Sky Diving

[ATR-DRIVR]

Captain Joe Kittinger, USAF, 1960, 102,800 ft. 4 minutes, 36 seconds, reached 614 mph.

 

[FN FAL]

In addition to what the others have said to stay away from....here's another thing to avoid...and it's a biggie....don't downsize your canopy too fast. Most people want to jump smaller and smaller canopies...and most can handle them when everything goes right, but when the sh!t hits the fan, they may be well beyond their skill level. I love my tiny cross braced canopy...but it took a long time to work up(or down) to it.

You're right about that one, I found since I jump intermittantly now, that staying in the larger canopies is a good thing. Not too large though. I go 225 and 190 Sabre is about as racy as I care to go. If needed, I have access to a nice rental 200 that does o.k. in a pinch. It has a cypress, so I feel pretty good about that.

Most of our student and rental gear came right from the people that made the movie "cutaway" with Gary Busey and Dennis Rodman. Although it was kind of a sad movie, it is neat seeing the rigs in the movie then jumping them or seeing a student land with one of them.

 

[COEX-FO]

If at First You Don't Succeed,

Skydiving is NOT For You!

 

[SEFlyer]

You're right about that one, I found since I jump intermittantly now, that staying in the larger canopies is a good thing. Not too large though. I go 225 and 190 Sabre is about as racy as I care to go. If needed, I have access to a nice rental 200 that does o.k. in a pinch. It has a cypress, so I feel pretty good about that.

Most of our student and rental gear came right from the people that made the movie "cutaway" with Gary Busey and Dennis Rodman. Although it was kind of a sad movie, it is neat seeing the rigs in the movie then jumping them or seeing a student land with one of them.

I prefer the triathalon. Tried the Sabre a few times, and I think it tried to kill me once with all the line twists I got. Right on about staying in a comfortable SLOW canopy.

 

[Jump Pilot]

Pro: fun

Con: death

 

[ATL2CDG]

My senior AFJROTC instructor, LTCOL Monty Rice (RIP, sir), had quite a few phrases he'd ramble out anytime a keyword popped up in class.

Regarding skydiving (or any other mid-air 'evacuations'), the former USAF navigator, a well-known tightwad, would say: "Unless you're throwin' a handful of $100 bills or a coupon to Steak 'n Shake out the hatch, I ain't jumpin' off a perfectly good airplane".

 

[TundraT]

Years ago when I started jumping, the canopies were round and square canopies were still in the development phase. We used to say, “If you’re round, you are sound. If you are square you are not all there.” Obviously thing have improved over the years and even the reserve canopies are squares. When I was asked why I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane I would reply, “Most airplane accidents happen during take off and landing, reduce the risk, get out somewhere in between.”



C-9294 Jumpmaster

 

[Corona]

I think the biggest con would be that you might get a 'chute made by Acme. Instead of a chute, you have an anvil. Then, you make a Wile E. Coyote-shaped hole in the desert floor. And the anvil lands on your head.
C

 

[TonyC]

Are there any schools out there that start students off with solo freefall? I know of guys that have started out with static line - - and tandem seems to be extremely popular. I've ONLY done freefall, but that was many moons ago.


.

 

[Big Duke Six]

Corona, ROTFLMAO!!

Tony, yes there are many schools out there that do that. It's called Accelerated Free Fall (AFF). I'm not positive on the numbers here, but its something like eight or ten jumps total, with the first few being with two instructors jumping with you, then I believe it goes down to just one guy with you for your last few. You get the idea.

I have done three tandem jumps, spaced out over about ten years. If I ever decide to "take the plunge" and get certified, I think AFF would be the way to go.