masterrigger1

What size and where to ship it? MEL Skyworks Parachute Service "The Icarus Service Center" Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

*** Really? Para-Gear is making TSO'd componants now? -jp- Quote JP, No one ever said Para-Gear was making TSO'd equipment! Also,Have you ever seen a TSO # or TSO label on a ripcord assembly. A ripcord is best bought from the manufacturer, but when they are not available, you can replace it with a "like componet". Anything TSO'd is required to have an ID # of some sort on it. look at the freebags, reserve pilotchutes, and finally on the Reserve Slinks manufactured by PD. In my eyes ripcords should be included, but they never have to the best of my knowledge!?! The reserve toggles fall into the same area. Para-Gear used to make lots of ripcords for me. I do not know when they stopped. BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

You can have Para-Gear make one up. Also Dave Dewolf makes them. You can contact him at paraloft@aol.com MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

It looks like you have not enough pack volume at the bottom and too much at the top! MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

*** I have a few Sharpchuters with over a 1000 jumps on them with dacron lines and are still in trim. The F-111 material goes away before the line trim does. I will usually replace the lower controll lines at about 400 to 500 jumps because of wear. Quote If you have 900 lb. Dacron the stretch is less than the 525 or 600lb dacron. The trim specs on a Sharpchuter is (+ -) 3 inches which is a lot different that the sport canopies of today. Also,I have never seen a dacron lined canopy that did not have differental lines(uneven) after 1000 jumps. I will talk to Red at flight Concepts today and see what he normally sees with the Sharpchuters on his end. The point I was/am trying to make is that dacron stretches after time and is not considered a good line medium for close tolerance canopies. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

*** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dacron stretches out trim after a while, right? 500-800 jumps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No, it doesn't. Quote Oh but yes it does. We have know that for years.The center cell lines stretches further than the rest along with the brake lines. You can check it on any dacron lined canopy that has 400 or 500 jumps on it for positive verification. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

*** I never said Senior Riggers could do this Mirage SB. I said they should authorize Senior Riggers to do the SB. Black and white........ Quote Again, A manufacturer cannot upgrade the privilages of your certificate by merely stating that in some SB. You, the rigger, are responsible for knowing what your limitations are. Besides this is an alteration plain and simple! Ask the manufacturer.... With that said, I am done with that discussion and back to the real topic at hand. We are pro-rating the reserve repack cost with the date of the last repack to help the cost thing. If any one is interested they can contact us. Thanks, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service skyworksparasvc@aol.com Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

*** As for the other stuff, I disagree. I didn't alter it, I repaired it. Quote This implies that you did the work.In black and blue...... BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Since your legal interpretation didn’t come through like you said it would about a year ago, I sent a letter to the local FSDO, which was supposed to forward it to Washington (or wherever the FAA's lawyers are) and get a legal interpretation about a month and a half ago. I recently sent an e-mail to the FSDO asking for the status of that inquiry, but haven’t received a reply. So, you are publicly stating that you violated the CFR's and the manufacturer's instructions!? A problem with black and white comes to mind.... The SB states that a Master Rigger is to do the alteration period..end of subject . MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

The manufacturer can define it as a minor or major repair. RI does it all the time. I've moved Cypres pouches, etc on Talons w/ permission from RI. Mirage Sys can do the same thing. Derek, The manufacturer can determine if the "REPAIR" is major or minor by the simple fact if or if not it affects airworthiness. But, they cannot legally upgrade your privilages of your rigging certificate. In this case the cutter location is moved , therefore it is a ALTERATION! It is also a alteration to a TSO'd component! It is up to the rigger to know what he or she can legally do or not do. There have been instances of manufacturers issuing bold statements, but the simple fact of the matter is that The FAA issues your privilages, not the manufacturer. On another note, we are making great strides in the old discussion that you and I differ on. The PIA is now totally involved with that and I am forwarding all of my gathered data and info to them this week. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Quote The Mod that Derek does is simply an offset of the upper control lines. In other words, they are all different lengths. The differental line lengths of upper controls is not new, Stilettos,Triathalons,Crossfires,among some others have offset uper control lines.The concept is not new nor Derek's. On the Safire I the uppers are all the same length. The modification that the service center does is simply a percentage change with the exception of the # 3 line that stays the nominal length. #1 is 12% longer, #2 is 3.5% longer, and #5 is 10% longer. Derek uses a different format and concept to do his mod. Blue Ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Mike, Give me a call sometime. I have a couple of extra Singer 7 class machines that I do not use. Blue ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

To get picky, it is the manufacturer or the administrator. But I think that's splitting hairs, if you're not going to call the manufacturer to make sure a mod is ok, are you going to go through the FSDO to get it done? Quote I am not not trying to split hairs here, but to qualify the fact that the modifications to a H/C can in fact be a legal modification. We do go through the FSDO for TSO approval along with LOA (Letters of Authorization) for modifications and alterations. There, the same engineering group that issued the manufacturer their TSO makes the decision whether or not to issue a LOA. With that said, most Master Riggers generally do not get that involved with modifications and alterations. Things like main riser cover "Tuck Tabs", Walrus Teeth, and anthing else that may affect openings should be properly documented with something in writting from the manufacturer or the FSDO. *** There is 2 things that piss me off here. First, it's the arrogance of some rigger to think he can "do no wrong". As my DPRE once told me, we don't have the luxary of learning from our mistakes. The second is using newbies as a dumping ground for tired and altered gear. Quote I am assuming you are directing the "arrogance" at the unknown rigger, not me. I also have a problem with riggers that think that once they have a riggers ticket (Senior or Master) that they can do anything they damn well please. Your second point also left out gear that does not fit the jumper that is buying it. Back to the point at hand, the modifications that where first dicussed can be legal. There have been LOA's issued for the exact mods that were described earlier on the Vector II. The LOAs are issued individually on a per S/N basis only. Blue ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

