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From: alcmist@ssc-vax.UUCP (Frederick Wamsley)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive
Subject: Re: First Jump on New Gear
Message-ID: <571@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 28-Mar-85 01:49:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.571
Posted: Thu Mar 28 01:49:02 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 29-Mar-85 00:33:11 EST
References: <41800003@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 35

> 	one else.  Oddly enough, I found that I couldn't achieve anything close
> 	to a vertical, head-down body position for fast diving--the best I 
> 	could do was about a 45 degree angle, which made me track like hell but
> 	not drop all that much faster.  
Whenever I've been in a good head-down dive, I've always felt almost
upside down.  Experiment with trying to kick your feet backward once
you're head down.  The feeling of starting a head-down dive is unmistakable--
you feel like you've lost all support.  In fact, you feel like you're 
falling :-) 
> 	     I've never used a throw-out pilot chute before, so I was a little
> 	nervous that I would accidentally yank on the break-away handle, which
> 	is right where my ripcord used to be.  Well I didn't, but one minor
> 	problem that I had was locating the pilot-chute handle.  It only took
> 	me a second or two to locate it, but it's somewhat unnerving because I
> 	can't really see it.  I've noticed that some throw-outs are located on
> 	the belly-band, which makes them easy to see, but others, like mine, are
> 	located on the leg strap.  
There have been religious wars fought over pilot-chute placement.  Belly-bands 
are easy to see, but also easy to run under the main lift web.  My personal
favorite is putting the pilot chute in a pocket on the FRONT of the legstrap.

Reaching for your hand-deploy will be second nature after a few weeks of
active jumping. 
> 	     The Raven opens very briskly--in fact, a little too briskly.  I've
> 	been told that rolling the nose during packing will slow it down a 
> 	little.  Any comments or other suggestions on that?  
My experience with a Cruisair may 
not be very applicable, but rolling the nose worked fine for me. 

Thank you for the review of the Raven, by the way.

Fred Wamsley   D8844 
-- 
UUCP:{ihnp4,decvax}!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!alcmist ARPA:ssc-vax!alcmist@uw-beaver
It's not my employer's fault if I say something absurd.