P A R A C H U T I N G ' S N E W S M A G A Z I N E
Ask the Editor
Contents of Batch 21:
Are there any DZs in Cuba?
Should I replace the kill line
in my pilot chute?
What background is needed to
become a skydiving instructor? Is the pay worth the
efforts?
What method of training should I
use to learn to skydive?
Would it be safe for my
wife and I buy one complete rig for the both of us?
How can I contact the
Caterpillar Club?
Do blind people skydive?
The following questions were submitted by visitors to our Web site and answered by the editor of Skydiving magazine. .
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Q. I am planning on visiting Cuba this year. Do you know of any skydiving clubs or DZs there?
A. We don't; the U.S. has short-sighted travel restrictions to the Caribbean nation, so news from the country is sparse here. But we asked the principals of Exotic Sky Adventures, a Dutch-based company that has hosted three boogies there, in 1995, 1996 and 1998. Here is their reply (from organizers Karina Willerup and Herman Landsman of Holland):
Cuba is an interesting and historic country. We have not only come to appreciate and love this place but found new lifelong Cuban skydiving friends. [At least the embargo is working. - Ed]
Cuba certainly does have a nice drop zone running on a daily basis. It's located in Varadero, a 1.5 hour drive northeast of Havana (on the coast - beautiful beaches and hot nightlife). They operate an An-2 biplane, meaning a 45-minute climb to 10,000 feet.
Centro International de Paracaidismo is located on an airfield in this town, not on the main Varadero airport. It's run by Venancio - alias "Chico" - with help from English-speaking Elizabeth Hernandez. They offer tandem jumping, and most of the local Cuban skydivers have focused on accuracy as their main discipline.
The DZ has a nice layout with a sheltered packing area, a small manifest building, two buildings with showers and toilets and a larger office building with a small restaurant, video room and sleeping rooms. Visiting skydivers can bunk at this comfortable DZ. The landing area is large, safe and provides secure surroundings for outside landings.
We have heard from many people who were with us on our boogies, saying they have gone back and will keep coming back to Varadero. They revisit friends and make spontaneous and spectacular beach jumps on the surrounding islands such as "Cayo Largo."
Due to political differences no direct flights are available from the States, and I believe that most Americans choose a route via Mexico or the Bahamas to connect to Havana or straight to Varadero.
Address:
Centro International de Paracaidismo
KM 1.5 Via Blanca
Varadero, Matanzas
Cuba
Phone: (535) 66 7256 or
(535) 66 4282
Fax: (535) 66 7260
Or check out our Web site: www.exoticskyadventures.com
Should I replace the kill line in my pilot chute?
Q. Should I replace the kill line of my zero-porosity pilot chute after a certain number of jumps? I have put 500 jumps on the canopy with the same pilot chute.
A. You should regularly inspect the kill line along with the rest of the pilot chute. If you notice significant wear, replace or repair any worn components. There are a lot of manufacturers of kill-line pilot chutes, and no two seem to be made the same. We've seen some that had more than a thousand jumps on them and were still serviceable, but we've seen others start to fall apart much sooner.
But there is no requirement that the kill line be replaced after a certain number of jumps. If the line starts to fray badly, or if it starts to become detached from its anchor point in the crown of the pilot chute, then fix or replace the pilot chute.
Of course, if the pilot chute doesn't seem to work as well as it once did - if deployment seems to take longer - then the pilot chute should be checked immediately. Sometimes the kill line itself will shrink over a number of jumps. If it does, the pilot chute might not inflate as well as it did before.
Most types of kill-line pilot chutes are designed so that if the kill line breaks, the pilot chute will still deploy the main canopy without any problems. (Snatch force may be higher, and the pilot chute will most likely stay inflated during the entire descent, however. But neither result is a safety-of-flight issue.)
Tandem drogues have kill lines, too, and they tend to wear out much faster than kill lines on pilot chutes. Some manufacturers have set life limits on tandem drogues, for good reason. Following the manufacturer's instructions is a good idea.
What background is needed to become a skydiving instructor? Is the pay worth the efforts?
Q. How much money do skydiving instructors make a year? What educational background is needed to be an instructor? Do you need a high school diploma or college degree? What colleges offer certification?
A. The pay most instructors receive is based on the number of students they train. They might make, for example, $25 for each tandem student they take on a jump.
The average instructor makes a very modest living, we would say. Few work full-time training students; most must supplement their income with other jobs, either on or off the drop zone. Accurate numbers aren't available; no one has ever surveyed the skydiving industry.
A high school diploma or college degree isn't needed. But an instructor must have a "rating" issued by a private organization such as the U.S. Parachute Association. This isn't a legal requirement, but it is widely observed.
The situation in skydiving is similar to that of other smaller sports, such as scuba diving.
There's evidence that drop zones are finding it tougher these days to hire and retain good instructors. If that's true, then DZs will have to pay more to fill their staffing needs.
What method of training should I use to learn to skydive?
Q. I am interested in learning to skydive. I've found many different companies have very different ways of training and very different prices. The cheapest one offers a static-line first jump for $140; each subsequent jump is $45. After five jumps you get your freefall license. Do you think that is a good way to go, or should I spend more money, about three to four times as much, to do the AFF program? Also, is the freefall certificate the same as a Class A license or just a certificate offered by this company?
A. Static line and accelerated freefall (AFF) are two different roads to the same destination.
The static-line program:
1. Is less expensive per jump.
2. Doesn't require a ceiling of 9,500 feet.
3. Requires a single jumpmaster.
4. Involves jumps with simpler task lists.
5. Imparts more basic skydiving knowledge from first jump to graduation.
The AFF program saves time because it requires significantly fewer jumps to reach the same level of freefall proficiency. (But there's much more to becoming a skydiver than just learning how to freefall, just like there's much more to becoming a pilot than just learning how to fly the aircraft.)
