ScratchTX

If this health insurance company keeps giving me so much grief, I may end up going to Houston -- but I am in Austin, and would really like to see the doc that my orthodontist recommended, here in my home town . Thanks, though.

[reply I cock it too soon. Then I cock it again right before bagging the canopy, and then I check it again when the lines are stowed, and then I check it again before I close the first flap. (Which I know is really too late, as the kill line and nylon tape is all smashed up with the canopy material then. But it still makes me feel better) You know, I guess I don't really need that window after all... I think I pretty much have it covered now (except for the videotaped documentation of me cocking it four times, and the checklist entries, and the auditory "PC is cocked" alert)

Anyone here do major reconstructive orthodontics and jaw surgery, as an adult? I'm considering it -- three years of braces, extractions, etc. with upper and lower jaw surgery in the middle... major $$$ and committment... But the six teeth in my mouth that meet (all the rest don't come close to touching) are getting pretty worn. And my jaw is getting pretty tired of never being able to really just be at rest... I've had a pretty major open bite most of my life and it seems to be comng back to get me now -- 7 or 8 crowns, three root canals, and years of jaw/neck spasms and soreness later. It's not intolerable though, and may never get to be intolerable, and I have found lots of ways to deal with the neck/jaw stuff so that is really under control mostly. And a big part of me still says "HOW many thousands of dollars PLUS actually PAYING someone to break both my jawbones, just because my bite is not perfect?! Who cares, I can still eat as long as I don't have to bite anything with my front teeth, it's not like I walk around in pain all the time, just deal with it, am I being affected by this whole societal thing to rebuild ourselves into the perfect bodies?" etc. But another part of me kind of thinks that, three years from now, I might be really glad I did it. Kind of like you don't know what you're missing until you realize you're missing it... I never thought about what it might be like to be able to chew normally and close my mouth without any effort (hey THAT's why I talk so much... now I have an excuse!) Anyone ever do this or know someone who did?

I can't quite visualize this, but that's okay -- I'd ask a rigger in person to show me before I go cutting away on my PC bridle, anyway. Good to know it is possible though. Hmm. There is slack there -- the piece of nylon inside the PC hits its limit before the kill line. But after I cock it, just moving the canopy around during packing will cause it to come partially uncocked -- about 4-5" worth of kill line. It just feels... slippery. My old PC, when I cocked it, it felt like there was a little bit of friction in there between the kill line and bridle. This one just slides, super smooth, like buttah...and it slides back just as easily it seems. Oh well, so far so good with the frequent checks and at least I know I can cut a window in there if I want it.

How could I safely cut a window in my bridle and make a mark on the kill-line on my pull-out PC bridle? Since the bridle is fully inside the container when it is closed, it won't help with a gear check once I'm packed, but I'd like to be able to visually check it right before I s-fold the bridle in there. The kill line on my new, properly made PC is very slippery, and I think this contributed to some problems I was having with PC hesitation. Re-cocking frequently during packing, even after the canopy is bagged, has (so far) seemed to stop this problem. On a related note, I read a recent thread about how partially uncocked PC's are very unlikely to "re-cock" themselves in a throw-out system -- but I am thinking that with a pull-out this might be more possible, since there is a straight unobstructed path from PC apex to bag. Thoughts on that? (With the hesitations, I always had normal openings after.) Of course it could just be my deployment technique that was causing the hesitations, but i spent so much time being so aware and careful of how and where I put that PC in the air, and experiencing occasional hesitations anyway, I am leaning more toward the partially uncocked theory. Either that, or unconscious changes in my body position/movement were making it happen. Being able to visually confirm that the PC is indeed fully cocked would at least rule out one possible cause, if I started having the hesitations again.

What's the safest way to accomplish a second lower pass (assuming it's over the same exit point)? I understand some places do this regularly, but being a 182/206 baby I never really understood it. Are you counting on the horizontal separation you'd get from the first group(s) freefall drift and canopy flight while the plane is circling/descending for a second pass? And since the plane is descending, too, how would you figure if vertical separation would be "enough," or are you just relying on the horizontal? I prefer the landing out in an alternate area approach, too, if someone could on-the-spot adjust the spot for a good alternate. I think I'd most prefer having enough fuel, though...

I like CRWBUG, but given the new beetle's record for weird little maintenance problems, what about DEBUGD?

