USPA Call to Action
For all those who don’t check their email or who might not get USPA’s emails for one reason or another, there was a recent Call for Action regarding canopy safety due to the recent fatal collisions this year.
And I know no one likes to talk about the black death part of the sport, but truth is if we’re paying attention, this is something we can all learn from in order to be safer in our friendly blue playground.
So, in case you didn’t see it, here’s what USPA has to say about canopy collisions and safety under canopy. Not only are they stressing predictable landing patterns, but they touch on high performance landings and S-turns to burn off altitude as a couple of factors that could throw off other canopy pilots and cause potential collisions. Keep it on the straight and narrow folks!
Since late February, there have been five fatalities (and one critical injury) that were canopy-collision related. Every skydiver is asking the same questions: “How is this happening, and why?” It appears that skill level and proficiency are not indicators. One accident involved two jumpers with about 23 jumps each who were the only two jumpers under canopy at the time. Another accident involved a jumper with 17,000 jumps and another with 8,000 jumps, both very proficient and with very little other traffic around them.
It is time that we all accept the responsibility of ending the canopy-collision threat.
We are asking all skydivers to join in this CALL TO ACTION. Individual jumpers must follow the guidelines in the Skydiver’s Information Manual that have proven to keep our skies safer when they are applied correctly. Additionally, we are asking that all S&TAs observe and correct poor habits at their DZs. We are asking that DZOs become more involved in canopy safety by establishing canopy flight rules, and safe landing patterns and landing areas. This type of accident MUST STOP, and we all can be a part of making that happen.
Jay Stokes, USPA President
SKYDIVER ACTION CALL
The time has come for us to change the way we are looking at ourselves and those around us and to insist upon a different set of outcomes. We have lost nearly 30 fellow skydivers in recent years to situations in which two canopy pilots ran into each other. Some of these accidents are attributable to jumpers executing “induced-speed” (or high-performance) landings, and others are not. There have been many different circumstances surrounding these incidents, leading to many theories about the causes and steps that can be taken to prevent additional instances. In recent months, USPA Board members and staff have had in-depth dialogue with many skydiving experts and skydivers who care. USPA is committed to canopy education and will continue working on those recommendations. Meanwhile, here are some generally agreed-upon observations, followed by suggestions, some of which can be applied by every one of us.
- Skydivers have become increasingly concerned about their personal safety. Many jumpers are experiencing a substantially increased fear of being unexpectedly, and perhaps fatally, involved in a canopy collision-being struck from behind or above by a more aggressive canopy pilot. Some have publically expressed a lack of desire to jump at drop zones that do not promote a safe canopy flying culture. It is no longer “politically incorrect” to be an advocate of good canopy-flying behavior.
- When skydivers are trained in canopy-flight techniques and (perhaps more importantly) in canopy-flight decision-making, they become better and safer canopy pilots. They make better decisions and are significantly more aware of their surroundings under canopy. Industry experts agree that improving canopy education is critical, but we also know that it takes time.
- Higher wing loadings increase risk. Canopy pilots that fly at higher wing loadings are not necessarily unsafe, but statistics bear out a higher level of threat to the highly loaded canopy pilot and those who fly in his or her vicinity. Highly loaded canopies fly more quickly and react much more radically to toggle and riser input than lightly loaded parachutes. Skydivers who fly high-performance parachutes must maintain a great deal of respect for the flight characteristics of those parachutes.
- Mixing of standard landing patterns and high-performance landing patterns is dangerous. True separation of landing areas by distance and/or time is crucial. This includes not only the final approach and touchdown zones, but also the airspace above the drop zone where high-performance and standard-pattern flyers may intermix during pattern and/or landing maneuver set-up. Simply put, we can’t just paint a line down the middle of the landing area and think that it will provide adequate separation. The total three-dimensional aspect of the airspace and any potential conflicts must be thoroughly considered in the landing zone layout.
- Predictability is the key to safe landing patterns and accident avoidance. Excessive turns in the traffic pattern are exponentially more dangerous than straight-in final approaches following a 90-degree turn from base to final leg. This is true of jumpers busting out big turns to final (180s, 270s, 720s, etc.), as well as the old-school jumper doing S-turns or a braked accuracy descent down the middle of his final approach path. Both can become rapidly unpredictable and result in unexpected outcomes like low-altitude collision-avoidance turns and worse.
- Many jumpers don’t pay attention to their surroundings as much as they should while flying their canopies. Everyone needs to pay attention to their environment and look out for everyone else.
- In some cases, the only way to educate is to enforce rules and provide consequences for bad behavior-especially repeated bad behavior.
