mark

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Everything posted by mark

  1. mark
    Who would be doing the certifying, recertifying, and card pulling? Mark
  2. mark
    Now you have experienced another. What is "bridging?" Mark
  3. mark
    I must not have been there that day. Aerostar (Balloons) had a portable tester, but the problem was it measured pressure under 10" of water, instead of the 0.5" most canopy fabric is spec'd to. Wim DeVos also had a permeability tester made of PVC pipe, a variable-speed vacuum cleaner and an Altimaster-2. Mark
  4. mark
    What news on the Rialto? Mark
  5. mark

    Argus AAD

    mark replied to markodarko's topic in Gear and Rigging

    I don't know anyone who has a personal vendetta against Aviacom. Quite the contrary: I think all of us, Aviacom included, are committed to the safety of our sport. I've read the technical reports and talked with investigators and others with first-hand knowledge. Some of the others posting in this thread have similar experience. Mark
  6. mark

    Argus AAD

    mark replied to markodarko's topic in Gear and Rigging

    Also one in Empuriabrava last year. Mark
  7. mark

    Argus AAD

    mark replied to markodarko's topic in Gear and Rigging

    Looks like debating is what we're doing here. Do you have a statistical basis for this claim, or is it "common sense" or something? Are you saying they are equally reliable? Mark
  8. mark

    Argus AAD

    mark replied to markodarko's topic in Gear and Rigging

    What was the odd circumstance surrounding the Empuria Brava fatality? Mark
  9. mark
    I'm asking because I don't know: do the waivers in those six states bind the minor when he or she reaches majority? That is, would they allow an 18 year old to sue for injuries incurred when he or she was 16 or 17? Mark
  10. mark
    The difference is that waivers are an effective means of thwarting lawsuits, and kids can't sign enforceable waivers. Mark
  11. mark
    A number of posters have suggested an equivalence between making a first jump and soloing an aircraft. FAR 61.87 lays out the pre-solo training a student pilot is required to have. For an airplane: All practical work, not just classroom stuff. I agree that a first jump is not so complicated as first solo. On the other hand, what exactly do we require in the way of practical demonstrations? And how well do our training simulators simulate actual conditions? Mark
  12. mark
    The practical effect of what you're saying here is that you'd allow an un-waivered person to jump at your dz. Many waivers include additional named parties. The reason they are included is because they are partners in a dz.'s risk. I think it's okay to expose oneself to any amount of risk (by foregoing the protection of a waiver, for example), but not so much to expose riggers, pilots, aircraft owners and other folks. Mark
  13. mark
    Photo shows Kevin Burkhart making a one-armed jump at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wisconsin.
  14. mark
    About 200,000 pounds empty. Mark
  15. mark
    Max gross take-off weight for a Lear 85 is 33,500. You're looking at something like Airborne Systems' GigaFly. The GigaFly is 10,400 ft^2, intended for cargo 15K to 42K. Airborne Systems doesn't list the pack volume or weight for the GigaFly. My guess, based on experience with skydiving canopies, would be 80-160 ft^3 and 500-1500 pounds. Useful load (payload and fuel) on a Lear 85 is around 4000, which means such a parachute system would reduce the useful load by a substantial amount. And unfortunately, the GigaFly is rated only to 25,000 feet, which means most of the time a Lear 85 would be operating outside the canopy's limits. It is not an easy thing to design a canopy that opens well enough at both low and high altitudes, and at the speed ranges the aircraft might encounter. Mark
  16. mark
    Only from the Academy. Mark
  17. mark
    Offered as an option on Plexus Tandem: http://www.plexustandem.com/fido-user.html Mark
  18. mark
    Right. You could have asked. No one edits their own work, not even editors. Mine is Geoff Nelder from Chester, Great Britain. Masters in English, career as teacher in same. Good friend and confidante. I wouldn't be the same guy without him. The only thing we disagree on is Marmite. He likes it. I don't. I gave it a chance. He mailed me some and I tried it. QED Mark
  19. mark
    You could use an editor. Mark
  20. mark
    How do we know the tie clasp in photos was put on the tie by Cooper and not by an investigator? Also, when I wear a tie clasp, I clasp the tie to my shirt. There's only one way to do that, and it doesn't tell you whether I'm right-handed or left. -Mark
  21. mark
    I imagine you've watched a tandem jump or two on youtube. Have you seen any where the passenger is wearing the sort of helmet you are thinking of using? Why do you think that is? Mark
  22. mark
    Statistically it is a lot more likely that you will have an AAD fire but your reserve will not fully deploy before impact. Please explain. Mark
  23. mark
    IIRC, the AADs went back to the families, who declined to provide them to Airtec for examination. Mark
  24. mark
    Balderdash. Every small airport offers sightseeing rides, and they are perfectly legal as long as it's a non-stop flight within 25 miles of the airport. Mark
  25. mark
    I'm more confused now. What does this have to do with observer rides? Mark