I had plenty of simulation training during my Air Force pilot training.
Forty years later, I bought a ram air emergency chute and got training at
the local jump club. What a rush! I'm now quite comfortable with the
prospect of jumping, though I don't want to leave my glider.

BTW, the ram air chute opens much quicker than a round chute, has a forward
speed of about 11-15 kts and is highly maneuverable. Mr. Silver's advice
was to take a tandem jump, but that was not for me. I took the IAD
(Instructor Aided Deployment) approach whereby the instructor holds my pilot
chute in his hand as I crawl out onto the platform. When I arch and go, he
tosses my pilot chute. I then have the whole sky to myself to get familiar
with flying the canopy.

The flying part (with a square chute) is easy as pie for a glider pilot(!)
and you fly the same kind of traffic pattern with essentially the same
altitudes as in a glider. You're just a bit closer to the touchdown zone.
It was so much fun that I did it six more times, but the cost was a bit high
to continue without buying my own equipment...


"Jp Stewart" wrote in message
...
On Sunday, March 3, 2013 12:01:11 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 3/2/2013 5:31 PM, Chris Nicholas wrote:

If you have not already seen it, you might learn something from

this:



http://uras.gliderpilot.net/?op=s2&id=35764&vt=



(You may have to register and log in to read the explanatory text,

but I think you can click directly onto the related video without

that if you wish –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kx-b...LQPQ nZBqf_Ih



I've never heard of the "undo the chest strap first" rule. Must not be a

very important one, if it's that much work to get into trouble.



--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to

email me)

The explanation given he http://www.iac52.org/safetywise/safetywise.html
is that if you have landed or are being dragged you undo the chest strap
first, if you don't and the chute inflates it could choke you as it drags
you.

JP