Auryn

I can tell you what I jump, which I am completely comfortable with. I have a hawkeye LS (left side) with a big ass mini DV JVC DRV 1. but, as far as the helmet goes, it is perfect. Great head protection, I know it will help protect if I frap in. So much so that I am going to bounce my Z1 this weekend :) Ratchet chip cup, secures everything extremely tight. Now, here is the trick, no matter what you buy. If it doesnt come with an actice cutaway system (I am talking about a handle release of some sort, just like your main) GET ONE INSTALLED. Odds are, this will save your life. no joke. just look at the quincy 2000 video. I personally have an active cutaway system installed on the back of my helmet that uses cutaway cables just like a rig. pull the handle, the helmet is released. next step, pull it off my head and I am free. oh, and NO ringsight.. too much snag potential. Blue Ones ! Bryan

it sounds like you are doing the right thing.. I have had several rigger indicate that as long as the riser cover velcro is newish and well maintained, it will work for freefly. Personally, I had a Vector 2 at 202 mph head down without a problem at all.. video indicated no let go of any flaps. once you get it done, have an exam of the rig by a rigger, and you should be okay, provided you keep your gear situation in mind when you fly.. be a touch conservative until you know how it will behave. Blue Ones ! Bryan

this sounds a lot like what I used to when I flat packed.... I would finish the folds, and then group by group straighten the lines after all the folds were done.. then wrap the tail under the pack job and proceed as normal.. there is no reason I could not do this on a pro pack. awesome. thanks for the advice. You learn something new in this sport every day. Blue Ones ! Bryan PS dont worry, will confirm this with a rigger.

is there anywhere I can look this tecnique up ? this is something I havent heard about before, and it sounds like a good idea. Blue Ones ! Bryan

my intial reaction to your situation was not just the practicality of these mods, but moreover the price o them.. they can add up quickly.. but, considering the price you paid for the rig, and the apparant condition of things from the pics, you got a decent deal even after the cost of the mods. I have a question for the riggers out there.. I had a Vector 1 at 1 point that I inquired about making cypres ready.. RWS had concerns about the reserve freebag.. I told them I had a vector 2 freebag, and they said it could be converted.. how does this affect a cypres mod ? blue ones ! Bryan

I have a pretty simple question about this.. I now have a job packing for a DZ, and a big part of it is tandems. They want me to pro pack, which I am perfectly happy doing. I did 5 pack jobs this weekend, which were all good, I even made it a point to find the instructors and see how the openings were.. they were all happy. But, upon noticing the difference between tandems and sport rigs, I now have a question.. are there any tricks for using the weight and size of the tandem canopy to keep control of the lines and fabric, creating a tight slow opening pack job ? I woud like think that with that much weight you can use it against itself, and really slow the opening down, making the opening shock nice and comfy for that passenger paying 150 dollars for a ride on my pack job. so, what do the experienced packers have to say about this ? Blue Ones ! Bryan - D lic. is in the mail baby !!!!

very interesting point.. combined with the lack of demand for camera stuffs, I may have to take my skydiving needs elsewhere.. I will have enough money for 50 jumps.. I just don't know where to spend it yet. Blue Ones ! Bryan

Why do you say that ? any particular reason ? blue ones ! Bryan

N/A

hey.. does anyone out there know who I need to get into contact with to become a part of the Camera pool for Collegiates this year ?? I would really like to go ! and yes, I am in college Bryan

does anyone know where i can get information about the collegiate nationals at lake wales this winter?

I took this same route when I started freeflying 100 jumps ago, and haven't switched to a real suit yet, b/c my clothes work really well. here's what I used. a baggy pair of CAFFIENE raver kid pants. They had draw strings in the waist and legs (so ravers can make the legs less baggy to pass dress codes at clubs.) allready, so they were perfect to use. I bought a long sleeve Fox Racing shirt used for moto cross.. its perfect b/c it has mesh under the arms, which works really well to create drag for sit flying. total cost: $45. most people even think that it is a real freefly suit. Blue Ones ! Bryan

300:0 switched to an elliptical 100 jumps ago, and haven't had to chop it yet.. did have spinning line twists once, but was able to clear it. Blue Ones ! Bryan

I currently jump a Jonathon 150 at 1.3 to 1 and have about 100 jumps on it. here is my experience.. turns are extremely snappy, it likes to overturn tho.. can get zero g very easily. landing, I am getting pretty decent swoops with 90s.. thats what this canopy is for me.. something to learn to swoop on. But, straight in it is very easy to land, can always stand it up, nice and soft. front riser response is a little unpredictable, sometimes it just doesn't perform the way I would like it.. the openings are consistent as far as hardness, haven't had a slammer yet like I have on my PD 170 before it. Pay attention to slider and you'll be fine (get it all the way forward) You have to steer it during opening to keep it on heading tho. Overall, I like the canopy, it has made a great 1st ellipitcal for me. and I got it DIRT cheap. Blue Ones ! Bryan

