GLIDEANGLE

1. There are a variety of DZs in Texas. Two offer the STP that DJ describes. Most of the others offer a program that resembles what you did in CA. 2. Bring your previous log book and or P-card to the new DZ. They will likely look at the logbook and do an assessment of your skills (4-years is a LONG gap for a student) and figure out what you need to do in order to progress. 3. Good Luck! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. Most of us were a bit nerved up when jumping our own pack job for the first few times. 2. Most new folks devote a lot of time, effort, and focus on getting the canopy folded and bagged. Without a doubt that is important. HOWEVER, proper closing is potentially more important. The kinds of mals that you get from poor folding and bagging are generally low-speed mals that give you a bit more time to manage. The kinds of mals that you can get from bad closing technique are generally high-speed and (in my opinion) scarier. Therefore, fold and bag carefully and then RE-FOCUS and close carefully. 3. My favorite discussion stimulus about packing main canopies: How To Bag a Zero-P Canopy In 60 Seconds - Video The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

See: Poynter, D. (1991) The Parachute Manual Vol I. Santa Barbara, Ca; Para Publishing. pg: 499. section 9.3.1.8.15 Of note: 1. The cited page has a chart showing % change in breaking strength of nylon over time in sunlight (both direct sun, and sun through glass). 2. There is a comment at the bottom of that section about revealing UV damage to nylon by inspecting it for white fluorescence under UV light. Your local parachute rigger is likely to have a copy of that book. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

As I understand it, the goal of the school that you describe is to prepare you to work as a camera flyer. As a camera flyer you can get paid to make the jumps necessary to qualify for other ratings. Of course, that assumes that you have the necessary skill to do that job adequately. Depending on how fast you learn, and how high the performance expectation is at the DZ you want to work at.... you MAY or MAY NOT be ready to work as a camera flyer immediately after finishing that school. If your goal is to be a tandem instructor, bear in mind that you MAY encounter a requirement for YEARS of experience in addition to a specific number of jumps (USA or Strong). In other words, there may be no need to "hurry" to get the jumps, since you have to put in the time anyways. Working as an engineer full time, and jumping in your free time is a smart way to move forward. Jumping can be a low-paying and very UNreliable way to make a living. A long string of bad weather can result in weeks and weeks without many jumps. If you are relying on jumping for food and shelter, you can easily end up hungry and cold. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Once upon a time I was working with an Aerodyne Icon. Since the manufacturer stated specific maximum and minimum pull force requirements for the main pin, I decided to use a fish scale to learn what that FELT like when packing. The bottom line was that I was unable to get to the maximum force when packing the main without rigger tools. I was barely able to get to the minimum. Based on this, I suspect that most rigs have main closing loops that are way too long, albeit EASY to pack. Of course, not all rigs are by Aerodyne, and other manufacturers may specify less main pin extraction force. My suggestion is that you deterimine what (if any) extraction force the manufacturer of your rig specifies and then do some experiments at home with a pull up cord and an accurate fish scale. I expect that what you will determine is that the correct force is such that if you attempt to lift the rig by the bridle... the rig will move a little, but not lift off the floor before releasing the main pin. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

It is difficult to tell from your posts if the problem is you or poor instruction. Part of your ground briefing before each student jump should include a detailed review of your intended canopy pattern for the current conditions. This should include where you will turn (with reference to landmarks) and your intended altitude at each of those turns. You should be able to tell the instructor your plan before you board the aircraft. The "multiple instructors" issue is an excuse (either yours or theirs). I have taught in a multiple instructor school where we worked very hard on standardization... students got uniform guidance about canopy patterns (and other issues as well). An exercise that I have found helpful with jumpers who struggle with canopy patterns is to use an aerial photo of the DZ and have the student draw their intended pattern for winds from at least N, S, E, W with pattern entry points to the N, S, E, W for each (that is 16 different problems for you to solve). By "pattern entry point" I mean that you are at 1000 ft and must begin your pattern.... even if that location is not the ideal starting position. Your debrief should have been far more than a mere comment from the radio instructor. Your debrief should have addressed each phase of the jump in detail... from setting up in the door to landing. Do not get on the plane again until you understand the pattern rules and your intended pattern for the jump. Do not let folks rush you to jump until you are REALLY ready. You are the customer.... make damned sure that you are getting your money's worth! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Reminders about safe break-offs: Track away from the center of the group. If there is a high likelihood that the jumpers will be dispersed at break-off…..discuss this and your break-off plan in detail during the dirt dive. Look where you are going when tracking. It is easy to only look down when tracking. We must also look where we are going. Our forward speed in a track can be more than enough to result in an injury if there is a collision with another jumper. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

That assumes that the instructor can accurately identify the jumpers under canopy. I have witnessed a VERY experienced and savvy instructor mis-identify students under canopy and give instructions to the wrong student. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The FAA has stated a position on this issue. Advisory Circular 105-2E section 14.a.4: (4) A parachute user must ensure that an AAD is maintained in accordance with the AAD manufacturer’s instructions and service requirements. When a rigger packs a reserve parachute, the rigger is only certifying that it meets all safety requirements on the day it is packed; therefore, riggers should note any maintenance or battery replacement due date(s) on the packing data card so that users are able to determine AAD airworthiness and ensure conformance to the regulations. AADs are to be installed in accordance with the harness/container manufacturer’s instructions. (Emphasis added by me) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Canopy flight and landing is WAY more important than freefall skill. Death or serious injury in freefall above deployment altitude is rare. Death or serious injury under a perfectly good canopy is all too common. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

In a recent incident thread there was discussion of how to handle “missing” jumpers. I agree that it is important to be vigilant about noting that a jumper is missing and aggressively hunt for them. Yes, there are a variety of ways of doing that. Yes, it gets very complex at a busy DZ with multiple large aircraft. An entirely different question is whether to jump or not while a jumper is missing. Does not jumping help the missing jumper? It does not. Does jumping harm the missing jumper? It does not. There are quite few reasons for jumpers to be unaccounted for, the vast majority of which are benign. Given that, and the lack of impact on a missing jumper from continued operations… why not keep jumping? If it is personally offensive to you to jump while someone is missing… don’t get on the plane during that period. If you are convinced that jumping while a jumper is “missing” is evil, how do you define “missing”? 1. Not seen since exit or freefall? 2. Seen under a good canopy, but not seen (or heard from by cel phone) since? If you want to stop jumping for #2, be ready to spend a lot of time sitting around while jumpers who landed out are retrieved. At USPA Nationals a few years ago a teammate of mine was seen under a good canopy, but not seen landing. He was “missing” for 45 minutes, as the competition continued at full speed. He had simply landed out (as did our entire team), but he had chosen a different LZ than the rest of us, and then got disoriented and walked the wrong way (away from the DZ). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The skydiver should fit in the plane. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Give thought to navigation. Will clouds obscure view of DZ after exit? If so, what is your plan? What are your nav landmarks? What are your recovery plans if you land out? Carry $ and phone. Have fun! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I read those emails on my phone. I have no idea if that is seen by USPA as opening it or not. Unfortunately.... they all begin to sound alike. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hoop Jump. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!