irishrigger

i have put over 1000 jumps on stilletto's.i a have also tried the icarus canopys. and i prefere the stilletto by far.it also has very light toggle pressure and input.but i found it was not as ground hungry as the icarus canopy.and also after a hook turn or toggle turn it recoverd more quickly from the dive. you mentioned that you had a wing loading of 1.5 on the 150 canopy,which makes your exit weight about 225lbs?may i ask how many jumps do you have?how many jumps did you make on a 150?have you done any canopy contol courses?they are good in learning how to really fly a canopy and getting to know your own canopy. stay safe and happy landings Rodger

you dont mention what weight you are or what wingloading you have at the moment.but i am glad to hear that you being sensible about down sizing.i fear its the biggest mistake people make these days. a saffire 119 is a reasonable choice,from what i can gather.but a lot of it has to do with wingloading.what would be your wing loading be on the 119? also what size reserve have you got? if you going to wait another 50-100 jumps before down sizing again,you might consider a stilleto 120.its one of the best canpys ever made in my opinion.although of course there is more high performance canpopys out there,a lot of people still favour the stilletto. so well done for being safety concious about down sizing.pity that a lot of other people are not. take care and blue skies and safe landings of course Rodger

hi alex, i am sure every rigger has there on opinions as what makes a good rigger. time patience and knowledge is a good start.make your self a check list.i start from the rig up to the canopy inspecting each thing on my list as i go along.and tick them off as each one is checked.count your tools in and out,and a rigger needs to keep up to date with news and bullintins that are issued.check website such as these,they are pretty good. packing a reserve is not rocket science,but you do need a good eye for the inspection.you need to pay attention to detail,thats the important part.looking for some wear and tear anywhere. most of it is common knowledge,problem sometimes is its not common enough.i have witnessed a few rush reserve jobs,but every rigger normally has there own routine. as for people finding errors,it does happen occasionaly,but there is a lot of excellent riggers out there that take pride in the work and it shows.most riggers take time to make a rig look good,e.g. making sure a pot top sits flat on a javelin or wings container etc etc. and my view point also is,that its reasonable simple to get a riggers ticket. i dont believe that 20 pack jobs is enough.and a trainee rigger is supposed to have more expirience in repair and sewing mashines etc. also dan poynter manuals,although very good and informative in a way,i believe they really need updating to the present day.at the same time it is still my bible when it comes to rigging! but at the present time you can do a 2 week course and get your ticket out of it.over here you have to spend at least 6 months working with a rigger before you can go for an exam i hope you go for your riggers ticket,and i wish you all the best with it. rodger

hi, i have come across minor and major rigging errors,3 i believe would have led to pssible fatal consequences. 1.the reserve housing was tacked down with the reserve still in it,leading to the reserve bridle being tacked aswell!! i posted that here a while ago. the pilot chute only launched about 10" before stopping.not nice. 2. i found a PD reserve link that was not attached correctly.the loop did not go through the eye of the tab.when i inspected that one the loop at the end was only barely over the tab.when i pulled on the lines the soft link seperated and lines dissconnected.it was on a rear riser,so would the reserve still fly or landed safely? hhmm i dont hink so and i definetly would not like to try it. 3.a misrouted bridle on a tear drop,it used to be a 2 pin but a rigger decided to make it a one pin,there was a elastic locking loop on the upper grommets and most of the bridle was trapped there,but pushed in to far causing a lock of the bridle. other things i have found,cypres loop not through the cutter,this appears to be a common occurance these days unfortunatley. worn reserve closing loops,the can fray even after a new one was installed after a repack. bend reserve pins,cutway cable or 3 ring incorrectly assembled,and couple of reserve lines not in sequence.that would not have been a problem in my opinion as the canopy would have still flown normally.just the rigger not paying enough attention i think. another one was incorrect reserve handle.a guy had a mal,lost the handle after using it,rigger decided to give him a spare handle he had to get him in the air again.but the reserve cable was way to short.there was no slack at all in the cable.and after a quick expirment when the guy had a rig on i sked him to hunch over and move his shoulders,he almost extracted the reserve pin,it was hanging in there by mm. i am sure that there is lots of things found by riggers out there over the years.a rigger must be vigilant at all times,and makes sure he or she follows there own procedure.if i get disrupted during a repack or have to leave the room.i just start again.its a pain in the arse,but much better that causing someone else a lot of pain or worse,cause you missed something. and sofar i have 168 documented saves a and satisfied customers

