drenaline 0 #1 January 3, 2003 Tommorrow will be my first night jump, I pretty much bought the stuff I will need (beer, cyalum lights, flashlight, more beer). I was wondering how will I glue the cyalum to my suit for the jump, any advice? I don't want to damage the suit so I have no idea on what to do. HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 January 4, 2003 Gaffer's Tape.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cobaltdan 0 #3 January 4, 2003 even better than cylume is : photonlight.com put a bunch on with safety pins. looks awesome from the ground and air they are great for getting around the dz at night too. dan<><>Daniel Preston <><> atairaerodynamics.com (sport) atairaerospace.com (military) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #4 January 4, 2003 tape it in the leg, helmet or arms? am having some taped on my chest but dunno where to tape the ones on my back. HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #5 January 4, 2003 I taped a couple to my risers so that people behind could see them and also so that I'd -maybe- have a chance at finding my canopy if it had to be cutaway. I also taped some to my helmet and a couple to each arm. You'll also want to have a strobe light you can turn on taped to the top of your helmet after opening. It's the strobe light that keeps things legal (usually). The chem lights are pretty much just for fun and during freefall RW as they're simply NOT bright enough to meet the 3 mile visibility requirement for under canopy.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #6 January 4, 2003 I thought strobe lights were not recommended. Edit to add: you tape it in your arms? and risers? I thought tape was a no no in gear cause of the sticky thing that can damage equipment. How or when do you turn on the cyalum when you put them on the risers? on a side note, am taping a small light to my arm, dunno if am going to wear my jumpsuit or a long sleeve shirt, don't want to damage the suit. HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #7 January 4, 2003 Quote I thought strobe lights were not recommended. Strobe lights are NOT recommended while in the cabin or in freefall. I would definatly recommend them under canopy. Gaffer's Tape (not Duct Tape) will not leave a residue for a short term application. That's why it exists. I tape the ones to my risers while packing and simply snap them on while gearing up.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #8 January 4, 2003 Thanks for all the help! one last thing (I do ask alot huh HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #9 January 4, 2003 White or at least something brighter than black is a good idea and recommended.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mindygirl 0 #10 January 4, 2003 What I do is take my pull up cord and put it through the end of the cyalum light and then tie it to the hole in your zipper on your jumpsuit...another good one is to rubberband it to your chest strap....but I'd stay away from the glue. Wow! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #11 January 4, 2003 I always tie a light stick to the base of my PC. It can be seen from many different directions, and makes it possible to find my main in the vent of a cutaway. Hook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #12 January 4, 2003 can you post a pic? I was looking at the risers and the PC and have no idea on were or how to tie it. HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #13 January 4, 2003 Here's a pic. Hook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #14 January 4, 2003 Thanks for the pic, nice. mmm... how do you pack that? sorry for been soo ignorant, but I am feeling like I was on my FJC. HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #15 January 4, 2003 Quotehow do you pack that? Same way I always do. I "S" fold the bridle up and place it on top of the mesh. Fold the PC in half, so only fabric is showing, then fold it in half again, so it looks like a piece of pie. The roll it up along the fold and stuff it in the BOC. This keeps the fabric from bunching up at the mouth of the BOC. TG was having hard pulls on her PC and she asked me to- re-pack her PC. I packed it this way and she kept having me re-pack her PC the rest of the day....No more hard pulls. Find the DZ on the way to altitude. You can read a newspaper by a full moon. The mono-chrome color the moon provides will mess with your depth perception. Don't make a low turn to avoid your own shadow, mistaking it for another canopy (it has happened). Make sure to let your eyes adjust, it takes about 30 minutes to fully adjust. Any exposure to white light during the 30 minutes and you have to start all over. I have seen people wear sunglasses for 30 minutes prior to a night jump. You'll be nervous, so be ready for it. Night jumps are a blast. My last (legal) night jump was a 4 point 12 way. Hook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #16 January 5, 2003 You must display a light visible for three miles in any direction. FAR par 105 "...... a) No person may conduct a parachute operation, and no pilot in command of an aircraft may allow a person to conduct a parachute operation from an aircraft between sunset and sunrise, unless the person or object descending from the aircraft displays a light that is visible for at least 3 statute miles. (b) The light required by paragraph (a) of this section must be displayed from the time that the person or object is under a properly functioning open parachute until that person or object reaches the surface. A white strobe meets that requirement, most other lights don't. What I do with the strobe is securly tie about 6 feet of line to it, secure the other end to a leg strap, and stow in a pocket or inside the jumpsuit. After opening I turn on the strobe and dangle is below me. This makes is visible from any direction, and gets it out of my line of sight so as not to ruin my vision for landing. For freefall I wear a Portec helmet. Loop 2 or 3 rubber bands together to form a longer band, thread it through the front two holes on the helmet from the inside, and insert the ends of the cylume into the loops of the rubber bands coming out of the holes. Povides enough light wear your looking but is out of your direct eyesight. Again this protects your vision for landing. I made several small red LED lights using componets from Radio shack that either attache to the brackets of a chest mount altimeter or attach to the side of a wrist mount with super velcro stuff. Mini cylumes, usually found at a bait shop for lures, taped to an altimeter face work also. Clear packing tape secures it with out obscuring the altimeter. Thats about all you need. On a bright night you can read your alitmeter by moonlight. Some people tape a cylume to a riser so they have a better chance of finding a cutaway main, but I've never bothered. Unless your doing big RW (more than 2 or 4) I wouldn't worry about your jumpsuit color. Your first night jump should be solo. If you want to try RW keep it to two or three for the first time. Be prepared to PLF on landing. Depth perception is tough and until you have some experience with night landings its a little tough sometimes to figure out how high you are. At our Cessna DZ I often go up to spot for the newbies. Were on a private field, no runway lights, in the middle of the country with lots of individual farm lights around. It tough to pick out unless someone shows you. One of the hardest things, even with the strobes is to see the other canopies in the air. Try to keep the load small and fiind all the other canopies. Its not a bad idea to stagger openings, with the fast movers lower so they don't descend by the others. Set up a landing patterna and stick to it. Have fun. One of the prettiest jumps I've ever done was a night jump. I opened about 5000' to enjoy the view. It was fall and there was a bright moon. All of the low lying areas had fog. Looked like something out of a fantasy. Expected a dragon to fly by me anytime. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drenaline 0 #17 January 5, 2003 Like any good thing there has to be something wrong, we couldn't make the night jump cause the office closed the notam at 6:00p.m. "$%!#" politicians... Only good thing we did was a sunset jump, beautiful jump, but wasn't a night... I thank you all for answering and helping me on this thread. Gonna bookmark it for the future, I will make that night jump! HISPA 21 www.panamafreefall.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
