mark

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Everything posted by mark

  1. mark
    Javelin #515 a J5 manufactured in June 1989. Still in service. Complying with mandatory SPSB 03032000 Rev B required replacing (instead of just modifying) the main closing loop retainer, but the alternative was grounding. Mark
  2. mark
    That's correct for most canopies these days. The width of the cells is greater at the top than at the bottom. That isn't the case for older canopies, which have top and bottom cell widths the same. Mark
  3. mark
    Hello Wendy! The Reflex deflector tabs are available from Action Air/Trident, the current TSO holder. They come with installation instructions -- I figure that's the same as manufacturer approval. The one example I've seen of a CReW tab on a Javelin mid-flap appears to be installed at manufacture, so I'm guessing (though I'm not sure) that they have drawings and instructions that show how things go together under the TSO. If so, getting parts from Sunpath and doing a field installation would be straightforward. Similarly for the one example of a modified Vector I've seen. Regardless, modifying the reserve container is not something for casual, creative rigging. The Dolphins you've seen with mods: are the flaps closed Javelin-style? How are the reserve pin and reserve pin flap protected? Mark
  4. mark
    Because it isn't a Javelin. Riggers are required to follow the manufacturer's instructions, and the packing instructions for a Dolphin say to pack it like ... a Dolphin. Mark
  5. mark
    A couple thoughts: First, your rigger can get a written okay from Mike Furry, the Dolphin manufacturer, which will allow him to close the flaps in Javelin sequence. Then lines will snag on the reserve flap instead of the pop-top. Second, packed correctly, the pop-top is snugged down into the pack job. The pilot chute hat should touch reserve container flaps all the way around except for a little bit under the reserve pin flap. If you can see F-111 pilot chute material, the closing loop is too loose. You'll know your Dolphin is safe for CReW if you can slide a taut length of line up, down, and sideways across the reserve container without it catching on pop-top or reserve pin flaps. Finally, altering your reserve container in a way that might retard pilot chute launch is not something a rigger can do, except with manufacturer or FAA approval. Mark
  6. mark
    Read your post: (a)(2)(i). Several other places mention wearing an approved parachute. If "parachute" means only the canopy, would you wear it toga-style? If you need an inexpensive, legal pilot rig, pm me. Mark
  7. mark
    slotperfect chutingstar NightJumper Mark Baur
  8. mark
    Skies Call 3. It has a Papillon logo on the stabilizer. Same church, different pew. Mark
  9. mark
    Where did you find a new battery for $50? Mark
  10. mark
    Do you mean F-111 instead of taffeta, or were there other material changes you had in mind also? Mark
  11. mark
    Compared to what? Skydiving equipment rarely fails catastrophically. Older designs are usually lower performance (less glide, less forgiving flare) than more recent designs. Older equipment probably has more packs and more jumps than a newer, and that will affects performance too. If you use an older canopy, you'll have an increased chance of mishap on landing. Only you can decide if you are willing to take the increased risk in exchange for a lower price. It may be that you load the canopy lightly enough that there is little increase in risk. No amount of money will guarantee safety. With respect to F-111 reserves: almost all reserves are made from F-111 or the equivalent. Except for Performance Designs (and Aerodyne?), no manufacturer of sport reserves requires factory service. With respect to the Strong G2R Spirit: if you buy this canopy, make sure it packs with a freebag, not diaper. Mark
  12. mark
    One way to look at it: we know that the process of packing a reserve increases fabric porosity, degrading performance on a parachute that is already frequently smaller and less aerodynamically efficient than the accompanying main. Another way to look at it: 40 reserve packs is 3 per year for 13 years. PD's 40-pack/25-jump requirement is to have the canopy sent to the factory for inspection. Depending on condition, it may be returned to service. I don't think factory inspection for a 12- or 15-year-old emergency, last-chance canopy is unreasonable. Contrast this with GQ Security's requirement to have its systems returned to the factory at 10 years, and retired at 15, regardless of condition. You can always buy a competing canopy, and not have to know if it would meet factory standards.. Mark
  13. mark
    Laser and Rascal were made by FTS, no longer in business, sold to Advanced Para Systems. Django morphed into Glidepath as a result of Steve Snyder's patent infringement lawsuit. Glidepath was later sold to the folks who run it now as Flight Concepts. George Galloway worked for Django for a while, which explains the similarities between a Pegasus and a Raven. Mark
  14. mark
