JerryBaumchen

Hi Professor (again), I have 30+ years experience with older Singer industrial machines. My first industrial machine was a used Singer 31-15, I still have it and I take good care of it. But it will soon go as I have a better machine to replace it with (a Pfaff). The older industrial Singers simply are no longer available; and when you do find them, they are usually worn out (but not absolutely everyone of them, you just might find one). Last year I threw two Singer 17W15 zig-zag machines into the recycle station because the races were so worn they could not make the stitches anymore. The parts are hard to come by and they were not worth the cost (if I could have found the parts). If I were looking to buy a good used, industrial machine (any stitch pattern) I would look for Pfaff, Consew (and they make good new machines, check their website) or Juki. Most of this stuff will be newer than the older Singer industrials. Just my $0.02, YMMV. Jerry PS) If you are really looking for a machine, I suggest you check with Mark Lancaster (he posts here as Masterrigger1) of Skyworks ParaService. I was at his place some time back and he has a LOT of machines.

Hi Professor, The answer depends (isn't that what you tell your students?) on what you want to use it for. I had a Singer 20U made in China for a couple of weeks. It was too light weight (IMO) for any decent container work. I sent it back for a refund. I have heard that there might be two different Singer 20U machines; some being heavier. I do not know. I know nothing about Gemsy. Jerry

Hi Rob, It seems this questions comes along every couple of months or so. To the OP) If you get a Vector or Infinity, it will be 500 denier Cordura (unless you want a color that only comes in 1000 denier & then they will only use very little of it, probably just in the stripes). All other USA rigs (I think) come in 1000 denier Cordura. Contact the mfr of the rig(s) you are interested in and have them send some samples. HTH, Jerry

Yes. But then again, I am not what I started college to become. Jerry

Hi JENNR8R, Re: Your poll If you are not an optimist, then just why are you jumping out of airplanes? Jerry

Hi peckerhead, Anaheim to SmellSomeMore - should be about an hour depending on how bad the traffic is. Jerry

Hi skybytch, Your memory is quite good. I would recommend anyone having a V-1 to replace the small top pilot chute with the larger V-2 one. They did not make this change without a reason. Jerry PS) If either one is in good condition, they will be just fine for RW; OOPS, I mean FS. Or is it 'belly flying;' h#@*, who can keep up with being PC anymore?

Hi longtall, Ralph Hatley owns one at his dz in Eagle Creek, OR. Although I don't how often it flies. Jerry PS) And of course a great one is the turbine-powered w/extended fuselage one down under; hauls 10 jumpers.

Hi howard, That I am very sure is a Pioneer rig looking at the snap pads and the ripcord handle. Oh, BTW I was wrong about Strong never making a bulky reserve container. In about '69 - '70 or so he built & sold a rig that had the Stylemaster main & reserve containers on the back; very bulky. Jerry

Retired; best job I've ever had. Just got paid today. I do keep my PE ticket current just in case someone should call and say "Would you like to . . . . " Jerry

Hi howard, I vote Security. Pioneer's ParaTwin used a reserve pin spacing the same as their 3 & 4 pin back packs (5 1/2" as I recall, but do not hold me to it); they just cut the plate shorter to fit. I don't think Strong ever made a piggyback with a reserve that bulky. Security's was really just a chest pack relocated to the back. But I have been wrong before and . . . Jerry

Hi Howard, The photo of Pete is a little interesting. He seems to be wearing a Security piggyback rig with the chest pack added to it. Also, it looks like the reserve ripcord housing is going to the reserve container on the right side (over his right shoulder); quite different than a normal XBO piggyback. Maybe Security made it that way just for this rig. Jerry

Hi Wendy, Well, that response makes you an official 'old timer.' Welcome to the club, Jerry

Hi lisamariewillbe, First, I think it is great that you want to do something for him. Do not just think about it; do it. Second, are you saying that you do not know what a mae west is? Can some 'old timer' help her? Jerry

Hi Mick, At the '91 or '93 Symposium, three guys from Forgecraft gave a seminar on the making of parachute hardware. I asked them about the ductility of the material. After some substantial back and forth, they still did not have a clue what I was talking about. They simply did not know. And after watching their slide show on their testing apparatus it was not any surprise to me that the soft rings made it through their system. Their testing fixtures simply did not reflect in-use loading conditions. In my professional opinion, those guys should not have been in the metal forming business. And I have about 30 yrs working with companies in the metal forming business, witnessing thousands of tests. Just my thoughts, Jerry Baumchen Mechanical Engineer PS) I still have a couple of those old removable 3-rings laying around. Every now and then I come up with a use for them.

Hi howard, Looks like that guy in the first photo may be wearing a 3-canopy rig. Jerry

Hi tbrown, IMO (and Bill Booth may disagree), but I feel that the 'lever system' is what made him license the 3-ring. Until the levers started showing up (I had them on the first rig of mine that I built for myself) you could not get a 3-ring system w/o buying the whole rig; or cutting it off of a well-worn rig. Jerry

Hi Rob, Or better yet (IMO), we will get the FAA out of regulating parachutes and have something like you have in Canada. Then and only then will common sense prevail. Ever met an FAA man familiar with parachutes? Ever get a written response from the FAA that was really clear? Just my old $0.02, Jerry

Hi skydveraz, When the study was made of The Most Livable City in the US, the city that came in first was Portland, Oregon. When the study was made of The Most Livable City in the World, the city that came in first was Melbourne, Australia. FWIW, Jerry

Hi dterrick, That photo looks very much like the canopy that Loy Brydon jumped about that time in a R & D program. I think that it was built by Irvin Industries. The canopy was glued together, no sewing; except for maybe lines, etc. It had no opening shock inhibitor (sp?). There was an article on it in about '66 in Skydiver Magazine. Eventually, Irvin got TSO approval for a delta wing that had no opening shock inhibitor. J. Scott Hamilton jumped that one & wrote an article on it for PARACHUTIST about '67 or so. I once talked to him about the canopy & he said that a hop-n-pop would just about knock your socks off. I think the word he used was 'brutal.' Jerry

Hi deadwood, I do NOT want to get into an arguement but if the rig is offered both ways (most are) then I would think that it would be merely bringing it up to another legal standard. Sort of like putting a Vector II pilot chute into a Vector I; but somewhat different. Thoughts??? Jerry

Contact Rigging Solutions LLC in Chester, SC. Jerry PS) Just for you, Gus.

That photo on the left of the four jumpers reminds me of some of our RW from back in the mid-60's. Jerry

Hi BIGUN, When the PC came on the market in early '64 it sold for a retail price of $225.00 and it came on risers with a sleeve; R/W/B only The entire CrossBow rig (main, reserve & h/c) sold for $525.00 at the same time. Jerry

Hi Phree, Sidewinder manual is on Flying High's website. You should be able to get it there. Jerry