No, technically you do not have to call the manufacturer first. The people who issued the TSO in the first place (the FAA) can and will issue a letter of authorization for a field appproval. In other words,They(the FAA) can elect to have changes made as their engineering group sees fit to equipment previously certified by a manufacturer without their approval or suggestions. The Master rigger should have the letter of autorization on file as required by law. You should contact the master who did the work and see if he has the proper paperwork. Hope that helps you, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Chuck, We have a common price for complete P/C's that we make here at Skyworks; $99.95 for a pilot chute with a standard plastic handle and $115.95 for ones with a leather hackey handle or Pud. The customer specifies whether it is a standard length bridal or a BM bridal(9 ft from the pin to the P/C). There is no additional charge for the added length. As for as the bridal only including the pin and kill line; $45.00 plus S/H. Blue ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service "The Icarus Service Center" Chester, SC 29706 803-377-2705 Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

It does with a cessna with a completed 337 for the jump door mod. It was written into the paperwork as a reqirement for the STC (if you use that particular STC). BS, Masterrigger1 Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

And that is a very good reason to not use Vectran. With Spectra, when the lineset is nearing the end of it's useful life there are noticable changes in the canopy prompting the user to replace the lineset for performance issues, long befor a line breaks. (400 to 600 jumps) With Vectran there is no such change yet the product also has a similarly limited useful life, often luling users into continuing to jump a lineset that has moved well beyond it's safe and useful lifespan. (400 to 600 jumps) TitaniumLegs can probably shed some more insight on the properties of Vectran. JP, I reline around a 1000 canopies a year. Out of that, I see about 6-8 canopies a year with broken lines on them. I understand that you and a handful of people out there do not like Vectran , but the numbers prove different to your cries. It is a decent line medium that shows wear before it breaks! So yes it does have a change in properties that are noticable to the end user. See ya soon, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

First, if Vectran is "last week's fashion" then that would make Spectra "last Year's fashion"would it not? Second,I know what HMA is as Technora is made from a HMA type fiber, but what is a HMA2 fiber... never heard of it...... A line made from a HMA type fiber can be either larger or smaller depending as to how it is spin and braided. The more durable part is also dependant upon the process of manufacture. Not all HMA type fibers are the same. It is a lot like the difference in Spectra 900 and Spectra 1000. The later fiber is what we use for Spectra lines on parachutes. LCP (Vectran) and HMA (Technora) fibers do not shrink with use but they will elongate to some extent. Sport canopies will see about 1/2 inch in some areas while Tandems will see up to 1 inch of change. To take this thread back to it's original intent, there are better line materials(pick one) to place on HP canopies instead of Spectra. A Stiletto is just one of many canopies out there that maybe should change up to something different. BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

The line being used on The Katana is Dynema. This fiber is a foreign equivalent of Spectra. Rumor has it that the shrinkage is not quite as much as Spectra. Personal test shows that it is less, but ever so slight. I would not call Vectran "superior" but is the best IMHO out there now. We are currently awaiting a new line from CSR as we speak that may well replace the both of them(Spectra-Vectran). Blue ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Marc, One of the reasons that they will not do it is this. The line files that have set up are for Spectra. These files have added length(in reference to the nominal dimensions) for shrinkage. In other words they would have to compute a new line file for that canopy,and for one canopy it is probably not worth the effort and time. I have four 120 Stilettos that I have changed over to Vectran a few years back; they fly great and with no "Spinletto" effects and are a little faster with the lesser parasitic drag. The following is the reason that I converted them in the first place: I had a couple of thousand jumps on Stilletos without a spinup until I had one go out of trim. The result was three cutaways in a short period of time. I relined the canopy with Vectran and it has never given me another problem to this day. The rest I converted before they went south with the trim. The Stiletto is a high performance canopy that was developed when Spectra was the line material mostly used. Since then, better line fibers have come about in the industry with Vectran being one of them. If more people asked for Vectran line sets, I would bet that PD would at least look in to it! Blue ones, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Really? Yep! Really... The ribs are the major difference and their placement. The inside 6 (A5,A4,and A3)load bearing are almost the same with the outside two being smaller in profile(on the Safire Two). The Safire I has more of a "gullwing" design. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Simon Mundel of Icarus canopies. I do not feel that it is incorrect... I know for fact that it is ... I do have the files for the canopies in front of me! Not yet ... Have you pursued it any further? MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Dacron does go out of trim... it stretches mostly at the brake lines and at the center cell region most! The rest of the info is pretty good. BS, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

A Safire I and and a Safire II are totally different. The line sets are not even similar! Derek, I do not know where you came up with the 7%....!! If you guys have any questions, please call! I need to dispell this here and now before someone actually thinks that they can put a Safire II lineset on a Safire I and order the same. This is where mis-information could kill someone!!!! MEL Skyworks Parachute Service "The Icarus Service Center" Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com