Direct Slider Control

[Anvilbrother 0]

First off I did a search, and did not find anything, so this branched off of a hard opening thread where we were talking about hard openings can/will be caused by sliders not being up to the stops at deployment time.

Link to pic of DSC
http://www.basejumper.com/Articles/Packing/Direct_Control_685.html

Base uses direct slider control to ensure the slider is kept at the stops on slider up jumps by taking a bight of slider via a rubber band on an inner line on one or both sides. Did we ever use this in skydiving to ensure the slider stays up until it is forced down?

If so why did it stop, it only takes a second to do so, and although slider being down induced hard openings is something that does not happen all the time, its hard to verify without video that it was the cause, but could prevent it 100%?

I used it on my last 3 jumps without issue on my base canopy in my skydiving rig, and did not have issues, just wondering why we dont use it all the time as insurance to keep the slider up through the s folding, bagging and deploy sequence.

Postes r made from an iPad or iPhone. Spelling and gramhair mistakes guaranteed move along,

[riggerrob 643]

Circa 1987, the Relative Workshop (predecessor to the current United Parachute Technologies) issued a Service Bulletin suggesting that on PD-360 tandem mains. I watched a colleague attach a rubber band to a B line ... or was it a D-line? ... and suffer a slider hang-up. After we watched him land his reserve, we ignored tha tService Bulletin!

[indyz 1]

I use direct control on my freepacked CRW canopies because the slider can creep down as the canopy is lifting off, even with the primary stow at the tailpocket. With a bagged canopy this is much less likely to happen. I think that in most cases it would only benefit people who have trouble keeping the slider at the stops while packing.

Then again, PD has introduced a form of direct control on Velocities that uses plastic snaps to attach the slider to the bottom skin of the canopy. They must have their reasons.

[diablopilot 2]

Having used a direct control system on a Tandem system I can tell you that it is entirely possible and likely even that it can render the slider aerodynamiically ineffectual. The opening that results is painful.

I believe the idea of direct control is being misunderstood. It does help keep the slider in position on a freepacked canopy, something that is not needed on a sport skydiving rig. The need to stage the slider sequence on a freepacked canopy is more a function of promoting an orderly deployment of the lines (i.e. preventing a line over) rather then a need to soften the openings.

On a sport rig all that needs to be done is taking care to keep the slider in position before bagging the parachute. Using a direct control system would only be bubble gum and bailing wire solution to answer poor packing technique.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Anvilbrother 0]

Agreed, if done properly the bag holds the slider up, impossible when freepacked.

Postes r made from an iPad or iPhone. Spelling and gramhair mistakes guaranteed move along,

[davelepka 4]

Quote

why we dont use it all the time as insurance to keep the slider up

It's a double edged sword. On the one hand it might help to keep the slider up at the stops, and even hold it there for a fraction of a second into the deployment, giving the slider an advantage over the canopy it wouldn't normally have.

On the other hand, the bight of slider you put in the rubber band is less material presented to the wind, and might even effectively 'pinch off' more material than is in the bight, rendering the slider less effective than normal.

The better bet is to develop a pack job that allows you to keep the slider at the stops, and quartered evenly while you bag the canopy. The people who designed the canopy packed it that way, and sized the slider accordingly.

[sundevil777 102]

Direct control - Old Jalbert Parafoils had what is called a spider slider (X-shape webbing with the grommets at the tips of the X) that was connected to the pilot chute with a very long bridle line that passed through the canopy. The drag of the PC directly controlled the descent of the slider. My first rig had a 189 sqft 7 cell baby foil, the reefing system worked very well, apart from the burns in the fabric.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[eric.fradet 17]

here you go :
http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080308680

device to improve the positionning of the slider by magnetism

[dragon2 2]

Quote

Direct control - Old Jalbert Parafoils had what is called a spider slider (X-shape webbing with the grommets at the tips of the X) that was connected to the pilot chute with a very long bridle line that passed through the canopy. The drag of the PC directly controlled the descent of the slider. My first rig had a 189 sqft 7 cell baby foil, the reefing system worked very well, apart from the burns in the fabric.

We had one of those Foils at my DZ until a couple years back, see attached pic. That reefing system sure caused a lot of cutaways

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

Did we ever use this in skydiving to ensure the slider stays up until it is forced down?

Yes, early Para-Flite ram air canopies had a tab/loop on the center of tail top skin. It was about 10/12 inches from the tail seam and you would put a stow band in it. After you had flaked and wrapped the canopy you would bring the slider up and put a bite of it in the stow band. It didn’t work that well because it prevented the slider from catching air before the cells stated to fill. Back then a slider was a slider and had very little relationship to the canopy size in was on. Another strange thing was the d-bag was made by the canopy manufacture and delivered with the canopy.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[stayhigh 2]

Competition Velocity has snaps on the slider.
I asked all jumpers and half says it opens better with snaps, and half says it doesn't do anything besides slowing them down packing.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[lekstrom10k 0]

In the mid 70's the slider was stowed on the attaching point of your "C" line. Later I once had a three loop stow on my center tail the middle one heid the slider the right and left held the excess steering lines in place .Worked great for many years. That was side packing days, before pro packs let everything just hang
Dont forget Strato-Stars had the thru canopy reefing slider and the jesus cord on the front riser to haul it down if needed

[LouDiamond 1]

Direct Slider Control is still used on some modern military canopies that are set up in a dual D bag static line deployment configuration for square personnel and cargo parachutes.It works quite well but it isn't something that I'd want on a sport system.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING