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 22:
Are
emergency procedures the same when wearing a wing suit?
How does a team drum up
sponsorship?
What should be considered
when selecting equipment?
I'm having trouble with AFF
level 3 - are there any instructional videos that can
help?
What long-term injuries can be
sustained through skydiving?
What are the risks of skydiving?
The following questions were submitted by visitors to our Web site and answered by the editor of Skydiving magazine. .
To ask a question of your own, click here.
Are emergency procedures the same when wearing a wing suit?
Q. Do you have any recommended procedures for how to handle a canopy malfunction while wearing a BirdMan winged suit?
Suit designer Jari Kuosma answers:
A. Because the wings were designed not to restrict the jumper when using any of the emergency handles, we recommend the skydiver react to a malfunction the same way he would while wearing a normal suit. There is one difference, however: You should put your legs together, which closes the leg wing. Then look at your emergency handles and pull them in the correct order.
In the case of line twists, the jumper must free his arms first in order to grab the risers. Freeing the arms happens by opening the zippers or by using the BirdMan cutaway system for the wings.
(If you are unable to clear the lines twists once your hands are free, you'll then need to follow standard emergency procedures: cut away your main and pull your reserve. And don't forget to watch your altitude. A spinning canopy loses altitude quickly. Kuosma and other winged-suit makers normally cover this and a lot more when sending someone up for the first time. - Ed)
How does a team drum up sponsorship?
Q. Our 4-way team would like to get sponsors for our team either inside or outside the skydiving realm. How would we go about it? We are looking for equipment and training money.
A. For a company, sponsoring an athlete is a two-way business proposition. The effort must eventually contribute to the business's bottom line. The company must get something in return for its sponsorship dollars beyond the warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good for someone else.
A skydiving team, then, should approach a sponsor with a business proposal that shows what the sponsor will receive in return for money, equipment or jumps. Here's a short list of what a 4-way team might do for sponsors that include gear manufacturers and drop zones:
1. Publicize and promote its sponsors' products and services to other skydivers.
2. Act to increase the number of paid jumps made at the DZ by organizing loads and events that generate more activity.
3. Teach other skydivers how to use its sponsors' products.
The proposal should be in writing and it should list specifics. Again, the idea is to show a business owner that he or she will get something in return for what he gives the team.
Signing up outside sponsors - companies that aren't involved in parachuting - is more difficult than finding them inside the sport. Many outside businesses don't realize that skydiving is a bona fide sport. Furthermore, they don't know how sponsoring skydivers is going to improve their companies' bottom line.
It's up to you to devise ways a skydiving team can benefit an outside company. Years ago a California 8-way team secured significant sponsorship from the Coors brewery. But the team did more than just compete in skydiving meets; it also made a bunch of demos into spectator events such as auto races. Coors executives realized their company wasn't going to get much exposure at parachute meets, but a skydiving team that jumped into a packed race track would generate a hundred thousand impressions. If a TV network broadcast the jump, the impressions would easily reach into the millions.
Finally, make it as easy as possible on the sponsor, both before and after you've signed an agreement. Nothing galls a sponsor more than an athlete who is "high maintenance" or interferes with the business's activities.
Athletes often confuse sponsorship with charity. They approach businesses with their hands out but have nothing to offer in return. Businesses frequently will reach in their pockets and give the beggars something, but the likelihood of establishing a long-term mutually beneficial relationship is slim.
The following is Part 2 of 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.
What should be considered when selecting equipment?
Q. What is the difference between a Silhouette and Sabre and Spectre in performance and landing? Even though I have limited experience with canopy pilot skills I have a military airborne background (T-10), and I take landing seriously. I practice it constantly.
My jumpmaster says my landings are very good. I tried a [Parachutes de France] Merit 190 a couple times; it's very similar to your Silhouette 190. Even in zero wind conditions, I had no problems landing it.
My wife has a more relaxed approach to landing and she wants safe and easy landings. She's ready to give up flying performance to gain that. (If we were buying cars I would take a Firebird and she would get a Volvo!)
Can you recommend some canopies for us?
For some further info: Our DZ is only 100 feet above sea level. During jumping season, winds are around 5-15 mph and pretty stable. Temperature is 50-75 F so it is nothing extreme in any direction. The DZ itself is flat and huge - even if you miss it there are only fields without barbwire or any other hazardous objects.
We have done AFF with a big 290 sq.ft. Drakkar student canopy and 264 sq.ft. Para-Foil. I have tried some semi-elliptic canopies with wingloads of 1 to 1.1 pounds per square foot, but my wife has not tried anything else so far. (Nothing available with an AAD and I do not let her jump without it ; I do not like the idea of being a single parent.)
A. The Sabre has the most flare power and forgiveness of the three canopies under the same wing loading. The Spectre would be next and the Silhouette last.
The Silhouette was designed for lighter wing loadings.
The Spectre was designed for more all-around performance within a 7-cell configuration.
The Sabre is a canopy that when heavily loaded is a very sporty canopy that can surf really well. When more lightly loaded it becomes more forgiving with lots of flare power, but might seem pretty doggy in other performance areas.
The Spectre tends to open the slowest and softest of the three, with the Silhouette close behind.
The Sabre typically has nice but firm openings. If things go awry or the canopy is a little off, the Sabre can be unforgiving on openings.
The Silhouette is the easiest to pack because it is a combination of fabrics; it has a zero-P top skin but the rest of the fabric is 0-3 cfm material.
The Sabre and Spectre are all zero-P and need good packing skills to keep control of the canopy while packing. The Spectre is the most forgiving of these two if the pack job is substandard.
So there you have it in short form. I highly suggest you contact a knowledgeable and reputable dealer for some additional overall input.
