koppel

This is probably aimed at people who have been in the sport a little longer than myself. I heard today that someone I knew went in on a BASE Jump. The reason for this is not important, the loss I feel is. Three months ago another person ( who I knew a little from a DZ I jump at occasionally ) was lost to us from a landing (swooping) incident. I recognise that we take part in an activity that is not considered to be safe. As an Instructor I believe that it can be made as safe as most activities that we can partake in, be it riding a bicycle, driving a car or walking across the road. It is the way that we approach it that makes it as safe or as dangerous as it is. My question is how have people coped with the loss of people that they knew very little / people that they knew from the DZ / people that were good friends. What was it that helped you deal with the loss that you felt. It probably doesn't help that my partner is dealing with a parent that is dying at the moment but I put the question out there anyhow. My thanks to your responses I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I was fortunate enough to discover that someone (a Chief Instructor / Reserve Packer ) had swapped a cypres in a rig for another and reclosed it without putting any details on the card (I repacked the reserve at no cost to the client when I discovered this) . No details of the cypres that was installed, nor service details, next or last battery details or his own details on the card to say he had done anything to the rig. I care, but cannot control if someone decides to take a rig into their loft for a re-pack and choose's to "pencil pack" with their own name and number. I care and am seriously PISSED OFF when someone does work on a rig and leaves my name and number on the card. I learnt from this experience to seal my rigs ( not a requirement in Australia ). I was advised that the lead seals have been implicated as potential problems in accidents by the Director of Riggers here in Oz, with the suggestion to use a paper seal. The technique is to use the safety tie thread in the same manner but to use sticky labels folded over the knot in the safety tie instead of the lead seal. The benifit of using a label in place of the lead seal is that I can record extra information, including the date of the pack / date of the next due pack / my own details/stamp etc. I am still following up this incident so feel that it would be inappropriate to comment further. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Your not missing anything, It's a Racer I found after the twenty'ith or thirty'ith it got a lot easier Keep it up and just remember to go slowly until you get a rythym then its a breeze. Congrats anyhow I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Well my "simple rules" are Lines tensioned and to the centre of the pack job and material to the outside Slider up against the stoppers and pulled forward of the nose anything else is fluff and nonsense I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Well maybe its because I only have ~200 TM's or maybe its the paranoia but.. gear up - thorough handle/drouge check plus practice EP's board a/c - hook up lowers onto student and handle/drouge checks on ride to height probably automatically 4-5 handle/drouge checks while doing handy-cam video of student connect student, handle/drouge checks pre-exit at door check drouge drouge out check handles plus 1-2 more checks in f/f depending on exit height just realised while writing this that I do not do checks of handles after gear/canopy checks on opening. Will now add that to list. So does the paranoia go away?!?! I mean just 'cos I think the students out to get me doesn't mean their not I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

PM Sent I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I too have seen SpeedBags work properly and quickly as is mentioned in the post above. The point that I have been trying to make is that although they will work (and well) nearly all the time there is a potential for a bag lock that needs to be addressed by Jump Shack instead of them doing what Performance Variables did which was waiting for a fatality. Other than the friends and family of the person this will happen to (its a numbers game unfortunately, in all likelihood it will happen) I hope the rigger that it happens to is able to show that he did in fact pack correctly and is able to explain to people how it was that one of his packs baglocked and someone died. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I did a very similar test with three different 2K3's that came in for repacks and got the same BagLock when I pulled out the bag from the container. This was in normal circumstances with no setting up of the test other than taking it out of the container. ie a fairly good example of what would happen in reality. This is not a Bash Jump Shack thread. Not from myself in particular anyhow, I like their products in the most part and have owned Racers. I was dissapointed that when a potential problem has arisen that they are not addressing it. They simlpy say that they couldn't make it happen. Sadly it took a fatality with the Omega from Performance Variables to acknowledge and issue that was found with system. They outright stated that it couldn't happen. Much like Jump Shack are doing now. I hope that no family, wife, son, daughter, brother, father will have to bear the pain that the family of Bertrand Marty had to bear because the Manufacturer stated "It could not happen" I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Just to clarify, I don't think that bands are a bad idea. They give a staged deployment and they break when necessary. If you look at the Service Bulletin 1-01-01 when Jump Shack originally decided that bands were better they used two bands to close the bag and set the rest of the stow bands down the centre of the bag, as is common on mains these days. This gave the desired effect that they were looking for without the dangers of the baglock inherent in their new two-flap bags. Other than to be different form the rest (why??) what benefits are there to be had from two-flaps on the bag over the method shown in the Service Bulletin? Anyone help educate me on that? nb: IMHO Aeordyne have got it right with the new Icon freebag. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I can see why you refused to give those packing lessons... I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Methinks Hollywood has come and reality has CUTAWAY I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

