riggerrob

................................................................................ I have also have one jump on a Goliath canopy made by Para-Flite, 370 square foot 7-cell, made of F-111 fabric and the bottom skin was span-wise construction. The Goliath was one sub-product of the while Swift project launched in 1981. The project included the Swift (main and reserve), Cirrus and Orion reserves. The Swift also spawned a long line of military MT1????? freefall rigs. Goliath is just a pretty-coloured version of a military freefall canopy that was made during the 1980s.

Leo DaVinci was heartbroken. He had to design his own. .................................................. Tee! Hee! My bad! I meant to say: "circa 1980, military surplus parachutes were no longer sold with suspension lines intact." Since re-lining a round canopy cost as much as a newly-sewn canopy ...

Circa 1080, Crown Assets Disposal (Canada) and the US military stopped selling airworthy surplus parachutes. As military surplus chutes suffered cut lines and harnesses were no longer sold with leg straps, the supply of military surplus parachutes wore out. Companies like Pioneer and Strong Enterprises offered military- pattern round canopies in fancier colours, but they cost ten times as much as surplus round canopies. A few civilian manufacturers tried selling newly-sewn round canopies (e.g. XL 30), but they cost as much as Mantas. Also during the 1980s, Para-Flite had an over-stock on military freefall (square) reserves, so they unloaded their surplus to civilian skydiving schools as "DC-5" 270 square foot, 5-cells. The most charitable thing I can say about DC-5s is that they were easier to pack than Para-Commanders and more reliable. The first thing schools noticed about Mantas was their much lower malfunction rate. The second thing schools noticed was far fewer broken ankles on solo students. By 1989, all the better schools had converted to Mantas, so USPA and CSPA changed their BSRs to require large, docile canopies for all first solo students. By the early 1990s, Parachute School of Toronto was one of the few Canadian skydiving schools still using military-surplus round canopies. Since DZO Lloyd Kallio (sp?) was close to retirement, he did not want to waste money replacing all his military-surplus student gear, so PST quit CSPA. Lloyd joined a couple of other renegade DZs to form CAPS .... but CAPS is another story ....

When I started jumping (back in 1977) all the schools used round canopies. During the early 1980s, the most progressive schools in Ontario started loaning large squares to students. In 1986, the Black Forest Parachute Club bought a batch of Lazer 290 student canopies in 1986. By 1987, many Canadian DZs had converted to Mantas. The oldest batch student square reserves (that I have seen) is a Tempo 250s made in 1996. Around the mid-1990s, a few Swiss DZs bought Aviator 290 Pilot Emergency Parachutes.

What year did your school convert to square canopies for first jump students? What year did your school convert to square reserves for FJC students? What year did your jump-pilots convert to square pilot emergency parachutes?

Popularly called "Double Action." First time I ever saw DA was (circa 1995) when Parachutes Australia sent a prototype to Rigging Innovations. PA wanted RI's approval before incorporating the RA system into the Student Talons (they were building under license from RI). My first reaction was "too many moving parts. Personally I think DOS are an overly-complex solution to a minority problem. The risk of first-solo students pulling handles out of sequence has dropped dramatically since tandem became the norm for first-timers. Now they have gotten the first, huge adrenaline dump out if their systems, solo students are better able to focus on pulling the correct handles in the correct sequence. DOS Tolerance are as tight as Single-Operation System (SOS with 3 cables attached to reserve ripcord handle. I am just thankful that I have never needed to manufacture any if those @&$)(?! little double-ended loops. In have seen DOS manufactured by: Altico, Flying High, Sun Path and a defunct company on Alberta.

Sorry MEL, My last post was not directed specifically at you. Most of my post was directed at Peter .... then I ranted about some attitudes that Manley Butler burnt into my long-term memory almost 30 years ago ... and I am too lazy to change my opinion now.

"Spaghetti mess!" After that Para-Flite started giving out free main deployment bags with new canopies.

For deployment, I taught "cheating" with thumb to forehead for many years. Generally, I avoid criticizing other instructors' teaching techniques. Rather, I say something like "There are 6 or more ways to turn. This other technique might work better for you." Returning to the OP, I recently chatted with the DZO from Edmonton Skydive and he teaches another turn technique to AFF students. He starts them with both arms in front of their face, hands close, but not over-lapping. He tells them to keep their elbows stationary while lifting one hand and tilting the other hand down. I will have to experiment with the "Edmonton technique" next time I do a solo skydive.

Before MEL gets upset, most of this post is a retort to Peter. Peter, I refuse to debate you on legal grounds because I fear lawyers even more than I fear lazy aircraft mechanics. ..... long explanation ....... National quit sewing Phantom canopies something like 20 years ago. The latest "20 year life limit" was a discrete way of saying "don't jump our second-generation canopies anymore. GQ Security closed their California factory shortly after they sewed a batch of SAC round reserves with acid mesh. The parent company: GQ Defence (of Great Britain) issued a similar updated manual that grounded SAC round reserves affected by the acid mesh recall. Pioneer Aerospace quit sewing civilian canopies after they made a batch of "K" series round canopies with acid mesh. Pioneer Aerospace distanced themselves from that bad batch of canopies. National sewed "Phantom Aerostar" canopies for almost 20 years. The Aerostar is a completely different canopy with major differences in line attachment methods, etc. FreeFlight Enterprises sub-contracted to sew Aerostar canopies (for National) for a few more years, but eventually Garry Douris (head of FFE) insisted on so many improvements, that it was easier for National to switch to installing FFE Preserve canopies in National PEPs. Fairly recently, Butler and Para-Phernalia (aka the Softie factory) issued new manuals saying not to pack any of their PEPs more than 20 years old. They "lived" their gear for 3 reasons: acid mesh, improvements and wear and tear. First, they want to ground the last round canopies affected by acid mesh. Secondly, they subtly admit that their first generation containers were crude and newer models are more graceful. Third, after 20 years of flying in the Southern California desert, most PEP harness/containers are worn out. Peter, Another point that you are ignoring is the design of Strong PEPs which use suspension line bulk to work as a "kicker plate" for pilot-chute deployment, which means that packing Strong PEPs without most of the lines under the pilot-chute reduces the ability of the pilot-chute spring to launch it clear of the burble created by tumbling aircrew. I chose to ignore the finer legal debates because I believe that the practical considerations of keeping my customers alive alive outweigh the finer legal points. IOW repeat (rigging) business is preferable to defending myself in court. I repeat my beliefs that all round canopies mentioned during in the acid mesh recalls of the 1980s are obsolete and should be grounded. Heck! I no longer own the tools needed to re-certify them "acid mesh free." I also believe that most harness/containers wear out after 20 years' service. As for " closet queens" that have lain in storage for 19 years: good luck finding the manuals. .... And yes, I have a hundred or so old manuals gathering dust in my closet, but advise young riggers not to waste their time on parachutes older than them. Sorry, please amend my last sentence to take into consideration the multiple ways that law schools teach young lawyers to ignore any facts that distract from the lawyers' predetermined conclusion.

Your choice of containers is directly related to your torso length. For example, I may stand 6 feet tall (32 inch inseam) but have a comparitively short spine, so tend to wear medium-length harness/containers. OTH guys who are "long-waisted" will be more comfortable with long harness/containers.

I am disagreeing with Peter Chapman. Phantoms should not be packed into Strong Pilot Emergency Parachutes because they cannot be packed according to the container manufacturers' instructions. Phantoms have Type 3 diapers with all the lines stowed on the diaper. IOW Phantoms create a large lump of suspension lines that pokes the pilot in the backside. Meanwhile, all the Strong round reserves have Type 2 or Type 4 diapers. Legal arguments aside .... I was glad when National, Butler, Softie, etc. told us not to pack their PEPs after 20 years. They put a maximum "life" of 20 years on PEPs because PEPs routinely flown in the Southern California desert are worn out after 20 years. If you want to understand my professional opinion of Phantoms, just read what Manley Butler wrote in 1990. National Phantoms suffered from a long list of Service Bulletins (narrow diaper, Kevlar reinforcing bands, acid mesh, etc.), the worst of which was acid mesh. Even if that Phantom was certified "acid mesh free", another 20 years of testing has weakened the fabric. During the 1980s, only two PEP manufacturers did not suffer from acid mesh: Strong and Freeflight Enterprises (Softie). As for the OP's problem with accidental openings on Strong PEPs .... I have seen loose closing (too long) on several Strong back-type PEPs. The simple solution is to sew them more until they are short enough to maintain correct tension on the ripcord pin. Any decent rigger can fix that the next time the parachute is opened for inspection.

I have no strong brand loyalty, having packed reserves (and mains) containing: Argus, Cypres, FXC 8000, FXC 12000, FXC Astra, Sentinel, Vigil, etc) I have also packed PEPs containing even more obscure, military-surplus AADs. When FXC was developing their Astra AAD, they experimented with a dozen different air pressure (altitude) sensor locations. FXC concluded that any sensor located around the collar/yoke produced consistent pressure readings. Meanwhile, pressure sensors hidden inside the reserve container experienced errors up to 300 feet. That is why FXC AADs have external sensors. Most other AADs install air pressure (altitude) sensors in their battery boxes, which are packed deep inside the reserve container. Also consider Airtec's logic when they were designing to Cypres 1 25 years ago. Belly-flying was the norm with only a handful of silly Frenchmen experimenting with "chute assis" (sit-flying). No one predicted that anything other than belly-flying would continue to be fashionable (date we say "manly"?) for experienced skydivers. Airtec also went to great pains to conceal the Cypres because back then only students and .... er .... "People not manly enough to pull their own reserves" wore AADs. Many jump-planes only climbed to 7,000 feet AGL and experienced skydivers routinely "sucked it down" to extract the 30th second from their precious freefall. Fashionable main canopies were still in the 220 square foot range and spun much slower when they malfunctioned. Debate aside, anyone who scares an (Argus, Cypres, FXC, KAP-3, Marrs, Sentinel, etc.) AAD is a scary distance below normal opening altitude and deserves no sympathy. "That will cost $80 for a reserve repack and twice that for a new cutter."

