JerryBaumchen

Wendy, How much they paying someone to take it?

Hi Ripcord4, Now the very 'original' Altimaster was a very thick altimeter, as thick as actual aircraft altimeters. Is yours this; or is yours a 2nd gen that was the thin version?

Homer, Weren't those call ZEEK BROS as in the anti-geek bros?

Hi there, Try looking at Performance Designs' website, they have some 210-ish used Spectre's there. Look at their Stock List then go to Used Canopies. HTH.

Hi Sparky, Actually Ted goes to great lengths these days to stay out of jail. Ben there, done that too many times. Last year he was elected to the Sheridan, OR City Council. Who says you cannot be rehabilitated? He also got married again last year, at 68. Man is a true optimist.

Hi Andy, It WAS made by AirTime Designs, the jumpsuit people. They no longer make or support it. It was a 9-cell semi-elliptical canopy. I still have one. I think Brian Germain was the original designer, you might contact him. BigAirSportz.com (I think).

The majority of sport rigs are built of 1000 denier Cordura. RWS tries to use 500 denier whenever they can (almost 100%) depending on what color is required. The 500 d is smoother, lighter, etc, etc. IMO, you're just not used to seeing it. BTW, the 1000 d does wear better when being abused.

Now Peckerhead, You know Ralph would never use words like "...going to confiscate the stolen property.... ' I'm sure your memory is slightly wrong.

Strato, Send me an email; your PM ME bounced back. Jerry

Just a shot in the dark: Anyone out there have a Strong StyleMaster rig?

Hi Rob, YOU DO NOT WANT THE FAA WRITING A TSO STANDARD FOR AN AAD. End of discussion.

Hi Wildjump, I use #22 needles when sewing 'E' thread and found that doing this made a lot of problems go away. Give it a try.

Thanks.

Anybody have phone & address for Altico, mfrs of the Dolphin? Thanks in advance.

Hi Bill, I have some memory of a failed chest strap that occured 20+ years ago; I think the stitching failed/pulled out. My memory (getting worse by the moment) is that it was a Racer; if I'm wrong my apologies to John & Nancy. Something appeared in PARACHUTIST on the fatality and I contacted USPA to find out more. I was told that the chest strap is not a structural part so they would not release any further info. I always found their response interesting; it failed during opening but it is not structural. Hmmmm????? That's a marketing type trying to appear as an engineer.

Hi Rob, I first met Troy in the early 80's when I was going in and out of Denver on business trips. A very nice, quite, unassuming guy; just a nice guy. He once told me that on his original Centaurus he never did the three Strength Tests by dropping the rig from an aircraft; the FAA allowed him to load it to 5,000 lbs, three times, in a test machine and they accepted that testing. I thought he had a degree in Physics, not engineering; but I may just be wrong on this. I do not know exactly but the very first reserve tuck in top flap that I ever saw was at the '91 Symposium (I think '91 ??); it was a rig by PISA. However, your info may be more accurate than this. Just a couple of thoughts, nothing else.

"STOP THIS." You took the words right out of my mouth, Mick. Thanks and have a good one yourself.

Hi Red13, Since you say you are new, then welcome to the whacky world of skydiving. First, you must have a thick skin, and not just on dz.com. You may have noticed these posts had some help and some sarcasm, its all part of the sport. You can legally pack your own main that you intend to jump without supervision. I might not recommend that not knowing you. You can pack a main for anyone to jump if under the direct supervision of a rigger. You can legally pack your own reserve if under the direct supervision of a rigger; you cannot sign it off or seal it, he would have to do that. As a rigger, I would never let you do that where my seal was involved. Hope that this has helped.

Hey Superman32, You left out Retired, the best job I've ever had. Two checks a month & I don't even have to get out of bed. You'll get there some day. I suppose I could have listed Engineer since I keep my PE ticket current, even though I don't use it; just personal pride.

I voted but my incident was not a 'true' unstowed toggle. Many years ago, jumping a F 1-11 type fabric 7-cell I had the right side toggle and guide/steering ring go bye-bye on a hard opening. The 1" T-4 webbing that held the ring to the harness had actually been cut in two by the ring and everything was floating out behind me. Luckily, not a HP canopy so I just unstowed the left side and steered/flaired with risers; but a damn short stroke to stall that feller.

Hi Travis, I've been giving that very idea some thoughts; I kinda like pondering ideas, it keeps Alzheimer's at a distance. The problems that I saw were: 1. Lots of engineering time invested 2. Lots of R&D effort invested 3. Little actual demand in the marketplace 4. The risers would have to sell for around $200/pair 5. Some young rigger would build them in his basement, undercut your pricing and steal all of your potential customers. It gave me a lot of time considering all of the issues but in the long run, it just doesn't work out. It was just a good mental exercise. Since you mention where the line meets the webbing, let me do a little bragging (if I might be allowed). Look in Poynter's very first manual in Section 8.2.1.C.2.b and you will see some work that I did long ago on line strengths vs attachment methods. Now, do not let my negativism keep you from continuing to think about new things. Who knows, one day you may come up with the next greatest whizbanger.

Hi Sparky, I seem to be with you on this one. In my opinion (and it is my opinion only), the chest strap does take some loading (how much, I do not know) during normal deployment attitudes. Saying that, I can envision some attitude in which the chest strap takes virtually no load; however, I also feel that it always will take some load during deployment (this is of course considering a modern piggyback sport parachute system, not something utilizing a chest pack or some other configuration). As I look at different photos of ringed harnesses, I have reached the conclusion (no actual proof of this) that a fully ringed harness imposes more load onto the chest strap that would a non-ringed or hip-ringed only harness configuration. This is because I see these rigs on people more often like in the one drawing of Sparky's where the MLW is in a somewhat sideways 'V' configuration. To me, it is a very simple vector analysis; something one would learn about in the first month or so of an engineering Statics class. Now please do not ask me to get those very old textbooks out; heck, I doubt if I could actually find it anymore. Any Structual Engineering students out there who might want to analysis Sparky's two drawings for us? Anyway, just my old $0.02 worth.

Go and visit/talk to Sewing Machine Service in Renton. They are 'THE' industrial sewing machine outfit in your area. I don't have their phone number close at hand; but they are in Renton, in the old part of town. Try a guy there named Cerwin (pronounced Kerwin). HTH

Hey. Brokenwing, Now you're re-awaking some of the old memory cells. I think you are absolutely right on Hugh being the first to short-line one. That post took me back quite a ways. Don't know about the other mods.

Hi there CrazyL, You don't list any contact info. How about sending me an email ( or call 503-481-4714 )? I have something I would like to discuss with you. Thanks, Jerry