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Posts posted by julius

  1. E X A C T L Y !


    Well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAw-fWkATLw reserve line twists - especially on highly loaded reserves - are not always so easy to deal with. A quick youtube search showed lots of videos of sketchy stuff. I remember seeing one on a spinning Optimum with lots of line twists that the guy barely got out of before the ground.

    Beyond that, I would bet that 2/3 of rigs being actively jumped in the field were made before their respective manufacturers even offered a MARD. Not everyone can afford brand new gear and good gear can easily last for 20 years or more.

    I jump Racers which open pretty much as fast as MARDS - they open quick. I have had 20+ malfunctions over the years - the lowest I was ever open under a reserve was 1500 feet and that was 20 years ago when standard pull altitude was 2000 feet. My last few I was under reserve by 2500-3000 feet. But I have also never been one to fight malfunctions. If I have spinning line twists I chop - I don't waste time trying to fix it - when in doubt whip it out. I think too many people waste too much time screwing around trying to fix an unfixable problem.

    Get a rig with handles that are easy to grab and that don't rotate behind your back or fold under so that you have problems finding them. Practice your emergency procedures all the time.. Don't hesitate.

    If you are cutting away low enough that you need a MARD to save your life you have seriously screwed up. Reserves are designed to open in 300 feet. If you are cutting away at 3-500 feet WTF?

    I do think that RSL's and MARDs are good things for people. Do most people think that they need to get rid of their perfectly functional rigs to spend $3000 on a new one just to get a MARD? I would bet that most people who are buying a new rig from a manufacturer that offers a MARD - probably get it. And I do think they are a good thing as long as people don't think "I have a MARD - I can fight this a little longer." MARD's can come disconnected. They don't always function perfectly. Riggers sometimes screw them up. The more complicated the system the more likely someone is to screw it up.

    I suspect in 20 years as the current crop of gear gets retired and replaced with gear that was produced after the age of MARDs - that most gear will have them.

  2. kallend


    It takes two forces: 1) Experienced jumpers willing to dedicate time to smaller groups, briefs, and debriefs to develop the skills of the new jumpers and 2) new jumpers willing to be taught.

    There are few experienced jumpers with the necessary skills to teach that don't want to be paid for their efforts. The ones with enough experience are doing their own thing or working doing Tandems and AFF's. The gap between 25 jumps and 200 jumps has always been tough for the sport.

    There are a lot of experienced jumpers (say >1000 jumps, competition experience...) who would be happy to coach newbies. Many even have bona-fide teaching credentials. However, because they haven't paid to take USPA's coach course they aren't allowed to do this.

    However, someone with 200 jumps who can barely dock on a 16-way but spent a weekend learning how to "teach" is considered well qualified.

    Yup, I agree (uspa coach rating = well qualified)!

  3. You definitely have a good point here.

    I have deduced that many people will not stall their canopy and by not doing so, they have no idea whether they can actually perform a landing flare.

    Also, i have found that people will just jump the canopy and "assume" the steering lines are set properly at the factory.

    Key point here is piloting, if the stall point is unknown, the flare point is also unknown. Unfortunately, this gives some canopies a bad reputation.

    I have 5 or 6 jumps on a Safire3 119, it has a strong easy flare :)

  4. glide angle is steeper than a spinetto, and flatter than a sabre2.

    recovery arc... it doesnt "pop up" like a stiletto when the front riser(s) is let up.

    I dont know much about canopy swooping but I enjoy front riser 90's and the occasional 180.

  5. I've participated in several tracking contests at Lodi, and won a couple.

    The jumprun was south to north, 1/2 mile east of hwy99. judges were positioned 1/2 mile west of hwy99. trackers exited about a second apart and tracked west. one load, one pass. open and intermediate trackers were on different loads.

    judging was per honor system and visual by judges. never were there any issues as the difference in tracking styles creates ample separation. the winners were obvious.

  6. check your stow bands! are they the same type and size on both sides of the deployment bag? are you double-stowing some or all of the lines? Are the stows even?

    when I get line twist on opening, that's the first place I look. I do not double-stow any lines. I do prefer tube stows as they always have even tension and seldom break.

    Review your emergency procedures! Know where your hard deck is and stick to it. From deployment to land-able canopy, 2000' is far too long!

    You had a low speed malfunction that you cleared, had it been a smaller, higher performance canopy, you may have died!

    My personal hard deck is a factor of time - from the time I release my pilotchute, the canopy has 3 seconds to open; spinning with line twist - cutaway, bag lock - gone in 2 seconds.

    Time is NOT your friend when you have a mal!

  7. "4 of the US fatalites were low cutaways"... see the problem? It is poor decision making, a sad truth.

    In this sport, one must be completely confident that they can pull ALL of the handles in a timely manner, if not, they should reevaluate their participation in skydiving.

    Airtwardo, you are spot on! I too have attained stability after cutaway to give my reserve its optimum opportunity to open cleanly. It IS the last chance -

  8. I just cutaway a spinner last weekend. I knew my altitude at the time of cutaway (1500') therefore taking the time to ensure my reserve all chances to open without line twist. I would much rather open lower than to fight reserve line twist.

  9. I have 1500+ jumps on a Sabre2 135 loaded at 1.4 and the openings are quick but comfortable. I do not tolerate snivels!

    I pro-pack and do not roll the nose as it is only covered by the tail. I use tubestows for consistent tension of the line stows.

    Pulling at 2500' and having a 1000' snivel is a problem! Call PD.

  10. :)
    I DO have on heading openings with the slider coming ALL the way down and NO snivels. I WILL chop a snivel of 3 seconds!

    I propack the canopy and do not roll the nose or tuck it in. I do leave the nose exposed, its only covered by the tail.

    I use tube-stows as they provide consistent even tension on the lines during deployment. Rubber bands, as they age, become loose, which when double-stowed, will cause the bag to spin creating line twist.

  11. During the Pachanga Boogie in Puerto Vallarta, I made 3 jumps on the 132 loaded at 1.5.

    * Openings are as I like, brisk ( I HATE snivels).

    * The canopy is very responsive, predictable, smooth, and has a great flare.

    * on one landing there were people walking on the beach IN the landing area. During the flare, the canopy had enough lift to allow me to maneuver through and around them! :)
    * I would like to have jumped the 122, but the 132 is a Fantastic canopy!