Unstable

Hey. Hey hey hey Vortex or Infinity discussions, or Joellercoaster will rant at you. P.s. Ever see the freebag on the Icon? lots of things going on there. =========Shaun ==========

Chillout bro. I was like the 4th person to utter the "R" word. I posted early on in favor of the Infinity. =========Shaun ==========

I know man, he/she will have to remember flap-flap-flap-flap-Pilot Chute, rather than Flap-Pilot Chute-Flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap ah hell I lost count, but you get the idea. =========Shaun ==========

On a crosswind landing, I ended up with my legs in front of my and a very, very soft sliding butt landing. Shorts slid up, and bare ass went right over a sticker patch. Lost the skin right at the crease where the thigh and ass meet. Let's see - I had a buddy slice his finger open on a turned piece of sheet metal on the jump door... =========Shaun ==========

Excellent article! I think #9 is a good point, because it addresses both the safety and training aspect as well as how it merges with the Dropzone culture. My last malfuction was on a classic accuracy training jump with a Parafoil 282 - and the chorus from the peanut gallery clouded my decisions such that I had to physically take a step back and walk the scenario through step-by-step to take away anything meaningful. Every malfunction should result in a safety improvement, whether it be in gear, training, modifying your decision tree, or some other action that makes you safer in the sky. Gathering the facts and separating the opinions in key in that. Thank you for addressing this!

That sounds like a terrible approach. I don't know where to start. I can't even.... a. The approach you explained confounds the loop length and grommet effect. b. Pulling as slow as possible is not representative of expected use in any way, shape or form c. If he/she is pulling by hand and measuring, I highly doubt the force applied to the ripcord is even - you'll be measuring the affect cause by both acceleration and jerk. d. Moving 'as slowly as possible' is going to be pushing right at the breaking point between static and dynamic friction. How do we know that the person performing the test didn't just slow down the pull as he approached the tip of the pin, perhaps in expectation of the reserve popping? e. Detrimental effects to the container by frequent grommet replacements? We know the spur grommets bite and deform the material. f. Long loops? I can't even on this one. Was this guy a Master rigger? If so, then maybe that gives me hope for passing my own MR exam. I spend my days as a Statistician - all day everyday people bring me theories that just magically go away when I ask for the data. It's a great trick. =========Shaun ==========

Everyday I open up Dizzy.com and expect to see this thead fading to the bottom of the page, no new posts as KG has silently accepted defeat and moved on with her life. Maybe she joined a book club. Everyday I continue to be disappointed and slowly realize she cannot be stopped, and cannot be reasoned with. =========Shaun ==========

Troll? =========Shaun ==========

INTERESTING! I have the bits and pieces to test this, and it may become my weekend project. ***Edited to Add*** SAE AS9015A/B makes many reference to the test being done under normal conditions for use - I haven't measured pull force to the tip on a slow pull, but I would struggle to believe in the relevancy of that datapoint. In regards to the individual at PIA, I am even more skeptical. Can he/she provide any data showing this phenomenon and then using a good test methodology, show causation to the condition of the grommets? I don't mean to argue in the face of those with more experience than I, but in this case, I would want to see the data. =========Shaun ==========

Why? =========Shaun ==========

I think it's irrelevant. If there is slack on the seal thread, even a little, the peak force will occur at the moment the pin starts to m over, at which point dynamic friction takes over and the force required to continue the extraction will be significantly less. I know very few riggers (actually, none) that do the pull test to full extraction - they know that once the pin budges, that is max. If there is even a bit of slack on the thread, the tension will be applied during motion, and would not touch the 22-pound limit. That is my hypothesis - obviously a fixture to test this reliably would be needed, something that would both apply and measure perfectly throughout the entire motion. =========Shaun ==========

I don't know man - that doesn't look like a KA to me - maybe a 401/402? Obviously I'm a day late and dollar short to this party. =========Shaun ==========

OK RiggerRob, here is a snapshot of the entrance to Skydive The City at Pitt Meadows Airport - I can't find the wreckage of which you speak - is it in this shot? =========Shaun ==========

Ohhhh this is getting interesting. I agree with your statement. However, wouldn't the existence of a seal on the reserve ripcord pin constitute normal design operations under the b, c, and d category? Airworthiness was never part of the discussion, just what condition the equipment would be in for expected use. =========Shaun ==========

That is my argument for the validity of performing the test without the seal and without popping the rig. Pull force will be max until the pin slips, at which point the force drops down dramatically (static vs dynamic friction). I start the pull test until the pin budges and then stop the test before full extraction. In my 800+ reserve repacks, I have actually logged every single pull test in my records, and I have yet to see a rig push the 22 pound threshold. =========Shaun ==========

Last time I ordered a pair of purple risers, they came in a really fruity lavender purple color. Would have gone nicely with pink toggles. =========Shaun ==========

That is interesting. I would read it as the seal in place. The rig is intended to function under normal circumstances sealed per 65.133. Would not 'normal design operations' include the conditions for which the rig will be normally operated? We may be arguing semantics here. If there is slack in the thread the pull force sharply decreases once dynamic friction takes over - =========Shaun ==========

OK - I'm going to the gas station to get some Pepsis. Who wants to work on learning to fly one of those? =========Shaun ==========

TSO-C23c requires parachute assemblies to meet the standards of AS8015A, Minimum Performance Standard for Parachute Assemblies and Components, Personnel. SAE AS8015A, Section 4.3.2.2 4.3.2.2 Pull Tests A load at the ripcord handle of of not less than 23 N (5 lbf) (applies in the direction giving the lowest pull load) nor more than 97 N (22 lbf) [applied in the direction giving the highest pull load under normal design operations] shall be required to assure a positive and quick functioning of the parachute assembly on all tests. A minimum of 10 pull tests is required. For Chest-type parachute assemblies, the maximum pull force shall be 66 N (15 lbf). Italics added. The statement 'under normal design operations' indicates that the seal would need to be intact, at least during the qualification of the assemblies to the TSO. The logic here is that compliance with Title 14 65.133 will be 'normal design operations.' However, since the peak force is encountered during with static friction, if there is slack in the thread, the thread will take tension and break during the dynamic portion of the curve, keeping the pull force below 22 lbf. *Hypothesis here, but this is probably why the rigging manual instructs the pull force to be measured without a seal. **edited for spelling only =========Shaun ==========

Holy crap! I always heard urban rumors of that story, but that shit really happened! So, no jumpjet for KG.... =========Shaun ==========

Back in the 90's, Pepsi had the commercial offering a Harrier for 1,000,000 Pepsi Points. We all need to start drinking a lot of Pepsi and get a Harrier, just for KG. =========Shaun ==========

Wow. I wonder if Upt started the investigation based on his observations? =========Shaun ==========

Sure it is! My last risers were purple with white toggles. Just tell the Manufacturer what you want. =========Shaun ==========

It looks like a Wings.... It Packs Like a Wings. It must be a wings Vortex. =========Shaun ==========

True! Manufacturers making jumpers go through their dealer network for spare parts, IMHO, is a huge waste of time and money. =========Shaun ==========