Freakiest rigging customer?

[riggerrob 643]

Who was your freakiest rigging customer?

Mine was in Elsinore, in the mid-1990s.
Buddy brought his round reserve in for an I&R.
When the bromocreasal turned all sorts of scary colors - and a Master Rigger confirmed that it was scary - I called the customer and suggested washing his canopy.
"Can't we wait until the next repack?"

[ChrisClark 0]

We had a very experienced skydiver who wanted the chest strap removed from his gear as he was convinced that it was not that necessary!

[NewGuy2005 53]

What's bromocreasal?? Thanks!!

[masterrig 1]

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What's bromocreasal?? Thanks!!

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It is a chemical used to test for the presence of acid in Nylon mesh found on round parachutes. This all comes from a 'scare' during the 1980's, 1990's and to the present day. It primarily concerned the now defunct (in the U.S.): G.Q. Security co. of San Leandro, Calif. That company made pilot emergency parachutes and harness-containers.


Chuck

[masterrig 1]

In this case, it wasn't so much the customer as the gear! On several occasions over a 5-yr. period, I had different people bring the same two parachutes and harness-container to me for assembly, inspection and pack. Both parachutes had been jumped to the point of dirty, nasty! All of the gear was 1970's era. One of the parachutes was 'supposed' to be a reserve. No labels on anything! All of the people who brought that 'junk' to me had paid $500.00 for all of it. I refused to pack any of it and told each person who brought it to me that they bought some 'high-dollar' boat covers. The last I saw any of that 'gear' was 2-yrs. ago.


Chuck

[tcnelson 1]

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What's bromocreasal?? Thanks!!

bromocresol (aka. bromocresol green) is a pH indicator. it is a liquid that is green at pH's above 4.3 and yellow at pH's below 4.3.

"Don't talk to me like that assface...I don't work for you yet." - Fletch
NBFT, Deseoso Rodriguez RB#1329

[tdog 0]

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What's bromocreasal?? Thanks!!

____________________________________

It is a chemical used to test for the presence of acid in Nylon mesh found on round parachutes. This all comes from a 'scare' during the 1980's, 1990's and to the present day. It primarily concerned the now defunct (in the U.S.): G.Q. Security co. of San Leandro, Calif. That company made pilot emergency parachutes and harness-containers.


Chuck

So being the creative mind I am, I must ask... Are we talking Acid, like the drug - or Acid, like a chemical with acidic properties... Because if it was the drug, your customers were wasting too much money on their skydiving habits if they are in the delusional state that they think giving their canopies acid will help their performance.

But seriously, what was the scare that caused all this?

[masterrig 1]

No, I'm referring to the 'non' halucinagenic. In 1984, during the finishing process for one batch of the mesh, used in the vents of round parachutes, somehow or another, acid was introdused into the solution. This caused a break-down of the mesh and the acid could leach into the canopy fabric. A tensile test and Bromocreasol Green was introduced to test 'suspect' parachutes for acid. Riggers had to test each 'suspect' parachute for possible acid in the mesh and pull-test the fabric. Hope, that helps. I think, all those parachutes are no longer in use... at least, I hope they're no longer out there.


Chuck

[riggermick 7]

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No, I'm referring to the 'non' halucinagenic. In 1984, during the finishing process for one batch of the mesh, used in the vents of round parachutes, somehow or another, acid was introdused into the solution. This caused a break-down of the mesh and the acid could leach into the canopy fabric. A tensile test and Bromocreasol Green was introduced to test 'suspect' parachutes for acid. Riggers had to test each 'suspect' parachute for possible acid in the mesh and pull-test the fabric. Hope, that helps. I think, all those parachutes are no longer in use... at least, I hope they're no longer out there.


Chuck

The mesh in question was treated with a fire retardent for use in nylon tents. Unfortunatly over a period of time with continous contact to the adjacent ripstop nylon panels it started to chemicaly change the panels and made them much weaker, ok for your average tent but not so good for a terminal opening!

Mick.

[riggermick 7]

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Who was your freakiest rigging customer?

Mine was in Elsinore, in the mid-1990s.
Buddy brought his round reserve in for an I&R.
When the bromocreasal turned all sorts of scary colors - and a Master Rigger confirmed that it was scary - I called the customer and suggested washing his canopy.
"Can't we wait until the next repack?"

That wasn't the Safety Star we tore up in Ron Horsecrofts' loft was it? That was fun!!

Mick.

[masterrig 1]

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No, I'm referring to the 'non' halucinagenic. In 1984, during the finishing process for one batch of the mesh, used in the vents of round parachutes, somehow or another, acid was introdused into the solution. This caused a break-down of the mesh and the acid could leach into the canopy fabric. A tensile test and Bromocreasol Green was introduced to test 'suspect' parachutes for acid. Riggers had to test each 'suspect' parachute for possible acid in the mesh and pull-test the fabric. Hope, that helps. I think, all those parachutes are no longer in use... at least, I hope they're no longer out there.


Chuck

The mesh in question was treated with a fire retardent for use in nylon tents. Unfortunatly over a period of time with continous contact to the adjacent ripstop nylon panels it started to chemicaly change the panels and made them much weaker, ok for your average tent but not so good for a terminal opening!

Mick.

_____________________________________

Hee, hee! You got that right!


Chuck

[councilman24 37]

But it wasn't just the mesh. We had canopies with one panel bad and the adjacent panel full strength, both next to one piece of mesh. But we never sorted out the chemistry. And Ram airs go bad too. Had a Bogy reserve tear at LT 5 lbs.