Here are a couple of ideas that we can implement today. USPA is asking all members to take action to address this situation. There is something that you can do, regardless of your status on the drop zone.
Each skydiver should:
- Recognize the need to get more training, gain more knowledge and improve your canopy skills. Start now by reviewing Sections 6-10 and 6-11 in the Skydiver’s Information Manual.
- In air, improve your visual scan and awareness of where others are in the sky. Look not only where you want to fly, but look for where others may be. On final approach, maintain your scan and awareness of others; don’t get tunnel vision on your landing spot.
- Realize that every turn increases the chance for converging flight. When descending into the standard landing area, fly a standard pattern and continue to scan the airspace for any conflicting canopy traffic while keeping your turns to no more than 90 degrees.
- Set an example through your behavior. Become a proponent of safe canopy flight. Walk the talk, fly the pattern, and share the knowledge.
- Demand a safe canopy flight environment at your home drop zone. Talk to your DZO, S&TAs and fellow jumpers about it. Insist upon a culture of safe canopy flight.
Each DZO and S&TA should:
- Establish DZ canopy-flight rules and be certain that they are clearly communicated to all jumpers.
- Establish and utilize a method for determining and communicating landing direction on each load.
- Truly separate high-performance and standard landing areas. Consider the approach portion of the airspace and be certain that the opportunity for overlap in differing wind conditions and jump runs is minimized.
- Be certain the rules for each landing area are well established. Limit turns in the standard landing pattern to 90 degrees. Let your jumpers know that radical diving and speed-inducing maneuvers, as well as S-turns and braked accuracy approaches to the standard landing pattern will not be tolerated.
- Consider other restrictions on your high-performance landing area, and be sure that everyone knows about it.
- Consider instituting a “Canopy Safety Monitor” or “Landing Safety Officer” approach, where an experienced staff member is empowered to observe and evaluate canopy flight from the ground in order to provide immediate feedback to errant canopy pilots. This “monitor” could be an S&TA, Instructor or simply a trusted and empowered jumper. This allows the DZ to monitor and address potentially dangerous situations in real time.
- Step up your use of counseling and enforcement tools to address irresponsible canopy piloting. Your USPA Regional Director will be happy to assist with this process if it is desired.
Great to be back
After nearly 5 months on the ground I was finally able to get back into the sky this weekend, and can I just say that it’s so great to be back!
As you can imagine, there were some pretty intense butterflies going on, but given that it was sunset load and I did a simple 2-way freefly I was confident it’d be a good jump.
Sure enough, once that door opened my adrenaline took over and we had an incredible freefly (sorry kids, no video this time, what with my new BoneHead REvolve and I don’t have a Contour to mount…yet).
I have to admit though, my muscles are a bit out of practice. Sure, the sitfly came fairly natural and my brain was firing on all cylinders (until the landing, but we’ll get to that) but I couldn’t help but think to myself that the wind seemed stronger than usual. The triceps are definitely feeling it, though I’m guessing it’s a combination of the freefly and packing a virtually brand new parachute, which is always a slippery struggle.
After separating from an awesome 2-way I tracked and dumped around 4 grand, just to give myself plenty of time to get adjusted. My opening was beyond perfection so the extra time wasn’t exactly needed, but better to be safe than sorry.
The winds were a bit breezy up top so I turned in around 700 ft to start my downwind, performed a beautiful flat turn to get myself lined up perfectly where I wanted to land.
I was coming in all excited when, at about 15 feet, my brain stopped. Completely froze right then and there. Which means that my toggles made it to half brakes and stopped. Needless to say, what could have been a nearly flawless skydive ended in not-so-graceful fashion and a leg strap that needs a thorough scrubbing.
So I walked away pumped about the freefall and a bit red faced from the tumble. But, it solidifies my need to get in a canopy course stat. My confidence under this new 120 isn’t what it was with my previous Sabre 150 and Triathlon 135. I went through this once before in my skydiving career, being a bit of a headcase on landing, but this time I refuse to let it get the best of me. I know what I’m doing, or what I should be doing, so seriously, what’s my deal?!
(Note: Sometimes, giving yourself regular pep talks is all it takes to get your head out of your a$$ and get with the program.)
Regardless of the minor stumbles in the road, I couldn’t be more excited to get back into the sport that I’ve become so passionate about. I walked away that evening not only with a huge smile on my face, but feeling the weight of 5 months of stress on the ground slipping away. It was as if it I left it all in the airplane just prior to exit.
Sometimes, there’s just nothing better than a good skydive to make you appreciate your life. Can’t wait till the next one!
Love and Blue Skies!