i like to thank you all for your opinions on this.everyone has expresses some very valid points on both sides.both sides have argued there viewpoints very clearly.both if this was a jury the decision would have been a hung verdict,no clear winner for either side. here in ireland,we have nothing in our ops manual regarding this.and thats why i made the post here.there is some excellent advice on this site. i have fully inspected the canopy in question,the material appears in very good condition,as do the lines and the trim of them,stiching etc etc. i always ask myself this question,would i be happy to jump this reserve myself? the answer is yes,i am 100% satisfied that the canopy is safe and airworthy. saying that,i would like the manufacture to inspect and recertify a canopy after 20 years.just to make sure ones backside is covered legally 100%. on official from our governing body,could not believe that we would use a 16 yearold reserve!!! i explained to him that the canopy was never out and gets inspected every 6 months regardless.he thought it would have been outdated,so i asked him how he then could give an C+A to an aircrafts that is 16 years old? and if he grounded planes older than 16yrs old,most of our planes in the country would be grounded. he was a bit taken aback by that comment! but said thats a good point!!! so i have decided to repack the reserve,one more time to get the jumper over the summer,and i have informed the owner of this,and i also talked to him about getting a new reserve which he will do. so thanks all again,it has been real interesting to read your view points. just goes to show what a good forum this is,and how very helpful people are in our sport,!(well most of the time anyway cherrio rodger

You mean i am supposed to get big bucks for this? think i have to put up the prices so thanks for the info terry,the owner is quiet a big chap think about 240 lbs.so i think i will talk him into getting a new one. thanks again for your thoughts. rodger

hi all, i was just given gear to repack,and i discoverd that the reserve is over 20 yearls old. its a maverick 200 and date of manufacture is feb88,manufacturer is glide path. does anyone know what they recommend? i know PD ask tha you send the reserve back to them after 20 years for recertification and inspection. i have cheked the canopy and its in very good condition,and it doesnt appear that it was used at any time. any info regarding life span on this canopy be appreciated Rodger

i have come across something like this before.normally its wear and tear that causes this.but on one occasion the handle,(guessing by your pics it was a hacky sack or monkey fist)was not attached to the set limiter tape,they are normally bartacked or have a zig-zag stich to them.that was missing and the guy lost his hacky sack.its hard to say what happend from here,it could be a manufacturing fault,or maybe it was damaged by yanking it to hard when the P/C was cocked,but it would take brut force to do that. i agree with terry and you have done the right thing in contacting the manufacture.they should set you straight. rodger

QuoteAnyone able to point me to a current reference for the following tandem M.S.W.'s? Strong. Vector Sigma Racer Eclipse Atom normally an atom container has a PDF Galaxy reserve.the max suspended weight on the Galaxy's are only 440 lbs according to the label on the reserve.thats why we have taken them out of service and replaced them with new VTR-360. rodger

thanks cousilman and riggerrob for your help and info. i see if i can contact the DPRE and find out what he will except and take it from there. thanks for the help,really appreciated. rodger

hi all, i like to get my master riggers ticket,but i am unsure what i need to do and can use some advice. i am a FAA senior rigger with back rating,i have done 2000 reserves of the back rating.i have also 120+ pack jobs of the chest rating,and 20+ of seat. i am allowed to pack seat and chest under my irish rating.but i havent got them signed of by a FAA certified rigger as we dont have any here.all of the chest packs are done on militarty gear and i be able to get a letter to that effect.would that suffice or would i still have to pack another 100 under a rated rigger? what else is needed,do i need to do another written and oral exam? i presume i still have to do another pratical of course. are there any rigger examiners in florida at the moment? i know it used to be don yahrling before he passed away,has someone replaced him yet? any help and tips for this would be appreciated. thanks Rodger

