JerryBaumchen

Hi Mark, I respectively disagree with you. JerryBaumchen

On 2 Jun 08 under: Worrying Safety Bulletin concerning the Vigil I posted: And it is going to get much worse in this skydiving industry ( some other products ) if some recent communications I have received are any indication. If this back-stabbing doesn't end, this sport will simply go downhill. I think that the market will decide the necessity of such a device. Or one can consider the poll that JEFFREY placed here about 6 months ago asking about when was the last time anyone experienced a broken riser. Oh right, that was when he was employed by Mirage and designing the DRX System but now he works for UPT. JerryBaumchen

Hi hack, Congrats. But it really is better if no one ever has to use one of your ( anyone's ) repacks. JerryBaumchen

Hi ripcord, What I am advocating would not change your being able to pack your chest pack. I have packed plenty of chest packs and about 20 seat packs; I find almost no difference in the packing procedures. IMO, if you can pack one then you can pack the other. I am advocating that we eliminate the chest, seat, etc type ratings and go to just being a rigger who can pack, whatever to a parachute. As mentioned in one of my later posts, I would support the idea of a round rating vs a square rating. I would still keep the Senior Rigger & Master Rigger rating. However, I do like the Canadian system where they have this Rigger A who can do little more than assemble, pack & replace parts. Thanks for your input and I hope to hear from some other US riggers out there, JerryBaumchen

Hi Zig, Well, it is OK to tell me that you think I am wrong; people have been doing so all of my life. I am not advocating doing away with the Senior/Master Rigger ratings. I advocate doing away with the type ratings; chest, lap, etc. I remember when the CrossBow first came on the market ( yes, I AM that old ) and some FAA-types were requiring riggers to log it as a chest repack. Nutz in my book, it was located on the back, i.e., back rating and logging. What I do like ( from my limited knowledge of it ) is the Canadian system where the first 'riggers' only get to pack and very little else. Then they slowly, and with demonstrated experience, get additional 'ratings.' Their system has seperate ratings/'license'/etc for rounds & squares. When I got my square rigger rating I had to find someone else who had gotten one from Para-Flite or from another Para-Flite rated rigger. I had read the Safety Flyer manual and thought that it was rather simple to pack the canopy ( even with their goofy braking system ). Based upon that experience is why I feel that if you can read and understand the manuals you can pack the rig. I had hoped that some other folks would chime in on this issue; time will tell. And I do appreciate your thoughts, JerryBaumchen

Hi Lisa, Celtics in six. JerryBaumchen

Hi Flyer, So I'm taking that you do not know the very old hand-signal for a skydiver. Ok, here goes: Hold your hand up high with your fist closed, as you lower your hand, about mid-chest level, open it up, palm down, like a canopy opening . Sheesh, you young people and what you don't know. JerryBaumchen

Hi Zig, Fair enough; I never ask anyone to agree with me unless it is in the support of abortion rights. Even then I can be flexible, maybe . My take is that if one is capable of reading and understanding a proper manual ( and note the use of the word 'proper' ), then that is all that should be required. However, I would support the concept of two ratings, one for square and one for round. I just think that this whole chest, seat, lap, and back rating thing is so outdated that it needs to be thrown back into the stone age from whence it came. I was hoping someone would get a poll going ( as mentioned, I am incapable of doing so ) so that maybe, just maybe we could have some data to then present to PIA so that maybe, just maybe they would petition the FAA to change things. I do believe, in today's world, going through the PIA is the proper channel to get things changed. Thoughts, anyone???? JerryBaumchen

Hi Arno, There is a tunnel in the Bay area but not adjacent to the Lodi dz. JerryBaumchen

Hi LongWay, It's been done, Ted Strong did a tandem at Bridge Day many years ago. JerryBaumchen

Hi Terry, And this is why I am an advocate of eliminating these 'type' ratings. If you can read the manual and pack a parachute then it makes no difference ( to me ) as to what 'type' rating you might have. These are old, antiquated dinosaurs leftover from the '30's & '40's and have no real application in our current world. Just my old $0.02 worth; others may not agree. JerryBaumchen PS) Maybe we should get a poll going on how other people feel about this. I do not know how to start a poll on this forum ( old guy with very limited computer skills ). Anyone care to volunteer?