Ashley
And so it begins
This weekend marks the beginning of the skydiving season (well, for me anyway). Last year I was blessed to have ample travel opportunities throughout the winter, along with a dropzone within driving distance that’d let me huck myself out of a Cessna on sunny, yet still frigid days. So needless to say there really wasn’t an “off season” for this chick last year.
I must admit, coming back is a bit nerve wracking. Attending Safety Day at both Skydive Chicago and Chicagoland Skydiving Center helped as they were both nice refreshers, but nothing can fully cure these butterflies aside from getting back in the sky!
With today being Friday I can’t help but have skydiving at the forefront of my mind. I’ve actually got a bit of spring in my step thinking about the upcoming adrenaline pumping Saturday. And though there was another canopy collision incident this week that lead to the death of two highly skilled skydiving instructors, those of us diving back in this weekend should learn from this and stay aware in the sky.
Safety first y’all.
So, along with the skydiving season comes a number of rituals, so to speak, that we skydivers seem to pick right back up, as if we’d never had a moment away.
- Compulsive weather checking. Maybe some of you do this all year anyway, but for most of us, we’re checking multiple times a day to see what the forecast is going to be for the upcoming weekend, the next day off or for an upcoming boogie (even if it’s weeks out). This is especially true for those of us who live in more weather temperamental locations. What can we say, we just can’t help it.
- Videos, Videos, VIDEOS. Whether it’s watching them on YouTube, Facebook or on the TV at the dropzone, filming them in the air, editing or sharing, the skydivers I know are all about videos…especially of themselves. This time of the year more and more videos appear on the interwebs and we are all eager to share our recent skydives with fellow jumpers and whuffos alike.
- Bye bye fair-weather outings. If it’s nice out, you know where to find the skydivers this time of year. So much for planning picnics, trips to the local beach, etc. Unless it’s too windy, any day that’s not rainy or cloudy is a dropzone day.
I’m sure there are many, many more, but it’s time for me to get some work done so I can get out there and jump!
For all those who are heading out to skydive this weekend, be safe and have a great one!
Blues ones!
-Ashley
Safety Day Recap
This year I attended Safety Day at two different dropzones. I’m lucky to live in an area where there are two high-quality establishments, each with their own unique community, but both having incredible staff and instructors.
Last weekend I headed down to Skydive Chicago after work on Friday. I made it in time for the break out sessions, learned about safety and emergency aircraft procedures, sat in on a canopy and emergency refresher and finished the evening with a discussion on planning a dive. The break out sessions were really nice in that it gave you a chance to ask more specific questions on particular subjects that you might not feel as comfortable asking in the larger group. It was also a way to be more hands on, practicing emergency canopy procedures and the like.
After the sessions it was time to hang out, eat, drink, and socialize, which took place right on site in the SDC lounge. They sure to have some nice facilities.
This weekend was Safety Day at Chicagoland Skydiving Center (CSC) at it’s new location in Rochelle, IL. Moving a dropzone is no easy task (not that I’m speaking from first-hand knowledge here, but from what I heard, it was a challenge) but plans for the new facilities are well underway and we have a temporary hangar in the meantime.
The day started with a refresher course led by Barry Williams, the head of Freefall University. Arriving in style (or rather, a couple hours late) I only caught two of the breakouts, but it was nice to see an arial of the new DZ and talk about outs, canopy control, etc.
The “official” safety day presentation was held lecture style, with presentations from a number of the staff talking about the new location, plans, aircraft, wingsuiting, fatalities, and more.
What I found interesting was a look at fatalities and the trends over time. We’re lucky to be at a place now where there are more USPA members than ever and less fatalities. This speaks volumes about the education and focus on safety in this sport. More than that, in the 70s and 80s there were a significant number of deaths due to low or no pull situations. These days, most fatalities have to do with canopy flight.
Looking at percentages from last year, 70% of the fatalities happened when equipment was completely fine. Scary huh. Between swooping and low turn accidents, to canopy collisions and unawareness, these types of issues could have been completely avoidable.
One thing that struck me between the two Safety Days was that there was a large focus on canopy skills. Emergency procedures were reviewed as always, but there just seemed to be this extra emphasis on ensuring safety from tracking away and deployment all the way back to being in the hangar. One of the instructors said it best, “the skydive isn’t over till you’re back in the hangar and packing up for that next jump.” Awareness and landing patterns where discussed and it was stressed more times than not to understand the canopy you’re flying and how to approach scary situations close to the ground.
Personally, a canopy course (or two) are at the top of my to-do list this season. Though I’m a small person, I’m flying a 120 square foot canopy – that’s high performance no matter which way you slice it – and I want to know everything I possibly can about the fabric that’s over my head and how to use it safely.
Having been in the sport for 2 full seasons, spending plenty of time on the ground (I am a wind pussy, after all) at dropzones and boogies around the country, I can’t recommend a solid canopy course enough. You never know when you’re going to need some last minute tips that could save your life, and the lives of your fellow jumpers.
:: off soapbox now ::
Hopefully everyone was able to attend Safety Day this year – or at least a refresher course with an instructor. This time of the year, nerves can get the best of you if you’re not prepared.
Hope to see everyone in the sky again soon.
Blue ones!
Ashley
Complacency can kill
It might be a bit dramatic, but it got you reading…and sadly, it can be very true.
For most, this goes without saying. As skydivers, awareness and attention is pounded into our brains from day 1 in AFF (or Static Line, or whatever training program you pursued).
But as we progress in the sport and become more comfortable – as with most aspects of life – we tend to have a element of complacency about us.
Expectations that things are going to work out the way they “should,” that our main is going to work perfectly, that everyone will fly the landing pattern, that the winds will stay steady for us to tiptoe out that landing, even that our packer will be having a good day so we can get right back up and do it all over again are not uncommon.
Of course, it helps to think this way, to visualize that everything works out the way it should, so you can focus on the tasks at hand. In fact, there’s actually an element of safety in doing so. But you can still do that while remaining an active participant in the safety game.
Doing small things like practicing your emergency procedures in the plane (touch those handles before every jump, just to remind yourself), working out and sticking to a dive plan with your fellow jumpers, and keeping your head on a swivel under canopy are a few good habits to get into to keep yourself, and those around you, safe.
One of the other things I do is try to stay as educated on the sport as possible. Read the incident reports and why things happen. Watch videos, learn from the good and the bad. Use your downtime (literally) to keep yourself aware. The more your head stays in the game when you’re on the ground, the more you’ll be with it in the sky.
Remember that muscle-memory stuff that was pounded into our heads as students? Same goes for your brain. Keep it active in the sport, even when you’re not jumping for one reason or another. That way, you won’t have to work so hard on that next outing to remember the little nuances of the sport (“is it normally a left-hand pattern?” “wait, do I turn right or left when approaching another jumper under canopy?”), it’ll all be fresh in your mind.
The take away here is that, no matter how skilled a skydiver you are, accidents happen. Luckily for us, there are a number of things you can do to help prevent these accidents from happening. What I mentioned above are just a few of the things you can do, recommendations that I’ve learned from my experiences. What other safety habits do y’all have?
Stay safe – and aware- out there!
Love and blue skies!
Ashley
It’s all custom!
Well it’s official, my brand new custom rig is complete thanks to the recent addition of my Sabre2 120. It came last week and I’ve been so excited to see it – even more so to fly it!
Custom teal with black ribs, one white and one black cell. LOVE!
Thankfully, CSC has plenty of riggers on staff that don’t mind helping a girl out. Though I’ve seen slinks put together a couple handful of times, I’m still not confident to do it myself. What can I say, I like to have someone who really knows what they’re doing make sure I’m squared away.
Between Doug (the dzo) and two rigger friends it was hooked up in no time. The hard part, was that first pack job. Ugh! Even though I was packing a 120 into a bag and container sized for a 135, it was still a bitch to get in there. It took me 2 attempts to get the slippery ass canopy into the bag, and another three attempts to get my container closed. But let me tell you what, it was worth the struggle.
That first jump was a three way freefly fun jump with Rick and Stephanie. We did a knee lock exit, of sorts, and broke off into a campfire sit. I have to admit my head wasn’t totally in the freefall as I was anticipating deployment.
I was going to pull a bit high, but by the time we broke off and I felt I’d sufficiently tracked away, I was at 3 grand.
The opening was a bit squirrely, with a long, long snivel but sloppy pack job could have lots to do with the weirdness. Once I got situated under canopy I was in heaven. Once again I had a canopy that responded to my direction and I managed to get to the ground in a decent amount of time. The flare was nice and strong…light winds and the landing was tip toe.
I couldn’t be more excited about this canopy. Thanks PD!
It’s too bad that the end of the season is so near. I just might have to plan a warm weather trip for the near future…any suggestions?
Blue skies!
Ashley
Night Jumps
Note: the post below includes facts about night jumps along with a significant amount of personal opinion from someone who didn’t enjoy the experience so much. Though I do still recommend people do them, especially if you want to get your D license, but more for the experience of it. You never know, you might be at the opposite end of the spectrum in that group of people who can’t get enough of them.
Something I will never fully understand is the love that people have for night jumps. Sure, they’re kinda cool in their own right – getting to see everything from a different perspective – but they’re also a bit scary.
