riggerrob

Just to re-assure everyone that "my ass is where my sass is," I used to hold a Transport Canada Class 1 commercial pilot medical. I used to hold an FAA Class 1 medical. My last couple of medical exams were for a British Columbia Commercial Drivers' License, Class 2 (city bus). That allows me to drive a 60-foot long articulated trolley (electric) bus.

Where did you hear that rumour????? TI medical standards were first written by tandem manufacturers (initially only Strong Enterprises and the Relative Workshop) as they attempted to get a waiver to hang 2 humans under 1 parachute. Manufacturers pitched the whole (tandem) concept by describing TIs as meeting similar standards as commercial airline pilots ... er ultralight instructors. USPA just continued the tradition of requiring TIs to provide written proof that they were healthy. After 30-ish years (of requiring medical a for TIs) the fatality rate is tiny and you are unlikely to change tradition by changing medical standards for TIs. IOW if the existing system works, don't change it.

Riggers, please help me write Christmas carol. It is sung to the tune of "On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ..." 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 And a Pack Opening Band pulling tool." Each singer must repeat all the previous lines .... and is only allowed to add one new line before passing the challenge on to the next aspiring song-writer. Go guys .... and gals ...!

When I crossed-over from Strong to Sigma, I only had to do 2 jumps. My first Sigma jump was solo and my second Sigma jump was with an experienced jumper (more than 100 jumps) strapped to my chest. I also had to write the Sigma test and submit a stack of paperwork (other ratings, CSPA membership, medical, logbooks, etc.). Mind you, by that time I had more than 4,000 jumps on Vector 1, Vector 2, Racer and Strong and I was a Strong Tandem Examiner.

.......................................... After 1988, the Super Raven D was a complete re-design with a dozen subtle changes including V-tapes on load-bearing ribs. The first batch of Ravens had no letter designation. Raven Bs were all "first batch" updated with bikini sliders. Very few Raven Cs were built. Super Raven DS were big sellers.

Thanks for posting that Raven Dash M trim chart. Raven (3) 249 square foot Dash M brake-to-toggle 27.8 inches. Remember to measure Precision line trims with the canopy attached to risers, especially when comparing tail lines to A lines. My guess is that pchapman's chart was published in 1997, when the Raven Dash M series was introduced. I have not noticed a difference between Raven Dash M and earlier versions of trim charts. There was no structural difference between Raven mains and reserves. However, there were structural differences between different lettered versions. The first version of Ravens were made of F-111 fabric with Dacron lines. After a few people complained of slow openings, Precision sent out free bikini sliders. If a bikini slider is installed, the data panel should be marked "B". The next major change was the Super Raven D series with more rib reinforcing tapes. The last major change was the Dash M series (introduced in 1996 or 1997) with spanwise seams on the bottom skin. The Raven Dash amazing series were the only Ravens built with Zero Porousity fabric and that was only on the top-skins. Circa 2000, Precision issued a service bulletin saying to replace line attachment tapes (type 3, ribbon-weave tape) with the Type 1 webbing used (on most earlier Ravens) by most other reserve manufacturers. IOW only some Raven Dash M canopies (made 1997 to 2000) were built with light-weight, line attachment tapes and they were the only Ravens affected by the SB.

This game is a variation on "The 12 Days of Christmas. " You have to add to the post above ... When I cleaned out my gear bag, I found a broken rubber.

Not the first time I have been accused of being behind the times. Hah! Hah! Last thing I heard was that Beatnick did 50 jumps in one day at an Alberta DZ and that was a few years ago. As for Bill Hardman ..... I chatted with him a few weeks ago at the "Usta ... Dinner." Dozens of old Abbotsford, UBC and Chilliwack jumpers gathered to reminisce: Bernard (Swiss), Bill Hardman, John Hardy, Jim Hodges, Brian Wunuck (sp?), Taya (or Tara?) Woolsocks, Vera, etc. Last Friday I bumped into Gord Allan, Rod Heanan (sp?), Bobby Magee, Mark and Larenda Graham, etc. Bobby Magee was mumbling about a boogie to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 99-ways built at Pitt Meadows, etc. during the summer of 1986. Bobby hopes to start with a Twin Otter and then add more airplanes as more skydivers show up ..... How big a formation is Bobby plotting?????