I will second this. I jump a Jonathan 150, perhaps the most notorious canopy for spinning up and diving. I also jump camera, and that is the best thing for my deployments... here's why. I get nice and square, throw out, and then look straight down, ignoring my canopy until opening shock and the slider is halfway down the lines.. THEN I look up and steer the remainder of the opening to get on heading. I have only spun up once, 2 line twists, spinning, and got out of it fine. Don't over control the canopy on opening. Blue Ones ! Bryan

A really good friend of mine had one quite early in his skydiving career.. its still unknown exactly how it happened, but immediately on exit out of a king air during a boogie his bag came out of the container w/ the PC still in the pocket.. he threw out the pilotchute, had a bag lock, cut it away pretty high and had a good reserve deployment. the freakiest part is, the bag went through the windshield of a car doing 55 miles an hour down the highway.. no one was hurt in the car (thank god) the USPA liability insurance covered the damage. Blue Ones ! Bryan

I'll second that. I have 6 vertebrae fused so am very particular about how my canopy opens. I dont EVER let anyone other than my girlfriend pack for me and have my "super soft opening" tricks I use on my Jonathon. I have about 130 jumps since my surgery last year, I jump a sidemount camera and havent had any problems. just be AWARE of the injury and make the necessary compensations. Oh yeah.. the doctor told me I would NEVER be able to skydive, and he didnt even know I was a jumper. they base a lot of their information on stats from the '60s, just like insurance companies do. Blue Ones ! Bryan

I don't. I gave up on that a LONG time ago. Blue Ones ! Bryan

Mine was jump # 220 freefly jump.. didnt hear my audible, deployed when I saw the other person deploy, neither of us had time to track. sat in the harness at about 1100 feet. Blue Ones ! Bryan

cool!! thank you very much for the input.. I was afraid to ask a simple question I was 90 percent sure about the answer but wanted to be definate about, and risk looking dumb in the process... I appreciate the lack of flames and the provision of information! I have spent a lot of time talking to some experienced people about this, and am doing the progression they recommend and encourage.. I guess Im just learning and want to talk about it and get more input. This stuff is too much fun ! Blue Ones ! Bryan

I have a question about efficiency and lift generation.. I have been doing 90 degree risers carving turns for about the last 20 jumps or so, and am having a great time doing them.. I have boiled things down to 2 distinct techniques and I want input on which is the best.. I have a jonathan 150 I am loading at 1.25:1 (185 lbs out the door) and I have 250ish jumps. 1st method. 90 degree riser turn at 100 feet or so, holding it until just before I flare, higher than normal at about 20 feet. This uses the toggles to level the canopy out and then I use the toggles to control the swoop (short swoop, I know.. but I have learn somewhere) 2nd method. 90 degree riser turn a little higher and quicker, letting off the riser higher and the canopy levels out on its own at my desired swoop height.. I then only use the toggles only to control the swoop (albeit a short one) and land soft at the end. I am able to generate more speed this way, and I think it's the more efficient way to do things.. am I right ? Thanks !! Bryan

My Body position was essentially the same as always before.. I kept my head straight in the past to encourage an on-heading opening.. the only difference with the camera is I was looking down initially to keep the camera away from the risers as I deployed.. but overall my body position was similar to what I have been using. I may have let a shoulder drop accidentally tho by focusing more on my head.. Blue Ones ! Bryan

I have a Jonathon 150 I am loading at 1.3:1. I have 270 jumps and havent had any more than 1 line twist in the last 100 jumps... until this weekend. I was under the impression that if you get into serious line twist under an older elliptical (like the jonathon or the stilletto) you were pretty much guaranteed a ride straight down toward mother earth, resulting in a cutaway.. my experience on Sunday was different. I throw out and look down b/c of my new camera, and before I know it, I felt the risers hit the back of my head and knew I had a line twist.. upon looking up however, I realized it was 6. my heart was in my throat and my brain went into malfunction mode.. I knew this would be my first cutaway.. but, I quickly saw my canopy was flying straight and stable.. just like the Mantas of my student days. Kick out of it and no big deal. who else has had serious line twists on an elliptical and not been slung around like a rag doll ? Blue Ones !! Bryan

Why not store the text in files and use the database to point to filenames?

I live in Raleigh North Carolina and was at CSS on Sunday.. there was at LEAST a 20 mile an hour differential between the average wind and the high gusts.. it was a steady 20 mph all day and we had gusts up to over 45 mph every couple of minutes. It was one of the most, if not the most, bizarre days as far as winds I have ever seen. Needless to say, none of us jumped. Blue Ones ! Bryan