masterrigger1

..or an air leak of sorts somewhere... MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

TK, You pretty much summed up my exact same fellings! Freaking unbelievable!!!!! MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Put an H-mod and a 600lb Technora line set on it! I consider the Sabre I to be about number three on the list of hard opening canopies..... Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Adding weight to the top of the P/C is a really. really bad idea. In the early '90s we were building P/Cs with somewhat larger hackey handles. This resulted in quite a number of P/C in tow malfunctions in a very short time span. The problem was that the added weight of the handle was causing the P/C to somehow tie itself into a knot. This was happening right as it was pitched and the result was a P/C that could not inflate, thus creating a pilot chute-in-tow. You probably do not want to re-live the past on this one! Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

You are absolutely right on that! 1. Reserve repacks "not for use" are not governed by the FAA because they are not supposed to be in an airplane. An applicant has to have completed 20 pack jobs under the supervison of a certified rigger to be eligible for a certificate. The rule never states that the required 20 have to be "for use" again because 65.111 makes that impossible. The allowance and the requirement of supervision for reserves is provided here though: Except as provided in §65.117, an applicant for a senior parachute rigger certificate must— (a) Present evidence satisfactory to the Administrator that he has packed at least 20 parachutes of each type for which he seeks a rating, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and under the supervision of a certificated parachute rigger holding a rating for that type or a person holding an appropriate military rating; MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

DSE, Well the data that you need can be found by asking any rigger who packs reserves with uncoated lines. The first thing will be that the uncoated line material is very prone to damage. It is hard to find a canopy that has been packed and used a few times that does not have frayed,fuzzy, velcro picked lines on it. Look at a canopy from the next reserve ride you see that has that type of material on it. Line replacements are common if the rigger is really doing his/her job of inspecting the lines. Second , the theory of uncoated tension knots is actually the other way around. Any rigger will tell you that coated lines will stow neater and cleaner than uncoated ones. So, neater,cleaner line stows should lead to better line deployments as most people would probably think. Also think through the process of uncoated lines getting hooked on the velcro during deployment. If just a couple are hung on the velcro and the rest are free to release! ...Well you can see the potential problem there. The one problem with coated lines is that many years ago , an AD was issued because the lines were stiff and hard after they had been packed for a while. We had to wash the lines on the canopy and then place the canopy back in service. The lines we use today have a synthetic coating that has not seen any issues with to date. Of note, just about 95% of all reserve manufacturers use the coated version today Negative! I was merely stating that they do not have an FAA or EU certified QA/QC program as of yet. They do in fact have an in-house QA program, just not one for certified, TSO canopies. CIMSA does.... Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Easily if you read 65.111 which offers zero provisions for supervision of reserve pack jobs for use, The reg you posted is from 65.125 which is "privileges". It states that you can supervise, but never states you can with regards to gear "for Use" because it can't. 65.11 already has that covered as it states that reserves "for use" has to be packed by a certifed rigger. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