THe Company was TTS.Taupo Tandem SKydiving,i worked there for a season.yes they did have problems with the Vigil.i wasnt aware that there was a lawsuit though.but they did return all the units. i also worked in christchurch as a rigger and i had problems with several vigil units there.they all had to go back to manufacture.the the cutter cable kept breaking.apparently the cause was how the unit was installed and the cable kinked.i had about 2000 reserve packjobs at the time and was a bit miffed when the explanation was that it was my fault and the way i installed them!!! so after 2000 pack jobs i am still not capable of installing an AAD correctley? i hope you get your money back and by a cypres,there customer services are excellent and seldom do they have any problems with a unit.and if that is the case,they are excellent in getting it sorted. irish rigger

check your kill line lenght.when you fully cock the PC,then have a look inside the PC itself, the kill line inside it should be slightly longer than the set limiter tapes.normally small white1/2 in tape that stops you over cocking a PC. make sure you have the right size PC in regards to your canopy.if my memory is correct it should be 3% of your main size. have you any holes in the PC? especially check around the handle or hackey sack,thats where normal wear and tear occures. another option,get a camera guy to film your deployment,just pull a bit higher thatn normal,maybe that will indicate the problem. but your best bet is to get it checked out before your next jump by your rigger.he or she shouldb be able to spot any normal problems

The customer services for PDF is gone to crap.it is nearly impossible to contact them for the last few months,thats why i droped my dealership with them.even to get a new cutaway or reserve handle took almost 4 months.i have an email adress for one of the guys there,i can forward it to you if you like. and good luck trying to get spare parts. rodger

i came across the same problem a couple times.there was a batch of defective batteries from airtec a while back,and i had to send them back.i contacted airtec in germany and they replaced the batteries free of charge.so i would hope that SSK in the US will do the same. rodger