"I'll fuck you 'til you love me!" ..................................................................... Then why are Parisians feeling like Afghan tea boys limping to Friday prayers. In American terms .... the new boy in prison.

Not sure or the finer points of American Federal Air Regulations ... but it is against the law to drop anything from an airplane if it presents a risk to other aircraft or people on the ground. Pilots need to warn (radio) other pilots before they drop If they are dropping in controlled airspace (Class A, B, C or D) they need clearance (permission) from the appropriate air traffic controller. Long-term drop-zones are marked on aviation maps by little purple parachute symbols. Similarly, popular bag-glider launch points are marked by tiny purple hang-glider symbols.

Start by asking your brother.In the USA.PIC NOTAM.;l Bandit Jump?" PIC loses license. Want to try again in English? .......................................................... In the United States of America (and most other countries affiliated with the International Civil Aviation Organization) if you fail to file a Notice to Airmen (warning them about the impending jump), the Pilot in Command risks losing his license. Hint: if you jump over an existing DZ, you don't need to file a fresh NOTAM, but will probably need permission from the DZO .... to avoid collisions with canopies and working jump-planes and keeping air traffic controllers happy, neighbours happy, etc.

................................................ "One Second After" is one of the best survivalist books, William Forstcher (sp?) has researched how and EMP would affect his little college town and lays out the consequences in a brutally honest way. His story only resorts to violence when marauding gangs come to town. Strongly recommended reading for anyone who thinks farther ahead than their next latte. Which reminds me to stock up on beans.

Agreed darkwing, I quit depending upon feed dogs moving fabric ........... ........... decades ago. I always hand feed fabric under the needle. Learning hand-feeding only requires a few kilometres of practice. Hah Hah!

.............. You old timers did do some absolutely insane stuff. ......... Yes, and we have the scars to prove it. We have also attended more funerals than we care to mention. Much of the gear we used to jump ...... "The museum is over there." We pass on our experiences in hopes that young jumpers will learn from our mistakes ..... without the scars.

........................................................ Students invent stupid stuff every day. They often do stupid stuff faster than instructors can react. They often do stupid stuff that never crossed the instructors' mind. How do you expect an instructor to cancel a stupid move that he has never heard of before?

Horse shoe > bag lift off > partial deployment > spinning malfunction > cutaway and reserve deployment while still attached to a ball of shit > reserve entanglement >DEATH. Its already been done. ......................................................................... We learned that bloody lesson back in 1981. What new knowledge will we acquire by repeating that mistake???????

Ask the seller to ship the gear to Eden North or Westlock or Al MacDonald (Southern Alberta) for inspection.

Anachronist is correct. Schools should retire any old student gear that is "free fly unfriendly" for multiple reasons. It has been 15 years since "free fly friendly" gear became the norm for sport jumpers. Students deserve equal quality gear. If a DZ cannot afford to replace student gear every 15 years, they need a new business model. Number one students freefall at all angles with no conscious effort. Secondly, freefall students routinely ignore advice against freeykng with student gear. Thirdly, DZOs are forced to decide who they want to pay. They are going to have to spend the money in the long run. They only get to decide who they are going to pay: riggers or lawyers. Pay your rigger now or pay a lawyer later. Hint: riggers' wages are 1/10 lawyers' wages. The safest thing is that the wounded will be lucky see 1percent of the money wasted on a lawsuit. November is the end of the skydiving season at most DZs. Riggers will cheerfully hide behind their sewing machines during the cold months, fixing all those annoying popped stitches, etc.

Most airplanes lose a bit of altitude during jump run. First the pilot levels off and reduces power to cruise setting. Then the door opens producing more drag. The pilot compensates by lowering the nose a bit. Jumpers yell "CUT" so the pilot reduces power more. The pilot lowers the nose to maintain airspeed and control. Four floaters take their sweet time climbing into position, creating more drag. The pilot lowers the nose to maintain airspeed. All those floaters disrupt the airflow over the tail control surfaces and the airplane starts bucking. The pilot lowers the nose to maintain airspeed. The rest of the formation takes their sweet time shuffling towards the door, moving the center of gravity aft of published limits. The pilot lowers the nose to maintain airspeed. The formation finally exits causing the airplane to pitch nose down. The pilot breaths a sigh of relief and pulls the nose partway up as he waits for the airspeed to slowly rebuild to minimum control speed. Meanwhile, the second batch of floaters starts climbing out .... and the process repeats.

Ask her to compare the cost of skydiving with other expensive sports: boating, golf, guns, motorcycles, scuba, skiing, sports cars, etc. And remember the shooters' prayer: "Please don't let my wife find out how much I really paid for this gun."