mark

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Everything posted by mark

  1. mark
    I agree. The common practice is not required by the letter of the law. Pull tests are done without the seal installed, and there is no spec called out for seal thread breaking strength. That would imply that the rigger's responsibility is to deliver a sealed rig to his (or her) customer, but it is the owner's responsibility to safeguard against tampering after that. There is no requirement for a seal symbol to be written on the data card. One would expect no requirement for a symbol written on the data card if there were no requirement for a seal for the symbol to be checked against. Finally, the presence of a seal does not guarantee against tampering. The pull force on Racers and Reflexes can be increased without disturbing the seal, and there is at least one rig in common use that can be opened (and closed again) without breaking the seal thread. Mark
  2. mark
    Most cutaway airspeeds are around 30-40 mph, according to Mr. Booth. That includes the fast spinners. Will you be comfortable getting stable at BASE-jump speeds? How will you know? Mark
  3. mark
    Yes, but that's not the whole story. The center of mass of the released object (the ball in your example) will go in a straight line. The object itself may continue rotating around its own center of mass. A skydiver may be barrel-rolling at the time of release; the barrel roll will continue unless it is countered. Additionally, the release will generally result in a feet-to-relative-wind position which is not stable for most skydivers except to the extent that a deploying reserve makes it so. I am not suggesting anyone should wait to get stable after cutting away. Mark
  4. mark
    Not necessarily. Just as you can see more of the earth below from 3000 feet than you can from 500 feet, more folks on the ground can see you the higher you fly. The lower you fly, the more likely you are to be masked by terrain features. If you fly low enough, weapons on ridge tops (positioned for maximum range and field of fire) may not be able to depress far enough to shoot down on you. The lower you fly, the less reaction time an anti-aircraft gunner has. He might hear you coming, but he doesn't know exactly where to point. And if you fly directly over his position, it's unlikely he'd be able to traverse quickly enough to follow. Radar warning and guidance systems negate some of the advantages of flying low, but military doctrine calls for taking out those systems early. Mark
  5. mark
    Didn't we just do a thread like this? Here's a quote from that thread, by GravityGirl: The Cypres is worth something. The rest of it, not much. I've had two unintended reserve openings on a Vector-1 like that, in an aircraft in flight. The photo of the rig looks like the reserve has the original Vector-1 small top reserve pilot chute. Most of these have been replaced because riggers didn't want to bother with testing the spring at every repack. Has this reserve spring been tested at every repack? Also, the rig was not originally made for an AAD; I've seen some interesting after-market adaptations. Finally the rig was made without an RSL; adding an RSL will set you back $250-300. Mark
  6. mark
    It looks like 7 cells because it is hung with 8 clamps. If it were a 7-cell canopy, it would droop evenly between the evenly spaced clamps. It doesn't, so it isn't. Mark
  7. mark
    The R4 is the Cirrus reserve, designed in 1982, almost 25 years ago. 5 very wide (4 feet!) cells, span constructed, measures to 231 square feet but performs much, much smaller since the wide cells are not very efficient. Not in production very long; superseded by the Swift Plus 7-cells. I couldn't recommend it as a reserve these days. Mark
  8. mark
    Not a bad set of starter equipment for your museum. I'm going to guess you're hooked on skydiving, starting to look for gear, and this stuff caught your eye because of the startlingly low price. There's a reason the price is low. It's a reflection of the rig's value. I'd suggest continuing to search. Here's my rule of thumb: -- if it's old enough to get a learner's permit, probably ought to keep looking. -- if it's old enough to vote, abstain from buying it. -- if it's old enough to go out drinking with, time to retire it to a spot on the wall in the bar. It's okay to rent gear a little longer. In the early stages of their skydiving careers (0 to 50 or 100 jumps), most folks learn so much so fast that they are really better off renting gear than they are bearing the expenses of buying, maintaining, and selling equipment several times before they get to the equipment they're going to be jumping for several years. It's fun too look and imagine, I know. Happy hunting! Mark
  9. mark
    A Bad Conduct Discharge must be adjudged by special or general court-martial. I am astonished that someone with a BCD could enlist again at all, let alone so soon after conviction. What did he do to earn a BCD? Mark
  10. mark
    Okay, I'll bite. Why is it important? Mark
  11. mark
    The folks who check gear at the large DZs you mention may have different interpretations of the FARs, but they should not be relied upon. The next time you are there, ask them to cite the regulation they think applies. FAR 105.49 Foreign Parachutists and Equipment applies to visitors (not including resident aliens) who use unapproved (non-TSO) equipment. If you are a resident alien, it does not apply. And if you use approved (TSO) equipment, it does not apply. If your harness/container is TSO'd and your reserve is TSO'd, you are jumping approved equipment. The exceptions in FAR 105.49 do not apply, and your rig must have been packed by an FAA rigger within 120 days. Mark
