How thoroughly do you inspect reserves/containers?

[jheadley 0]

I know some riggers who when packing reserves, they will literally inspect every single milimeter and part of the canopy, stitches, bartacks, lines, ripcords, links, grommets, container, etc. I know one who even looks at everything with a magnifying glass. The whole process takes about 2 hours just to inspect it.

I also know riggers who will will go through an entire I&R in about 45 minutes, claiming they inspect everything as they're packing it.

What are your thoughts on what is an appropriate amout of inspection?

[mjosparky 4]

I spend enough time inspecting all components of the system to assure myself that the complete system is airworthy. That can be 3 or 4 hours on some rigs but never less then 2 hours.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[rigger_john 0]

Quote

I also know riggers who will will go through an entire I&R in about 45 minutes, claiming they inspect everything as they're packing it.

That seems a little quick

_________________________________________

Nullius in Verba

[marinho 0]

Quote

I know some riggers who when packing reserves, they will literally inspect every single milimeter and part of the canopy, stitches, bartacks, lines, ripcords, links, grommets, container, etc. I know one who even looks at everything with a magnifying glass. The whole process takes about 2 hours just to inspect it.

I also know riggers who will will go through an entire I&R in about 45 minutes, claiming they inspect everything as they're packing it.

What are your thoughts on what is an appropriate amout of inspection?

It's not about the repack! Inspection is the most important element of Air, Inspect, Repack that you see on data cards!!! A monkey can pack a reserve, but when comes to inspection, responsability, knowledge and honesty will determine which kind of parachute rigger you are using!Cheers,

Gus Marinho

[riggerrob 643]

I plan a minimum of one hour for the inspection phase.
What I inspect varies with the age and condition of the rig.
For example, on new rigs I mainly look for symmetry and "are all the bartacks in place?"

On older rigs, I look more for wear and tear. The older the rig, the more faded frayed and filthy, the slower the inspection. Any damage to the outside of the container forces me to do a long, slow, detailed inspection of the freebag and reserve canopy fabric in that neighborhood.

In general, I take a close look at common wear points, while casually scanning the rest of the rig. Frequently, my sub-conscious mind frequently says "Something is not right with this picture." a minute or two before my conscious mind recognizes the problem.

In the long run, I only find problems inside the reserve container maybe one percent of the time. The vast majority of repairs need to be done to the outside of the container, which is as it should be. If the container is doing its job - protecting the reserve canopy.

[peek 21]

Quote

What are your thoughts on what is an appropriate amout of inspection?

Now ask them how much time they spend inspecting their own (skydiving) rig.

[rickanderson 0]

Quote

I spend enough time inspecting all components of the system to assure myself that the complete system is airworthy. That can be 3 or 4 hours on some rigs but never less then 2 hours.

I hope you mean a rig you have never seen before? Would you do this for your customer if you packed it the last time and know that they always take care of there gear and had no bad landings and no reserve rides?

[fcajump 164]

Quote

Quote

I spend enough time inspecting all components of the system to assure myself that the complete system is airworthy. That can be 3 or 4 hours on some rigs but never less then 2 hours.

I hope you mean a rig you have never seen before? Would you do this for your customer if you packed it the last time and know that they always take care of there gear and had no bad landings and no reserve rides?

Can't speak for Sparky, but only for myself:
Sport I haven't seen before - ~4 hrs min
Sport w/ my seal on it ~2hrs min
PEP I haven't seen before - ~3 hrs min
PEP w/ my seal on it ~2 hrs min

Rush orders... fastest job would be a PEP <5 years of wear, that I know well w/ my seal on it (say a Strong seat pack)... NO less than 1 hr.

The inspection is the whole point!!! The repack is only necessary because the inspection requires it to be unpacked first.

I do a seam-by-seam inspection the first time I see a rig. Expecially when they are new from the factory. This gets repeated upon deployments of TSO'ed canopies.

Reruns, get a seam-by-seam on all exposed or stressed components (harness, container, etc...)

All estimates increase by 50% if the owner is present (due to the inevitable discussions and questions)

All estimates (including price) increase by 100%+ if the owner wants to help.

Older / marginal rigs take longer.

Just my experience as an anal-retentive part time rigger of 7 years.

BTW - that does not include all the time to:
*find manuals for your obscure no-name canopy
*update manuals regularly
*clean my living room before each inspection
*chase down SB's and/or AD's
*attend recurrent training (PIA symp)
*drive 2 hours to visit the local Master Rigger / DPRE to discuss your marginal antique harness
* time spent waiting around you to arrive to pickup that rush for the weekend before taking my wife to dinner
* Visiting you at your hanger (pilots) to show you how to exit your plane in an emergency and how to don your rig
* Teaching you what your skydiving instructor / packer didn't about packing, wearing, cleaning, inspecting, checking, carring for your rig.


I could go on, but will stop here to keep the list short.

Blue skies,
Jim

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

Quote

I spend enough time inspecting all components of the system to assure myself that the complete system is airworthy. That can be 3 or 4 hours on some rigs but never less then 2 hours.

I hope you mean a rig you have never seen before? Would you do this for your customer if you packed it the last time and know that they always take care of there gear and had no bad landings and no reserve rides?

I mean every rig. During the 120-day repack cycle I have no way of knowing what the rig has been exposed to or how it was treated. The day I start taking things for granted is the day I will quit rigging.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[councilman24 37]

We're supposed to inspect OUR gear? Who woulda thunk!

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

[rushmc 23]

Quote

I spend enough time inspecting all components of the system to assure myself that the complete system is airworthy. That can be 3 or 4 hours on some rigs but never less then 2 hours.

Ditto (but mine are never less than 3 hours)

If it is the first time I have ever seen the rig it will take much longer.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln