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When I first read the subject of your post, that actually came to mind. It's not an entirely crazy idea. It would need to be attached to the hips so it wouldn't jerk you off your feet like if it was attached to the shoulders, and how to deploy it in a hurry while holding on to ski poles would be an issue....

That's outrageous! And one of the most creative ideas I have heard lately. It would be a lot of work, yes, but maybe for special occasions....

I understand all points and concerns. I would not expect experienced jumpers to try to learn swoop landings using this device. (Actually, I think experienced jumpers would try it for the entertainment value.) But for people who have never swooped anything, and need to do it up high, it seems like a good tool. Thanks for the comments.

I just put a new article on the PCPRG web site in the "Skydiver" area. www.pcprg.com "The Swoop Streamer - Learning canopy manuvers with a visual reference at safe altitudes." Brian Germain and I were talking about this idea a while back. How to provide a way for people to practice and learn about aggressive front riser manuvers with a visual reference besides the (hard) ground. We would love to have some input to this study, especially any descent rate results you come up with if you try this out. And especially for some of the lower wingloadings.

I can't think of a cooler place for a kid to have a birthday party. OK, so the grandparents might not be able to come, so what.

Daily "registration" for those not planning to stay the entire time versus registration for the entire boogie. I don't see it listed on the web site, but much of the WFFC staff is having a meeting tonight (4/21) so they might decide to place it there. If anyone is interested just call and ask.

Daily "registration" for those not planning to stay the entire time versus registration for the entire boogie. I don't see it listed on the web site, but much of the WFFC staff is having a meeting tonight (4/21) so they might decide to place it there. If anyone is interested just call and ask.

Actually that was available last year, but did not get communicated well. I suggested getting that info in the FAQ just last night.

That is very interesting. So you "static line" the hand deply pilot chute in a special bag? If so, where is the bag when the student is exiting, and how do you hold the bag closed so the wind does not affect it?

The WFFC reflects skydiving in general, which is "dying off" to some degree. There are many reasons for this and they can be debated a long time. Short answer is that boogies of all types are not as "special" as they used to be. Local drop zones that have turbine aircraft may provide all the lift capacity needed for most jumpers, and with no additional travel costs. (People used to travel 3 states away on holiday weekends to jump a DC-3.) So, boogies are looked upon as something different now. I look at the WFFC as a family reunion, and those who have attended for many years know what I mean! Once you get there you will understand.

Unfortunately, it's because that's what they do here. You have probably figured out by now that modern microprocessor/solid state pressure sensor based AAD's are so reliable that they allow their owners to be almost completely uneducated about them and to rely on them to a dangerous degree. The companies that make them actually encourage that, i.e. "set it and forget it". You, not having learned this about your skydiving gear by instructors who (may) have this attitude, have questioned the reliability of AAD's, which is good. Everyone should. Now that you are educated about modern AAD's (the hard way!) you can relax a bit about them.

The World Freefall Convention web site has had some updates that make it easier for people to get accurate information related to some frequently asked questions about gear requirements, safety info, and some other things. Please point people there when they ask, because many questions can be answered with that information. It is amazing however that people still manage to ask questions that have not yet required answers! In that can please contact the staff and an answer should come shortly. Pre-registration is now open too.

That was a good post and question but it was inevitable... I'm surprised someone hasn't invoked Godwin's yet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Well, I was about to post something like, "Some day someone is going to die because they got their hand caught in unstowed excess brake line.", but I see it has already happened. I'm sorry that happened to your friend. Question for you. Does everyone at your dropzone now stow their excess brake line? I just can't believe how many people do not do this. I can't think of any reason not to. Can anyone?

Sir, the USPA (United States Parachute Association) does not specify repack cycles, nor do they have the authority. That is done by the US FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). USPA (and PIA) have of late influenced the FAA to reconsider a change in the repack cycle, so perhaps this has caused the confusion.

Nothing. This was just note about something interesting I observed, (the main point being that the students did more jumps than they expected they would do that day.) It was not intended to be a suggestion training progression, but the "catchy" title I gave it might have implied that.

Congratulations Sir, and I must say this is one of the best and most detailed posts of an experience I have ever seen on the internet anywhere! Having trained via apprenticeship rather than via "rigger mill", you now know about a gazillion [how many zeros is that?] times more than most new riggers already, and I'm sure that with your great attitude and continuing hard work that you will know even more as you continue your rigging work. Note to potential riggers: A rigger's rating doesn't have to cost a lot of money, as Raistlin has proven.

3500. It was literally 15 minutes later. The plane has a newish engine plus planes climb quickly in the winter.

"AFF to Static Line Progression" For economy of effort we have a S/L instructor teach the first jump course and include the AFF students. He puts out the S/L students, I take the AFF students and give them the additional training for their AFF jump, we find another AFF instructor and go skydive. One of the neatest things that I can say to the AFF students after their training is, "You are now trained to do not only an AFF jump, but a S/L jump as well. If you come down from your AFF jump and want to make another jump inexpensively, just go tell manifest and there you go." Yesterday we had 2 people that did an AFF jump a few months ago bring friends to do AFF. One of the first two did another AFF jump, the 2 new AFF students did an AFF jump AND then a S/L jump, with the other of the first two doing a S/L jump and on the same C182 load as their friends. Quite a combination, and more jumps than any of them expected to make when they first showed up. The last AFF student landed, came in, got geared up for a S/L jump, met his friends who were already geared up, and made his second jump 15 minutes later. Who knows if they will come back and what type of jumps they might make, but... Keeping the training flexible and being able to provide less expensive alternatives for subsequent jumps has its benefits.

Well, that's the problem with hypoxia. People are not able to judge their own mental ability when it happens. People have been known to actually feel "euphoric" while hypoxic. Keep reading this thread, including some of the previous posts, and you will learn about it. Hopefully we will all learn something. Including me. I have never been in the altitude chamber "ride" so the effects of hypoxia scare me, thinking I could be one of those people that lose it.

Thank you very much for reporting that! That was my idea here, to get people talking about so those who don't understand hposia can learn.

OK, OK, I thought about that after I made that post and realized it would sound odd, (especially after that vigorously debated thread over there about pushing people out of the airplane...) Since the remaining jumpers might have been affected and the pilot may not have known what was happening, one (questionable) solution would be to get the affected jumper out the door and down to a lower altitude as soon as possible. This would depend on how affected the jumper "encouraging the exit" is, and whether the affected jumper could be "aided" until at a lower altitude. I guess this could be debated a while too..... I have no idea what I would do in those circumstances even if I wasn't affected and thinking well.

Well, it kinda looked like he was incapacitated to the point where she needed to. The amount of time that passed while all of this was going on was kind of amazing too. I brought it up because I was thinking that there are a lot of people that in those circumstances that would not be able to identify an oxygen problem with themselves or others, and it seemed like that was what was happening. Perhaps we need to have someone volunteer to be an "oxygen monitor" even on loads going to the low 20's. Nobody expects a go-around, but they happen, like on this load. And nobody expects a "partial" issue with oxygen either.

It is sad for me to inform you that Bruce Berger (known as Buddha by many skydivers, and certainly at the World Freefall Convention) was killed by a train Tuesday the 21st. The WFFC office said his wife contacted them. We don't know anything else. There might be more put on the WFFC web site Message Board later. He lived in the Chicago area and had not jumped much the last few years. The two newspaper articles I could find about it are here. If anyone has any pictures of him please post them. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/top/n22train.htm http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/news/n23train.htm

So did any drop zones show this video on Safety Day? !!!