 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
27:
Will I be a qualified jumper
after my 8 AFF jumps?
What should be considered when
building a swoop pond?
Packing tips...
What's the best method for
storing a rig?
Can a rig be retrofitted
with an RSL?
The first jump; Which
method to choose.
What's the difference
between packing a military reserve and a sport reserve?
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.
Will I be a qualified jumper
after my 8 AFF jumps?
Q. I will be doing my AFF
course in Spain later this year. The course includes
eight jumps (provided you pass each stage, of course). I
was under the impression that I would then be a qualified
jumper, but a friend tells me that I then have to do
another 10 consolidation jumps.
Can you give me any
information on this? How much will it cost?
A. The AFF training
courses at most parachute centers are as you describe:
The student makes approximately eight jumps and is then
considered capable of jumping solo without the services
of an in-air jumpmaster. Rather than cut the student
loose at that point to learn more on his own, many DZs
have a "post-graduate" or "Level 8"
curriculum. The advanced student stays under the
supervision of the staff and makes jumps during which he
or she learns new (and important) skills. Consider them
seasoning jumps.
An analogy might be
learning to drive a car. An "ADC" (accelerated
driving course) would teach you how to operate the
vehicle in a thorough but basic way, and you learn the
basic rules of the road. The "consolidation
course" would take you out on public streets and
highways where you would learn how to mix it up with
other drivers and real-life situations. The trips of the
consolidation course would usually be made solo but
include pre- and post-trip reviews.
You need both courses to
become a competent driver on the open road. A
"consolidation course" for new skydivers is
just as valuable.
Costs vary from one DZ to
the next, so ask the DZ where you intend to jump. But
post-graduate jumps are usually rather inexpensive
because you’re no longer paying for the services of
an in-air jumpmaster.
What should be considered when
building a swoop pond?
Q. We’re thinking
about building a swoop pond at our DZ. Any suggestions?
A. We put this question
to T.K. Hayes, manager of Skydive City in Zephyrhills,
Fla. His DZ built a swoop pond last year. Here’s
what he had to say:
We made our pond 175 feet
long by 20 feet wide by 24 inches deep at the center and
tapering up at the sides. We lined it with plastic
sheeting as the sand here would let all the water drain
out quickly. It took about 45,000 gallons of water to
fill it; the local fire department allowed us to use a
hydrant to do that, and we paid the city the nominal fee
for the water. Depending on the ground type, the liner
may not be necessary.
My recommendation is for
the pond to be at least that long. We might add another
20 to 30 feet because as canopy performance improves, we
can expect longer swoops.
Make the pond at least 40
feet wide. Injuries seem to occur not in the water, but
when you "roll out" of the pond and impact with
the ground. Water is much softer than ground at 60 mph.
The depth we used — 2
feet — is fine. We have had the occasional person
hook it in to the pond and walk away with no injuries.
Again, the injuries occur with collisions with the edges
of the pond and outside the pond.
Orientation to the wind is
not that relevant for most experienced pilots; they will
find a way to carve the pond anyway. A wider pond allows
more trajectories, but may also increase traffic on
approaches. We spent more time trying to determine what
would work best for our landing area, considering the
traffic on normal approaches rather than focusing on wind
direction.
Other possibilities
include perhaps building a "V" shape — or
two ponds connected — that allow some variation on
the trajectories. But that may also develop into a hazard
if canopies approach on the same converging path.
Overall, we are very
pleased with the pond. The biggest problem seems to be
the jumpers walking back from the landing area do not
keep their heads up when canopies are on final on the
pond. We worry about collisions there, but so far there
have been no near misses or anything like that. It is the
pilot’s responsibility to maintain control during
the approach and to be on the lookout for others, not the
people on the ground.
The pond has been a great
source of entertainment; it has also helped to develop
many people’s canopy skills. And like anything, has
had its share of new injuries, due to the nature of the
beast — go fast and far. Mostly people just get wet
once in a while. — T.K. Hayes, Skydive City.
Packing
tips...
Q. When putting my
parachute in its bag, is it bad if some of the material
slips down, exposing a little of the slider?
A. If we understand your
question, it’s okay if the slider becomes
"exposed" during packing. But it’s
important that the slider stays up against the slider
stops as the canopy is put into its bag. Stray folds of
material aren’t really a problem if the slider is up
against its stops and if the nose of the canopy remains
moreorless as you packed it.
As you pack, try for
"symmetry" — keeping the folds and lines
on the right-hand side of the canopy the same as those on
the right. The idea is that packing symmetrically will
help the canopy inflate symmetrically, perhaps avoiding
wild openings, twisted lines and off-heading openings.
What's the best method for
storing a rig?
Q. What’s the best
way to store my rig for the winter?
