gowlerk

Easy to fix. A little heat from a butane lighter will clean up that fuzziness nicely. (kidding) Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

They are dated by month and year of manufacture. They aren't cars, they don't have model years. If you buy one in Jan, it will almost certainly be dated from last year. They are good for 20 years. Will you still be using it then? Buy it before you need it so when it comes time, you have it in hand. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Wait a minute. Didn't this thread start off with you asking about a Raven that opened hard routinely? And that you have tried everything you could think of and were out of ideas? And that now you are considering slider mods even though you have already tried a larger slider? You are the one saying it opens hard, aren't you? I'm just trying to say that your dad deserves a canopy that doesn't hurt him. Super Ravens are known to open quickly. They are also known for '80s style flaring. Good luck with statistical averaging of the pain and injury, and good luck with your dad's "classic" canopy. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

This would be exactly why 500 jumps may not be enough. If you had more experience you probably would have handled the situation better. I'm not saying the number should be raised, just that everyone considering taking up tandem should be aware of the challenges. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Another way of looking at this is that nearly 10% of the those openings were dangerously hard. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Just saying. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Weren't those just installed on the early Ravens? After the (b) series the design was changed to make them open faster. That's why no more bikini slider needed? Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Thanks. That was a bundle of help. When you have been in the sport longer than he has I am sure he will welcome your canopy advice. I am asking a legitimate question about how to slow the opening of an existing canopy. While I'm sure there are some out there than feel a guy with 40 years in the sport "ain't shit" if he isn't jumping a 60 sq ft canopy and swooping a pit of crocodiles, I feel I should point out that gear selection is a personal choice and he likes the raven. When it was ordered he didn't realize the microline would cause such hard openings. Short of relining the canopy I am simply asking if anyone has some actual helpful advice as to how to slow the openings. Raven? 40 years? So what. Does he drive an car designed in 1980 and expect it to act like a new car? Just because he used to own a bunch of bagged out f-111 type student canopies that opened fine is no reason to believe a new Raven will open nicely. Ravens open hard, always have. When his gets 3 or 4 hundred jumps on it and becomes bagged out it will open gently. The year is 2013, he doesn't need to do that anymore. Why dick around with slider mods trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? He deserves better, he's earned it. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Interesting, especially the comments on pull testing, which I have always thought to be too destructive to use without a clear reason to. However, if you are talking about the clamps pictured in the FAA manual and the RI packing manual the clamps used are clearly "Pony" brand soft rubber tipped 4" clamps. Originally intended for wood working without marking finely finished surfaces. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Eloy has the most reliable weather and the best potential for the most jumps in the least time. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

You are wrong on both counts. Period. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

It's fun watching lions fight. Only problem is that one of them just won't take the bait anymore. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

I am aware of this. But since you use the wording "just one" I am wondering if there are others that you know of? I do use clamps, I was trained to use clamps. I find them helpful, but not strictly necessary. I've never seen anyone hang a canopy for inspection without using clamps, is this allowed? Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

And that is the only configuration I can find on the UPT website for the V2 RSL retrofit. As such it sounds correct. The one Peter has is not correct. I have no idea what if any consequences that could have. I'm not the maker, it's not up to me to decide. Pack it? I'm in Canada as well, but I don't see how that could relieve me of the responsibility to refuse to sign off on it. And unless you replace the cable you can't really close it without the RSL. I wouldn't if I were you, but I'm pretty sure you've already come to that conclusion yourself. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

The story is that when the CYPRES came out, a major selling point was that is was inconspicuous. Back then the cool kids did not use AADs. They were for students and sissies only. The ASTRA came out first and was mounted openly and failed miserably. People are going to point out that the control unit needs to be protected and that is true. But the main reason for hiding it originally was the lack of coolness factor. EDIT I may be remembering wrong about when the ASTRA came out. But it sure did fizzle in the sales department. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