I’m not a huge fan on not being able to clearly see where everyone is in the sky around me. That canopy collision last year really opened my eyes to what can happen if you don’t have a view of everyone under canopy. Even with the required lights and strobes you can’t always tell where your fellow jumpers are on these nightime adventures.
When talking about night jumps, let’s clarify a few things first.
Any jump between sunset and sunrise is considered a night jump…however, if you’re doing these to meet license requirements (two night jumps are required in order to get your D license) or to establish any type of world record, these jumps have to take place at least one hour past sunset and one hour before sunrise. In other words, it has to be dark dark, not just after official sunset.
Given that these jumps are special, they require special equipment that isn’t necessary during the day. Aside from the obvious – clear goggles, lighted altimeter – the UPSA BRSs require a light visible for at least three statute miles displayed from opening until the jumper is on the ground and sufficient on-the-ground lighting so jumpers can see where they’re going as they get close to the ground.
Side note here, that was the scariest part of it all for me. Though I was able to land in a lighted area, shadows and darkness still very much affect your ability to judge distance to the ground and speed at which you’re coming in. I was thankful to walk away with both my ankles in tact.
Every dropzone has a different method for illuminating the landing area. We had hangar lights that provided a nice little target to hit…if you landed in it, you could see your feet and the ground clearly. Other dropzones have cars parked out on the runway with their lights on, or there are flares on the ground or they have flood lights in the LZ. I’m sure any combination of those would work nicely.
Anyway, though it’s not noted in the SIM, most dropzones also require that you wear a red light and a yellow light (red on the front, yellow on the back) so that people can know if you’re coming toward them under canopy. This is pretty smart, and it works…so long as everyone sticks to the rule of turning right if you’re coming toward each other.
For your D license requirements, you’re expected to do two night jumps – the first solo, the second in a group. Rick and I did our night jumps together at Start Skydiving earlier this summer. For us, the solo jumps were hop ‘n pops..from 6 grand. We had a group of 3 jumpers, each taking a shorter delay out the door than the next…5 second, 3 second, 1 second. Given that I was the lightest jumper in our group, I went last, with the shortest delay out the door. So essentially I pulled at 6,000 ft. The worst part about it was that you’re not allowed to play around under canopy, so needless to say I was bored. Sure, I got to watch the lightening storm that was taking place to the north of the DZ, but other than that it was total snoozefest for me. That first night jump sorta put a bad taste in my mouth.
Though the next jump was better. Our group jump was supposed to be a 4-way RW skydive, turning points and all that nonsense. But, after bugging our instructor, he let us do a two way instead. So Rick and I jumped out linked, did a little kissy kissy in the sky and spent the rest of the time doing 360s and checking out the scenery. In hindsight it was actually pretty awesome. Though I still can’t say I crave night jumps. In fact, I’d be completely okay if I never did another one.
To me, they’re boring and dangerous. That doesn’t seem possible to be both at the same time, I know, but that’s my opinion of them. As I noted earlier, there’s a good chance that if you haven’t tried them already, you’ll like them when you do. As for me, I’ll be happily watching you on the ground, with beer in hand.
Blue skies!
Ashley
Breaking out of the comfort zone
As skydivers, one thing we learn early on is that, in order to improve, you’ve gotta step out of your comfort zone. I mean, hello, skydiving in itself is stepping out of that zone…that’s part of the whole point, is it not?
Though I do have to admit, there have been times while freeflying where I get into this comfort zone and tend to stay there. This happened the first time when I really got my sit down and didn’t want to mess it up by trying to move. So I didn’t. I stayed. Forward penetration and sideways movement to get to the group just wasn’t a priority. I had this sit, and I knew how to make it work, and I wasn’t going to do anything that could potentially mess that up.
Then, one day I went up with Sporto and he flew circles around me (literally) as I hung out in this rigid sit. Back on the ground he was like, “breathe, relax, smile and do something.”
He went on to tell me that I’ve got the fundamentals, I just need to put them in motion, start moving, start docking, and if you cork in the process, you cork, but just hanging out doing only what works will never help you improve.
Good point, Sporto! So I took it to heart. I did a lot of zoo dives with 4-5 other freeflyers and it taught me how to move! It was no longer a knee lock exit into relative sit where Rick and I just stare at each other – it was time to stand to get down to the group, push my hips forward and get moving!
I’ve noticed this same thing with docking. There are times where, my concern of “ruining” the jump overtakes my knowledge that, if I reach forward, I should move my other arm up or back to keep balanced. These are things I know, but they’re out of that precious little comfort zone, and it can be difficult to move past it.
After jumps like this, Rick and I can’t help but laugh at each other – we should have just gone for it. And if we cork, at least my video camera can show us visual evidence of what went wrong.
