An idea about AADs for consideration

[IanHarrop 42]

In many places AADs are becoming mandatory but this creates a problem for those with multiple rigs.
So why not make the expensive part, the part with the brains, so it could be moved between rigs. This would require the AAD to have a separate pouch on the outside of container and change the way the connection to the cutter is routed.

Sure placing the device outside of the reserve pack tray may make it more susceptible to damage so it may have to be built tougher and the connection to the cutter may have to be better engineered to withstand lots of attaching/detaching, but on the other hand the display and on/off switch could be incorporated into the main unit.

It sure would make it easier for those with multiple rigs to be able to use an AAD with any rig they have. Feel free to shoot holes in this idea - I'm a firm believer that to have any good ideas, you have to have lots of ideas and this is only one. So what do you think?

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[kelpdiver 2]

Not much incentive for the manufacturer. Reduced sales, increased likelihood it will fail, resulting in risk of litigation.

Given the sort of incidents we've already seen with miss set units wrt altitude, or modes on the Vigil, how do you allow that sort of flexibility without more goofs?

And if it worked perfectly, a DZ could in theory get away with just having a small pool of the brain units- maybe 2 for every slot the plane can fly.

[FrogNog 1]

The problem this creates for people with multiple rigs is that each of their rigs becomes more expensive to buy and maintain.

Skydiving is expensive. Having multiple rigs is taking it to a slightly higher level. Adding AADs into that raises the cost further, but I personally don't see it as a big deal - it's always been "pay to play" and AADs are actually cheap life insurance.

I think improvements in design, testing, manufacturing, quality control, and testing of AADs, with the goal of bringing the cost down, is a better direction to try to go. I expect time and competition will do this.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[riggerrob 643]

Ian,
You silly boy!
Hee!
Hee!
The feature you want was available 20 years ago in SSE's Sentinel AAD. Sentinels were popular with schools back in the 1970s and 1980s.
It was ridiculously easy to unplug the cutter, so easy that most schools wrapped duct tape around the plug to prevent students from un-plugging accidentally.
Unfortunately, I discarded my last Sentinel when I moved this past winter because no-one has me to repack a Sentinel in this century.

[tbrown 26]

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Not much incentive for the manufacturer. Reduced sales, increased likelihood it will fail

Anybody who can afford to own multiple rigs should be able to own multiple AADs for them.

One of the attractions of the Cypres & Vigil is that they're setup inside the rig, so nothing's showing or exposed. Why take a step back to the way things used to be ? And if you keep moving parts around, the things are likelier to fail.

We just had a fatality this year at Perris with a perfectly functional Cypres because the user didn't understand how to properly turn the thing on, and she wasn't even switching parts from rig to rig.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[councilman24 37]

Of course you didn't have to move the sentinel because you just hooked the chest mount reserve on the other rig!

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[airtwardo 7]

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Of course you didn't have to move the sentinel because you just hooked the chest mount reserve on the other rig!

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Boy THOSE were the days huh!


What could be safer then having a 'slide hammer' with a handle on it...tied to a 6' rope that's connected to the riser...dental work be damned boys...it's FOOL PROOF!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Harksaw 0]

To do this, I believe the FARs would have to change. You would essentially be changing the reserve system without getting it recertified by a rigger.

__________________________________________________
I started skydiving for the money and the chicks. Oh, wait.

[riggerrob 643]

Ian's idea would be fairly easy to rig, just leave a small hole in the corner of the reserve container with the cutter cable hanging out.
A pocket sewn to the outside of the mid wall would still house the battery box, then you would need to figure out an easy way to route the control head.
This type of design work is best done at the manufacturer level.

[hipgnosis 0]

I'm sure it could be done but I sure wouldn't want it.

Most of the time when I'm using both of my rigs it's for the purpose of doing back to backs while team training. I'd rather have everything I need in one container that I can quickly grab and go to the loading area then need to think about detaching this, connecting that, etc.

Plus, I like the fact that the Cypress and it's connectors are well protected - I've seen too many connections fail because of corrosion (salt air/humidity), dirt getting in the connection, etc.) to feel comfortable with unplugging, plugging it in again.


Bill

[faulknerwn 38]

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Anybody who can afford to own multiple rigs should be able to own multiple AADs for them.

That really depends - I teach a lot of CRW and I've somehow managed to accumulate 6 rigs - 5 of which have CRW canopies in them. The last 3 rigs I've only paid between $400-$600 total for the container and the reserve. They're older, they're not super freefly-friendly, but they work great for CRW. They're all Racers so trying to find 6 Cypreses and keep them up to date would be seriously cost-prohibitive.

I know there are a bunch of jumpers up in Canada who have a rig for freefall (often with a Cypres) and another rig for CRW and a bigger rig for an accuracy canopy. Many can't afford nor want a Cypres for their CRW and accuracy rigs though they do for their freefall one.

I was at a CRW boogie this past weekend - I bet there were at least 10-15 containers being jumped that were made in 1990 or before.. Just because people may have multiple rigs doesn't mean they're expensive multiple rigs..

W

[Spizzzarko 0]

The military has been doing it for years. It's the FF2, although not as reliable as the cypress, they have been doing that for a long time.

[pchapman 279]

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Anybody who can afford to own multiple rigs should be able to own multiple AADs for them.

The last 3 rigs I've only paid between $400-$600 total for the container and the reserve. They're older, they're not super freefly-friendly, but they work great for CRW.

I agree with Wendy that extra rigs aren't necessarily all shiny new and expensive. I'm one of those jumpers with a decent 'fast rig' with a Cypres 2 plus a couple older rigs for CRW / wingsuit / accuracy / back to back loads, etc. Being a rigger helps to maintain & assemble all of this stuff.

None of my rigs ended up costing more than the new Cypres 2 alone!

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

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Anybody who can afford to own multiple rigs should be able to own multiple AADs for them.

I have two sport rigs, my wife has two sport rigs, and we own a tandem rig. Katie has just recently put an AAD (a Vigil) in her second rig, but I simply don't care to put one in my second rig.

Chuck