65.111, 105.43, and 105.45 all state the same exact thing. 1.Mains can be supervised and jumped... 2.Reserves have to be packed by a rigger ..period. It is pretty black and white there. 65.125 lists a rigger's privileges as below: 65.125 Certificates: Privileges. top (a) A certificated senior parachute rigger may— (1) Pack or maintain (except for major repair) any type of parachute for which he is rated; and (2) Supervise other persons in packing any type of parachute for which that person is rated in accordance with §105.43(a) or §105.45(b)(1) of this chapter. (b) A certificated master parachute rigger may— (1) Pack, maintain, or alter any type of parachute for which he is rated; and (2) Supervise other persons in packing, maintaining, or altering any type of parachute for which the certificated parachute rigger is rated in accordance with §105.43(a) or §105.45(b)(1) of this chapter. Again, pretty black and white. Three things changed in 2001. 1. the tandem inclusion that allowed two people to jump from a single reserve and main. 2. The allowance of supervised main pack jobs. 3. the screw up that included the word "alter" in 65.111 that was later removed. The rest of the rules stand intact prior to the 2001 amendment. Check it out, word for word, pre-2001 and post 2001 versions and you will find them to be exact with regards to rigger's privileges. Since there were no changes to rigger's privileges, that theory does not hold water. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Mark, This has been covered in the past and is one of the problems with the AC-105 2D as you already know. Supervision for main canopies was only added in 2001. before that it was really simple. Reserves "For Use" had to be packed by a certified rigger and mains had to be packed either by a rigger or the next person jumping the main. Pretty simple to verify as all that one needs to do is just pick up an original Pointer's Manual with the pre-2001 rule change printed in it.... 65.111 states that you have to be a certifed rigger to pack a reserve. there are no "ands", "buts" and etc. to "muddy the waters" so to speak. This main part of the rule has not been changed in about 45 years BTW. 65.125 (a) 2. and 65.125 (b) 2. both allow supervision, but do not allow supervision "For Use" which is a key phrase. Caleb Glick (Washington FAA for those who do not know) has covered this several times. In fact, I will be talking with him later this AM on other matters, but will also point him to this post. Hopefully he will respond, but I doubt it. One question though! What do you as a DPRE, teach with regards to packing reserves under supervision? ....i.e do you tell your students they are legal to jump or illegal to jump? MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Not Really. It is basically an exact copy of a PD reserve with the exception of the stabilizers the much needed, coated 725lb Spectra line. It is BTW, only manufactured at the CIMSA plant as they already had a QA program in place there. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Not exactly True! Paul Martin, AKA Jyro, started NZ Aerosports in NZ. Jyro developed some pretty good canopies and later wanted to market them worldwide by using exsisting factories to manufacture them. "Icarus" was/is the design's brand name and was/is manufactured by NZ Aeosports in NZ, Precision in the USA, and CIMSA in Spain. Precision later fell out of producing the Icarus brand and started producing a somewhat similar line of canopies like the Kaos, etc.... If you buy a Icarus canopy (with the exception of the Neos), you are buying a Paul Martin designed canopy. The only difference is just where it was manufactured! The Neos was developed by CIMSA (which just happens to be the largest parachute manufacturer in the world...mostly military though) and was labeled under the Icarus name. Rumor has it, that by doing so, it caused some friction amongst the ranks that was later resolved. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

We have been making cobalt line sets for about 11 or so years. Contact me through this site as I am having issues with IPhone/ Outlook email the last 3-4 days FCOL. Thanks, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Try me on Tuesday ..... I should be home by then! MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

It will still bind on the case more than likely. Either move the hook base away from the needle a little or simply buy a new hook. When you start grinding stuff, it usually is a just bad thing! MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

I would resist that knee jerk reaction! First put a new needle in the machine and check the hook to needle clearance. If you can, use the maximum distance betwen the two before it starts skipping stitches. The real problem is that someone has ground the hook point away to make a new smooth point. This is a standard procedure in lieu of buying a new hook BTW.... By grinding away the point the hook base has to be moved closer to the positioning finger, which as you see by now, can be a bad thing. I would not grind down the positioning finger to fix a bad hook problem. Buy a new hook and I think your problems will go away! Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

That works for the most part! But I have noted older rings installed on newer rigs from various manufacturers over the years. So that theory sometimes goes out the window. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

No, using 22809, it would be the 22nd week of the year ending in ***8, qnd the 09 would be the 9th unit made that week. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

It is an early Class 68. Looks like a 21 stitch cam from what I can see of it. The cams are available from a couple of different places...Jado and Camatron.... I also might even have one in the attic. I probably do have a set of 42 stitch gears which you will also need if the ones in that machine are not for a 42 stitch setup. I am away on busines right now, but should be home the first of next week.So hit me up sometime next week if I do not remember to get back to you on this. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Actually the market is growing. There are a few rig manufacturers and quite a few rigging shops world wide using the Juki 1900 , not to mention several machines in the military sector. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Bill, I am currently away from the shop but they did come in just the other day. As soon as I return, I will get back to you on this. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Chris, If it is on your EProm, it should show up as pattern #80. It is a 84 stitch, CS-CS tack. BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Yep, just remove 1 screw for the feedplate and 1 screw for the clamp assembly and swap the clamp out in about 3-4 minutes. We also have on the EProm a double 42 stitch center start - center stop bartack that places both tacks in the same clamping operation. If you look at the Icarus tandem canopies you will see it on the line attachments, It too uses a different clamp. Lastly, all the other tacks can be run E-W or N-S. Just need the standard E-W clamp or a N-S clamp. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Should be any day now for the EProms to come in from the manufacturer. I just added a Box "X" and also a 53 stitch double throw pattern to the exsisting patterns. BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

You would be OK at that loading, no problem. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Yes, that is the correct slider but if you have 750 lb Vectran on your canopy instead of the standard 580 lb. it could be an issue. I bet that you have the larger line on that canopy. PM me the serial number and I will get back to you on this. Cheers, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com