Does anyone have any of John DeRosalia's skydiving related tapes or CD's or videos? I've contacted him but he said he has none available at this time. I'd be interested in working out a fair deal to all to get copies. (if you're curious about this, see http://www.skymindschool.com)

This is really helping; thanks for taking the time to explain more. I think I see where I am/was hanging up -- not understanding the real concept of airspeed and wind. I've gotten stuck on the basic concept of "your parachute doesn't care if you are flying in strong headwind, nil winds, or strong tailwind - it always flies the same airspeed [in full flight] and you will feel the same relative wind in your face." But that airpseed is still being created by the air moving past the parachute. (And RAM-ming into it). Yes, the parachute's own forward movement is creating part of that airspeed, but the air moving past the parachute is also creating part of that. And as has been pointed out here, the air moving past a parachute (aka the wind) is NOT always a nice constant even flow. For example, if I was flying along and someone flew up in front of me at turned on a powered fan blowing at 50 mph and pointed it at me, both I and my parachute would indeed feel that increased wind. And the situtation we are talking about is really kind of the opposite of that -- the parachute (and I) suddenly feel significantly LESS wind. And conversely, if I was flying along in a 15 mph headwind, with a 5 mph groundspeed and a 20 mph airpseed and that person with a 50 mph fan flew in front of me and blew it at me, I would suddenly have a significantly higher airspeed, right? I don't want to guess how much higher because I am sure there are too many factors involved. But it would be an increase of at least 35-50 mph in airpseed, initially. Is this conceptually correct? If so, I think I get it. If I am way off base, then, well back to the drawing board and more research about airspeed and inertia.

Can someone do yet another attempt at Windshear 101 For Dummies, please? I know it has been explained before, and I have read those threads, but I am still grappling with something, obviously (see below): with you so far this is where i get lost. My groundspeed will increase, I understand that. But if my canopy has its own airspeed of 20 mph, that means, based on its own flight characteristics, it flies through the surrounding airmass at 20 mph. It doesn't matter whether that airmass is moving across the ground in the opposite direction (headwind of 20 mph) or not moving at all. My canopy is still moving through the air at 20 mph. Obviously, there IS something about a sudden wind change/windshear that changes my airspeed -- but I still don't understand what/why. I believe it is something about keeping pressurized, but again, I am not quite getting it. since I have experienced the effects of turbulent winds on my canopy, that would be a good place to start the explanation... I almost get it, really. Sorry to be dense, but I want to understand this. still lost, sorry... I can see how going to brakes would slow my canopy's airspeed but not how entering into slower/no winds will. I fully believe this but I want to understand why. Sorry if this has been hashed to death before and I'd be happy to take it to PM if people would rather. But I just want to get it! Thanks

I chose to land the side-by-side I had around jump 40. Reasons: I'd read the PIA report and thought/talked about various two out situations. My side by side plan was to land it if stable, to cutaway if they started to downplane. The risers were crossed and one was in front of my neck and I wasn't sure what was what, what was clear from each other and what was clear from my neck. Things as is were fine, and cutting away seemed dicey with the unknowns. I didn't have the needed combination of experience, presence of mind, and altitude to assess the crossed risers (once I'd removed my fist from under my tucked chin when I happily realized I was not going to be strangled), how to separate the canopies and the possible cutaway outcome AND deal with avoiding obstacles and landing in the clearest area I could get to, so I focused on the landing "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," -- It was flying very stable -- I watched the canopies bump end cells as the reserve inflated and the energy moved them slightly apart but they immediately pulled back together into the side by side. So it didn't seem *likely* it would go into a spontaneous downplane with no reason or input. (I know it could happen) I did NOT release brakes on either canopy. I knocked the wind out of myself on landing. I made a few good decisions, but luck played a huge role too -- I realize that now more ever. If I had one again (phtthbt phtthbt phtthbt over my shoulder, as my grandma used to do to ward it off) I would do basically the same thing. If I had the altitude and they were completely clear and they seemed to have any desire to separate, I might try to separate them and then cut away. But even though I've been in a CRW downplane I didn't initiate it and that's a lot to think about doing in real life -- considering that downplanes use up more altitude, fast. And I really would not want my main risers anywhere near my reserve lines when I cut away, so I would not want to chop unless I could get the canopies pretty damn separate. If they seemed to want to stick together and fly together nicely as they did before (similarly sized 7-cell squares), I would leave them alone. (FWIW, I had mine because of almost the same circumstances as the Coolidge fatality -- pull-out PC, still in freefall, ended skydive with reserve pull, main deployed before reserve.)

Hey, nothing wrong with pointing out what seems to be obvious! That is why I started with Jumpshack, since I have a Racer (and also, I like theirs the best so far). But to be honest, I wasn't sure if toggles can even be mixed and matched at all or not -- Does each manufacturer/rig have their own unique custom riser/toggle configuration? Or are there just a few basic designs that are used by different manufacturers? With velcro in particular, it seems that there isn't a whole lot of variation in how the toggle could be stowed. But I haven't jumped/packed enough other rigs besides mine to know.

