I learned to pack today!!!

[jrmrangers 0]

I just started my aff at the Ranch in NY and wasnt able to get any jumps in today due to weather. One of the instructors was there checking the student rigs and I got him to show me how to pack. He showed me once, helped me once and then set me loose on my own! i srewed it up once but then i nailed it!!!!! so im two jumps into my AFF and already i have my packing signed off!! Cant wait to learn more good stuff.

Wait , I pull what first?

[fasted3 0]

Good on ya.
I have spent enough on pack jobs to pay for 100 jumps.
Don't do that.
I have to admit that my lazy side has no regrets, and I did have the money at the time.
But, looking back, I'd rather have the 100 jumps.
Just my 240,000 cents.

But what do I know?

[jrmrangers 0]

I sat there and packed that rig over and over, so by the time my arms were tired of packing i was even getting pretty quick at it! Im thinking if i can keep up the good work when i get licensed i could do some packing to off set some costs. Look me up if you come to the ranch and ill give you a discount!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[format 1]

I've had 3 reserve rides before I figured how to prevent it - learn packing.

It works (so far)

What goes around, comes later.

[bqmassey 0]

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I sat there and packed that rig over and over, so by the time my arms were tired of packing i was even getting pretty quick at it! Im thinking if i can keep up the good work when i get licensed i could do some packing to off set some costs. Look me up if you come to the ranch and ill give you a discount!!

Try to be good at it!

I had a real slammer of an opening once. That was in 2009. I'm still seeing a chiropractor for it.

[sundevil777 102]

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when i get licensed i could do some packing to off set some costs

You don't need a license to be a packer.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[-ftp- 0]

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Look me up if you come to the ranch and ill give you a discount!!

Better check with the packers already there before you start undercutting them, good way to make enemies.

Congrats on learning though! What canopy are you packing?

[jumpsalot-2 3]

Let us know when you have JUMPED that pack job......I've seen one or two people learn to pack and never jump the pack job. Trust yourself.....it'll open.

Life is short ... jump often.

[piisfish 140]

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I've had 3 reserve rides before I figured how to prevent it - learn packing.

3 rides on 164 jumps ?? yeah, you did a good thing learning to pack. Also you could have a job by replacing your previous packer

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[jrmrangers 0]

The canopy was a pretty new navigator 220. Oh and jumpsalot I know better then to screw with peoples livings! Believe me as soon as I can I plan on jumping my pack job, everyone who watched me pack half the day said they looked good and would jump it.

Wait , I pull what first?

[jmar595 0]

NICE!!! Good job on the packing. Good luck also on your AFF. I did about the same thing, went to start AFF and had bad weather, stayed there and got a pcking classs, got signed off before ever starting AFF. I did 3 jumps 2 years ago, so I was starting from scratch coming back into it, they started me on LV2 and I went through AFF in 2 weekends. Keep up the packing and keep watching the differences in camopies and styles. Did you learn flat packing or pro packing? I learned the flat pack and want to see the pro pack, although I think I will stick with flat for a while because you can see it all neatly packed and know there are no twists and it is all tidy. Its gonna be a good time! Blue skies and low winds!

[NovaTTT 2]

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You don't need a license to be a packer.

Yes you do.

Or be under the supervision of someone with a license.

Unless you're the person making the next jump with that main.

Ref: FAR 105.43.a

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[sundevil777 102]

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You don't need a license to be a packer.

Yes you do.

Or be under the supervision of someone with a license.

Unless you're the person making the next jump with that main.

Ref: FAR 105.43.a

The reality is that the 'supervision' is applied quite loosely in most places.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[NovaTTT 2]

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The reality is that the 'supervision' is applied quite loosely in most places.

No argument there, but somebody who is beginning AFF needs to know the facts behind the system. The rules may be bent or broken in many places, but I think there are very few places that don't have a rigger on site.

Sometimes supervision comes from above.

ETA: But try to impress the FAA on that count in the unfortunate occurance of an incident. YMMV

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[davelepka 4]

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when i get licensed i could do some packing to off set some costs. Look me up if you come to the ranch and ill give you a discount!!

Just to clarify what others have said, you need to be a rigger or under the supervision of a rigger in order to pack a main for someone else. This is loosely enforced at most DZs, and they tend to consider having a rigger on the DZ to be sufficient 'supervision'. I have also heard of DZs who consider having a rigger available by phone to be adequate supervision. In either case, I have never heard of any getting busted by the FAA for packing while not being a rigger or supervised by a rigger.

Also, there are no discounts for anyone until you are in charge of packing at the DZ. I'm sure you've seen the number of rigs that filter through the packing room, and if you multiply that by $5 or $6 each ($10 or $12 for tandems) you can see that it's not a small amount of money. Due to that, packing is serisous business, and a sole source of income for some people. Get on board with the packing staff, and see about getting checked out to legitamately work there. If you don't have cash to jump, that's the place to make it.

Speaking of packing, there's a packer who took a packing consession and turned it into a DZ. Packing Kathy ran a travelling packing consession that followed the boogie circuit during the season, and would set up camp at a busy DZ in the off season. She did this for years, and is now DZO down in GA somewhere running (I think) a King Air.

[bqmassey 0]

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Speaking of packing, there's a packer who took a packing consession and turned it into a DZ. Packing Kathy ran a travelling packing consession that followed the boogie circuit during the season, and would set up camp at a busy DZ in the off season. She did this for years, and is now DZO down in GA somewhere running (I think) a King Air.

Yep, "The Jumping Place" in St. Mary's, GA. Currently flying a modified C182 with (I believe) another one on the way. Fun little drop zone! Packin' Cathy is awesome. DZO/Rigger/Instructor/Pilot/Camera... she does it all!

http://thejumpingplace.com/