sorry you missed the humour. Was fun. If its good enough for a reserve it must be more than good enough for a main, right? Smiles Koppel I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Sorry Sparky but your bag's no good..... ......its got Velcro Now if you made it with Tuck Flaps....well that would keep all those people out there in No-Velcro Land happy (and it would be free-fly friendly?!? ) Koppel I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Just a thought, there was a service bulletin put out by JumpShack in Jan 2001 that "Strongly Recommended" the removing of the freestow pouch and the attaching of Type 3 Ribbon Weave according to their instructions for the use of Mil Spec bands for line stows. This makes sense if you are concerned about 'Line Dump' for high speed flyers like Freefliers. There is no potential for a bag lock (more than any bag has with the locking stows ) and gives an orderly staged deployment with good acceleration of the bag. This Works. Many manufacturers use these on their main d-bags as well, including....wait for it........Jump Shack. Why was it nesseccary for the second flap to be introduced? I would appreciate being educated on this point as I find nothing else wrong with Racer's and have many clients who choose to jump them. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Can't help you with the reline issue other than to say take it to your local rigger. With the attachment point, personally I use a soft link on all my gear and recommend it to all my clients as well. Again, show it to your rigger to make sure that you are attaching it properly. Stay Safe Koppel I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Maybe where you are I did get a bottle of one of my clients at Christmas and another of someone else for my birthday but not one yet for a Save I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I had some trouble with getting a response from them and it turned out to be something to do with my ISP, when I gave them my yahoo address I had no problems getting mail from them again. try calling them, Skype is cheap if your worried about cost good luck I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Nancy, I agree that bands are indeed more suitable for reserves than the pouch/freestow pocket. My concern is that I have seen at least three rigs come to me for a repack where the speedbag had to be peeled open after no amount of pulling on the rig and the bridle of the speedbag would allow it to open. IMHO it was where the knot of the band had pulled through that was locking this. As I have stated in another thread previously one of the first Speedbag's I got in for a repack was what brought this to my attention as it was impossible to clear the canopy from the bag without peeling back the top flap as it was locked by the bands. I did a number of packs and pulls on that rig before I was happy that with careful monitoring of the bands NOT being allowed to be pulled through that it would work as intended before I signed the rig out to its owner for use. I personally know of at least one rigger who has taken their speedbag out of their Racers and reverted to the old style of bag. Why? Because whether there is or is not a Genuine Issue there is certainly a Perceived Issue. I for one continue to pack Speedbags paying particular attention to the stows and ensuring that they do not get pulled through the hole and have since had no issues with them at all. Not being a designer of rigs with Jump Shacks combined experience I could not suggest what would be the best solution. One thought that I had was to turn the attachment point for the stowband through ninety degrees. This elimante the potential for a stowband locking almost to nil. This is due to the shape of the knot created by the band on the stow point, by turning it through ninety degrees and ensureing the correct direction is followed when feeding the band through itself there is no edge for the hole to catch on. I will try and get a couple of pictures up tonight to clarify. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

70 Repacks 7 Saves (#2 was me

IMO the Speedbag has a high potential for Baglock When the bands are pulled through the top flap if the knot comes through it has a high chance of creating a locking effect. I have repacked at least three of these where two people pulling on the rig (one on the container, one on the bridle) were not enough to release the canopy from the Speedbag!! When I brought this to the attention of Jump Shack they just replied that they had not been able to duplicate this effect during their testing. One speedbag that was brought to me for a repack after a cut-away from a step through had only only on one side. The other side was LOCKED shut from the bands. He was lucky that the canopy extracted itself through a bag mouth that was only half open. previous thread here I agree with leapdog about the Icon. I got to do one recently and think that they really do have a great solution. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Not meaning to be rude towards velo90 - (good for you that you are asking) But, Does anyone else find it strange that people can get to be jumping a VX, a Velo a Xaos etc without such basic knowledge of their own equipment. [rant,rave] People, spend the time to learn about your gear. It's not just about how cool you look in the air or how far you can swoop, Survival is Information. [/rant,rave] I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Just had an email from William While I never got the reply it's good it's good to see they are keeping a close eye on whats being talked about I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Has anyone out there had more luck than me in gettin a reply from them. I have sent them 3 emails now regarding orders and payment with no response. At this rate I can't purchase when I want and will consider spending the money elsewhere. This can't be good for their business. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I have found that wearing gloves (gardening or riding leather style are best) really helps with the reduction of pain Much easier to do a good job of pulling the softened coating up over the tip if you don't have to keep pulling your fingers away due to molten bits sticking to your fingers. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Not sure of slider size, will measure it and get back to you on Monday. The lines are colour coded so yeah if you could measure them that would be great. Thanks for help I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.