I rent used gear to new people sometimes. There are two ways to go. Charge 20 -30 a jump and take the risk of damage, lost handles, rigging and parts yourself. Or sit down and talk to the person about who is responsible for what. Write down a list of what parts cost how much and make sure the person has the resources to pay if needed. Most of the time when I do this it's for a monthly or even seasonal basis. It helps quite a bit that I am a rigger and can do most of the maintenance myself. I usually include repacks in the price because I don't want the cost to be a factor in anyone's decision to cut away. I honestly don't think I would do it if I wasn't a rigger, although it still may work for you. A lot would depend on how nice the rig is. Newer jumpers WILL fall down and scuff it up at least a little. You have to expect normal wear and tear. Chuck is correct about currency, but that's not a gear issue, so I won't address it except to say that if you do very few jumps maybe you should sell the rig and rent yourself. How many jumps per year are you planning? Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Thanks all. I have a 20u, a Pfaff 262, and several Singer 401s and 201s available, so I guess I'm set. Jerry, the needles I've seen sold as "jeans needles" are size 16 round point. Judging by what others are saying, I'll be trying 16s instead of 18s. I've never seen anyone selling a 17. I also have a Spectre that needs several simple patches, so I have a project as well. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

I'm looking at working to improve my patching skills this winter. I'm wondering about preferred machines for patching. I know that the classic is a 31-15. But I'd like to know what a modern fully equipped loft would use as their permanently set up for patching machine. Bottom feed only? Or needle feed as well? And what size needle. I know 16 will work, but I use 18s. What do the pros use? Thanks Ken Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Chris, you are at your very best today! Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

You already know the answer. My answer would be to match the 170 main that you plan to use for a long time with at least a 176 reserve. You already know your current 160 is a compromise that you aren't comfortable with, and for good reason. A container that holds these would also work with a 150 main, but that would be at the very bottom of my list of considerations. You may be able to trade your 160 for a used 176 through the classifieds if you are patient. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Poynter also says that mildew needs a damp warm environment, as well as contamination of the material to support it. Nylon is highly resistant to most petroleum solvents, if you want to take the chance on the poisonous substance that is banned in your country. Store your canopy in a cool dry place. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Naphthalene flakes are used to deter moths and other insects from natural fabrics that might supply a food source to them. Parachutes are made from all man made inedible nylon and as such are not affected. But they could very well be affected by naphthalene which is a petroleum product usually made from coal tar. Store your canopy in a plastic bag in a cool dry place. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Yes, it is "ok" to do this. It is what most people do when ordering new gear these days. And most container manufacturers will recommend this combo if you ask them. Generally when they call it "full" that is your warning not to go any larger. If you are a new packer and you have a new main canopy to pack into it you will wish you had a larger container. I've seen many people in this situation just give up and hire a packer, at least until the canopy is broken in. If possible give yourself a break and avoid the "full" container. But it is not unsafe to fill it to the top end of the recommendation. If in doubt consult Aerodyne. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

If this was in fact a “tandem” then it is wrong on many levels. The jump was not for the entertainment of the TM or the other clown. The TM’s job is to provide a safe, as safe as possible, to a paying customer. The passenger doesn’t understand the dangers of a normal jump much less what is portrayed in the video. If the TM has become bored and jaded with slinging meat maybe he should take a break. Sparky If the passenger is not an experienced skydiver fully aware of and agreeing to the planned stunt, then of course this is more than just wrong. It would be negligence. My comment makes the assumption that this is not a normal passenger tandem, but a pre-planned stunt. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Let's not start in on this business of slaging handcam video because only outside video is "professional". The reason larger DZs with turbines use outside video is because they have more slots to fill in the aircraft and they can keep more vidiots employed that way. That is why handcam is not an option for you. The reason 182 DZs use handcam is obvious. Every DZ does what is best for them based on available staff and aircraft. Don't be criticizing what others do. We also don't allow customers to shoot their own video. Mostly for the same reason theaters don't allow customers to bring their own popcorn. But we always tell them it's for "safety reasons". Ken Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Yes indeed it's true. But now they can progress to WS BASE Proxy flying. It already has cool initials, and maybe soon it's very own fatality list page. Plus if they do it a few dozen times it's very unlikely they will live long enough to suffer from that dreaded boredom thing! Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.