I just got my new canopy in :>) :>) :>) and I want to replace my toggles. They are the simple flat style, are in good shape but old and floppy. Hard to get my hands back in if I've let go of them to do something. I want something in between what I have and CRW toggles -- I've looked around and the best I've seen is from Jumpshack at http://www.jumpshack.com/webcatalog/default.asp?ProductID=162&SectionID=PART&CategoryID=39 (I have a Racer, too.) Any suggestions for other sources to check out? Other styles that make it a little easier to re-grab, but still pack flat and small like regular freefall toggles? Anything to watch out for other than pack volume/stiffness? I'm staying with velcro for now, but it seems most toggles are available either way, so I don't think that matters. --Scratch

I liked being able to search by any (public) field in the profile database -- to find, say, other Racer jumpers in Texas, or other people at a particular dz with CRW as their first preference, etc. Is it possible to return to that kind of search? Also -- I liked being able to see the date that the profile was made, and the date it was last updated. Gives a sense of how "active" it is, and how current the info in it may or may not be.

Used equipment, 1999: * 1990 Racer SST * with PD 143 reserve * and PD 7-cell 160 main * and CYPRES (4 yrs old at time of purchase) - -- $1500 for all (paid out in three payments, to individual skydiver in another state, who I had never even met, who understood I had $$ trouble) * Old used ProTec from DZO - free * used altimeter from friend who found it at WFFC (no one claimed it) - free * used Tonysuit RW suit from another skydiver I never met personally - free So the spirit is still alive... I will DEFINITELY pass on the gear and karma when it is time. But for now, I am still jumping it because even though I'm no longer broke, I am still cheap, and ornery :>)

True. I've been told hospitals make their $$ from insurance; anything they get from the uninsured is gravy. Not to say I think it's okay to get services and not pay, but you can make just about any payment arrangement with hospitals to pay off an uninsured bill, and they will usually accept it without any further action as long as you are making a good faith effort. I had no assets, low risks and no insurance for years. (Then I started skydiving, got health insurance, and my appendix ruptured a few months later... see, insurance IS bad for you!)

My info from being self employed and getting my own individual health ins. coverage a few years ago: Try Mutual of Omaha, and Unicare. Get an independent agent to do the work for you. Don't ask them to lie for you but do find a discreet theoretical way to express your needs re: coverage and "recreational activities such as SCUBA diving, hang gliding, skydiving," etc. If you think you will only be uninsured for a short time, you can buy short-term insurance (I forget what they call it) for up to one year. It is non-renewable -- meaning after the period is up, you can re-apply but not automatically renew. And if you have had to actually USE your insurance during that period, they will not be interested in insuring you again... Group insurance like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, if you can even get it, is very expensive. If you are not part of a group, you don't "enroll" in a plan, you "APPLY" for coverage. Application questions for most plans DO ask if you participate in skydiving etc. Some are very specific, asking if you have participated in the past six months or plan to participate in the next six months. My understanding was that if I answered yes, I could still get the insurance but they would specifically exclude coverage for any skydiving related injuries. If I lied and did have a skydiving related injury, and their investigation showed I did lie, they would still not pay for it and would cancel my insurance and I'd be in a higher risk pool and have to pay more for insurance. I got Mutual of Omaha insurance, purchased through a local independent agent. There was nothing in writing on the application about skydiving. During the phone interview with the company prior to final approval, they asked me "Do you participate in any hazardous recreational sports such as blah blah, skydiving, or blah blah?" At the time I was on a hiatus so I replied "no." YMMV, and I'm not an insurance expert. Just remember that you can tell whatever story you want about an injury if you walk into the ER but if you are brought in unconscious or picked up in an ambulance at the dz that's another story.

thanks, all, for the replies! I'll keep experimenting to find the best method for me. I'm thinking that my early "pull and toss" approach worked because I got it further from my body. With short arms, if I hold my arm at the wrong angle, the PC doesn't get pulled out of my hand. I think I've gotten lazy -- as the aggressive throw-out training from student days faded, I've maybe stopped extending my arm hard, all the way, all the time. I seem to get the best clean air for the PC on jumps where I'm kind of amped about something else (something new) -- making me think that lazy arm is the culprit.

Right, no bridge there except the one my mind filled in. :>) But at the very beginning, what are they launching from? (With the 3,2,1 CYA!) The direct bag paraglider from paraglider I can see now -- very cool from both angles. Thanks for the other links -- I had no idea those "toy kites" as I called them could be taken so far. I don't think I even really knew what paragliding was (I usually picture the hang gliding I've seen, which is quite different.)

