mark

Poynter Vol 1, 7.12 Restitching. Repairman: Senior parachute rigger, Master parachute rigger. No distinction made whether on a reserve or main as there is for other repairs. Poynter Vol 2, 7.12 is identical, except for politically correct change to Repair Personnel. Parachute Rigger Handbook, 7.1.1 (page 7-5) says the same thing. Unless there are manufacturer instructions to the contrary, restitching is a task a senior rigger could do, provided he or she had the skill, tools, and materials. Mark

Promise?

What's old is new again. TSO-C23b/NAS-804 effective 29 March 1962: "4.2.4 Inspection Data Pocket: Each parachute outfit shall be provided with an inner and an outer pocket for keeping a record card . . . If the inner record card can be read from the outside of the pack because of the use of transparent materials, only the inner pocket need be provided." Nowadays the AAD pocket can serve as the required inner pocket on C23b systems like Vector, Racer, and Mirage. Mark

That is not a good analogy. What we are doing in skydiving is using a 2-link chain to lift an object (one link being the harness and the other link being the canopy). It doesn't matter which link is strongest. Mark

Legalities/compatibility of major components. For example, it could be argued that a PD-113R reserve canopy is not compatible with a Mirage harness/container since the reserve produced more than 3,000 lbs force during testing and the harness is only certified up to 3,000 lbs force. Derek V It could also be argued that by adopting TSO-C2d and C23f, the FAA's current thinking is that it is okay with canopies being certified to higher weights and speeds than the harnesses they are assembled with. In any case, regardless of TSO, we can never be sure a harness is stronger than the canopy it is assembled with. We can only know that approved components met some minimum performance standards during testing; no tests for ultimate strength are required. Mark

Why is this a problem? Mark

Nor is there any maximum deployment speed. (The 150mph limit for low speed category is aircraft speed, not freefall speed.) Mark

"Peak force" is measured on a single test. "Average peak force" is the average over a series of tests. Mark

65.131 specifies the content but not the format of the required record. You don't have to use the blue Para-Gear logbook. You can use a physical notebook or an electronic spreadsheet. Or, if your invoices have the required info on them, you could just keep an extra copy of the invoice (paper or electronic). With an electronic logbook, it is easier to progressively purge stuff that's more than 2 years old. With a paper logbook, you have to keep it for 2 years after the date of last entry. Mark

I do.

A number of MC4s have been retrofitted for military Cypres AADs. IIRC, the cutter channel runs are too long for a civilian Cypres, but a Vigil will fit. Mark

Is that really needed? Just because this person is not from America does not mean they are a terrorist.] Maybe the "terrorist" part is unfair, but it did seem strange to me that the applicant was willing to travel anywhere in the world except the US. Mark

My experience of 8 canopies returned to PD for evaluation: 5 canopies recert for 40 packs or 25 rides 1 canopy recert for 20 packs or 12 rides 1 canopy recert for 15 packs or 9 rides 1 canopy unairworthy because of excessive permeability. The 20-pack and 15-pack canopies were the same make/model/size, manufactured in the same month/year, and were recertified at the same time, which to me is evidence that it is the condition of the canopy that matters, not when it was recertified. Mark

I have more than once returned 20-year-old canopies to PD that I know had more than 40 packs and more than 25 jumps. They came back with data panels for 40 more packs and 25 more jumps. When those panels are full, those canopies will have been in service for more than 40 years. I think you are mistaken about it about being planned obsolescence, and I think the DPRE was mistaken about the data being collected to justify a 20-year service life. Mark

Icarus reserves have PD-style boxes on the data panel, center rib near the nose. Chute Shop Decelerator reserves have PD-style boxes on the data panel. Smart reserves have a requirement for porosity testing after 10 uses/20 packs, although they don't have any way to keep track. -Mark

Mark, do you teach this 'look-through' technique at the Rigging Academy? I've tried it in the last couple classes, with mixed results. Too early to tell if it is worth the time, or if it's better just to start with 4" double-layer cordura squares. Mark

Or try binding vinyl (as in AAD control head pocket material) squares. Mark

You're not responsible for an out-of-date rig... Nor an out-of-date AAD. Mark

What do you do if the rig is not back for repack on day #181? Mark

Hello MEL - 65.129(b) requires the parachute to be safe for emergency use at the time of packing, although not for any specific period of time after that. You're right: 105.43 or 105.45 apply to the user and pilot at the time of use. 91.307(a) also applies at the time of use. What is/are your reference(s) to the contrary? -Mark

The rigger is responsible for determining if the equipment is airworthy at the time of packing. If the Cypres is airworthy at the time of packing, the FAA says he may pack it -- although he is perfectly within his rights to choose not to. The user is responsible for determining if the equipment is airworthy at the time of use. If there is required scheduled maintenance due (inspect & repack, for example, or AAD service/replacement), the equipment is not airworthy. Similarly, if there is unscheduled maintenance needed (damaged leg strap repair, dead AAD batteries, closing loop needs adjustment), the equipment is not airworthy. The user is responsible for returning the equipment to a rigger for service; riggers are not required to chase down their customers to make sure their equipment is still airworthy. With respect to the Cypres, there may be a good reason the user would want it packed with 4 months remaining. In Minnesota, for example, 4 months from now there won't be much skydiving. Why give up 3 weeks of summer jumping if the rig won't be in service during the winter? The rigger should let his customer know his options. If you and the customer choose to repack with the AAD now, then on the data card in addition to writing the actual repack date, consider writing in red ink: "Repack okay through 31 Dec 2014 when AAD service is due. Manifest programs should enter 04 Jul 2014 as repack date" Mark

So apparently at some point Argus was approved in Mirage H&C Thanks Jerry for fixing my laziness I agree. Mirage changed their position again after that: http://pia.com/piapubs/ServiceBulletins/PSB6-11-2.pdf. Mark

Altico and Mirage. From my memory! I'm lazy to search the SB's so I could be wrong ! I don't recall Altico/Dolphin or Sunrise/Wings ever "approving" an AAD in the way that, say, UPT or RI has. They just said they weren't in the AAD approval business. That's Basik's and Mirage's current position also (and maybe VSE/Infinity as well?). And that's different than saying those manufacturers had no issues or concerns. Mark

Refresh my memory: which manufacturers were these? Mark

The instructor failed to learn what his student was teaching him. Mark