hi to all the riggers, below is a list of all the gear that was stolen from the irish parachute club in august 2007.i tried to upload it in the stolen gear section but it will only do 1 item at the time.so i am hoping that yous can print this list and keep it handy.there will be a reward for every gear that is found.unfortunatley i only have some serial no for the mains.i will be keeping them from now on in my riggers book thanks to all Rodger 1.Colman Brouder Javelin D-17 J4K #30798 DOM OCT06 PD160 Reserve #37872 DOM 07/2006 Cypres 2 #28228 DOM10/06 Spectre 190 Main 2.Karl Carey Javelin D-21 J4K #24397 MAY 03 Precision Raven 3 Reserve # 2114729 DOM APR 1991 Cypres 1 #110182645EC922 10 DOM FEB 00 Stilletto 170 Main 3.Steven O'Sullivan Javelin TJNK #31252 DOM Mar07 PD126R #39131 DOM Jan07 Velocity 120 Main 4.Steven O'Sullivan Vector 3 Micron #41620 DOM 30/03/05 PD126R #33712 DOM Jan05 cypres2 #4123 DOM Nov03 Stilletto 135 main 5.Vincent Howard Wings W-8 #4477 DOM Dec05 Techno155 Reserve #FH006B DOM Oct99 cypres1 #3130F7605CC722 10 DOM 07/96 Stilletto 150 main 6.Vincent Howard Javelin J1KS #31183 NOV06 PD143R #38250 DOM Aug06 Stilletto 150 Main 7.PJ Armstrong Zerox 139 DOM 04/04/91 Raven2 #2114637 DOM APR91 Cypres1 10A012645FCB22 30 DOM 02/00 Spectre 190 8.Paul McMahon Javelin J3 #20994 DOM 06/2001 PD160R #24524 DOM 03/2001 Cypres1 51409C665BC722 10 DOM 01/03 Spectre 170 Main 9.Padraig Browne Javelin OJ #17164 DOM APR99 PD143R #18625 DOM Jan99 Main Cobolt 150 10.Paul Keville Teardrop #4470 DOM 11/1994 Tempo 170 #146450 07/1994 Cypres2 #27142 DOM 08/2006 11.Sean O'Callaghan Zerox #964 DOM July89 Swift 5 Cell Reserve #100472 Cypres1 #10EIE5645ECA22 20 DOM June00 12.Damien Byrne Javelin TJ #3142 DOM Aug 92 Micro Raven 150 #00219095 DOM 08/1992 Stilletto 135 13.Ray Smullen Vector V347 #45962 DOM 07/07 PD160R #040184 DOM 05/07 Cypres1 #5070DC655ECA22 40 DOM 02/02 Stilletto 150 Main 14.Ed De Khors Wings #4406 DOM 11/2005 Smart 135 #2516820 DOM 11/2005 cypres2 #20599 DOM 01/06 Pilot 150 Main 15.IPC Club Gear T/A Black+Grey Vector V5 #18330 DOM 23/05/1989 Firelite Reserve #FL-1816R DOM 04/1989 Cypres 2 #10484 DOM 08/04 Spectre 190 Main 16.IPC Club Gear T/A Black+Multi Colour Pinstripes Teardrop #3490 DOM10/01/1992 Swift+175 Reserve #R40582-3 DOM 10/1991 cypres1 #1060B16362CF22 OX DOM 02/1999 Spectre 190 Main 17.IPC AFF1 Zerox #2659 DOM 14/08/2006 Wine Colour PD235R #37454 DOM 05/2006 Cypres2 #26803 DOM 08/2006 Navigator 260 MAIN 18.IPC AFF2 Zerox #2660 DOM 14/08/2006 Wine Colour Raven3 Reserve #3322200 DOM 12/2003 Cypres 2 33891 DOM 05/2007 Navigator 260 Main 19.IPC AFF 3 NAVY BLUE Zerox #2458 DOM 30/10/2001 Tempo 210 #160661 DOM12/07/1996 CYpres2 #33892 DOM05/2007 Navigator 260 Main 20.IPC J4 NAVY+LIGHT BLUE+RED Javelin J4 #542 DOM 07/1989 Firelite Reserve #FL-1883R DOM 05/1989 Cypres1 #112124655DC822 50 DOM 05/01 Spectre 190 Main 21.IPC J5 Javelin J5 #17019 DOM 02/1998 Tempo210 #186729 DOM 02/1998 Cypres1 #2040DA625BC622 00 DOM 10/1999 Spectre 210 22.IPC BIG RIG BLACK+WINE Zerox #2662 DOM 01/08/2006 Paratec TW7 Reserve #2800038R DOM 06/2002 Cypres 2 #26802 DOM 08/06 Navigator 300 Main 23.IPC1 Black+Teal Vector SE #45909 DOM 08/2007 SWIFT+175 #R609002 DOM 03/1995 Cypres 2 #21207 DOM 01/2006 SPectre 190 Main "Irish Parachute Club" embroifery on the side of container 24.IPC2 Black+Teal Vector SE #45908 DOM 08/2007 Swift+ #R6.0797.2 DOM 09/1992 Cypres2 #26800 DOM 08/06 Spectre 190 main 25.IPC3 black+Teal Vector SE #45934 DOM 17/07/2007 Swift+175 #8607572 DOM 07/1992 Cypres1 #1061CA635FCB22 6T DOM 11/1999 Spectre 190===0 jumps brand new 26.IPC S/L#6 Zerox #???? DOM 03/1991 GQX-175 Reserve #702135 DOM 20/03/1990 Navgator 260 27.IPC S/L#11 Zerox #U/R DOM U/R Swift+175 #R6.410.2 DOM 06/1991 Navigator 260 Main #1880 28.IPC S/L#12 Zerox #U/R DOM U/R Raven3 #3322076 DOM 11/1993 Navigator 260 MAIN 29.IPC S/L#14 Zerox #1578 DOM U/R Swift+175 #r6.0642.2 DOM 02/1992 Navigator 240 #1882 DOM 11/2005 30.IPC S/L#15 Zerox #1051 DOM 04/03/1991 Swift+175 # R6.0847.2 DOM 12/1992 Navigator 260 Main 31.IPC S/L#17 Zerox #1867 DOM 13/10/1994 Raven3 Reserve #03425288 DOM 10/1994 Navigator 260 main #1877 DOM 11/2005 rodger

