sammielu

Two different videos in this thread. Sheesh. No wonder no one can agree on what's going on. If you don't think it's good, use your other parachute. The end.

^^ Oh come on. The manufacturers are protecting themselves against litigation. It's hard to sue someone who died on a jump, the manufacturer "responsible" for letting that person have the gear has much deeper financial pockets for lawyers. Based on dollars, we're lucky they still want to sell skydiving gear to non-military customers at all (plus we all want custom sized and colored everything and ASAP). Yes there are hoops to jump through; so jump through them, don't jump through them, or work to change them. IMO we're lucky it's even legal to do something so incrediby fun, add tandems to the mix and we can share our joy PLUS it can be a well paying full time job... I will jump through all the hoops, just let me keep jumping from planes.

My dz has Cessna 182's and a Cessna 208 grand caravan with some fancy efine upgrade. Pilots wear softie, back rigs with round canopies. None of them have had bail out experience. 4 of the 11 pilots I've worked with over the past 4 years did not have parachuting experience, the rest were licensed skydivers at some time or another.

That's pretty much what's happening in the video, slider can't make it the last couple inches so he chopped. (That's what I'm seeing anyway, 1"×2" YouTube on my phone, paused it for a few frames and can clearly see one line separate.) A 180 or 360 twist in the line group just lookes like a twisted riser, not exactly what's going on here.

Slider incorrectly installed. Right front riser line group has at least one line not going through the slider ring, slider can't come down to get out of the way and canopy cant completely open on that side.

From what I understand talking to my riggers: My M2 is within the time period where it may have an affected cutter. At my next repack my rigger will check the cutter serial number and see if it needs replacement - so I'll schedule additional time to be without my rig in case I need to wait for a cutter to be shipped (planning ahead every 180ish days is always a good idea!!) In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on my AAD for an error message, just like I always do before each jump. If there is an error message: no jumping that rig (just like with any error message on any AAD). Because I'm over-cautious and planning to attend a couple upcoming boogies, I'm electing to have my rigger open my reserve tray and check the cutter serial number (so I can deal with replacing it before I travel). It's looking like $10 to pay a rigger to look: Worth it for my peace of mind!! I appreciate that MARS issued this precautionary bulletein, I've seen enough unhappy jumpers grounded due to AAD error messages or problems - if I can avoid being one of them it's worth it to me!!

Sheri! It's me, Sam, your TI from your 3rd jump. I'll sign your logbook anytime!! (Fb message me.)

I get that the OP here didn't know that USPA ratings were required (by the manufacturers), since he's been out of the commercial end of the sport for a while. Did other people not know that? The FARs, USPA BSRs, and Tandem Manufacturer requirements are all easy to find online if people are curious. Don't just take the forum postings for truth, if it affects your livelihood, look it up and learn it do you don't get bitten in the but. To the OP: a private, unpaid tandem doesent negate the opportunity to sue the TI, equipment owner, manufacturer, (probably all the way up to the FAA) etc... hence the regulations for who can own a tandem system, who can jump one, maintenance, and waivers required (by the manufacturer to protect the manufacturer, is part of the contract required to own tandem equipment - new or used).

One requirement to get your A license is 25 jumps.Those 3 count. Get a logbook and go get instructor signatures for those 3 tandems and you only have 22 jumps to go (minimum, you still have to pass all the skill requirements). Note: for jumps to count towards your USPA A license they must be logged and signed by an instructor, not necessarily the one you jumped with. If the dz you jumped at is lical, call them and ask when you can come get signatures (and be respectful of a busy dz and busy instructors who might need you to wait while they earn some money before they can sign you off). If your dz is not local the question goes to the instructors you will be working with. Example: if you were my student and had jumped somewhere other than my dz, I would call the other dz and confirm that you did the jumps, that would work for me personally. Something along those lines can work for you too. Now go get a logbook and stop trying to learn from a bunch of Internet yahoos, please only listen to your instructors from here on out! Oh, and welcome to the sky my friend, this place is awesome!

160. More fabric over your head in an emergency = always better. Unless you have a reason to want to go faster in an emergency, go big.

Take a look at the United parachute technologies website. They have pricing (about $13k for a complete tandem setup), waivers for passengers, contracts for equipment owners, and passenger and instructor requirements spelled out. USPA ratings are required (as are waivers for every tandem jump).