Some of the worst I've had were things that other riggers were packing. 1950's military seats with lots of mismatched parts, partially cut webbing, and lots and lots of sun damage. Reserves so small for the container that there was NO tension on the safety stow.


I had one guy bring in a strong back pilot rig. I pulled it on the table and the PC did a back flip. There was this 6 inch wide ring of gauzy material that appearently had been stuffed under the cap for some reason. The owner denied knowing anything about it. I finally recognized it as some of that cut what you want shop rag stuff.


We have a very rich former WASP in the area who used to fly a WWII fighter in airshows. She had it painted pink. It was supposedly authentic representing the tan fading/oxidizing to pink in the desert sun of north africa. She always got hot pink rigs and would leave them in the plane. They could fade to white in less than a year. One time I packed one but sent her a message that this was the last time and needed to be replaced because of sun damage. She sent me a new rig that she had already bought!

In either 1991 or 93 a friend and I were touring Strong. We saw a hot pink rig with her first name on it in for service and both started laughing. We new it was hers and confirmed it with strong.

Really weird from the same woman, who is a sweet heart by the way. A warbird of hers was destroyed in a stall spin, killing the two pilots on board. She wasn't in it. I assumed her parachutes for that plane had been destroyed. I knew they were putting together another plane for her and was about to contact her about replacing the parachutes. Then the two I figured were burned were sent in for repack! It turns out they weren't on the plane and they found them several months later in the back of the hanger. (Over dub twilight zone music)

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

[skybeergodd 0]

I had the same thing happen but it was a pilots rig and he went nuts when I told him the news. It actually passed all the pull tests on the gores and just needed to be neutralized in a wash and he actually accused me of making it all up and trying to extort money from him....The ironic thing was about a month later he actually used another rig that I had packed when he had an engine fire and lost control of the plane. He had the nerve to call and ask me for another pack job and i gave him the number of another rigger.

[masterrigger1 2]

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Who was your freakiest rigging customer?

It has to be the guy that gave me rig with a neon green plastic Ti-wrap around the lift web and the reserve ripcord.

It had been there all weekend while jumping it, after a non-jumper gear checker, "checked" the gear in for a boogie.

He never even knew it would probably prevent him from pulling the ripcord.

After he found out about it, he never came back for the rig...still have it to this day.

MEL

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC
www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

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[Squeak 17]

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He never even knew it would probably prevent him from pulling the ripcord.

After he found out about it, he never came back for the rig...still have it to this day.

MEL

Sounds like a retrospectively smart guy, at least smart enough to know that skydiving wasn't for him

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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[riggerrob 643]

That wasn't the Safety Star we tore up in Ron Horsecrofts' loft was it? That was fun!!

Mick.

[spanky39154 0]

Who was that Chris??? its (ralph) if you hadn't guessed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large Groups!!

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

Hmmm, I think I'd have charged him double Kel ...

Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires."

Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

[masterrig 1]

I had a jumper bring his throw-out bridle and pilot chute to me, wanting me to shorten the bridle. He was so fearful of getting the bridle wrapped around his arm, he had it figured-out that 18" would be just right. I absolutely refused! Seems as though, he liked to hold the pilot chute till just the right time.... then let go!


Chuck

[riggerrob 643]

Seems as though, he liked to hold the pilot chute till just the right time.... then let go!


Chuck

[masterrig 1]

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Seems as though, he liked to hold the pilot chute till just the right time.... then let go!


Chuck

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

I used to work for a tandem instructor who liked to hold his drogue "until just the right moment."
Hee!
Hee!
We sewed dozens of patches on his drogues.

[parafredo 0]

I remember one of my customer bringing his rig for a I and R on the reserve and he was with his new girlfriend .He was telling her how much skydiving was safe that reserve chute were always opening on a simple handle activation...So,I told him to put his harness on him and do a full emergency manoeuver and activate his reserve to see how he would feel in real life with his rig on him,you know,a best practice exercice ....well,when he pulled his reserve handle,nothing happened!!!!chute stayed in place.Girl was very impressed!!!him as well and I got scared so much to see who did the last repack... but his reserve was done by someone else.Poor lead sealing method was all the cause and I can tell you that day,I learned something else about rigging errors...

[hajnalka 0]

MEL-

We have a picture of that rig -- closeup of the MLW/reserve handle/zip tie -- hanging outside the door of our loft at CSS. (Still sends a shiver down my spine.)

With a big huge black marker notation from Lyman, that says:
"Check your gear or die!"

Gets lots of comments.

Not sure if I'm shocked, or not surprised, to hear that you still have that rig ...

Best from NC,
Dawn

[masterrigger1 2]

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MEL-

We have a picture of that rig -- closeup of the MLW/reserve handle/zip tie -- hanging outside the door of our loft at CSS. (Still sends a shiver down my spine.)

With a big huge black marker notation from Lyman, that says:
"Check your gear or die!"

Gets lots of comments.

Not sure if I'm shocked, or not surprised, to hear that you still have that rig ...

Best from NC,
Dawn

Dawn,
That rig is a major conversation piece here in the shop.
I still have the cut Ty-wrap that came off of it to show to people.

It rates right up there with the rig that Sandy Wambach was going to pack at West Point.

That rig had a piece of type II-A tied around it like a Molar strap when she pulled it out of the freebag !!!!

It was packed previously by another rigger before she got it to repack.

No way that canopy would have ever opened....


MEL

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC
www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

[JerryBaumchen 1,445]

Hi Parafredo,

Care to expand on that "poor lead sealing method?"

Curious minds want to know.