I’m sure other skydivers out there have experienced this… right? I mean, in the end, we’re all working to get out of our comfort zone, whether it’s taking that first step out the door, learning another discipline, playing with front riser turns under canopy…whatever it is, aren’t we all struggling to get comfortable with the unfamiliar?
One of the things I’ve heard a lot lately is from students/recent A licensers who are having issues with landing. Whether it’s finding your flare, setting up a landing pattern, standing up landings, or even just not landing off, these issues too can stem from being outside your comfort zone, and all of these things can be perfected with practice.
I’ve come to learn that having the attitude that,”I’m going to do this for myself,” really helps you get to that point. Trying to prove something to others only puts additional pressure on the situation, but if it’s something you really want, then make it happen for you. Besides, you can’t let little slip ups be the death of you, especially in front of others. From time to time we all cork, we all have a messy landing, we all have off days – even the best skydivers out there! So if you take out a formation and it gets caught on video, or you slide in a landing and catch a dry spot only to land it on your hands and knees in front of the entire DZ (like I did this weekend…oops), not to worry, because someone else is likely to do something else stupid in the near future. Then it can be your turn to rib them for it!
My two cents – take it or leave it. 
Anyway – that all leads me back to this: step out of your comfort zone. Do something that scares you (and if that means making that first skydive, then what are you waiting for?), test out those front riser turns the next time you’re under canopy with time to kill – above 2,000 feet, give those freefly skills another try. Whatever it is that makes you nervous, do it…safely.
You might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of – and you may even learn a thing or two along the way.
Blue skies!
Ashley
A little on downsizing
This weekend Rick and I headed to Start Skydiving in Middleton, Ohio with our friend Joe for a weekend of “all you can eat” skydiving as we were calling it. They were running a special, $210 for all the jumps you can make in a weekend. We had to take advantage of that!
The first day we made 10 skydives, so Sunday we jumped for free! That’s good stuff right there.
We also were able to make night jumps for our D-license requirements. This is a great dropzone to do night jumps, the LZ is huge and the hangar lights shine into part of the designated landing area so if you’re accurate you can see your feet as you land, making it pretty cakey if you ask me.
Lots of great freefly jumps were made this weekend, too! More docks than I’ve ever made in a single weekend, and my partner and I realized just how much we’re getting it together. Fall rate is less of an issue than it’s ever been and we spend most of our jumps face to face, docking on each other. I LOVE skydiving with him!!
I also was able to demo a “new” canopy this weekend. On the first jump of the weekend we were teamed up with one of the local freeflyers who mentioned that he had a Sabre2 for sale. This got my attention as that’s what I’ve had my eyes open for lately – but when he mentioned it was a 120, I was hesitant.
After a few conversations with trusted friends and fellow jumpers, I felt confident that I could fly it. So I took it for a spin on a hop ‘n pop. I went without a weight belt, or even a jumpsuit, just to get a flavor of how it flew. It opened like a dream…definitely a different story than my Sabre 1. The responsiveness is incredible, pull a toggle and it goes! Landing was a breeze too – the flare is nice and strong, so even coming in a little hot I’m able to get it to slow up enough to tiptoe out.
So, I decided to take it for a full-altitude skydive on the next jump, weight belt, jumpsuit and all. Sure enough, I loved it just as much on this jump too!
I continued to use this canopy throughout the weekend – even through night jumps. It finally feels like I’m in charge of the canopy and I can make it do what I want…and I’m not staying in the sky for 10 minutes! So I brought it home for my rigger to inspect…fingers crossed.
Now, here’s my disclaimer. For anyone who is counting, I skipped a step in the canopy downsize process. I started on a Triathlon 160, downsized to a Sabre 1 150 and now I’m on to a 120. As I mentioned earlier, I was hesitant when he said 120, I even mentioned that “it’d be great if it was a 135,” but given that I’m about 130 pounds out the door, those with much more experience than me advised that I’d be alright.
Normally, I wouldn’t recommend people skip steps in downsizing like this, but every person is different and it all depends on your flying ability and what you want to do with the canopy. After almost 10 jumps on it, I definitely feel confident. This canopy gives me room to grow. There’s so much I can do with it over time. And for right now, as a pretty conservative canopy pilot, it gets me to the ground quickly and safely.
So when it comes time to downsize, demoing is a good idea. You never know what you might be getting yourself into, so try before you buy and see what’s right for you.
Blue skies!
Ashley
BASE WEEK with Miles Daisher
Welcome back to BASE week! Today we’re going to hear from one of the most visible characters in BASE jumping.
If you’rve heard of BASE, you’ve heard of this guy. That’s right kids, it’s Miles Daisher!
*Photo credit unavailable as I borrowed this from his Facebook page. Hope that’s alright. But this is one wicked picture!
I feel so honored to have the chance to chat with Miles and find out more about what makes him tick. So let’s have at it shall we?
SDC: So let’s dive right in with the standard first question: how and when did you get your start in skydiving? Tell us your story…
MD: I became addicted to skydiving September 6, 1995. I’d always wanted to try it and when my roommate Frank “The Gambler” Gambalie (skydiver, BASE jumper and hero) told me where to go, I booked an AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) course at Skydance Skydiving center in Davis, California. Three days of classroom and coached jumping while passing all of my 7 level jumps to begin hucking my monkey from scareplanes on my own. Since then I’ve quit all previous jobs I’ve had (a variety of all types) and focused on keeping myself in the parachuting world.
SDC: That’s pretty incredible! I’m a huge believer in following your passions and doing what you love, all the time. Your story is a great example of that. I’m sure a lot of people out there envy that – and I’m sure you hear that all the time
SDC: So when and how did you transition to BASE?
MD: Watching Frank’s BASE videos was always really cool. When I saw one in particular of a jump from the Troll Spire on the Great Troll wall in Norway where Frank jumped and tracked away from the wall for 26 second before pulling his pilot chute to open his parachute. He was flying his body away from the wall and this sparked my interest to get involved with fixed object parachuting. From the EARTH! I’ve lived my dream and have had the opportunity to jump the Troll wall from Frank’s exit point, the Troll Spire. This was one of the pinnacle jumps that I’ve ever done!
I started on bridges that were the safest things to jump in case your opening faces a direction other than the heading that you choose. If you have a 180 degree off heading opening on a cliff or a building you will have only an instant to correct the direction your parachute is flying before you strike or hit the object you jumped from. With a 20 MPH forward speed on these canopies we fly, things can happen fast and usually do. Bridges are the safest way to start. I take baby steps with every goal I have so I may enjoy the ride to conquer each challenge as safe as possible.
SDC: Do you frequently get to skydive these days or are you all BASE all the time?
MD: I still Skydive quite a bit. I LOVE it. Compared to BASE jumping, Skydiving is a fun time, walk in the park where you get to dance in the sky with your friends. Also you can train to do many things for BASE jumping while having a safe amount of time in the air as well as more time to dial in tricks and ways to fly your body more proficiently while skydiving. I also perform Demonstration jumps with the Red Bull Air Force from aircraft. I’ve even started a new sport called Skyaking (see picture above) that involves skydiving while in a kayak. The freefall can be tricky but I think I’ve got a good handle on this now and the landings are really fun. Swooping into a lake, river or even a ditch while strapped in a Skayak is always a great time!
SDC: That’s incredible – I’ve seen some of the videos of this and you can’t help but smile while watching you having a blast up there, in a kayak! Where do you do most of your skydiving these days – where do you consider your “home DZ” I suppose?
MD: I’ve had a few different home DZs. I started in Skydance Skydiving then moved to Lodi for years. Then I learned to do tandems and packed a bunch at Skydive Lake Tahoe when I became a professional parachutist. It is hard for me to call one place my home DZ. Nowadays I’ll call the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls Idaho my home DZ as I do more BASE jumps than anything else. Or anyone else, because I can here in this BASE jumping friendly environment. At 2,669 BASE jumps I’m catching up to the 3,100 skydives I’ve done. Last spring I’d call Sebastian Florida my home DZ. I must say that I’ve been SUPER fortunate to be able to call Lauterbrunnen Switzerland my home DZ last summer as we’ve (Red Bull Air Force) been shooting a 3D movie called Human Flight for a few months. Check out humanflight3dmovie.com to see some of what we were up to. Mostly big wall proximity flying with squirrel suits. I’d have to say it is tough to point a finger at one DZ to call home when I love to visit them all.
SDC: We’ve all seen at least one Miles D video and there’s always one common denominator – you are very high energy! What’s your secret?
MD: The secret to the high energy I have while skydiving and BASE jumping is this . . . When you do things you are passionate about, you do them 115%, or put everything into them. When you love what you do, you get excited about it. For me and this instance, I find it really easy to get excited about flying parachutes and my body through the air. It is super sensory overload for me. I love it! Then there is the rest of my life where my mom would always tell me to settle down and stay still which I’m still not truly understanding why and what she really means by this. As well as the fact that I love the Red Bull energy drink that keeps my vitamin B levels up to where I enjoy them. Caffeine is good for you too if you like to get after stuff. I guess the ADD in me is a good thing and I’ve harnessed the power of it and sustained for life with some help drinking the right stuff.
SDC: What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had in this sport?