Hi howard, One thing I find interesting about the photo of Jack under the PC is that I cannot find the control lines that the final production models had when the PC came on the market in Spring '64. Pioneer did a demo prototype PC jump at the '63 Nationals at Issaquah ( before my time ). I have heard that at that time ( '63 ) they controlled the canopy by pulling down on the skirt/a suspension similar to how we controlled C-9's and 1.6's. You may remember the numerous postings last year by 26 Ft Conical who is Dan Abbott. In those postings he talked about how Loy Brydon took the control system that Dan designed for the CrossBow to Pioneer for the PC. That is how the production PC came to have the control lines going to the upper panels at the side/top of the canopy. Just some trivia for those who might want to know, JerryBaumchen

Hi doc, Contact Dan Poynter at www.parapublishing. I think he has just about every one. It's worth a try, JerryBaumchen

Hi JP, I agree completely. And it is going to get much worse in this skydiving industry ( some other products ) if some recent communications I have received are any indication. If this back-stabbing doesn't end, this sport will simply go downhill. OK, off of my soap-box now, JerryBaumchen

Hi french, IMO, never. No AAD has any FAA certification. That, to me, means that they have no authority over it. I say that having been a US federal employee enforcing US federal standards for 30+ yrs. Now, if the design were to somehow effect the manual operation of the certificated parachute system, then they could step in. Right now, I do not see any of the electronic AADs that effect the manual operation of the reserve parachute. That's my $0.02 on it, someone else may have a different opinion. JerryBaumchen

Hi wmw999, ***And if she finds a good rig at a good price but the harness is too big, it might be sizeable for a couple hundred dollars. *** And I think this is where a lot of newer jumpers, who are looking for used gear, come to the conclusion that they cannot find anything that fits them. If you find a used rig that you might want but the harness is too big/small then contact the mfr and see what it would cost to upsize/downsize the harness. A prudent shopper might do this before they actually go shopping. From personal experience, I once had (quite few years ago now) an entire new harness put on a Vector Tandem for ~$150 or so. JerryBaumchen

Hi Jack, So what was her name? I spent 15 months in France as a young man and 'learned' a few French things, JerryBaumchen

Hi captain, Well, I HAD one. It kept wanting to sew in a large arc. I tried just about everything in the way of adjustments and then began to replace parts. It still wanted to go in a large arc. The answer was to sell it all the while informing the new owner what it wanted to do. On the other hand, I have known people who swear by them rather than at them. IMO, they are a very durable machine. JerryBaumchen

Hi Aggie, It is called Congress. IMO, if your income (or a substantive portion of it) comes from anything in which any federal agency has any sort of oversight, then you should be donating to your congressmen/women every election. I know that I do; even if I don't like their politics (then I give to both candidates). I have had them 'save my buns' with the FAA numerous times over the years. Now, if you say that it won't work, let me respectively disagree. JerryBaumchen PS) They also saved my keester when it came time for my ex-wife to get 'her share' of my retirement.

Hi howard, Are you sure that it is at Yolo? J.C. ran a dz at Lincoln, CA back in the '60's. I was there once, JerryBaumchen

Hi alexey, Why would a parachute mfr do it; they just buy the things. Although, I have 'heard' that Jump Shack will provide them, finished with end fittings (I mean with the AMP fittings if used in a 3-ring sysem), in custom lengths. The mfr of the housings (both 3-ring and ripcord) is: Metal-Flex Hosing Inc. 1241 E. Erie Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 USA Phone) 215-535-686 Or contact them at: mary@metalflexhosing.com 3-ring housings are 0.172" inside diameter & ripcord housing are 0.260" inside diameter (note: these dimensions are in inches). Metal-Flex does not install the AMP fittings on the ends of the 3-ring housings though. Hope this helps, JerryBaumchen

Hi jimmy, I'm thinking something having to so with the film Gypsy Moths????? JerryBaumchen

Hi erdna, Mesh can be purchased with a ph test to ensure that it will not cause this problem. It costs more but it is an easy extra when purchasing the mesh. Or you can buy other mesh that never gets this treatment. The mfr just needs to know what to purchase. JerryBaumchen

Didn't every dz have at least one of these? JerryBaumchen

Hi Billy, Re: Tom Piras Going from memory so consider that: 1. It was in Panama 2. He was down there doing some training 3. In the plane he said "Oh, I forgot to turn my CYPRES on." 4. He hit another canopy while in free-fall and was rendered unconcious 5. He pulled just prior to impact That's from memory, JerryBaumchen