Q. One more question: If I find a used Sabre, Silhouette, Spectre or Navigator it would be handy to know how many jumps they are good for. It seems that used canopies normally have 400 to 500 jumps. Are those still okay if they have been maintained? How many more jumps are left on them? How much of their performance have they lost?
Do canopies have a maximum age in years or do they last forever? It costs money to take every used canopy to a rigger to be checked so some rules would be nice to know.
Maybe it makes sense to spend more money and buy everything new - less quessing and my own colors!
A. It's not necessary to purchase new equipment for your first gear. There is a lot of used equipment on the market in good shape for a reasonable price. (I say this even though I would be happy to sell you two new main canopies and two new reserves.)
If cost is a factor and buying used equipment will get you in the air, then this is a good step for first gear. If you have lots of used equipment available in your area it is just a matter of having it inspected by a reliable and knowledgeable rigger.
If you don't have this availability then you can shop some of the major dealers. Sources like Square One or Sunshine Factory will give you great advice both in canopy selection and rig selection. These major dealers have both new and used equipment, and both have built reputations on honesty and dependability.
As far as lifespan of a canopy? Whew! There are so many variables.
If it is made of 0-3 cfm fabric ("F-111"), and if it has more than a couple hundred jumps on it, I would be real cautious about buying it.
If it is a zero porosity canopy, it is good for 1,000 to 2,000 jumps.
Both fabric types, though, are only as good as the environment in which they were jumped, the acidic nature of the owner's sweat (really!), and the care and maintenance the canopies were given.
The only true way to determine the value and airworthiness of equipment is a thorough inspection by a qualified rigger. (No, all riggers are not created equal.)
Arizona, California and Hawaii are some of the worst environments in the world for parachute equipment. Any desert area is harsh, as is an island environment - like Hawaii - that has harsh sun and a high concentration of salt crystals in the air.
If you decide to spend the extra money to buy new, don't go overboard with the customization. What may be a wild but appealing color pattern to you may be quite ugly to other skydivers.
Until you are ready to buy equipment that you feel you will be jumping a long time, or have lots of money to throw away, you should always consider resale capabilities.
I'm having trouble with AFF level 3 - are there any instructional videos that can help?
Q. I'm looking for an instructional video for skydiving. I'm stuck at AFF Level 3 and my instructors are unable to help me make a stable solo dive. My first Level 3 dive resulted in clockwise spinning which got worse when I tried to correct. For my second Level 3 jump I didn't spin but rather "potato chipped," swaying side to side. I believe that both of these problems are arm related. That's why I would like an instructional video, to see how various jumpers place their arms, as well as correct for positioning.
"Basic Body Flight" by Skydive University is a good video on the subject. It's also available from many equipment dealers.
You didn't ask for advice, but we're going to chime in nonetheless:
"Potato chipping" (or rocking like a falling leaf) is often caused by a body position that is too rigid and too spread out. The classic "French cross" - spread out like a flying squirrel - isn't the best freefall position.
A rigid body position often leads to spins, too.
It helps to have a moderate arch in one's spine with the belly button or pelvis pushed towards the ground. But try to relax your arms and legs. Don't go "rag doll" - that's too much - use only enough muscle tension to keep your elbows at ear level and your legs moderately spread apart.
Take a big breath and relax (easier said than done, but possible), and allow the slipstream to push your arms and legs behind you (or up, since you're belly-to-earth).
Relaxing helps because it makes your body's presentation to the wind more symmetrical. What causes a turn is an unbalanced force, and being rigid means you "lock in" an unbalanced body position that you're not aware of.
It doesn't take much arm, leg, shoulder or hip movement (or displacement) to cause a turn. If you watch videos of good skydivers, you'll sometimes see them turning extremely fast speeds, but they seem to be moving their body surfaces very little.
It probably sounds corny, but try to feel the air. Really. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Feel its pressure and allow your arms and legs to be blown back by it.
Pick a prominent object on the horizon (not below you) and work to stay pointed at it. If you start to drift off - say, to the right - push the left arm/shoulder down (towards the ground) just a little.
If it doesn't work, push down more. Unless you're doing something radical with your legs (doubtful), at some point the turn will stop and, if you overdo it, start back the other way.
At some point, something will click and you'll discover that basic stability isn't that hard. In a few jumps, you won't even think about it.
One excellent option is to visit a wind tunnel. There you can focus on stability without worrying about aircraft, parachute descents, limited air time, etc. Tunnel instructors are very good at teaching, since their students usually have very little instruction before getting into the air.
A lot of students encounter problems at some point in their training. It doesn't help when others (like us!) say things like "It's not that hard." We've forgotten what it was like to learn to freefall.
Good luck. Don't give up.
What long-term injuries can be sustained through skydiving?
Q. I'm supposed to go on my first tandem jump. I am cautious, not because of the death factor, but because I'm not aware of any long-term injuries or illnesses that can be sustained through skydiving. If you have any information about this please tell me.
A. Although most jumps aren't particularly rigorous, occasionally every skydiver gets banged around and many are injured at least once during their careers. Such injuries are the type you'd expect: sprains and broken bones, usually to the legs or arms but sometimes of the spine and head. Landings seem to cause the most injuries, but injuries occur in freefall, under canopy and in the aircraft, too. We know of two jumpers who suffered broken necks when their canopies opened.
But skydivers don't suffer from any chronic affliction that's particular to their sport, such as flat feet or blue lips. Some jumpers worry that repeated hard opening shocks will give them neck or heart problems years down the road, but we don't know if that's true.
What are the risks of skydiving?
Q. What are the risks of skydiving?
A. Death and serious injury, mostly. Financial ruin and spousal alienation are two more. The list goes on. But the list of benefits is much longer.
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