we unfortunatley had a break in at the irish parachute club last week.sofar we have a total of 45 rigs taken.the club itself lost 21 rigs and the rest was private gear.as one can imagine this has hit us badly.we were lucky enough that they didnt take any of our 12 tandem sigmas,otherwise we would be shut down completly. below are a list of cypres no that are missing.i would like to ask any riggers out there to keep an eye open for these.and in the next couple of days i will add the list of system and reserve serial no. cypres 2 # 10484 DOM 08/04 cypres 1 #1060B16362CF22 0X DOM 02/99 cypres 2 #26803 DOM 08/06 cypres 2 #33891 DOM 05/07 cypres 2 #33892 DOM 05/07 cypres 1 #112124655DC822 50 DOM 05/01 cypres 1 #2040DA625BC622 00 DOM 10/98 cypres 2 #26802 DOM 08/06 cypres 2 #21207 DOM 01/06 cypres 2 #26800 DOM 08/06 cypres 1 #1061CA635FCB22 60 DOM 11/99 cypres 2 #20783 DOM 01/06 cypres 2 #2860 DOM 09/03 cypres 2 #2861 DOM 09/03 all of the above belong to the irish parachute club. all of the below are private gear that was taken,but these are only the rigs that i know of sofar,that no will grow when i have the complete details. cypres 2 #28228 DOM 10/06 cypres 1 #5070DC655ECA22 40 DOM 02/02 cypres 1 #51409C665BC722 10 DOM 01/03 cypres 1 #10A012645FCB22 30 DOM 02/00 cypres 2 #4123 DOM 11/03 cypres 1 #110182645EC922 10 DOM 11/99 cypres 1 #3130F7605CC722 10 DOM 07/96 cypres 2 #20599 DOM 12/05 thanks in advance for keeping an eye out blue skies Rodger

hi all, rodger here,the rigger from the irish parachute club.i really like the ideas of some of punishment that should be dished outi am sure some riggers have some great tools that could inflict a bit of pain whoever stole the gear. below is a list of the cypres that we know of so far.i will post the rig and reserve serial no next couple of days when i have the list completed.as you can imaging it is unfortunatly quiet a long one to compile.however if anyone comes across any of these an email would be greatly appreciated,so that we can catch the culprits who did this. cypres 2 # 10484 DOM 08/04 cypres 1 #1060B16362CF22 0X DOM 02/99 cypres 2 #26803 DOM 08/06 cypres 2 #33891 DOM 05/07 cypres 2 #33892 DOM 05/07 cypres 1 #112124655DC822 50 DOM 05/01 cypres 1 #2040DA625BC622 00 DOM 10/98 cypres 2 #26802 DOM 08/06 cypres 2 #21207 DOM 01/06 cypres 2 #26800 DOM 08/06 cypres 1 #1061CA635FCB22 60 DOM 11/99 cypres 2 #20783 DOM 01/06 cypres 2 #2860 DOM 09/03 cypres 2 #2861 DOM 09/03 all of the above belong to the irish parachute club. all of the below are private gear that was taken that i know of sofar cypres 2 #28228 DOM 10/06 cypres 1 #5070DC655ECA22 40 DOM 02/02 cypres 1 #51409C665BC722 10 DOM 01/03 cypres 1 #10A012645FCB22 30 DOM 02/00 cypres 2 #4123 DOM 11/03 cypres 1 #110182645EC922 10 cypres 1 #3130F7605CC722 10 DOM 07/96 cypres 2 #20599 DOM12/05 blue skies and safe landings rodger

glad your ok after that expirience.in my 15 years in the sport i have never seen anything like what you had.i have had a few lines brake on me in that time and inspected a lot of gear with line damage.but your incident takes the biscuit. i dont believe that a tension knot or a loose grommet somewhere can cause all this damage.if it was on the slider that means all of your grommets must be defective.and if one side of the slider did hang up,the lines would not have broken all in the smae place. its unclear from the pics,but they dont look like HMA or even spectra line to me.i would seriously look at what sort of material the lines are made out of.and i would also send those pics to PD,or even send the canopy there for inspection. its very hard to say,but i dont believe that this kind of damage can happen on a normal or unusual opening,and you said you werent even terminal. since they all went in the same place that makes it very suspect to me!!!!!! did maybe any substance or liquid get spilled on the lines??? another explanation would be that a bad needle was used when bartacking the lines.but that should have been spotted when you or someone packed the main.also from the pics,there should be no bartack in that area.they are normally at the very end of the line or at the cascades.and not 19" above the riser(although it does look more that 19" to me) i would advise to get this further investigated as this is not right and should never have happend to this extend. in my opinion there is 3 possible scenarios. 1.the lines are made from incorrect material. 2.someone interferred with the lines. 3.something very corrosive got spilled onto the lines. but that is my opinion,but i could never explain that kind of damage to an opening. rodger

