Injury at Perris

[IronMike 0]

This jumper had closer to 250 jumps. He and I started AFF at the same time at Perris in December. We kind of joked with each other about how many jumps each other had and made it into kind of a 'race'. I have 210 now. We both are very aggressive types, I know he is very intelligent and I consider myself to be no moron. We are both professionals, same age, weight, and both fell hard and fast for this sport. We are both averaged 20 or so jumps a week and both downsized rather quickly.

I have been unable to think about anything else but him for the past 2 days because he is my friend and it is easy for me to imagine myself in his situation.. I am experiencing many emotions; the most prevalent one at this time is anger. I believe that there are a few reasons that it happened to him and not me. I do not believe it was the size of canopy that was the problem here. You would hook a 190 in if you do it at 75 feet. I believe education, or the lack of it, was the primary factor.
First and foremost, I have taken Jim Slayton's canopy course. Not more than a month ago, I was on a freefly with him and we got a long spot. We both were jumping Sabre 2 150's loaded at 1.4. I made it back and he didn't even come close. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was in half brakes thinking this increased his glide ratio. I know he was uneducated on how to fly a canopy. He didn't start on front risers like I am still doing; he went straight to trying low hook turns. I remember that windy as hell non sky-diveable Saturday 2 months ago that I decided not to go to the lake and sit all hung over in Jim's class. I tried to convince him to come too. He didn't and went to the lake instead. What I learned that day was the most valuable training I have ever received. I have over 1000 flight hours in high performance aerobatic aircraft and have a low level air-show waiver but I learned things that make perfect aerodynamic sense but things that I would have not figured out on my own without breaking things. I am convinced, had he taken the class and got some jumps in with Clint Clawson like I did, this would not have happened. Furthermore, a class of this sort should be mandatory for an A license. Canopy flight is such a huge part of this sport and it is woefully unaddressed on the yellow card.
Second, I am a weekday jumper and he is a weekend jumper. I believe that the knowledge, advice and oversight I have received due to the fact that people like Eli, Jim, Craig O?Brien, all the staff at Square 1 etc?are on relaxed mode and have time to watch me and offer free advice. I have gotten tons of it and to have someone like JC come up to me and compliment me on a dull front riser landing makes me know I?m being safe.
Third, he hangs out with a group that had considerably more experience than he did and I feel he really wanted to ?catch up?. I just hang out with ?whoever? and end up jumping with anyone from beginners to world champs from jump to jump.
Please Please Please?..If you know someone attempting things that they have not been trained to do, STOP THEM?? KICK THEIR ASS?whatever?.You do not want to feel like all of his friends and I do right now. I told him a month ago that some people had said he was being too aggressive and he got mad at me and them for saying it. If ANYONE ever says anything like that to you, step back and reevaluate.

[freeflir29 0]

Nice post.......I just printed it.
"It's all about the BOOBIES!"