MD: I’ve had many super memorable moments in the air with my friends. One that really let’s me feel that I can conquer anything and do anything if I put my mind to it as well as enjoy each moment to the fullest, is when I did a 2 way with Shane McConkey (my best friend and BASE partner) from the Troll wall in our squirrel suits to actually live the dream and experience the reason I’ve been driving so hard and learning so much to safely get to where I am today. We jumped together at sunset after our Norwegian friends showed us the way to the top and flew for what seemed like forever. Shane shot video of me and I just looked around and soaked it all in. I didn’t even fly well and wasn’t really trying to. I was enjoying the moment the entire day! Shane was yelling at me to Go man Go! and was buzzing around me like a bee trying to get me to fly faster but I just smiled and thought about The Gambler and the good times we’ve all had together. Then after we landed in a field by the road, I hid behind a hay stack because the jump we did wasn’t exactly legal. Shane made fun of me and did the most hilarious John Belushi impersonation while in the wide open field, running side to side and diving on the ground to hide. Then he’d get up again and run side to side and dive on the ground to make fun of how stupidly paranoid I was of getting caught. We laughed for hours on this while we had pizza in the landing area with our Norwegian BASE tour guides toasting a few beers as the sun disappeared on us.
Ahhhhhh the stuff dreams are made of. That’s for sure.
SDC: That sounds amazing. That’s one thing about parachuting I’ve come to love the most – experiencing these moments with good friends. There’s nothing quite like it! Aside from Bridge Day, what are some of the must-attend boogies and events in the skydiving and BASE world?
MD: If you ever get a chance to go to Malaysia to jump the KL Tower, DO IT! To me this event is the funnest. That is a word too. It’s a multi day BASE boogie with cultural celebrations and all the jumps you can handle off the 1,000 ft tower. There is an organized multi week tour that travels the country and has demonstration jumps at many different buildings. I’d like to have enough time to do this someday but the KL Tower is the crowned jewel of the trip from what I hear. I’m trying to get myself organized up on this adventure again this year.
SDC: Malaysia has always been a place I’ve wanted to visit. Maybe now there’s another reason…What’s the best piece of advice (related to skydiving/BASE jumping or not) that you’ve ever been given?
MD: The best advice I’ve gotten in my life is “Pay Attention!” You can learn a lot by observing. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Unless you have a question of course. Many people want to get into BASE and start hucking flips and do cool tricks right away. Best thing you can do is to get your FUNdamentals dialed in and perfected before starting to get rad. When you do want to learn something new, break it down into pieces and practice each part so that your motor muscle memory can save you when your brain doesn’t. Baby steps take longer to do but will get you to your goals safer than going full tilt taking chances and missing out on the Journey that is ever so important and a big part of the whole big picture.
SDC: With the amount you have on your plate you must have a very supportive family?
MD: I gotta give huge props to my wife Nikki and children. I don’t know where I’d be without their support and trust and faith in me and what I do. My lifestyle is kinda crazy in the (not so) real world of normalcy. I have a crazy schedule that is subject to change at a few days notice. Hard to make every soccer game, gymnastics meet and even birthday party. We all support each other like a team. I’m super blessed to have such an understanding and helpful family who has my back no matter what. The same thing said for me to them. I don’t take unnecessary risks even when I’m doing the “crazy” stuff I do. There is a method to my madness. I plan on sticking around for years and years to be able to brag up the good times with great friends and give my kids as much grief as possible unless they remain the almost perfect angels that they are for the rest of their lives. I try to surround myself with good people and abide by the great words of Bill and Ted on their adventures “Be excellent to each other.” This would be the one moment where my wife would not support me in my cheesiness as she thinks I’m a dork sometimes. The thing is, she is right and I’m glad she can keep it real too. I can handle it when I’m right and she can’t seem to appreciate the goodness of a quality movie I believe in.
SDC: So for all those aspiring BASE jumpers out there here’s one you’ll appreciate: If you could give one piece of advice to newbie BASE jumpers, what would it be?
MD: If you would like to learn to BASE jump, come check me out at Miles D’s BASE Camp and learn a safe approach to a dangerous sport. Or at least take your time while you PAY ATTENTION to the do’s more than the don’ts of the sport. Know what can go wrong and be ready for anything but plant the super positive seed in your head to ready yourself for the perfect outcome of every jump. Not false confidence but know what you have to do to make the perfect landing happen every time you step off the Earth. The biggest thing is to know your gear, it’s tendencies and how to make it do the right thing . . . land safe.
Blue skies! Rock On!
Thanks Miles! This was a treat!
I highly recommend checking out any and all of Miles’ videos – it’s some good stuff.
Blue ones!
Ashley