riggerrob

Precision Falcon 175 with Spectra lines Base NCAA 340.5 inches NCA to NCB 9.9 NCAA to C 26 NCA to D 46.3 NCA to T 13.4 With deployment brakes set. assuming standard rise configuration. Base A 341.3 A to B 9.4 A to C 25.9 A to D 46.5 A to T 11 BL to Tog 52 Since Falcons are rectangular, all the A lines start out the same length. Your biggest problem will be A lines stretching (Dacron) or shrinking (Spectra) unevenly. By the time there is 3 inches difference across the A lines, you are due for new lines. Once there is more than 2 inches difference across the A lines, there is little point to re-trimming brake lines because the flare will not improve significantly. Before investing in a new line kit, also consider the life remaining g in the fabric. No one expects F-111 fabric to remain airworthy after 1,000 jumps.

...... A date of 13 years sounds alot like someone sent in some ratty gear for some work/check out and were told it was unservicable ........................................................................................... Agreed. Hard-working student and tandem containers rarely last 12 years without major repairs. I told one DZO "Quit sending me your 13 year old tandem Vectors because I am tired of sewing patches on them." Factories saw too much ratty year that was 12 or 15 years old. Just to give you a little background: Strong and Relative Workshop started selling tandem gear in 1984. They had a lot of problems with their first generation gear and issued a lot of Service Bulletins to correct faults. Some of those faults could be corrected by field riggers, but others required specialized sewing machines and patterns that were only available at the factory. After realizing that a lot of out-dated rigs were still in service, Strong instituted mandatory 8-year, 13-year inspections and grounded all tandem gear more than 18 years old. Their first goal was to ground first-generation gear. Their second goal was do all the factory updates on earlier rigs. Finally, they wanted to ensure that the hardest-working-gear-in-skydiving was properly maintained. They quickly learned that main canopies usually wore out (more than 1,000 jumps ) before they reached their 8 th birthday. The factory saw a lot of harness/containers that were faded, frayed and filthy after 8 years in the California desert. The factory rarely saw damaged reserve canopies. Strong sewed new reinforcing tapes across the tails of hundreds of first-generation tandem reserves, but eventually decided to ground the first-generation after 18 years. Newer Strong tandem reserve may stay in service for 22 years.

....................................................................................... Accumack prefers to rely on "best business practices." Similarly, I do not care what the FAA, manufacturers, etc. say, because I no longer pack round reserves that were made during the acid-mesh era. They were sewn about 30 years ago. If they remained in normal service, all that repeated pH and pull-testing has worn out the fabric by now. I might have an old bottle of broom reason laying around, but I no longer have the clamps for pull-testing.

..................................................................................... Mr. Stay high is one of those "Cypres babies" who slept through the lesson on how to save his own life. In the old days, he would have been permanently grounded. His behaviour demonstrates a profound change in attitudes since the popularity of RSLs peaked (in 1990) and electronic AADs became main-stream (1995). Without those two gadgets, we would have a higher fatality rate, the general public would still believe that skydiving was more dangerous than sex and we would have fewer stupid people still alive. The biggest difference is the change in attitudes. We are going to see a similar change in attitude towards car-driving as automatic-braking, automatic-lane-following devices gradually become standard in automobiles. A decade from now, you will see young drivers genuinely shocked and outraged and baffled as to why some electronic gadget did not prevent them from rear-ending another car!

............................................................................................. punishment rarely prevents crime. A large part of the problem is that many murders are spur-of-the moment decisions, that the perpetrator rarely thinks through. Murders rarely consider jail time when they pull the trigger. Add the that the problem that many murders are criminally insane or chemically insane. A third problem is normal behaviour (e.g. defending "turf" with violence) in criminal gangs bleeding out into mainstream society. Jail time serves three possible functions: first, it allows police to identify bad guys and make they public feel safe until Kim Karadasian resumes control of the headlines. The public have notoriously short attention spans. Secondly, the public enjoys the revenge of seeing the criminal deprived of his freedom. Seeing a murder punished provides "closure" to the victim's family, allowing them to fill in the grave and move on with life. Sadly, the public do not understand that "three hots and a cot" is a higher standard of living than many criminals endured in the poor neighbourhoods that they grew up in. A sma percentage of murders will "find Jesus" in prison and renounce their life of sin. Thirdly, prison is a way to house the criminally insane until they die of old age. Many serial killers are criminally insane and have no hope of rehabilitation. Long-term imprisonment just limits further damage by limiting their access to more victims. Whether a society imprisons or executes a hardened criminal is largely an economic decision. Can the society/nation afford to pat room and board for a non-productive member of society? I don't see the death penalty as effective in preventing crime.

What? California being racist towards the brow people water their lawns, wash their dishes and pick their vegetables? Surely you jest? Twenty years ago, I can remember being mighty proud when I could afford to buy a trailer in the Perris "ghetto" trailer park. The trailer part had originally been established for transitory farm labourers, but had been taken over ( dare we say gentrified) by skydivers after Lake Elsinore flooded its DZ for the umpteenth time. I stop commuted between Elsinore, Perris and Hemet to work my three skydiving jobs. When halted at a particular stop sign in Quail Valley, had to be careful to avoid making eye contact with the dozens of day labourers waiting at the corner. They all had brown skin and Mayan or Aztec facial features. They were desperate for a day's work at less than minimum wage.