The total cost of each program is about the same. AFF typically takes seven to 10 jumps, while static line takes 15 to 20 to reach a comparable level of freefall skill.
To complicate matters, some DZs offer programs that meld both AFF and static line. Others add optional or required tandem jumps. Such programs have some real benefits for DZs and students alike.
The lowest-level license is the A license. In the U.S. it requires 25 jumps and meeting certain skill requirements. The certificate you might receive after five jumps is something the DZ is doing on its own. There's nothing wrong with that, but such "licenses" aren't widely recognized.
We wouldn't be as much concerned about the specific training syllabus as we would about the overall capabilities of the DZs under consideration. A student needs a DZ with good instructors, good gear, decent facilities and aircraft, and the capability to get the student in the air whenever he or she has the opportunity to jump. Cheap jumps don't mean much if you don't get the opportunity to make them.
The following is an exchange between a new jumper and Rusty Vest, customer service manager for canopy manufacturer Performance Designs. We think this real-life dialog covers many important considerations about selecting equipment.
Would it be safe for my wife and I buy one complete rig for the both of us?
Q. I'm a new skydiver who's graduated an AFF course and made some additional jumps. As much as I would like I won't be hanging around the DZ all my weekends and my estimate is to get 30-40 jumps per year, which is not much but better that nothing. And it is the same with my wife, probably even less jumps per year. So we planned to buy one set of equipment for both of us. I weigh 190 pounds and she weighs 120 pounds.
I found a Parachutes de France Atom student rig that fits both of us. It has a PD 160 reserve.
For a main canopy I have been considering the PD Navigator 220. Will the canopy work for both of us? As we are not gaining lots of experience, and we both like unbroken legs, I'm thinking a Navigator might be reasonable.
Or, what would be the considerations of getting a Sabre 210 or 230. Could it carry both of us?
While the rig and the reserve might be used, any main canopy I will buy will be new, so there I have more choice.
I live in the Baltics and our DZ cannot provide too many rigs to evaluate. Most contain old Russian canopies that aren't very tempting to try.
A. This request is a bit difficult as there are a lot of unknown factors involved. Important factors include field elevation of the DZ, typical temperature and wind conditions, canopy pilot skills for each of you, what canopies you have jumped so far, and the type of training you've received, and what continuing training is available.
But I'll take what you have given me and give you a condensed answer based on that.
I don't feel you're making the best choice. It would be better to shop around for two used rigs in decent condition so you and your wife would each have one set of equipment.
The equipment doesn't have to be pretty as long as it is safe and serviceable. You may have to spend a little more money up front, but having equipment that is going to be comfortable for each of you in fit and performance is much safer.
I haven't seen the rig that you are buying, but typically a rig that would comfortably fit someone who weighs 120 pounds won't comfortably fit someone who weighs 190. If the rig is too tight or too loose it could be dangerous in freefall, at pull time, or if you had to deal with a malfunction.
Also, a rig that will fit a 160 s Q.ft. reserve usually won't fit a 220 main very well. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm no container expert, but I don't think it is a typical scenario. If the reserve does not fill out the reserve container properly it could be dangerous. If the main canopy fits in the main container too tight and the closing loop has to be extended too far, it can be dangerous. These factors can also adversely affect deployment.
Now combine these factors with your jump experience and projected currency and it becomes even less of an ideal situation.
Because of the canopy size and your experience, you will have to plan your jumps more than normal around the weather. The Navigator 220 will be a great canopy for 190 pounds in most conditions, but in zero-wind conditions your landing technique will have to be very good to get good landings.
But someone at 120 pounds will not get much penetration in any wind and will get none in much wind. Spotting ability and the size of the landing area will become key factors.
Something else to consider is if the main and reserve should both deploy into a "dual square" scenario. The rule of thumb is to have a main and a reserve that are nearly equal in size. With the difference in size between the 160 reserve and the 220 main, a dual square scenario might be more of a hazard.
In conclusion, if the harness is indeed adjustable enough to allow both of you to use it and fit each of you safely, and if the main container will adequately house the Navigator 220 and you can go with a PD-193 reserve, you will probably be alright.
I would not go any smaller with the canopies or it might pose a hazard for 190 pounds at your experience level.
Keep another thing in mind: If you decide to go with one rig for both of you, you won't be able to skydive together!
How can I contact the Caterpillar Club?
Q. I am a member of the Caterpillar Club because I bailed out of a damaged B-17 over Germany in 1944. I lost the little caterpillar pin I was issued. Is there any way I could obtain a duplicate?
A. The Caterpillar Club was established many years ago by the Switlik Parachute Company to recognize aviators who'd used a parachute to save their lives. The club's name is based on the fact that early parachutes were usually made of silk, and silk is made by caterpillars. The company still issues the distinctive pins; contact it at:
Caterpillar
ClubSwitlik Parachute Company
1325 East State Street
P.O. Box 1328
Trenton, NJ 08609
Curiously, skydivers who use their reserves in an emergency aren't eligible for membership.
Q. Do you know of any sources of information on blind people and skydiving? Do you know of any clubs for blind people who want to skydive?
A. Vision plays a critical - and we would say essential - role in skydiving. But tandem jumps are different, because the student can simply "go along for the ride" if that is the plan.
Therefore, it should be relatively easy to arrange a tandem jump for someone who is blind. A few phone calls is all it should take.
Another option would be to visit a vertical wind tunnel, where one can experience the sensation of freefall without having to jump out of an aircraft.
Blind people have successfully learned to skydive solo, relying on a radio for help while landing their canopies.
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