Four Hours
100 Skydivers.
12 inches of Snow.
Lots of Information.

The snow was falling hard and fast, but that was no deterrent to almost 100 skydivers who know that safety is an on-going learning experience and they were going to be there no matter what Old Man Winter threw at us.

The location this year was the Alpine Ridge Golf Course's 19th Hole, and while the fairways and greens were waiting for summer under twelve inches of new snow, inside the discussion was hot and heavy on topics central to the safety of our sport:

AGENDA

1. Introduction by Paula Philbrook, USPA Safety and Training Advisor.

2. "The Time for Thinkers Has Come" by Bill Purdin (below), USPA Safety and Training Advisor. Bill discussed the "role model" that all skydivers present while on the drop zone. Noting that nationally instructors all state that instruction is 30% technique and 70% psychology, all skydivers have an obligation to seek continuing education in our sport and to always present a professional demeanor and consideration of others. He mentioned the new trends in skydiving: professional teaching techniques including trend analysis and skills analysis techniques and the increasingly high tech nature of our equipment and skills. All skydivers at Pepperell were encouraged to take advantage of the training opportunities offered each year: safety, canopy control, relative work, instructional rating courses, freefly and many other aspects.

3. "Skydiver of the Year" by Fran Strimenos (below) Drop zone Owner. This year instead of singling out an individual skydiver who made an important contribution to Pepperell Skydiving, although "There were many," she said, Fran gave the award to "Catchers," those people who volunteer to assist in Tandem landings by "catching" and helping to collapse the canopies when winds are up. She said that these people make our drop zone safer and give up jumps and personal time. There was a rousing round of applause from the group, all of whom know how important "catchers" are to our sport.

Fran also reminded the audience that Pepperell is the home of the first safety day ever held.


4. Drop zone Accident Report. Fran discussed this report with the audience and it was clear that our record in 2004 was a great year with very incidents and all of them minor without series injury.

5. "Medical Emergencies" by Melissa Johnson (left). Melissa discussed actions which are appropriate in emergencies, discussed Pepperell's Emergency Response Plan, and invited skydivers to attend the annual staff refreshers in First Aid and CPR.

6. FAA Presentation. Our regional representative from the FAA, David O'Sullivan, (right) made a presentation of regulations concerning skydiving, including "dropping objects from an aircraft,", drugs and alcohol, seat belts, NOTAMs, and the requirements and use of oxygen.

7. Don Mayer (below), owner of the Parachute Shop, one of the country's largest and most versatile rigging operations, made a few announcements and some comments on current equipment issues.



8. "National Accident Report," by Senior Safety and Training Advisor, Paula Philbrook. Paula reported to the audience the statistics and information behind the annual skydiving accident report compiled by the United States Parachute Association. Taking each case and reporting the circumstances and outcomes generated almost an hour of discussion of safety and avoidance strategies.

9. "Cameras in the Sky" by AFF Instructor and Videographer Phil Roberson (below). Phil discussed the important elements of flying a camera for skydivers currently thinking of entering this area of our sport and then offered important safety tips for experienced skydivers who make jumps with a camera flyer videoing them. He covered the issues raised by cameras in the sky, including the dirt dive, ride to altitude, exiting, free fall, canopy and moving on the ground in the landing area.


10. "Canopy Control," by Tom McLaughlin (below), 13,000 plus skydives. Tom offered a careful evaluation of safe canopy flying offering common sense techniques as well as the wisdom of someone with 13,000 skydives. He called on skydivers to fly defensively, keep track of all skydivers under canopy in the sky, always fly "in control," and to exercise special awareness on issues of separation at exit and at opening, where most collisions occur. He spoke about how many people skydivers have to help them from the drop zone owners, coaches and instructors, staff, pilots, and packers ... everywhere except when under canopy when we are all on our own and where our ability to totally focus on the task of finding a safe, clear area to land is so important.

11. "Pre-Season Equipment Inspection" by Tom Noonan.

Main Closing Loop: Check for fraying of loop
Did you know: The majority of wear and tear on your main closing loop is caused by removing the pull up cord AFTER the pin is placed through the loop?
Did you know: There are techniques that can be used to prevent this premature wear and tear when removing the pull up cord? Ask a rigger or packer for a demonstration.

Pilot Chute Spandex: Worn BOC (Bottom of Container) spandex pouch is a leading cause of premature deployments during freefall.  If your spandex appears loose or fraying, or your pilot chute does not sit firming in the BOC pouch, have it replaced. Minimal cost for maximum BOC safety.

Riser Covers: Can you stick your finger under the riser covers and open them with ease? Worn riser covers can cause premature brake-line release on opening that greatly increases your chance of a malfunctioning main parachute/cutaway.

Three Ring Flexing: Once a month, your Three Ring Assembly on your main risers should be flexed and rotated to help ensure proper function during emergency procedures.  Not sure how to do it?  Ask the riggers at the Parachute Shop to show you.

Riser Inspection: Inspect your risers from top to bottom for any frays or broken threads woven throughout the risers.  Tensile strength (how much weight your risers can support) can be greatly effected by broken threads and fraying.  If you notice any substantial wear on your risers, bring it to the attention of a staff rigger.

Soft Link Inspection: Soft Links have a tendency to “rotate” around their point of attachment on the main risers.  While this situation does not affect the integrity of the soft link, it can create a potential hazard by snagging excess brake line during the deployment sequence.  A simple “tacking” can be done by your rigger to ensure your Soft Links function properly and decrease your chances of a steering line malfunction.

Relining: When was the last time you relined your canopy? Most people these days don’t jump a single canopy long enough to need a reline, but if you’ve ever bought a used canopy, you may be approaching the practical lifespan of your canopy’s line set trim. Line replacement is effected by the jumper’s weight, canopy size, and environment. Typical life spans include: Dacron & Microline - 350-500 Jumps, Vectran & Spectra - 400 jumps. The Parachute Shop does re-lining on most canopies.

Cutaway Velcro & Reserve Handle Velcro: How well does your Velcro hold your emergency handles to your harness system? Inspection should be done to both handle’s Velcro.  Weak Velcro can increase the risk of emergency procedure problems. It’s another quick fix for your rigger that will increase the functionality of your gear.

Cutaway Cable Cleaning: Once a month your cutaway cables need to be cleaned and lubricated to ensure proper functioning in an emergency situation. Not sure how?  Ask your rigger to show you.

Brake Line Twists: Let’s face it, untwisting brake lines is a bore. But ... it’s also the easiest way to prevent tension knots in your brake lines and it also helps keep your canopy flying and flaring at an optimal level.  Every year canopies are cutaway (some even get lost in the trees) because of tension knots in brake lines.  Untwisting once a weekend and proper toggle stowage after landing can greatly reduce this potential malfunction.

Excess Brake Line Stowage: Another leading cause of canopy malfunctions results from excess brake line that is unstowed along the riser channels of your container.  A quick modification to your risers can be done by your rigger or bring it to the Parachute Shop. It will GREATLY REDUCE the potential of snagging your excess brake line on anything during deployment.

MIRAGE RESERVE MODIFICATION: If you are jumping a Mirage Container manufactured prior to December 2004, it must be modified at the next repack to meet the requirements of the manufacture. Only a Master Riggers is authorized to perform this modification. Contact the Parachute Shop, there is no charge for this repair.
Please contact Don Mayer or Tom Noonan with any questions.

All photos by Phil Roberson, except the one him which was taken by Chad Gronbach.


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