So - what is rigging?

[jumper03 0]

NWflyer's post about evaluating a rigger and recent comment I heard on the DZ have had me thinking about this a lot recently. The comment I heard was "I saw him pack - he did a good job - he'll be a good rigger"

Anyone can pack - hell we might be able to train a chimp to pack a reserve neatly - would that make the chimp a good rigger?

What about sewing? I know riggers that I consider very good riggers that sew crooked seams.

So is being a good rigger all about how well we do our appointed tasks? I think part of it is, but I'm beginning to think it is a small part of the equation.
A bigger part of being a good rigger is having the integrity and backbone to do what is right - even when the customer is demanding otherwise, be that customer a fun jumper, pilot, dzo, whomever.

Being a good rigger is about standing up and admitting you've fucked up. Someone's life is on the line, not the time to be worried about your image.

At least thats how I've decided to proceed on the path to becoming a respected rigger. Now if I can just straighten out my seams....

Does this sound crazy?

Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[popsjumper 2]

I know you've met one good rigger...at the DZ that day that I first met you.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[jumper03 0]

Quote

I know you've met one good rigger...at the DZ that day that I first met you.

He is near the top of my list.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[peregrinerose 0]

I live near Dave DeWolf, so you can't spit without hitting a rigger at the local DZs. I've watched some of them pack, listened to them talk about their rigging philosophies, learned from, and watched them do repairs and inspections.

I know what makes a rigger that I respect... caring, meticulousness, willingness to learn from other riggers and not 'their way is the only way' philosophy, willingness to teach with patience, willingness to let the owner of the rig watch the pack job, encouragement of non-riggers to know their own gear extremely well.

I don't know if the above makes a person a good rigger or not, but the rigger who did my re-packs until I got my own rigger's ticket fits all of the above. (I consider myself a self-supervising packer, not a rigger at this point, not nearly enough experience, I have too much to learn from experienced riggers first!

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[riggerrob 643]

To quote Dirty Harry: "A man has got to know his limitations."

Which means that there are some FAA Senior Riggers who are far more meticulos packers than me.
For example, the guy who taught me how to pack Reflexes was only a Senior Rigger, with no desire to learn anything more about sewing than the bare minimum to pass his Senior Rigger test.