Part of the conversion was decent military-surplus pilot-chutes for reserves. As late as 1986, the West German Army was still using umbrella pilot-chutes in (belly mounted) reserves for static-liners. By then even the Heer admitted that umbrella pilot-chutes were obsolete and they were frantically test-jumping a replacement S/L system. Decent, military-surplus, MA-1 pilot-chutes were available during the 1960s. Why skydiving students didn't get them confused me????? I started skydiving in 1977 with modified military-surplus S/L rounds, etc. the only updates were slots and the occasional AAD. I resumed jumping during 1979 at Parachute School of Toronto. FJC still jumped C-9s and T-10 canopies. Late that summer, Lloyd bought a few Crossbows for freefall students. I was one of the first to jump a Crossbow. During my second Crossbow jump, the stabilizers entangled (probably a packing error by one of the other freefall students). It streams red and descended almost as fast as freefall! I pulled the reserve ripcord and started hand-feeding the reserve canopy out I to the wind. Wind grabbed the reserve canopy and pulled it out of my hands. I heaved a huge sigh of relief seeing that (un-steerable) 24 flat overhead! I never touched the Capewells because I had been trained how to cutaway. They were probably rusted shut anyways. The following weekend I watched a jump-master refuse another freefall student wearing a Crossbow. Crossbows without training cutaways was a "subject of debate" ..... During the 1980s, most Canadian schools (Gananocque (?), Waterville, Moncton, Claresholm, etc.) taught students to cutaway from malfunctioning Para-Commanders.

Jerry, I do not know the answers to all those questions .... but hoped that my critic would be able research the archives in Ottawa, Smith's Falls and Trenton .... since he lives in Trenton. The record for the most jumps in one day was set by Warrant Officer Pitt Blanchette (Regular Canadian Army). He set the record (50 jumps in one day) back during the 1960s. He only used round parachutes and his major innovation was only doing stand-up landings .... to save the energy required to stand up 50 times. They used a Cessna 180 modified with a seaplane propeller. The propeller was so long that it could only land three-point. I met WO Blanchette during the 1970s, when he served as Regimental Support Staff for the Sherbrooke Hussars. AFAIK Pitt Blanchette's record has not been bettered by a Canadian .... in Canadian skies, etc. Pitt Blanchette was one of the pioneering Canadian soldiers who practiced freefall skydiving during their days off. Pitt shares the glory with Simon Fairfax Whickham-Martin, Pierre Fourand and Dr. Costello. Next question: what is Doctor Costello famous for?

And Mike flew RF-4 recce jets! Hah! Hah! Yes, Mike was a class-act. I first met Mike through his aerobatic flying. In 1993, Mike asked Manley Butler to sew him a seat-pack for his Pitts Special aerobatic biplane. The unusual thing was its square canopy, one of the few square canopies I have ever packed into seat-pack. A few years later (mid 1990s) we (Rigging Innovations) sewed an Aviator PEP to fit in Mike's Extra aerobat. Mike brought his Pitts S-2 to Perris Valley and took a few skydivers for joy rides. Only time I have seen spots from the pilot's seat!

That is the ugliest hand-mount I have ever seen! Even uglier than my first prototypes!

Watch videos of skydiving. Read skydiving magazines. Good off on dropzone.com

When did your school convert FJC students from Cheapos to Para-Commanders? When did you convert FJC from rounds to squares?

How many people have jumped in all 10 Canadian Provinces? Bonus points if you jump the Yukon, Nunavit or Northwest Territories. I have only jumped 7 provinces so far. Does teaching a rigging course in an 8th province count for anything?

..............................................................:....... What happens when you bisect the word "assume?" You make an ass out of you and me. Hah! Hah! Modern para-gliding canopies don't look like parachutes anymore .... haven't looked like parachutes for decades .... anyone who expects them to fly the same is ..... an ass!

Good suggestion about visiting a wind tunnel .... to develop one skydiving skill. Visit a para-gliding school to develop the other end of skydiving skills: steering an open canopy.