    Do not confuse anecdotal evidence with statistical evidence. As one post notes: "All of the hard openings I have direct knowledge of were attributable to low-time jumpers that were novice packers. The Sabre2 is generally considered a canopy for inexperienced to intermediate jumpers. I would hypothesize that after the confusion between hard openings on Sabre 1 and Sabre 2’s is weeded out AND the fact that many people [who] own and pack Sabre 2’s are amateur packers is accounted for the incidents of hard openings on Sabre 2’s is the same if not less than any other major model of canopy." If the Sabre2 is the most widely used new canopy, then one would expect to hear more stories about its problems, even if it were no more problematic than its competition. Mark
  15. mark
    Here's a link to FAR Part 65. The FAA doesn't like to give the practical/oral exams overseas, but there are no citizenship restrictions for ratings issued in the US. Mark
  16. mark
    Chiming in: Vigil installs just like Cypres-2. Both use the Cypres-1 pocket and cable channels standard on every rig since about 1993. Mark
  17. mark
    I also still do not understand what "climb out backwards" means. The photos all show a jumper some time after exit. Do you have a photo of the jumper in the door or on the step? Also, a back-to-the-wind exit is stable if the jumper is de-arched. That remains the method taught at the US Army Airborne School. It works well with civilian equipment, too, except there is no easy transition to freefall. What method do you teach at your school? Mark
  18. mark
    The next time you visit the Twin Cities, come see me. I'll dig out the extra-large new-condition kelly green Balloon Suit, a rare two-piece model. You might be able to convince me to pack up the 1984 Northern Lite (orange/yellow -- earthtones, dontcha know). The Northern Lite is a little on the small side (26' round reserve, DC-5 main), so maybe the Piglet I have in the attic would be more what you want. On another note: the Wing Wars started about the same time 3-rings were becoming popular. A few folks were still using Capewells, but most had upgraded at least to R-3s. And the only folks still using belly-warts were S&A enthusiasts, wearing comparitively tight Pioneer double-zippers. When you get your dive organized, I'd like to be there. I'm not using any retro stuff, though. Mark
  19. mark
    At different times in my SL-I career I've trained students to hang from the strut, make a poised exit from the step, make a poised exit from the door of a turbine aircraft, and dive out. I'm partial to the hanging exit, but had good reasons for and fair success with the other methods. It isn't clear from your photos what kind of procedure "climb out backwards" is, or why it may have contributed to the result. Could you describe it with more detail, please? Mark
  20. mark
    Legally, yes. Not a great idea, though. If you have to squeeze out of your airplane in flight, you'll want the thinnest, most flexible rig possible. A typical pilot rig is only a few inches thick. Skydiving rigs are frequently 6 or 8 inches thick. You'd like well-protected handles, too. What might snag that BOC? And if you choose to leave the main behind and wear just the reserve, what kind of seat cushion would you need? I'd be surprised if you could make a comfortable seat that would accomodate the wedge shape of a skydiving rig. If you could make such a seat, it wouldn't be comfortable without the skydiving rig it was made for. A different rig might not fit, a pilot rig definitely would not. Para-Phernalia makes a pilot rig that accepts a square parachute. I had one with a Raven II in it. If you've already made a few jumps on a square, I think that's the way to go. Mark
  21. mark
    Women riggers: I don't know any Canadians, although I'm sure there are many. In the US: Sally Hathaway at Paragone Rigging, Z-Hills Nancy LaRiviere, Jump Shack, Deland Anne Helliwell, Basic Research, California (an FAA Rigger-Examiner) And many more. Start a thread in the Women's Forum, to complement the AFF and Tandem lists! Mark
  22. mark
    It's true that the pin is pulled in the direction of the pilot chute (perpendicular, more or less, to the rig with the jumper face-to-earth), but the difference between changing from pin-left to pin-right orientation is less than 1 degree of arc. I don't think you could measure the difference in pull force required for different pin orientations. Based on pin orientation alone, you are no more likely to tow a pilot chute with the pin pointing left, pointing right, or any position in between. Mark
  23. mark

    Your favorite poem

    mark replied to sangiro's topic in The Bonfire

    From TS Eliot, "The Wasteland" O O O O that Shakespeherian Rag— It's so elegant So intelligent 'What shall I do now? What shall I do?' 'I shall rush out as I am, walk the street 'With my hair down, so. What shall we do to-morrow? 'What shall we ever do? Mark
  24. mark
    EDIT: Yes, it's okay to leave the batteries in until spring. I stand corrected. The August 2004 edition of Cypres News specifically states to remove the batteries once they have expired. Mea culpa. You can take them out yourself. It's not hard, and it's a great bonding experience. -- pull the reserve ripcord (or just pull the pin from the loop and let up gently on the pilot chute); -- lift the reserve bag out of the container; -- slide the the processing unit out of the Spandex pocket at the bottom of the reserve container; -- follow the instructions in your Cypres User's Guide to remove the batteries. Mark
  25. mark
    You're right: rubber bands larks-headed on two of the grommets. Pleat/flake in the normal manner. Fold the canopy in "fifths." Fold the skirt up (diaper folded in half). First two stows are locking stows, remainder of lines stowed side-to side. Mark