Cobalt.....Is 14 weeks too long to wait

[Snowflake 0]

I just got of the phone with Atair and they said I might get my canopy in 4 weeks (they'll know in 2 weeks). That means IF it gets here in 4 weeks I'll have waited 14 weeks which is 40% longer then the 8-10 weeks they said it would take. Now what really pisses me off is that with all the modern technology available to them Atair still didn't know if my canopy was coming. Right now I'm so close to telling them to keep the canopy and getting one from a different manufacturer (even though I really love the canopy) because it's the only way to truly let them know how I feel about the service I'm receiving. Even worse is the possibility that this is what will happen if I have to send it in to them to have something done to it in the future. I do know this if the canopy isn't there in 2 weeks then I'll be looking around for sure. After having said all that am I being unrealistic? Or is this just the norm in the parachute industry and I just need to live with it

[JJohnson 0]

Sorry to hear you are having problems with Atair. Mine was pretty much on schedule. Wonder what the hold up is?
JJ

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[quade 4]

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Or is this just the norm in the parachute industry and I just need to live with it

Over the years I've noticed that there are different types of calendars in use.

The ones used by normal people (like you and me) is called the "Gregorian" calendar because it was revised in 1579 by Pope Gregory XIII.

Appearently it never really caught on with a number of manufacturing trades since frequently deliverables are still late by up to 10 days which is fine if they're still on the "Ceasarian" calendar.

HOWEVER, I have noticed that PIA members must use yet another calendar -- perhaps the Mayan calendar based on the cycle of the Pleiadies and only comes 'round once every 26,000 years.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Snowflake 0]

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HOWEVER, I have noticed that PIA members must use yet another calendar -- perhaps the Mayan calendar based on the cycle of the Pleiadies and only comes 'round once every 26,000 years

No thats not it......I think I remember hearing something about mars....yea thats it 8-10 martian weeks which would be a little more then twice as long as terran weeks. The mystry is solved......HEY wait a minute this isn't funny I'm trying to be pissed of here quit injecting humor into the thread....Oh I'm even more pissed now then I was before thanks Q

[PhreeZone 20]

Just an FYI... I asked about a Big Air Sportz canopy and the best they could say was "we are hopeing that 8 weeks is it... but realilistically... more like 10 or just a bit more." And every day that I don't order it I'm lower on the list.

I think now is the main back up season for canopies.. and birdman suits. I know current delay is quite high on them too. I've heard its close to canopies in delay.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Well, I would just have to say that it's simply demand over-riding supply. Simple economics. Atair, while very popular overseas for some time now, has just come into its own here in the USA over the last two years. My first Atair canopy was actually to me in under three weeks from the day I ordered it, custom colors. The next one I got took about four weeks, and the next one five. Still, that's certainly better than the 13 weeks that I waited for my old VX or the ten I waited for my Vengeance. I think that whatever is "hot" at the time is going to back up, no matter how many Eastern European women (atair) or Hondurans (PD) are sewing them. Same goes with BirdMan Suits; they are hot and people are really getting into the discipline. Dude, all I can say is DAMN! I sure am glad I gots mines! LOL!

Chuck

[fasterfaller 0]

I waited for three months for a PD canopy . They were out of yellow z-po fabric .

[VectorBoy 0]

I know how you feel. Mine took 10 weeks, Ordered in May. Worse I had to sell my old parachute to get the Cobalt, all this at the beginning of the season. Renting became a pain and ended up falling in love with a cobalt one size smaller than the one I had on order.
The day I got it I ran into a guy who ordered his new, one size smaller than my, cobalt in january, only took 3 weeks to get his. He didn't want his, too much for him. Deals were made hands were shaken and now I got two fairly new cobalts. Sheesh.

[cobaltdan 0]

snowflake,

something does not sound kosher. call me at the office with your name and information and i will be glad to check the que for you.

sincerely,

dan <><>
atair aerodynamics
718-923-1709 ph

Daniel Preston <><>
atairaerodynamics.com (sport)
atairaerospace.com (military)

[Samurai136 0]

8- 10 wks is standard w/ BigAirSports since they have an assembly/ consturction deal w/ PD.

I was quoted 8-10 weeks last year when I ordered a day or so before Halloween. Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, Michelle Germain called and said it was done. I was floored and speechless! I even did a little dance in the kitchen while I was still on the phone. I paid my bill and the day after Thanksgiving I took my rigger out to diner after final assembly. I got to jump my canopy before the Iowa winter hit instead of after.

Apparently, after the boogie season is over Brian has free time to build canopies. Mine was the luck of the draw.

Ken

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[billvon 3,121]

>yea thats it 8-10 martian weeks which would be a little more then
>twice as long as terran weeks.

Nope; a martian day is ~25 hours, so 10 martian weeks (70 days) would be the same as 67 earth days.

[cobaltdan 0]

for the record jim mutter aka snowflake's order was qued on june 18th, and as a european company we have a 2 week shutdown in august.

as far as delivery times go, i believe atair to be above average. During the high season production switches to double shifts, and we always operate 6 days per week.

it would be nice however for customers to understand that standard delivery times are estimates not guarantees, governed by multiple materials suppliers, shiping companies, international customs clearance, etc...

if ever a customer has a special requirement for a guarantee i.e. a logo canopy for a movie chute, etc.. we have and can make arrangements. (i have been meaning to order my canopy sooner but i need it for quincy next week is >not< a special requirement for us to consider)

blue ones.

sincerely,

dan <><>
atair aerodynamics
www.extremefly.com

Daniel Preston <><>
atairaerodynamics.com (sport)
atairaerospace.com (military)

[Jimbo 0]

Hey Dan,

We spoke today about another matter, but I'm not Snowflake.

I would not, no matter how upset or frustrated, air my problems with a manufacturer or vendor in a public forum.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[LawnDart21 0]

I'm an Atair customer, (Cobalt 135) and have talked with a few of the people that work there on and off over the summer about different aspects of the Cobalt and canopies in general. All I can say is that my experience with Atair and Dan and everyone else there is that they are the most professional people in our industry, and the quality of their canopies and service definitely shows it. Aside from having (in my opinion) the best canopy on the market, they are down to earth and "real" as anyone in our sport. If there was a delivery time frame issue, (which I'm sure can happen with any canopy company), I'd be hard pressed to believe that Atair was not doing everything they could to get you the canopy as fast as possible. Just my .02

--
My other ride is a RESERVE.

[MrHixxx 0]

My Cobalt 120 took 11 weeks to build because they were out of silver fabric. However it was worth the wait as they delivered an exceptionally well built canopy. If someone doesn't want to wait that long. My 120 is for sale on ebay because I downsized.

-Hixxx

death,as men call him, ends what they call men
-but beauty is more now than dying’s when

[Snowflake 0]

Ok I talked to Dan it seems my order was processed 2 weeks after I faxed it because I had to send in a gift certificate and the order could not be processed without it so this puts us at 9 weeks instead of 11.

[Snowflake 0]

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I would not, no matter how upset or frustrated, air my problems with a manufacturer or vendor in a public forum.

I post positive feedback about mfg's products and services. It's to be expected that I post the negative. Should I not post about a potentialy hazardous situation because it's negative for a mfg?

This situation could have been avoided with good communication

[kopelen 0]

I know how you feel, I put my order in on 25 May and I am still waiting for my canopy. Funny though my brother ordered his two weeks before I did, and we have exactly the same colors and everything yet his cam in under 6 weeks. yet mine they cannot confirm if it was even made yet. go figure.