ZigZagMarquis

Thanks Zing for saying that... I wondered / thought the same thing too, but didn't think I had the credibility to say it... and for the rest of your post too. We've never meet, but your rep as an excellent pilot preceeds you.

Go search the web and also DZ.com on things like: Spectra Dacron Kevlar Vectran ... you should find some cool "factoids" you can throw into your presentation, if you wish.

Okay... stupid question... what's the CCI? --- break --- break --- Bill.. Et All... seems to me, the initial responses from the manufacturer regarding problems the Vigil AAD has had to date has consisted of them trying to "deflect the problem" and not "we're working the problem to try to determine the circumstances and cause and, potential, fixes"... and following up and doing that... Does anyone else get that same feeling??

Its a phase most all skydivers go through. I did. Most out-grow it after a number of years, number of jumps, an injury to themselves or friends and after witnessing a fatality or more. I did too. Some don't ever out-grow it. An even smaller sub-set of these folks die with their "arrogance" as a contributor to the incident which took them. Its part of the sport. Kinda like, for a lot of us, when you're 18, your parents are the stupidest people on the earth, but by the time you're in your mid-20s, you're surprised to realize they weren't so stupid after all.

Yes, you'll need some tools to get the reserve closed again. Do you have a copy of the manual for your rig? According to your profile, you have a Mirage. Take a look at your rig's manual... or dig up a copy on-line... and look see what you're getting yourself into if you decide to open your reserve, pull the Cypres and close your reserve up again. Yes, you'll need some tools. At a minimum, you'll need something to use as a pull-up cord. Usually a length of Cypres loop material, but since you'd have your Cypres out, you could use a length of 550 since you won't be threading it through the cutter and something resembling a packing paddle or something to wrap the pull-up cord around so you can tug on it really good... oh, and probably a gun cleaning rod to get the pull-up cord through the center of the pilot chute... and you could use your reserve rip-cord / pin as a temp pin, although it would be a pain. Anway, FIRST, go read your rig's manual and see what your getting yourself into. Depending on how much longer your TDY is, it may be worth waiting. One more thought... there's no military riggers where you're at? They'd have some of the tools you'd need and one of them may have dealt with sport gear. Good luck.

I didnt post that as an attack to you. I posted that "(duh, they have to pull)" because it was obvvious that those student will need an alti. I wanted to show that the first timers normally don't get one clearly, so that there wouldntbe confusion ummm... why do you need an altimeter to pull... is it attatched to your pilot chute??

Let me guess, you're a TI, right? Wait, maybe an AFFI? Couldn't possibly be a rigger..... hehe TI!!??! ... let see, NO! ... sometimes the passengers puke on you (not my idea of fun), sometimes the passengers aren't all young attractive girls, and I like my knees the way they are, intact... AFFI???... could be one if I got motivated, I suppose, but I've already got a full time work type job during the week, don't need (or want) another job on the weekends... Senior Rigger?? ... mmmm, couuuuld beee...

Well... I guess if you advertise 2 miles and go to 6K AGL... you could still claim that's 2 miles... as in its a little over 1 mile up and then 1 mile down... so round trip that's 2 miles... Yeah, sounds like something some shifty-shady DZOs would pull.

... why didn't you just get him a blow-job?

r_j, You're correct on both points, but I still hope this thread doesn't turn into a pissing contest about who can and cannot do this type of work and how to read the FARs... or applicable regs from other countries... that sh*t has just plain gotten old to me and just kills a useful thread IMO.

I agree... to which I'll add another thought I just had... seems to me in the past few years as opposed to say 10 years ago... I've seen more "PO'ed" folks around the DZ who've shown up for a Tandem and were displeased at the "wait", the "waiver" and "when will I get my video", I mean, this isn't really just a "ride" and I think that unhappy customers who thought they'ed be able to show up, get their "ride", get their video (or DVD) and be on their way like a quick dash through the dirve-thru at McDonalds wouldn't be if, as a whole, Tandems weren't marketed as a "ride".... that there is a level of responsibility on the part of the passanger and they're expected to participate as Tdog puts it.

Ya know, after I posted that, I realized I should have qualified my statement as applying to Tandem passengers that are showing up to do one jump without showing an interest in the Tandem Progression... lest someone go all "DZ.com" on me and take the chance to point out that Tandem students on the Tandem progression are obviously going to have an altimeter since they're not just there for a "ride" like most folks showing up on a DZ to do a Tandem are... and... THUS... no altimeter is given to those types... Geeze! Hell... I still wear an altimeter, but hardly ever look at the bloody thing in freefall!

