mark

In that case, he should check to see if the velcro track and guide rings are already installed -- most of the time they are. If not, adding them later is a master rigger task. Mark

Order your G4 "RSL-ready," with velcro track and RSL guide rings already installed. Consider ordering your main risers "RSL-ready" also, that is, with the RSL ring already installed. If your container is RSL-ready and your risers have an RSL ring, any rigger can add a factory-built RSL later. Mark

"Commander" is not an Army, Air Force, or Marine rank. Was Commander Anderson in the Minnesota Navy, perhaps? Mark

91.107(a)(1) and (2): each person gets his or her own belt/restraint. The restraint systems are not designed for two people to share. Mark

Nope! Technically only one had a question mark.... Technically, one had incorrect punctuation. I wasn't going to point that out, but you insisted. Mark

One question, What do you tell your students about this. Do you advise them that supervision for parachutes intended for use is legal or illegal? MEL That's two questions. The answer to both is I tell them to follow the regulations. Mark

Yup. You remain unconvinced, but I still hold out hope. Mark

Here's an Australian one: http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/24546/aair200101903_001.pdf Mark

The FSDO checks to see if the packs were supervised by an FAA rigger, not whether they have been put in service. Whether the packs can be for use is still an open question. MEL's position notwithstanding, a number of us think that "supervision" and "training" are not the same thing. The traditional letter is not required by regulation. It made sense as a screen when FAA inspectors gave the oral/practical at no charge. Now the screen is the applicant's willingness to pay the written test fee (about $100) and the oral/practical test fee (about $300) as many times as necessary to pass. Mark

Pdf sent by email. Mark

I found these parts in my collection of old stuff. I think they are parts from a mechanical AAD (KAP-3?), but I can't identify them. Can anyone help? Mark

Use a brass hammer, which will not damage the screws. Mark

The FAA requires a restraint for each person. That means a restraint other than being attached to a tandem instructor. The FAA requires passengers to wear seatbelts for taxi, take-off, and landing in the aircraft. Common practice is to consider the first 1000 (or 1500 or 2000, it varies) feet as "take-off" requiring seatbelts, and the remaining part of the ascent as "climb" when seatbelts are not required unless the PIC requires. There is no FAA regulation that speaks to when a tandem passenger must be hooked up to the tandem instructor. Mark

Which metal parts exactly? Which PVD process? How would you ensure your PVD process affects only the metal parts and not the fabric or webbing adjacent to or around the metal parts? Mark

I looked at it closely and see no conflict. Here's my reasoning: First, 65.125(c). "A certificated parachute rigger need not comply with Secs. 65.127 through 65.133 (relating to facilities, equipment, performance standards, records, recent experience, and seal) in packing, maintaining, or altering (if authorized) the main parachute of a dual parachute pack to be used for intentional jumping." The performance standards a rigger need not comply with are in 65.129. One of those performance standards is currency, 65.129(f). In other words, a rigger need not be current to pack, supervise packing, or maintain a main parachute. At least that was the case until Thursday 3 June 2010 when 65.111 was changed to purportedly require a rigger to be current when working on main parachutes.. No previous version of 65.111 included the word "current." It was not a rule change; it was a correction. The original rule (before May 09,2001) reflected the same intent as the now current version. They simply corrected the mistake of the language in the 2001 version. MEL The mistake that was appropriately corrected was one that allowed the next user to maintain and alter a main parachute. As I point out above, there was also a de facto rule change as well. Mark

We can argue all day about what 'airworthy' means, but I don't think anyone can take the stance that replacing worn out lines is not a maintenance function. The revision of 65.111 puts it in conflict with 65.125(c) which specifically exempts riggers from the requirement to be current when working on main parachutes. We can argue about whether currency is a good thing, but we should be alarmed when the FAA substantively changes a regulation without going through the normal rule-making process. Mark

Absolutely. There are just two types or repairs according to the FAA regulations; Major and Minor. The official definition of a major repair is one that may affect airworthiness if done improperly. Only a Master Rigger or someone under his/her supervision can do a major repair whether it be a main or reserve. The big difference here is that work completed on main canopies do not need documentation, whereas reserves do require documentation. MEL It is not as clear to me as it is to you that a main canopy manufactured without regard to airworthiness standards can have its airworthiness affected by a repair. "Airworthiness" is not a property of main canopies. Mark

He was jumping an all-black Rapid Transit with cargo rings on the main lift webs; his reserve was Pioneer Super-22 #597970. Mark

Do you have the equipment in your possession? The harness/container date of manufacture is on a tag on a reserve riser. The data panel on the main may not be readable, but if it is a PD-170, the model number and size can be verified by the logo panel on the stabilizer. You should be able to read the make and model from the data panel on the reserve canopy. Additionally, if the reserve is a 5-cell Swift, two (and maybe all four, I can't remember) of the reserve risers will have just 3 lines on the links. Or have you sent everything back already, in which case you have neither a rig nor your money? Mark

Vector II 1986? Vector III came out in 1994. (Someone who remembers better than I do will be able to say whether production on both models overlapped.) Also, the 178 reserve: a Bogy 178? or a 5-cell Swift? Mark

I agree. It is the rigger's responsibility to figure out what the customer's priorities are. Mark

Actually, it is the same position. And, based on your post, if you were my customer, you too would always get a call before I did any extra work. Mark

If you (or he) were my customer, you would always get a call before additional work. Mark

Umm. . . I don't think you read my post. Mark

Hello Jerry - There was a time when I had a standard work order which allowed a customer to specify any dollar limit they wanted for a repair. If work would exceed the limit, the customer acknowledged I would bill them for the time involved in getting their approval, and their work might be delayed. Most customers, but not all, checked the "use your best judgment" box. Now I'm not so formal. I try to keep in contact with my customers, but if I'm unable to reach them, I make the best decision I can. Some of the factors I consider: -- estimated cost of the work -- estimated value of the component -- jump history of the customer (work rig? competitor with practice or competition soon? occasional jumper?) -- attitude of the customer towards his gear (no one willfully abuses his gear, but some folks are more casual than others about appearance) -- time until the end of the season and likelihood of jumps during the off-season -- ability of the customer to afford the repair I figure I'm not so much in the rigging business as I am in the customer service business. Sometimes I guess wrong. I do whatever I can to make things right. I've never had to send anything to a manufacturer to have my work done better, although I'm prepared to do that and pay for it. My standing policy is "Your Last Service is Free," and if the customer decides he'd prefer to take his business elsewhere, there is no charge for any portion of his last service. BTW, the same standard work order I mention in the first paragraph also had an option for the customer to select the music I would listen to as I packed the reserve. The choices included techno, rap, country, metal, and pop, but everyone always chose classical. Regards, Mark