Go to http://www.pulseworks.tv/ and click on "featured clips" on the left. The last two clips (bottom right) mystify me -- I see the base jump, but I can't get what else is going on -- someone doing a kind of "Mr. Bill" with a paraglider person, off a bridge? Paraglider canopies look like those toy kites... so you can launch them off a bridge? (Maybe this should be cross-posted in the BASE forum)

How do you deploy your pull-out? -- Just like a throw out: grab, pull, toss -- grab, pull, place in airstream (where? by head? shoulder?) and it gets pulled out of your hand -- grab, pull down, raise extended arm up and turn hand over as if hanging PC on a hook by your head, oriented to catch air -- do you change your body position to slightly head high? Or de-arch/cup air? I'm asking because I used to just grab, pull and toss with no problem. But after getting a few disturbing PC hesitations I started trying all these other ways... talked to a few other pull-out users and my rig manufacturer and realized there is quite a variation in how people do it. I'm still experimenting with the best way to eliminate the PC falling back into my burble -- it still happens more than I'd like. I'm thinking of going back to the "just toss it" approach. (Not interested in discussing merits of pull-out vs. throw out here, just looking to hear from other pull-out users. Thanks) --Scratch

Cool, looks like we can get a bunch of smaller middle aged women together on a load! And younger guests of all genders, too, of course... Should be fun! --Scratch

Funny how skydiving can do that. I'm all set to go to my FIRST boogie (nope, I'm not bringing beer to a boogie, sorry!) next weekend. Tentative plans to go out there with another woman I'd just met recently didn't pan out, so it's just me, my tent, my car, my low-level skills, my eccentricities, and my excitement. I've been skydiving four years but with the exception of a Skydive U. training camp, have not expanded my horizons much at all. It's easy to start feeling "old." To tell myself that it's silly to get nervous about going out to a new place myself, since I am after all a grown-ass adult. After all, I've traveled on my own quite a bit, camped on my own, perfectly capable of taking care of myself, etc., So I'll act all adult and sage and stuff, and end up actually not doing too much new or outside my comfort zone -- since I've decided that if it's so silly for my comfort zone to be so surprisingly small, it must NOT really be that small, so I don't need to push it. But really, the teenager in me finds that my comfort zone includes that nervousness, that first-day-of-class excitement, that wondering how I'll fit in and what the other kids will be like and what the lunchroom for seniors will look like and... Pretending to be all adult and adjusted and past all that really takes the fun out of it. And the best part of getting to feel like a teenager again when you're not is that you can actually apply those 30 years of post-teen experience to ease some of the stuff that was so raw and difficult and new when you were 15. I always believed in "never getting old," "keeping young at heart," etc. etc. - and really, my life looks very much that way on the outside. But I always thought of that just in terms of the obviously positive playful things -- skydiving, running down hills, not being stuffy and boring, etc. I always thought that "feeling like a kid" in terms of nervousness, self-doubt, etc. was just a BAD thing. but really, it's part of the whole package and is pretty freaking fun, too. Reminds me of what life is really all about, reminds me that I am really alive. So yah, I'm going to the AOT Memorial boogie and I'm nervous and excited and looking forward to it and if you see a little skinny quiet middle-aged person wearing a big bubble head ProTec-ish helmet and an old rig and a smile, that would be me! Looking forward to meeting and jumping with some of the dropzone.com people there (not to mention the Casa jumps!) eek getting excited and nervous again, what fun -- --Scratch

Do you know why the Spectre is in Category 2, but the Triathlon is in Category 3? If anything, the Spectre's slight elliptical shape makes it turn a little steeper/faster. But really, they both seem quite similar in terms of general "performance" issues as they apply to experience level. I'd think those issues would be things like stability on opening, speed/dive of turns, response to riser pressure and toggle input... they are pretty close on those from what I could tell. Minor differences only. Do you know what the criteria were for classifying the canopies in this list?

Anyone know of injuries caused while learning PLFs? That was the reason given to me why we didn't practice them in FJC. I practiced a few on my own, but am now inspired to practice more-- if I see a bad landing coming up, I do a "feet and knees together and don't fight it" thing that so far has mostly covered me. I definitely transfer that kinetic energy, I can attest to that! And I have walked/tumbled away from some nasty ones with nothing more than some stiffness and soreness later. But some of that was luck, and I would be much worse off with a fast rate of descent (canopy collapse at 10-15 feet, partially fouled reserve, etc.) I think I will practice first on cushy mats, though. Bones and joints are more brittle now... best to get it right before I add much impact... actually, there's a kids playground near me with some super soft spongy foam-covered ground, that would be perfect. ("Mommy, why does that person keep falling down in front of the slide?")