A. Store your rig like you
would an expensive garment: Out of the sunlight, and away
from high humidity or heat. You can store it packed or
unpacked. You might put it in its gear bag and put it in
a clothes closet in your house, where temperature and
humidity don’t vary much.
A couple caveats, though:
If you have an AAD with batteries — and many
skydivers do — and if you intend to store the rig
for more than just a couple of months, you might want to
open the reserve and remove or isolate the sensing unit
from the rig and its canopies. There have been a few
instances of AAD batteries leaking, and the acid badly
damages nylon. (The rig doesn’t have to be in
storage for this to happen, of course.)
Some types of rubber stow
bands get "gummy" over time. If your main is
packed while you store it, you should open it and inspect
the rubber bands before jumping it.
That concern doesn’t
apply to your reserve, as modern ram-air reserves
don’t use rubber bands. There is at least one
exception to this, however: the manufacturer of the Jump
Shack Racer now advocates the use of rubber bands on the
freebag of that rig.
Can a rig be retrofitted with an
RSL?
Q. I am a student
who’s found a rig I’d like to buy. The problem
is it doesn’t have an RSL (reserve static line), and
where I jump, students are required to have RSLs. Can an
RSL be installed on this rig and what should I expect to
pay to have it done.
A. An RSL can be
retrofitted on practically any rig, either by the factory
or a master rigger. Action Air Parachutes in Davis,
Calif., installs a lot of RSLs and charges $50 for doing
so.
Another option is to ask
your DZ if it will allow you to jump without an RSL.
We’re convinced RSLs are a good idea for students,
but you might feel you don’t need one.
The first jump; Which method to
choose.
Q. I’m going for my
first jump in a few weeks. What do you suggest for first
timers? The people at the parachute center suggest IAD,
instructor assisted dive. However, I’ve heard from
some people going tandem may be best for the first time.
Which should I pick?
A. It depends on you. What
is your intention, to make a single parachute jump and
get a certificate to put on your wall, or to learn to
become a skydiver?
IAD — an acronym for
Instructor Assisted Deployment — is a solo jump, as
you know. It’s preceded by several hours, at least,
of training. It’s usually the first jump of a course
that may include 15 to 20 jumps.
Making a tandem jump is
more like going for a parachute ride; the instructor is
in control during all phases of the jump. It requires
only a few minutes of pre-jump training.
Tandem jumps can be
overwhelming to the first-timer, like a ride on a big
roller coaster. Because IAD jumps are preceded by
intensive instruction and because they’re simpler
jumps, the student is usually better prepared mentally.
But for the student, tandem jumps are almost certainly
safer than any type of solo jump.
You could also make a
tandem jump and then a solo jump of some sort (IAD,
static line, AFF or whatever). In fact, some parachute
centers require a tandem jump for all first-jumpers.
Other DZs use tandem jumps as training jumps, where the
student is given tasks to do. There’s a lot of
variation from one DZ to the next.
If you want to join our
sport, go the IAD (or AFF or static-line) route. Would
you rather be a passenger or a pilot?
What's the difference between
packing a military reserve and a sport reserve?
Q. I’m a military
rigger with an FAA certificate with plenty of experience
packing military ram-air mains and reserves, but with
little experience with civilian rigs. Is the reserve on
civilian rigs packed the same way as a main? If not,
what’s the difference, and how can I learn to pack
them?
A. Matt LaChance, a rigger
and regular contributor to this magazine, sums it up
nicely: Follow the canopy manufacturer’s
instructions for flaking and folding the canopy. Then
follow the rig manufacturer’s instructions for
placing the canopy in the deployment bag and completing
the pack job.
Faithfully following the
manuals will enable you to pack a sport reserve legally
and safely. But it takes most riggers considerable
practice to develop the skills needed to make the
finished job look good. (Your skill as a rigger will be
judged mostly by the final appearance of your work. This
is true for many technicians.)
For that reason, it makes
sense to work with an experienced sport rigger who can
show you techniques and tips. Unlike military parachutes,
there’s a lot of variety in modern skydiving gear.
There are also rigging
schools that focus on sport gear. See
www.skydivingmagazine.com/rigging for a list, or send a
self-addressed envelope to Skydiving, P.O. Box 1520,
DeLand, FL 32721.
SKYDIVING welcomes
questions from its readers. All will get a prompt answer, and some will be published. Mail, fax or
email them to sue@skydivingmagazine.com.
PARACHUTING'S
NEWSMAGAZINE
sue@skydivingmagazine.com
1725
N. Lexington Ave.
DeLand, FL USA 32724.
Telephone:
(386) 736-4793, 9 am to 5 pm Eastern time.
Fax number: (386) 736-9786.
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