I know that the 4X4 gives me additional traction I take more chance and drive to work. When I was deployed in Somalia I would not go in some streets of Mogadishu if I did not have a gun (the backup device). Now, I’ve gone in those streets every day for 4 months and only twice I had to use the backup device. Nonetheless I was willing to take more chance because I had a gun. Behavior does chance with the presence of backup devices like it or not. Memento Audere Semper 903

It's funny. At the beginning both my perents went "Hey if you can jump from 36000' you can jump from 360' what's the big deal!" I did not get into the explanation and I was very happy about the wuffo comments. Later my dad saw a show on TV about BASE jumping and the next time we talked we went "How high is that bridge you just jumped?" "that does not leave you much time to deal with problems, does it?" But overall they're cool about it. Memento Audere Semper 903

Hi Ankie, Is there a cost to retrofit the mod? I looked at my EXT and there is a gap at the corners of the reserve tray. I do not want to do it myself because it has to do with a reserve part. Thanks! Memento Audere Semper 903

Again to you they are different to me only their proximate accounts are different the ultimate account is the same: they both are back up devices. No, I'm not OK but I'm better off than being knock unconscious without AAD. Yes Derek. I also depend on my reserve to mitigate the risk of jumping my main. If I did not I would always jump my BASE canopy as main. Memento Audere Semper 903

Again Derek and I said this over and over again. You said yourself that you would not do CRW without a reserve. So the addition of a reserve makes you willing to take more risks, i.e. doing CRW. The same goes for me and the 500 way. It's a very complex and dangerous jump. With an AAD I am willing to take the chance of getting knock unconscious without it I just say no to the jump. Memento Audere Semper 903

On that point only I would never push anyone to do something they feel is beyond their threshold. The point we don't agree is that an AAD does change my threshold (as well as others) on some jumps, very much like my reserve does. I would not do CRW without a reserve. I would not do a 400-500 without an AAD. I would do most of my jumps with my BASE rig. I would not BASE jump with my sport main canopy or use it as sole canopy. To summarize gear DOES change my risk acceptance threshold. Memento Audere Semper 903

Coz you think like a 17 year old Hey Nick, I'm glad you got it in time. Super speedy recovery! Memento Audere Semper 903

No Yes, I would not get on a 400-500 way without an AAD and if I was doing so in a country where allowed I would rig out a BASE rig with only one BASE canopy and an AAD set to fire at 500'. I then would pull around 800'. No I don't trust many things... I don't trust my main to save my life. My main is just for fun if it works. I would not jump my main as sole parachute. It's a 9 cell elliptical heavily loaded. Just a single line twist could put me in an unrecoverable flat spin. I trust more my reserve and my BASE rig to save my life even though I know they both can malfunction. Because in the US we cannot jump a single parachute system. Again if allowed I would jump my BASE rig most of the time and pull at 500'. If you mean why I jump the main I do and not a different canopy like a reserve or BASE as main, well because my main when it works it's fun. By the way I have not cut my current main away yet. One last thing. I would give up a reserve for an AAD in a 400-500 way. I'd pick a BASE rig geared out with an AAD over a dual system without an AAD if I had to make the choice. Memento Audere Semper 903

The skills it takes to fly it that way Memento Audere Semper 903

Derek, this happens every time I jump my main sport canopy: "Self, I know that this dive goes what beyond what I think is safe, but I have a reserve, so I'll go ahead and do it anyway". Is that OK? Yes it's OK to me. I don't trust my main to save my life but I do trust my reserve to do so even though I know it can malfunction. Again Derek you have to acknoledge that some people put the reserve and an AAD on the same plane. You don't have to agree but it does not make them any more right or wrong than you. You happen to weight more the reserve than the AAD, some people weight them the same. Both are safety devices that only come into play if something goes not as planned. Memento Audere Semper 903

About this: That is what I think people shoud do, not go above their risk threshold because they have a reserve, but some people do exactly that. Without a reserve your threshold is 4 way jump. You did go over it several times because you had a reserve. Again you make a definite distinction between a reserve and an AAD, some people put them at the same level hence the addition of the AAD does increase their threshold, very much like the reserve increased yours in the past. Memento Audere Semper 903

Bleach is an oxidizer. Before doing anything find out how Spectra reacts when oxidized. Memento Audere Semper 903

Derek, some people apply the same concept to an AAD. They would not do a particular jump without one very much like you would not do more than a 4-way or CRW without a reserve. Again you make a distinction between a reserve and an ADD. They are both safety devices, both can malfunction, both can give you a false sense of security, and you should never, ever rely on them because they both have failed in the past and both will in the future. Your posts are always welcome and thought provoking but I think you got trapped a bit into a vicious circle on this one, just my 0.02. Memento Audere Semper 903

Let’s assume reserves were not mandatory (and in some countries they are not by the way. Also in some countries the use of an AAD is mandatory). Jumping with a reserve is a good thing and everyone should have one even if local authorities don’t dictate the use. * A reserve is a back up safety device. You should never rely on it. If you do rely on it and it fails, you are dead. There are a number of reasons why it may not work, some of which you have no way of knowing before the jump. A reserve should increase a jumper’s safety by being there for unseen problems and unavoidable incidents. It is not there to allow a jumper to make riskier skydives than they normally would. * Each skydiver must honestly determine for themselves their acceptable risk threshold. How much risk is acceptable to you is a personal decision, make an informed and honest decision. How high of winds will you jump in? How big of a RW or free-fly jump will you do, etc. Set these limits and periodically review them as you gain experience abilities and possible how much risk you are willing to accept changes (more or less risk). * If you determine, for example, that coach jumps with new free-flyers is too much risk, then do not coach new free-flyers. If you feel a 50-way RW jump is too big with too much risk, do not jump on 50-ways. * A reserve does not reduce the chances of a main malfunction on the jump. It can save you if a malfunction does happen, but may not. It must function to have any chance of saving you and is a last ditch effort. The majority of reserve rides are from sloppy pack jobs, poor body positions, and the use of high performance main canopies that do not have the opening characteristics of low aspect ratio 7 cells and can spin very violently with just one line twist. * No one likes to admit they are device dependant or are exceeding their own risk threshold because they have a reserve. If you fall into this category, be honest with yourself. Make an honest risk assessment and jump within your personal risk threshold. This means deciding whether to make the jump without using a reserve to off set risk level. * My analogy: If you feel running a red light is beyond your risk threshold because of the chances of a collision, airbags do not reduce the chances of a collision and therefore should not be a factor when determining if running a red light is within your risk threshold. * How do you determine if you are using a reserve to exceed your personal risk threshold or just feel you should always jump with one because it is a good idea to have one? I know of no pass/fail test you can do to make that determination. You have to be honest with yourself and make an honest assessment of how much risk is acceptable and how much risks you are taking, leaving the reserve out of this determination. Do this the same way you would decide if running a red light is too risky or not without taking the airbags into account. * Don’t ever fall into the trap of allowing a reserve to lull you into a false sense of safety. If your reserve ever enters into your decision making process for a jump, stop and really think about the jump. * Refusing not to jump w/o a reserve is OK. They are great and you should jump with one. Using a reserve to exceed your personal acceptable risk threshold is not OK because it isn’t smart to use back up safety devices that may not work to justify doing something you feel is too risky. * Determine your personal acceptable risk threshold and don't exceed it because you have a reserve. Memento Audere Semper 903

Let me change few things: How does having a reserve decrease the chances of having a mulfunctioning main you find unacceptable? It does not but when the shit hits the fan my AAD fires in the first case and my reserve opens after a cutaway in the second case. Memento Audere Semper 903