It seems there are regional/dz trends for one type of suit over another. There is a huge advantage to work with an experienced dealer who can measure you and discuss options to suit your body (fabrics and fit to help you go faster or slower). We have a fantastic Bev suit dealer at my DZ so that is what is here, I have 3 Bev suits for different purposes, all are absolutely tough as nails. I know Tony suits are good - I see a lot of those in AZ. Merlin is FL based (I think), but the one of those I've seen looked tough. Ask around for the dealers in your area - also look at the suits that are around and ask how old they are. I saw an old Bev suit where the only wear point was stretched spandex, and it was heavily used for 15 years (sounded good to me so I went Bev and am very happy!!)

I do whatever the manufacturer says to do.

Sounds like you've got a healthy combination of excitement and desire to be safe - perfect. Yes, find a local rigger who can measure you for a rig and help choose which brand. The big names are all good, but some riggers have preferences for ease of packing or their experiences with customer service, etc. Keep your rigger happy and everyone is happy! It takes time to have a rig built. That wait time is a good time to demo different main canopies and build skills. It sounds like you're like me and don't want to just sit around while you wait for your gear, get out there and jump and learn, wash rinse repeat.

No. Higher wingloading = going faster than lower wingloadings. More weight per square ft plus shorter lines plus shorter brake lines always adds up to: faster turns, faster landings, faster mistakes, faster response needed to correct mistakes, and canopies respond to smaller inputs overall (sometimes called "twitchy"). All this applies when comparing the same model of canopy (Spectre to Spectre, Triathalon to Triathalon, Velocity to Velocity, etc). A 220 puts you at a nice, comfortable, safe wingloading of 1:1. Only go for a higher wingloading if you are comfortable doing everything at that 1:1 wingloading on a 220 - if you can tiptoe those landings today (one of your goals), land comfortably in any direction with any amount of traffic and in any condition, and have a full range of control of all inputs of that canopy - THEN think about a smaller canopy that has you going faster. There are lots of downsizing checklists available. Given that you're not physically recent on doing any of the maneuvers on the lists on any canopy and you stated that your priority is remaining uninjured so you can work to support your life (and skydive habit) - there is no reason to go any faster until you can do everything on the downsizing checklists at the only wingloading you have flown thus far. Downsizing checklist: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=792344;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; My recommendation: Get current. Rent gear, start on a 220, decide what canopy you like. Once your skills are back, work on the downsizing checklists and determine the minimum size canopy you are ok with being under in the worst case scenario = your reserve canopy size. (For me the worst case is unconscious or otherwise injured so much I can not give any input for landing. My personal wingloading on a reserve is always 1:1 or greater.) Then start shopping for a container and get that on order while you are demo-ing mains and figuring out that size and type. Containers fit similar size canopies for mains and reserves. If you're looking for a 220 to start want room to downsize to a 210 or 200 or 190 when you do want to go faster under canopy, that makes sense. You're not going to find a container that will fit a 220 reserve and a 7-cell 175 main - that is a conversation with a rigger or dealer. 7-cell mains pack smaller than 9cells - which is great for fitting a large main to start with, not so great for the 1.4 wL 175sf 7 cell you see yourself moving too in the future (that packs similar to a 150sf 9 cell canopy). I guess what I'm saying here is: really consider what is an appropriate wingloading for your main now, for your next jump, and for your reserve always (because that might be your next jump!).

My thoughts: -only people who think about camera safety are going yo take thus survey. -without defining "safety mechanism", I personally include the possibility that the stock mount will break upon impact as a safety mechanism -my second safety mechanism is that my helmet has a cit away that cost me $0 that retails for $25 -my primary safety mechanism is my brain. I think about when it's appropriate to jump a camera or not (is the exit an issue, am I on a new canopy and want to increase visibility and decrease my risk by nor wearing a camera), etc

Since you have time before your next jump: fill your head with the positive! Close your eyes and picture every part of the plane ride and the open door in as much detail as you can including every one of the senses. Then continue that picture into you climbing out, hanging, and doing a perfect exit. Skydiving is 95% mental. Look into mental training and think long and hatd about why you stopped yourself twice now, vs why you want to jump. Then hang on to the why you want to jump part so you can use it in the plane!!! Skydiving isn't for everyone, it might not be your thing even if you want it to be your thing. Doing a tandem is good, it can let you off the hook for all the responsibility of canopy flight for your first jump. Ask your tandem instructor to talk you through what they're doing so you can observe a controlability check, landing pattern, etc. It will look and feel different to fly student gear and a student landing pattern, but the principles are all there and the visuals are very similar.

What I'm not hearing here is why YOU want to downsize. Who cares what *they* say. How are your landings? Can you make your canopy do everything you want? (The canopy couse should help with specifics.) Why do you want everything to go faster under canopy? Without that input I say wingloading shmingload, who cares. Canopy type makes a big diffrence in speed as well - take the canopy course first, and discuss with that instructor. Learn from the most experienced instructor possible (I highly recommend Flight-1 courses if you can).

Yes, ^^^ that is speculation. There is a lot of logic there though too; logic that makes more sense than the USPA and/or FAA being vindictive towards this one dz that they have allowed to operate for years. It is entirely possible that a TI or TIE could do something that would invalidate their FAA medical that any DZ wouldn't know about unless they were directly informed. In that speculative scenario, it all falls on the TIE, but since the DZ and/or equipment owner (in Lodi's case the DZO is the equipment owner) is ultimately responsible to the FAA that ratings are intact for all tandem jumps, there's the reason to suspend ratings, whether the DZO knew about the infraction that invalidated the FAA medical or not. And if this TIE conducted any training or signed off on any paperwork, all that is rendered invalid with the FAA since the TIE doesn't have a current rating. IF that's the situation, it absolutely makes sense to have ratings suspended and to verify training or re-train TI's who were rated from that TIE.

Whatever is that bad on your jumpsuit, you don't want touching your rig. Fix the suit before you wear it again. From a laundry perspective: Hang it in fresh air in the sun as much as possible. The sun sanitizes. I used to live with a mechanic, it takes about a week in the sun to eliminate gasoline smells. I've had good luck with witch hazel on stinky car upholstery and other funky clothes smells (just add a spray bottle top and a few drops of good quality essential oils and spray a whole bunch). Vinegar soaks are good too - about a cup to a basin of water.

From the USPA pdf: USPA’s Basic Safety Requirements (2-1.F.4.c.1)state that any USPA member who conducts tandem jumps must have been certified by the appropriate parachute manufacturer as being properly trained on the use of the specific tandem parachute system to be used, and hold a current USPA Tandem Instructor rating. FAA requires the USPA D license, USPA requires the tandem instructor rating, both require the equipment manufacturer rating to conduct tandem jumps.

Just bought one and used it in a canopy course thus weekend (Flight-1 201). I'm excited to be able to practice a canopy maneuver up hugh and see how much altitude I'm losing and how long it takes my canopy to recover. Then, when I have a ton of consistent practices with my body on my gear and I'm ready to try a maneuver closer to the ground (when I'm consistently putting out the same results, smooth inputs, etc) I'll know how much time and altitude I need to do so - those factors become an exact number from flysight data, not a guess or an approximation of what's a safe altitude to start from, an exact number. For anyone working on accuracy, seeing your path over the ground and comparing it to the result you produced shows you where to make adjustments (either change your plan or if the plan is good, just fly your plan correctly). For anyone working on swooping, the graphs will show you your consistency between maneuvers, if you are smooth or are jerking things around, etc, all before you are at a lever where it makes sense to bring a maneuver close to the ground for a video debrief.

A tight jumpsuit will have less drag so you will go faster. ZP fabric in the front (looks shiny like a trash bag) will help too (options for when you order your own suit). A baggy jumpsuit on helps someone (your instructors) slow down because it adds drag. Cotton fabrics help too. I'm 190 ish out the door, to jump with 100 lb students I wear my gripper suit with huge grippers and add a big floppy cotton suit on top, the grippers help that big suit catch even more air and I can be lazy on my jump and stay right with my student.

A USPA A license enables you to jump at any dz in the USA and a whole ton of them outside the US. All of your student jumps must be made under the supervision of a USPA instructor to get that license. If you want to jump at any dz other that one that has you asking questions, you need a USPA license. Regarding the rest of your questions, ask the dz, either the owner/manager or talk to the rigger you spoke with before. It's certainly possible to mis-read someone you don't know.

Can I have a 3rd option: I would not renew if I could still jump & work at my home dz and take the boogie trips I take in winter.