  12. mark
    I made my first sport jump from a helicopter. It's just another way to get to altitude. Most helicopters cannot hover much above the surface; they require some forward speed to maintain altitude. So when you jump, the helicopter will be moving forward at 40-50 miles an hour or more. If you have to bail out in an emergency, it would be like bailing out of a very slow fixed-wing aircraft. The pilot and/or organizers will go over safety issues with you. Listen closely, especially to the part about how to approach the helicopter (usually from the front, in view of the pilot), and how to exit (since the CG range is usually smaller on a helicopter). Mark
  13. mark
    The STC list at http://www.wipaire.com shows conversions from PT6A-20s to -27 or -28, but nothing for conversion from R-985 to turbine. I do remember seeing their (experimental?) turbine Beaver conversion at their facility in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The conversion involved just a straight engine swap from radial to turbine, no fuselage plug and just a little sheet metal work for a new cowling, resulting in much more aft CG. It is a gorgeous aircraft, painted in stars-and-stripes (U.S.) on one side, red/white maple leaf (Canadian) on the other side. The custom interior continued the theme: the left side of the cabin was stars-and-stripes, the right side maple leaf. U.S. N-number registration on both sides though. Mark
  14. mark
    except for what's in FAR 65.111(b). Are there any other limitations? Mark
  15. mark
    Here are a few ideas: Wallet Logbook cover Velcro line protector(s) Shot bag(s) Rigger tool belt Beer coo-zee (how's that spelled, anyway?) Drag mat Slider (you'll need help with the grommets) Elastic keepers Slider locks (Slocks) (you'll need risers for this) Toggle hoods/keepers (you'll need risers for his, too) Mark
  16. mark
    It's 15 jumps. Still not much. Well, there is something to be said for attention to detail. That very active instructor must have missed the part on the front of the annual membership renewal form that says $20 (200 jumps = 10 cents a jump) to renew ratings. Or did the membership lapse, too? Mark
  17. mark
    $448,160 for the basic model. $482,160 gets you the turbo model. I'd recommend the turbo, since the service ceiling is 27,000 feet. Please include the air conditioner ($28,600), an oxygen system (not listed as an option), and a jump door (not listed as an option either). For maximum versatility, go with amphib floats. The climb rate will suffer a little, but you'll be able to operate off a runway or water, and the floats make launching chunks much easier. Congratulations on winning the lottery! Mark
  18. mark
    ML = typo for RSL. (Also, APP = typo for AFF.) Rick Horn's original rec.dot post is here. Mark
  19. mark
    More likely it was hang gliding. Close enough to cliff jumping for a whuffo to think they're the same. Mark
  20. mark
    I wonder also. Frequently the assembler does not allow for the length of line tied into the knot, nor the shrinkage caused by fingertrapping excess excess line, so the brake lines start 1"-2" short. Mark
  21. mark
    Just to reinforce: it does matter. This summer a visiting jumper complained to me that every time he checked his Wings reserve pin, the binding tape on the end of the tucked-in flap caught on the end of the pin. He was properly concerned that pulling the flap out to do a pin check would pull the pin. His rig was closed incorrectly. Closing Javelin-style, bottom flap then top flap, fills up the tuck slot and makes a pin-check deployment more likely. Mark
  22. mark
    slotperfect billvon loudiamond skymonkeyone imgr2 fields mark
  23. mark
    Does the cable run straight from the end of the housing to the closing loop? Sometimes there is a little slack hidden by the reserve top flap. Try pulling all the slack out by holding the pin with one hand and pulling on the handle end of the ripcord with the other hand. Mark
  24. mark
    So far, yamtx73 is the only one who's got it right. The expanded version, for everybody else's benefit: USPA BSRs: -- Wind limits are based on type of reserve canopy, not performance of main canopies. -- Students equipped with round reserves: 10 mph (not knots) -- Students equipped with square reserves: 14 mph (not knots) -- No maximum limit for waivered winds. -- Wind limits are for surface winds; no limit for winds aloft. -- No performance standards for student mains, only a requirement for ram-airs. Students landing round reserves in 10 mph winds will land backing up if they face into the wind. Mark
  25. mark

    Grommet press

    mark replied to mark's topic in Gear and Rigging

    I have a set of grommet dies for hand (hammer) setting. but am thinking about getting a foot- or hand-operated press, especially for setting #0 SS. I've used a foot operated one. New ones go for more than $2000. I can't justify that, so where would I find a used one in good condition? Hand presses are considerably cheaper: new, just over $100, plus dies. The bench-mounted hand presses seem very light, though. Anybody got experience with them? Also, what's the difference between Stimpson grommets and ClipsShop grommets? Mark