...................................... 2 different pieces of Vecro serve 2 different purposes. On the top flap, hook Velcro reminds you to leave a bit of slack between the (curved) pin and where it disappears under the side flap. Slack should be slightly longer than the pin so that the pilot-chute only has to pull the pin at that stage of deployment. OTOH hook Velcro sewn to the bottom flap is the old method of preventing the bridle from blowing loose prematurely. The modern method uses an extra "bridle cover" flap (usually nylon Cordura) to conceal the bridle between to mouth of the BOC and where it disappears under the pin cover.

1987 1994 2014 .......................................... Thanks for steering this thread back to the original question.

Dear Beatnik, If you have researched so much Canadian (parachuting) history, we challenge you to publish your findings. When was the first parachute jump in Canada? Who was the first Canadian pilot to save his life with a PEP? ... Please enclose all four versions of the story: RCAF, RCA, RCN and civilian. Who did the first jump from a Canadian airplane? Who was the first Canadian pilot to survive an ejection? Please include both the RCAF and RCN versions of the story. Who introduced the "French roll" to North America? Who was the first Canadian tandem instructor? Who was the first Canadian military tandem instructor? Who was the first Canadian to win a medal at a World Championships? Who was the last Canadian to win a medal at a World Championships? How much have you uncovered about the Pioneer parachute factory in Smith's Falls, Ontario?

The best inspection tool is a second set of eyeballs Reference: Captain Jack Sparrow.

............................................................. Charming picture! Tee! Hee! I too am wondering why Beatnic is so upset. ???????? I get my facts from jumping at various Canadian DZs since 1977. I have taught at a few Canadian DZs since earning my first instructor rating in 1982. I have no animosity against Lloyd Kallio. I rather enjoyed the way he ran his DZ (Arthur, Ontario) during the summer of 1979, where I did 50 jumps and earned my CSPA A License. My buddy Grant made his first static-line jump in Arthur in 2001 and said that the parachutes were still round and rather "green." Like many old-time instructors, Lloyd firmly believed that "rounds were sound" and the best choice for static-line students. I still believe that rounds are the best choice for paratroopers who enjoy jumping with rucksack, rifle and snowshoes.

Hint: now that we are entering the slow season, DZOs have run out of excuses for not doing 25-jump inspections. Strong Enterprises has written an excellent manual on how to do 25-jump inspections. It even has lots of pretty-coloured pictures (photographs) for illiterate inspectors. Sure Sigmas wear slower than Strongs, but the slow season is the best time to do 25-jump inspections and order replacement parts. Factories will cheerfully sew replacement parts over the winter and charge only snail-mail shipping rates ... so that all your gear will be shiny and fresh and ready to work hard in the springtime. Which reminds me ... enough goofing off on a sunny Saturday morning because I need to deliver a (recently repaired) Sigma to the DZ and give them a sales-pitch about replacing slack drogue pouches.

Chances are "dumbass" wore his GoPro on every other skydive and simply forgot to remove it before doing a tandem. For the record, 90 of GoPro mounts scare me because they are too easy to snag suspension lines. Remind me to buy a " Revolve" mount before next summer. Oh! Wait a minute, I have only ever jumped a GoPro when it was strapped to my hand .... and I am a narrow-minded, anal-retentive, fascist, control-freak about snag-proof hand-mounts.

First off: if your main canopy is overhead and going slow, you have more time to deal with line twists. Glance at your altimeter to confirm how high you are above decision altitude. Secondly: leg position can make or break line twists. More precisely keeping you legs and lower torso arched ALL THE WAY through deployment can prevent line twists, especially when jumping a wing-suit. It took me a dozen jumps to figure out that most of my wing-suit, line-twists were caused by lazy legs allowing the relative wind to hit the BACK of my leg wing. Finally, hard-housing inserts on risers only solve half the problem (with difficult cutaways) because the second part of the problem is rings twisting relative to each other. Once the riser rings start twisting - relative to the harness ring - pull forces vastly increase. This problems favours cutting away the earliest you recognize that you are suffering DIVING line-twists. The key difference is whether the canopy is overhead or diving. When the canopy is diving, you are less than a minute from impact and need to cutaway NOW. OTOH if the canopy is overhead, stable, turning SLOWLY and only suffering from twisted lines, you have up to a minute to cure line twists before reaching decision altitude.