rmarshall234

This is so true! And, such an important point..... At least the USPA is not some huge mindless, bureaucratic entity, with a heavy hand of enforcement. Populated by arrogant, mostly under-informed inspectors, with ironclad job security. Where it literally takes an act of congress, to change something (Basic Medical). (Ok, ok....that is a gross generalization and possibly unfair, but that does seem to be the general consensus and often how it feels.) Having spent a lot of time involved with both the USPA and the FAA, I am amazed at how fortunate skydivers are to still be "Self Regulated". Say what you want about the USPA and the cost of membership, but trust me/us on this, the alternative is way, way worse.

$100 to wash and reassemble and I hardly ever have to do one...

Great info, Thanks!

Agreed. And, I believe the concern with straightening the pin too many times is that it becomes "work hardened". In which case it becomes more brittle and therefore more likely to break. Not sure we could straighten it enough times for this to really become a problem though. ?? Having said that, if I become concerned enough about the integrity of a pin, it gets replaced.

>I think I'm just going to end up sending it in and having them do the work. Good call. The fact that you were concerned enough to bring it up is a good indication that something is wrong. Putting the safety concerns aside, and they could be substantial, having a properly fitted rig will increase your comfort level and enjoyment - which should pay big dividends while you continue to use that rig.

Here you go: You might also want to share this story.... While working at Brown Field in San Diego if we couldn't find a lost cut-a-way within several days, it was written off due to the UV exposure by that time.

This is a great post and thread. There is a ton of cumulative knowledge and experience represented here, all well-articulated, presented as a positive rather than a negative, and, everybody on-message. Excellent. The Very Best of DZ.com

I'm sure I'm not the only one tuning in and enjoying these Chats but I'll say it again.... Nice work, Brian. And thanks for taking the time. Especially enjoyed the Human Expansion piece and will look forward to the next one with Norman Kent. Also, Happy Birthday, dude.

>I'm considering converting a Vector V2 tandem rig to use for larger students. Years ago at Elsinore we had a guy named Aubrey who jumped a tandem rig. He was big and heavy but relatively fit and purchased it as his personal rig. Seemed to work out great for him. Made lots of jumps, in fact the last time I saw him was in some publication (probably Parachutist) jumping his rig with some smaller jumper on his back. He was a good guy and seem to ignore all the negative comments and cautionary tales and just did what was right for him. It seemed to work out fine. I'm sure you can find some old posts here about/from him. Good luck.

>Just curious why so many are focused on weight? Hmm.. Increased gross weight = reduced useful load and payload, which = increased operating costs, which . . . I guess it's as much a mindset as a practical matter.

Does anyone remember this jumper from the Marana AZ area in the late 60s? A rigging customer of mine is reflecting on his jump career from that time, and remembers Paul Tag as a larger-than-life character. He's interested in finding out more about him.

Yes they are. And with a certificated airplane like a Cessna 182, even more so. To the OP, I would suggest starting with Advisory Circular AC 43. 13 -1B, Acceptable Methods Techniques and Practices. You can probably find what you need there pretty easily, without going thru part 23 - which would be much more of an investment. But helpful, if you need to sleep. Good luck.

I think it would be way too heavy. Also, poor choice if there's an onboard fire. Whatever you use it must be approved for it's fire resistance capabilities. You should check the regs..

Once again,, nice work Brian. I'm really enjoying this series and appreciate your efforts and your skills.

Good Stuff Brain! Thanks for posting. Very enjoyable..

>I think arbitrary age restrictions are stupid. I couldn't agree more. John Glenn was 77 years old when he went back into space as an astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle. Everyone should be evaluated separately but they should at least be given a chance to prove themselves. Nothing wrong with charging them for that opportunity either. Good communication is the key.

One of the reasons to count - and even verbalize the count - is it gives our mind something to do so we don't dwell on the negative. It should actually make you _less_ scared. As D 84 says....practice on the ground ( to build muscle memory ) and forge ahead..

Not making any recommendations but right here in our own Classifieds section under Complete Systems is this ad: Used Gear for Sale. Complete Systems Sabre 2 210's-260's $3500. Looks like Skydive Chicago is selling off a bunch of used Student Rigs. Says he has almost 20 of them. Might be worth checking into and getting feedback from others here who are more up-to-date with current sports rigs. One stop shopping from a reputable source..

Cool. Thanks for the clarification.

>Hopefully we will get comments from some instructors I'm an old dog that came up through the static line progression with practically zero tunnel time. When I was finishing up my AFFI career at Perris several years ago they introduced a tunnel session for all FJC students. Although I sucked as a tunnel instructor and it was embarrassing being there amongst all the young talented tunnel rats, it seemed pretty clear to me that the students benefitted from even that, limited exposure. They all seemed to enjoy it and it gave them some sense of what to expect on their first jump. I think it also made them more relaxed on the jump. Here would be my concern however: Skydiving is expensive. And tunnel time is very expensive when you consider that only one aspect of the entire learning process is being addressed. Freefall stability and movement. I am all for employing new methods, techniques and technology to improve the learning process. And if anyone can make the Tunnel to Sky program work it's going to be you two guys. But any new program that is likely to push the financial viability of learning to skydive even further out and away from the average person...I'm not sure I can get behind. I think it's important to make skydiving as affordable as possible. I know I did my part by working for only $35/jump. I'm probably wrong but that's my 2 cents.

+1 How awesome it would be to receive that kind of training. And, to have the perspective of having seen the earth from afar.

>Tax deductible, ya know. Ha! Yes, I've heard that.

Why not? From everything I've seen it looks like you'd make a really good one. And, since it sounds like you are semi-retired now you'd have lots of time to prepare.

How about this one from CMDR Chris Hadfield, the Canadian guitar-playing astronaut: "There is no problem so big that you can't make it worse". Or, one from the skydiving community we all should recognize: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast". I would say aircraft emergencies are often more complex in nature and not always as clearly defined. And, additional time to deal with it is not necessarily a good thing. (Back to the Chris Hadfield quote.) A skydiving malfunction on the other hand is usually pretty clear and there is typically just one response: "Look red, grab red......" The one thing I would add to the other good suggestions in this thread would be to Check Altitude. For me it was always built into my emergency procedures (since I wore a wrist mount altimeter on my left hand and used the two-handed method) and required no additional time. "Look red" always provided an altitude reference at the same time. If I was low (and didn't know it already) it was time to expedite the procedures but no need to change them.

I'm not sure the younger crowd will appreciate this but there is an aviation quote that goes something like this: "In an emergency stop and wind your watch". The movie "Sully" is a textbook example of the importance of staying calm and executing emergency procedures methodically. Speed, is often the least important thing. Great thread John.