Ragnarok, Generally, I wouldn't think a rig with 300 - 400 jumps would be in need of having its tuck tabs on the riser covers overhauled. I've got a Talon94 with 1000+ jumps on it and the tucks stay closed... course, I dont' do head down... except for what us RW folk call a "funnel" on exit from time to time... Anyway, its hard to say though without seeing your rig specifically, but a couple of things come to mind... Is the plastic inside the tuck tab cracked or split? ... either the "Tab" or "Slot" side... You can usually feel that. If its split, that'll make em come undone more easily. Also, some rigs are more sensative to bulk distribution of the reserve with respect to the main riser tucks staying closed.... e.g. sometimes bigger ears, sometimes smaller ears will hurt or help. I've even seen varriations between two rigs of the same type/model... e.g. two jumpers with the smae model rig, one has problems with the tucks staying closed, while the other doesn't. Sounds like y'all have already contacted R.I. about them doing the work. Let us know what they recommend / do and how it turns out. Everyone else... *sigh*... do we really need to turn this thread into a pissing contest over who can and can't do major repairs and another arguement over reading the FARs? He's taking the rig to back to the maufacturer, that's perfectly acceptable and, frankly IMO, the best thing to do when it comes to major repairs of a container system.

Well, I cannot speak for all DZs, but the ones I've frequented since starting... "back in the day", you used to see Tandem students given an altimeter, usually a chest mount on the chest strap, but the past several years, I cannot recall seeing this done anymore, definitly not at my home DZ and I can't recall seeing a Tandem student with an altimeter at any of the other DZs I've been to around the area in the past few years either. I'm not a TMI or DZO, and don't care to be, but I guess that the logic is if they don't give the Tandem students an altimeter, then that's less student altimeters they need to worry about getting broken.

Thank you - I was about to post that. I don't know my nautical miles, so thanks too. Take your statute mile and multiply it by 1.15 and you have nautical miles. Now if I could just figure out why a mile in the air is longer than a mile on the ground. ... keep it up with that maths sh*t Sparky and one of these days while trying to claculate the exact number of seconds you'll have in freefall from a given altitude, you'll forget to carry the "2" and then you'll really have some troubles... Anyway, did anyone actually name the DZ that was doing this?? I couldn't find it up post... doh!

Yes, generally speaking, students are exempt from Beer Rules until graduation, at which time, owe a CASE OF BEER!!!!... ... after that the "F's" and Beer Rules apply.

Here's another tip: Get a hair-cut and get a real job. Personally, I don't see the need to tip instructors, but if you're a one time jumper and want to, have at it. If you're a return student, although we usually don't start hittin' ya up for beer until graduation (refer to Beer Rules : Chapter 1), but if y'all want to bring DZ Beer, have at it!

Well... If I had had a full-face helmet on a 2-Way RW jump, oh, here a little over a year ago, it would have saved me about $900 worth of dental work...

I haven't found a reserve SLINK installed wrong, but I have encountered folks attempting to install main SLINKs and they had it wrong... fortunately, they didn't think they were doing it right and came and found a rigger for help.

I've seen soft links installed wrong too... They don't eliminate potential "line to riser" attachement problems, they just change it.

Jan, I must be getting old, ... I can't remember what the up-roar in 2000 may have been to get that turn-out... can you refresh my memory?? Thanks in advance. That was when the rules said only 20 people could be on the ballot for ND and 22 people applied. USPA cut two people and there was an uproar over the people that were cut. Really it was an uproar over one of the persons cut. . Ah, I guess I still don't recall that... my bad... anyway, is it still that way???

Chris... Heather and Sid said it well... I'll add... I've got a Javelin, semi-pop-top / same as the Odyssey, and a Talon94, reserve pilot chute under lots-o-flaps... I've got reserve rides on both... both worked 4.0.

*sigh* I SAID... doesn't do much for bridle protection... but that packing a Dolphin with both the top and bottom flap over the pilot chute/cap is legal and IMO would make it more FF Friendly, didn't say it solved all the problems, as your all enclusive and conclusive observations indicate... or so you sound.

YeS dOn'T....and yes, maybe either in caps or NO CAPS. In a sit fly, your are exposing the bottom of the container to the higher speeds and the dolphin has very little bridle protection. Ever seen a humorous after a pilot chute deployed under your arm? It ain't pretty. Umm, doesn't do much for bridle protection, but you do know that its "legal" to pack a Dolphin with both the top and bottom reserve flaps over the pilot chute/cap, like a Javelin, rather then just the top flap over the pilot chute/cap... makes it more freefly friendly.