caldwellbuilder

Tell the guy to always test his brakes before putting the toggle ends under the hoods. If he does the toggles will instantly release if the cat's eye is on the wrong side of the ring.

I jumped with Bruce, Jerry, and Danny Dea on some of the early CRW jumps in Texas. Bruce had skillls! Are there any memorial or funeral services set?

Conrad died on November 22, 2013. His interment will be on Saturday November 30 at 2 pm at the Halesboro Cemetery in Red River County, Texas. There will be a reception following the interment at the Deport American Legion Hall. The family requests that donations be made to the Halesboro Cemetery C/O Jerry Hutson 2858 FM 196 Bogata, Texas 75417. Conrad was a regular jumper at Skydive Dallas.

I suggest that the student maintain altitude awareness, do toe taps if they encounter spins and to use counter , (arm) steering to stop spin .

I have seen jumpers who first become camera flyers on tandem jumps have an easier time on air evaluations because those jumpers have developed great chase skills.

I had problems with the bungees on the ALS bag. I now use a special tool and have no pain. You can find it at www.stowlikeapro.com

If the first two are sometimes a bitch, get a stowlikeapro tool and get relief! Later, Will Caldwell D-5598Quote

I use prescription sun glasses called "RECSPECS" These have a goggle like elasic band to hold them on your head. Very comfortable, well made, and they look good too.

I teach my students to breathe in quick but out very slowly--about one-third normal speed. Keeping one's mouth like a whistle also helps with the slower exhale. Practice doing this during your dirt dives. Hope this helpsl Later, Will

Go to skydivedallas.com and click on tandems then click on videos. You will see a variety of exits out of Twin Otters and a Cessna Caravan. Later, Will

I want to thank everyone for their input on tandem recovery procedures. This weekend, I worked on fine tuning harness hookups and had another instructor make recommendations and the result was a closer fit on the shoulder connections. One of the e-mails I received from an instructor who has done cross-training pointed out that I had lazy legs. When I reviewed other videos of my jumps, I saw that my leg position was behind my passenger and that results in reduced response from my inputs. So, now I am shadowing my passenger's legs with mine and added leg flying to every tandem jump to build leg awareness. Hundreds of jumps with few problems causes complacency. I am an older jumper. but old dogs can learn new tricks.

Last Sunday, I had a tandem jump that started badly but ended well. On exit, her legs were extended but down, and when her legs went back up they were offset between mine. Her left leg was on the left side of mine and her right leg was between my legs. My right leg, being extended, immediately caused a severe left had spin. I tried to correct with my hands and upper body. Failing to stop the left turn, I felt just her right leg between mine and then tried to push her body into position with my left hand. That failed because her legs retracted preventing her body from sliding over. The speed of the spin was such that I could not come up with a good procedure to correct it. I would have pulled the drogue release early if the videographer had not stopped the spin. Once the spin stopped it was easy to reposition and the remainder of the dive was uneventful. I have 750 tandems and would appreciate help in establishing a procedure for recovery. My tandem course did not cover this kind of problem. The speed with which this went bad was phenomenal, and the g-forces can cause simple movements to become near impossible. You can watch the video by going to www.skydivedallas.com , click on tandems, click on videos in the sidebar. scroll to Sunday July 22 and click on Debra Cannon. Later, Will Caldwell D-5598

My I5 icon has a 168 pilot main and a smart 160 reserve

My I5 Icon is 13 inches wide, 21 inches long , and 7 inches thick.

Look in the back of a Para-Gear catalog. There should be a chart with current canopy volume measurements. Also ask your local riggers as they can relate real world experience about compatability issues. Blue Skies Will