this is fairly common with most canopys,although i am a bit suprised that it only has 50jumps on it. but its quiet easy to get fixed.when you bring the rig to your rigger,he should be able to trim that off for you with a hotknife.i dont think it should make a difference to the canopy handling. i have trimmed a few canopys like that and some of them have been in a lot worse shape than yours. give it to your rigger for inspection to reasure your self. rodger

to take a cypres out is very simple,it takes about a min from popping the reserve.however,once you break the seal that was put on it by the previous rigger,his warrenty of that repack becomes invalid. if you want to take the cypres out,go ahead,but i would not reclose the rig unless you have a riggers rating.just leave it open and sell it on that way.the new owner most likely will want to get a complete check out of the rig anyway and you can get him cover the cost of the repack. blue skies

speaking from my own view point as master rigger,i would not repack a gear where a person has tried to use a sharpie or tie-dyed there gear.the main reason is i would not know what chemicals are in the substance being used.and it is possible that it could interfere with the TSO label on it.some substances can be very corrosive and weaken the material. i have come across this twice where someone tried to tie-dye there own gear,i send it back to the manufacture on both cases,and the manufacturer actually cut of the TSO label on it and grounded the rig.and in one of the cases the guy did it with the reserve inside and when i inspected it,there was stains all over the reserve.again i send it back to PD an they also grounded it. the best option if you want o get ride of the scuff mark is to replace the main flap,this could be done by any master rigger,or if you are in florida i would send it back to wings.they do have an excellent customer service there. my guess it would be around $60-100 tops.but that is what i wouls charge. blue skies

yes unfortunatly,riggers can make a mistake's.some of them can be deadly,but i would say 99% of riggers provide and excellent service. if a customer comes to me for a repack,i always get them to practise there emergeny drill and pull the handles. and i always encourage them to observe while i repack the reserve.that way you will get a better understanding what work a rigger does. and remember its not only a reserve repack,the whole system,harness and main should be inspected completly to certify it as airworthy. so ask your rigger to sit in on the next repack. cherrio and safe jumping

its good of you to ask questions regarding this issue with harnesses.i have only ever heard of 3 people falling out there harness.tragicly,there has been 2 tandem passangers in the last year.but that was not because of the gear,it was down to human error. the only other one i know about is a lady in namibia,africa.again that was human error.she was very small(5'0i believe) and jumped a rig with a harness made for 6'4.and in conjunction with her jumpsuit(spandex) she did mangage to fall out backwards after a hard opening due to a packing error.everyone of these was human error,and not the fault of the gear. most student equipment these days is designed with adjustable main lift webs so that the student fits the harness correctly.your instructor can show and explain it you if you ask him/her. next time you are at the DZ,have a closer look at the euipment and see how it is designed to stop people falling out of it.every rig has diagonal backstrap as well as a laterals. the incidents you mentioned were extreme cases where human error was the main factor,so even dow you raised a valid point,its not a problem and you should enjoy your future jumps.

hey mish, i give you my 2 cents worth aswell.i recently bought a velocity 120 and i have a wingloading of 2.5 on it.i have done approx 300 jumps on it now and i got to say what an awesome canopy!! i really love it.i am an aff instructor,which means i am normally out last of the plane with deep spots.i have no problem getting back from long spots.i tuck up my knees and a little back riser and i glide back with ease.never put me of a dz yet.although i did get my teeth fillings shaken loose once with a very hard opening,dont know what happend there as i packed it myself.i also use the velo for camera jumps and every one of my opening,with the one exception,was beautiful,soft and on heading!!! i had the oppertunity to jump a VX last year in new zealand.i did 3 jumps on it and handed it back.couple where positive openings to say the least,the other was a line twist.(i did manage to get out of them after a struggle) so my advice i would stick with the PD Velocity,i find it a much superior canopy and better all around!! i also have repacked a few reserves here that have the same problem as you with cutaways.it might be worth getting your line trim checked out again!maybe there is an issue with that.normally a canopy should fly a lot better and smoother after a re-line!!! might be no harm to get that checked out again by a rigger rodger