mark

When speaking to passengers, airline pilots use language they are most likely to understand. Mark

That method works okay for reserves. On mains, the fingertrapped line works its way back out. A better method is to figure out how much take-up there is in an overhand knot. Then make the toggle loop that distance below the factory mark, fingertrap, and tie the knot after making the fingertrap. End by checking the finished length against the published BK-TOG length. Mark

I await their lawyers' letter with baited [sic] breath. When I get it, I'll frame it and hang it above my desk.

Got a link? I've been waiting for someone to make something like that, but haven't seen it. I imagine its designed kind of like a velcro strap system since a magnet on a slider would weight a slider oddly and could adversely effect openings. Here are a couple prototypes. The strap that goes around the slider is 1-1/2" Type 4 (square weave) tape. The strap that goes around the reserve flap is 1" tape + velcro on one, 1" elastic on the other. The tape + velcro one is snugger on the rig, but is more likely to release accidentally than the elastic one, which has some "give" to absorb excess slider drag before releasing accidentally. The magnets are from www.kjmagnetics.com; their part number is DX02-N50. I broke one when I allowed two to slam together. The tape seems to provide enough padding to reduce the chance of breaking. Plan ahead when you are making your own -- the magnets happily stick to the sewing machine. Mark

Under American law, every TSOd parachute system in service must have a packing data card. The required items on the card are: date and place of packing, rigger certificate number and signature, notation of defects found during the inspection. The regulation assumes the packing data card is physically attached to the pack. Because the card is rarely physically attached to the pack, the card customarily has additional info, such as manufacturer, make, model, serial number, date of manufacture, etc. It is more important to have rig info on the card than canopy info, since with only canopy info there is no way to tell the card belongs to the system except by opening it. There is no legal requirement to have any of this info on the card. Although the card need show only the most recent pack, it's nice to have maintenance information on the card. However, regardless of who did a previous assembly, repair, or other maintenance, the current rigger is responsible for ensuring it was done correctly. For example, I cannot accept a previous rigger's notation of compliance with RWS SB 230505, Inspection of VTC-2 Tandem Reserve A Line Attachments, as sufficient to show actual compliance, even if I were a senior rigger and the previous rigger had a master rigger rating. Mark

NB-6 would be cad-plated steel, and yes, it does corrode when the plating wears off. No stainless then. If you wanted bling, you'd have to get your stuff chrome-plated, and hope the plater knew about hydrogen embrittlement. Most fittings would be forged, not stamped. Phosphate finish unlikely, except possibly on the connector links (between risers and canopy suspension lines). Mark

TS 135 is the basis for C23e. I am not sure, but I think that is still in the process of approval. I have seen some gliders equipped with hard points so the reserve/bail-out rig can be static-lined. Cheers, Mark

+300 feet when chambered in the field, as required at each repack. The yellow warning sticker on the side of the control head says main canopy opening must be 1500 feet above the set altitude. Since there is no accurate calibration in the 1000-foot red zone, the minimum main canopy open altitude is 2500. That's open, so you have to start the ripcord pull before that. Mark

Fold the slider in half, measure along the fold. Mark

Bureau of Land Management (US Dept of Interior) smokejumpers use squares: http://www.peoplelandandwater.gov/blm/blm_03-13-07_blm-smokejumpers.cfm. Forest Service (US Dept of Agriculture) smokejumpers use slightly steerable rounds: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/people/smokejumpers/mccall/. Mark

Shape of the flow. Velocity is fastest at the center, slowest at the banks. If the flow was uniform, the kayak would just be an oblong raft. Mark

You know that, and I know that. On the other hand, the folks who believe the downwind myth will not be persuaded by any experiment. Mark

Tongue firmly planted in cheek: Especially since the winds at altitude are generally much stronger than at the surface. The effect (if any) should be much more obvious in 50-knot winds than 5-knot. Even better: a downwind jump run could add another 80 or 90 knots, so the effective wind would be in the 130 knot range. Using Scarecrow math, the rate of turn should be proportional to the square of the tangential velocity divided by the width of the hypotenuse. Mark

Para-Flite (now Airborne Systems) is still making span-constructed canopies: MC4/MC5, Dragonfly (not the Django one), MegaFly, etc. Mark

Like this? (Sorry about the focus on the first photo.) Mark

Do you need a DPRE? FAA 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 5, Section 9, paragraph 5-1341 Procedures, sub-paragraph D, "[T]ests are given by only designated parachute rigger examiners or by an FAA Airworthiness ASI with applicable parachute experience.." Most FSDOs have ASIs with rigger certificates, so I'd hope they'd be able to accommodate you. They might need your help to locate a test facility and equipment, but that's their job, isn't it? Mark

The main parachute may be okay for your weight and experience. How about the reserve? The Cricket reserve should not be loaded more than 1.0 pounds per square foot; the manufacturer says maximum 160 pounds, less than 75 kilos. Allowing 10 or 11 kilos for the rig, you need to weigh less than 65 kilos to jump this reserve safely. You didn't write how much you weigh, so I don't know if this is safe for you. Also, the Cricket reserve is TSO-C23c Category A, limited to 198 pounds (90 kilos) exit weight and 130 knots, less than C23c Category B, 254 pounds (115 kilos) and 150 knots like most other common reserves. Mark

The SIM says "jumps." It used to say "freefall jumps," but it doesn't say that now. Deletion of the qualifier "freefall" was intentional. A static line jump is a jump. You have more than 200 jumps, so you meet the USPA jump requirements for a static line instructor. Cheers, Mark

I had to Google it. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bricking+it "1. bricking it: When someone is shit scared or in a scary situation, they are going to crap in they're pants. He was bricking it, before I even took a swing at him. I was bricking it the first time I went on a plane." Mark

Same for me. Is this a bug, or a feature? Mark

She lives there near the DZ and actually did her first static line jump there, but then switched to AFF. We went to LAke Wales to do our AFF course. That would be her "home DZ". She has been there before. She wants to finish her coach jumps there and then she can just fun jump there also. She did learn with the cut away handle but i think they just arent being honest or smart. I'm going to disagree with jimmytavino's take and yours. I think the dz did the right and caring thing. Any time you switch to new or unfamiliar equipment, there is increased risk: the harness doesn't fit exactly the same, the main deployment handle may be in a different place, the emergency systems may require different procedures. What your friend asked the dz to do was put her at additional risk by requiring her to make two transitions: from a two-handled (cutaway and reserve ripcord) system, to a one-handled (cutaway and reserve ripcord combined) system, and back again after just a couple jumps. The more drill and practice done to make the first transition safe, the more risky the second. Mark

There is no BSR minimum altitude for military static line jumps that a skydiver counts toward a license. Mark

Greene County, Wellsville (once part of Jim West's empire), through 1985 or 86. The guy who "bought" it from Rusty ran an operation at Paola for about a year after that. I thought SD Kansas (Osage City) ran its operation for a while at Pomona. Is that right? How about St Francis? The FBO there in the early 90's was Bob Grace, who had 1 or 2 thousand jumps. I don't recall if there was any regular jumping there, though. Mark

Well, he will be when the BSRs lower minimum container openings to 800 feet. Blues, Dave Good catch. ltdiver The BSRs permit minimum container opening altitudes of 800 feet -- or even less -- in some cases. So the military guy with 125 static line jumps really is more than half way to the jump numbers required for a C. He just has some proficiency requirements to meet. Mark

The student's brakes were set properly. The riser cover opened during freefall maneuvers, the toggle released and floated above the jumper. I figured it was going to be a malfunction anyway, so why not sooner rather than later, and gave the pull signal at about 7000 feet. My direct observation of the bag lock as it occurred was confirmed by the condition of bag and lines when they were recovered. As to sloppy stows leading to a locked bight, I am looking forward (perhaps in the next post or two!) to hearing from someone who has personal knowledge of such a thing happening. Mark