fencebuster

I looked into moving an operation to Martinsburg WV a couple of years ago. I met with the airport people and they were enthused. I had a meeting set up with the military and civilian FAA tower personnel, but the issue became moot because the rentable space for my operation was priced way out of the reason of profitability. I know that they flew in Class D at the operation in Myrtle Beach SC, but that place was closed because of locals claiming dangerous conduct (with which the FAA disagreed), which I believe is still in litigation.

I ran a DZ with Navigators for my students. They were docile for the students on .8 wing loading. I am a big guy and I jump a Sabre2 260 at 1.1. I have also jumped PD Silhouettes 210 and 230 and they were a nice ride as well. I changed my Sabre2 lines to Dacron to be easy on openings. As long as you fly around 1.0 WL any of the above as well as a Pilot will all allow you some fun and not be too much to handle. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

i hate the one hand on each handle procedure. i know two people who have pulled the handles out of order and neither are skydivers any longer. one by choice after a two out downplane landing that resolved just before it was too late, the other due to serious injury arising from the out of sequence deployments. Under pressure, the opportunity to fuck up is too high, IMO. i have 5 cut-aways, all just like i was taught in CAT A. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I have paid for a bunch of overhauls. Each time, I bought new engine mounts. It makes sense -- the mounts take a lot of wear. Failure of an engine mount on a newly reman engine would be a major bummer. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

You are looking at it the wrong way. Your goal should not be to get off AFF. It should be to get your A license. And it should be your DZ's goal to get you your A license. What will they charge you for the full course to A license? That is the question you should be asking. We have done 0-A license for $3200, assuming no rejumps/failures to achieve standards on a particular category. All you can do with "off AFF" is jump solo or with a Coach/Instructor. You don't learn much jumping solo and unless you are in the structure of the USPA ISP, your progress with random Coaches or Instructors may be equally unhelpful to achieving all of the things you need to demonstrate to get your license. We recently had an "off AFF" student visiting at my DZ with about 25 jumps. Since finishing his AFF at 8-9 jumps, he had been working on back-flying. Sometimes with a Coach. That was a disservice to the student, who should be learning belly group free-fall techniques, etc. and progressing with the things on the ISP progression card to make him a safe skydiver in the air with others with an A license. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

My understanding is that once the pilot chute is extracted by the student, the main side releases and goes away to assure clear air for the pilot chute. In the event of a problem, like student not altitude aware or no pull, main side signals student, moves student hand to handle and/or deploys main no lower than 4500 and then tracks away. Reserve side stays to provide stability and take any problem in the event that the student decides not to release the pilot chute, or pilot chute hesitation. Reserve side rides through until student extracted from his hand as main inflates in either case of student pull or main side pulls for the student. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

The wing spar does not allow you to run the bench all the way to the instrument panel. Much easier to sit on the floor and slide to the door. We have been running a Navajo for 3.5 years. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

PMs sent with photos. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Yikes. Tandem side spin recovery is track. Not ball up. WTF? Over. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Getting off your back is a CAT E student progression requirement. Go back and review CAT E; review your log book for your CAT E1 jump. This is a BASIC skydiving maneuver for anyone with an A license. If you have questions, seek out an AFF-I at your dropzone. Someone missed something if this is a question for you with an A license. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

We have S & TAs for a reason. One of their jobs is to prevent the ignorant from killing themselves on the owners DZ. 300 jumps, camera, ws, death stick: Nope, take it somewhere else, my friend. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Like you, I couldn't believe it when I determined that my canopy wasn't controllable or landable on AFF jump 3 (CAT C1). Hard opening, broken lines, damage to upper and lower skins of the canopy (i.e., big holes). I wasn't scared, but I was definitely apprehensive about what was going to happen when I pulled the cutaway handle. It turned out OK and after that I have never failed to trust the gear. The first cut-away is definitely a signal event in a skydiving career. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

You were the parachutist in command and what you did ended up in a successful skydive -- no injury. The problem with a step through can be that if you release the toggles and start steering that the steering line can get stuck between the two risers in something other than a neutral position, putting you into a circumstance with a built in turn. Not a big deal unless it happens near the ground and you can't predict if and when it would happen on any given step through. I landed a step through once at about the same number of jumps you have, but I did a thorough controllability check at altitude and the toggles worked fine with no binding. Had they bound just a little, I would have cut away. Good job. No one should second guess a decision made by a parachutist in command in response to a malfunction or unusual canopy situation that ends successfully. Just learn from the experience. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures and Training Center in VA right off I-81. Where are you located? Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

A couple of times. Once when the clouds required exit at 2500 feet after I had resolved not to get out below 3000 feet before I boarded the plane. I didn't have many jumps at the time. The next time was at a boogie and there were a lot of clouds below and I couldn't see anything on the ground I recognized between the clouds, so I decided to move aside and let the rest exit. The pilot was cool and dumped me out below the clouds where I had a good view of the DZ before I exited. Again, low jump numbers and my first away game boogie. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures