mark
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Everything posted by mark
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I've never seen a problem on reserve canopies. I did see a 25-year-old Racer with an unreadable TSO stamp. Jump Shack said "No label, no TSO." The problem is that without knowing the serial number, you can't put the serial number back on again. If you're close to unreadable, best to contact the manufacturer -- and if the gear is that old, probably retire it. Main canopies: get out your extra-fine tip Sharpie and re-ink the data. Mark
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N/A
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It may be then closest you can get is a machine like a Singer 20U, which can do an adequate job with straight and zigzag stitches. For a bartack, you'd have to count stitches and manually change stitch length and width. If you have never used a bartack machine and don't plan on doing much bartacking, you won't mind. The 20U is a compromise: by trying to do several different things, it doesn't do any of them really well. If you are going to manually change stitch length and width to make a bartack, you might consider buying a simple home machine capable of straight and zigzag stitches (no fancy patterns required), which will be good enough to do lines. Save the rest of your money to spend on your other sewing machine(s). Mark
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What do you suppose "SOTF 046" means? Other than "Special Operations Task Force," I mean. Mark
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Your rig DOM is written on a label on the data card pocket under the reserve pin cover flap. It may also be written on the reserve data card itself. Your canopy DOM is on the warning label sewn to the center cell, on the top near the tail. Depending on how old your canopy is, the information written on the label may not be legible. Mark
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Here. The description starts, "This is one of the hardest to find, most uncommon, rare non-munition military collectibles you may ever see, especially in the area of military airborne and parachute operations." I have a screen shot, and I'll post the full text in about a week for folks coming late to this thread. Mark
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What to do when Jump Pilot isn't licensed???
mark replied to JUDYJ's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
It doesn't matter if the free time is compensation for the pilot. The airplane is being used for compensation or hire, so a private pilot may not be PIC. Mark -
What to do when Jump Pilot isn't licensed???
mark replied to JUDYJ's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
FAR 61.113(a): "Except as provided in paragraphs (b) through (g) of this section, no person who holds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire; nor may that person, for compensation or hire, act as pilot in command of an aircraft." The exceptions in paragraphs (b) through (g) would not apply to any skydiving operation I know of. Mark -
By "these" do you mean the cables, or do you mean the pins? Mark
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USPA does not offer the IRM in pdf -- as you probably have already found out. The publication run is already small, and making it even smaller by offering a pdf alternative would make the cost prohibitive for instructors without internet access. Some of your questions may be answered in "IRM Essentials," which is available as pdf and which contains course prerequisites and renewal requirements. Mark
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Off by one. October 22 is day 0. February 19 is day 120, ok to jump through the end of the day. Mark
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The ripcord is made from braided line like your suspension lines, not metal aircraft cable like most other ripcords. The bungee is fingertrapped and bartacked inside the braided line. In the unlikely event that one of the bartacks failed, the strength of the ripcord would be unaffected. Mark
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I think we're making progress, so just a few more questions to ask: -- is the bag marked with a "D"? -- there is a label on the bag with an "X" in the box next to the model it should be used with: Talon, Telesis, etc. Does the label correspond with the rig? -- what size bag did RI say should go with your rig? -- did the rig come with a canopy packed in it? If so, what canopy? -- is there a data card with the rig? If so, what canopy does it show? Right now, my long-distance diagnosis is that the bag is not the right size for the container. Mark
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The Sigma manual (pdf , 3.5Mb) has a few pictures. Page 22 shows an uninstalled RSL; pages 24 and 32 show what it looks like installed. Mark
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One more time. There is no twist in a flat pack. I'm happy to hear you have earned a rigger certificate, as it shows a level of interest in the technical side of our sport not found in the average skydiver. Where did you do that, if I might ask? Please do not use your rigger ticket to claim special insight. FAA S-8081-25 (Parachute Rigger Practical Test Standards) doesn't ask rigger applicants to demonstrate knowledge of how parachutes work, only to pack and fix them. Mark
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Please re-check. A rig that will accept a PD 143 or 160 is too small for a Raven III (249 square feet). There are some differences in measurement methods, and some construction methods result in more pack volume or less, but no rig I know will accept that range of canopies. I might consider a Raven II (218 square feet) in a rig that had previously held a Maverick (200 square feet). Mark
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One more time. I'll bet my thousand jumps of personal experience with flat packs against your thought experiment. A flat pack is no more likely to turn than a pro-pack. Once the canopy is out of the bag, chaotic airflow obscures any differences in folding method. Mark
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Well, that's certainly true if there is a (sewn-on) label. TSO information can be handwritten on the fabric or etched in the hardware and still be legal, and many older canopies and containers (and a few newer ones) have the TSO label stamped on the article itself instead of on a sewn-on label. Racers, for example, have the TSO info stamped on the inside of the pin flap. Mark
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That's a 5-cell Swift, not a 7-cell Swift Plus. If you had to use it, I think you'd be disappointed with the performance. The label reads "made under license," which according to RiggerRob in a previous thread (search "swift reserve pisa") identifies it as a PISA-made canopy. No worries on quality of workmanship or materials, but without "TSO" on the label, it isn't TSO'd. Mark
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What an unusual question. Is there a beer riding on the answer? Sandy did build a rig with a pull-out reserve deployment, but that was more than 25 years ago. Long ago enough that I don't think you could even call it a pre-Talon. Mark
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I heard (from a FOAF) that the handle in that ad was attached to the nose of the center cell of a Unit -- no main pilot chute. Is that true? Mark
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Odd. In the one or two thousand times I packed and jumped this way, I didn't notice any turning tendency. But let's assume that you're thinking is correct. Would the same turning event happen if you rolled the nose on a pro-pack? Why or why not? Also, I'm curious: most folks who claim that flat-packs have an inherent turn say that it's a 90-degree turn because of the orientation of the canopy. Is your idea that the canopy may turn more or less than 90 degrees depending on how long it takes to open? Mark
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A kind of pin-wheel effect, then? Do you think it would turn more if it took longer to open? (I'm imagining a reefing system that holds the lines together at the base of the canopy for an extra 2, 3, or 4 seconds before letting the deployment continue normally.) Also, I'm having a little trouble visualizing how one side of the canopy "gets air" before the other side does. Maybe you could draw a picture. Mark
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Why do you think that happens? Mark
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Whoops! My mistake. The only time it would be an issue would be if you were using rubber bands instead of a Safety Stow™ to close the pre-speedbag freebag. Mark