Remember back when the US Constitution was written government bureaucracy was minuses. Gov't social programs were minuscule. In most of Europe, church's ran most of the social programs (schools, hospitals, universities, etc) and charitable programs (orphanages, leper colonies, etc). European churches often owned more land and collected larger rents than local princes, so in much of Europe, the church was more powerful than the nobility. The church often mediated disputes between kingdoms, so it was in-wise of gov't offend the church. Also remember that many immigrants to the 13 Colonies were fleeing religious wars back in their homelands. Amish fleeing the 30-Years War, Puritans fleeing the English Civil War, Maryland Catholics fleeing persecution in England, etc. The last thing the 13 Colonies wanted to do was host a religious crusade or jihadi invasion. They hoped to avoid religious violence by reducing religious tensions, by minimizing religious privilege. For the most part, America's founding fathers managed to keep religious blood-shed to one percent of that in their homelands. Hoorah!

Many canopies have the serial number written in two places. The most obvious place is the orange war I g label on the tail. Some manufacturers also like to write the serial number on an inside rib. Para-Flite started the trend by writing the entire data panel on the centre rib. PISA and Strong like to repeat the serial number on a (non-load-bearing) rib in an end cell. Some harness/container manufacturers also repeat serial numbers on the orange warning label and a reserve riser. On tandem student harnesses, look on the horizontal back strap.

If it ain't broke, why fix it? The TSO program is primarily about quality control. If the failure/fatality rate is low, why repeat the drop-tests?

USPA might start by publishing "best business practices" for jump pilots, and publish them in a format that a C-licensed jumper can understand. If the accident rate drops, cool! If the accident rate does not drop, then USPA threatens to require jump-pilots (at USPA-affiliated Group Member DZs) to write a simple exam. If the accident rate drops, cool! If not, USPA publishes standards for formal check rides. If the accident rate drops, cool! If not, USPA starts sending check pilots around to group member DZs. Etc. The strategy is to slowly ramp-up pressure on "slacker DZOs."

Thanks for reviving this thread. Interesting how it preceded 2008 August 3. Lawyers don't want me talk about what happened on Sunday, 2008 August 3. They are afraid that I will biased the next court hearing.

May I suggest a more methodical technique for grabbing you pilot-chute? Start with a large, open hand with fingers spread wide. Grab your right buttock. Slide your hand up to the corner of your container. Close your fingers around the pilot-chute handle.

....................................................................................... To clarify, CSPA does not train or certify Tandem Instructors. CSPA just trains them up to Coach 1, then sends prospective TIs to a factory-certified Tandem Examiner for training and certification. CSPA has been deliberately vague about TI medicals. Canadian TIs definitely need to submit a medical (to the factory) when they initially earn their rating. CSPA has never asked me for an updated medical. CSPA just mumbles about following manufacturers' instructions. Then recurrence is between the individual TI and the factory that certified him or her. I sent TI candidates to Transport Canada-certified aero-medical specialists. I just never cared if they got the extra hundred dollars worth of paperwork from TC. Strong Enterprises never asked for TC paperwork either. SE has always been satisfied with a doctor's note saying they are fit to fly. Bottom line, manufacturers' medical guidelines keep the fatality rate low, so CSPA has never demanded more (medical exams) that the factory standard.

***Secure helmets (to heads or clip them in elsewhere) .... .................................................................................... That's old-school. Camera helmets have gotten so much lighter (GoPro) than now the best place is strapped onto your head.

The most comfortable suit is the one that is specifically-tailored to fit your butt and style of skydiving. That is why you hire a professional to measure you and pay the big bucks for your jumpsuit to be sewn one-at-a-time. Any of the top dozen manufacturers will sew you a comfortable suit, the secret is in the measuring techniques.

... I'm still kicking around the idea of having the leather lady downtown make me a leather one. ... ........................................................................................ What you and the leather lady do is strictly confidential. We don't need to know the details and we trust that she is professional enough to maintain confidentiality. Do you buy your BASE rigs from Squirrel? Hah! Hah!

Both Cordura and ballistic cloth are more abrasion-tolerant than the original (400 denier) para-pack. Cordura was originally developed for the hiking/ luggage industry to provide a thicker, more abrasion-tolerant fabric. 500 denier Cordura is popular for sport containers, while 1000 denier Cordura is used to make high-wear containers for students, tandem and pilot emergency parachutes. Cordura is made of blown nylon filaments that are spun back into yarn. Which means that you can destroy part of a Cordura thread without losing significant tensile strength. Since Cordura's surface is already slightly roughened, shallow scrapes (fine sandpaper) are less obvious. OTOH ballistic nylon was originally developed to stop shrapnel and small bullets. It was originally used to make flack vests for aircrew. Genuine MIL SPEC ballistic cloth is much thicker than 1000 denier and genuine flack vests have multiple layers of ballistic cloth to slow down hot, sharp scraps of metal that are rapidly approaching. Flack vests are as thick as puffy, down-filled vests but much heavier. Decades ago, the military replaced nylon flack vests with Kevlar or Spectra vests than can actually stop rifle bullets. Ballistic cloth can be distinguished by its coarser weave, that looks more like a basket weave. True ballistic cloth is only used in sport parachute pin covers and high-wear parts of parachute containers. Sadly most of what the luggage industry currently sells as "ballistic cloth" would not stop a slow-moving BB. The only connection with MIL SPEC ballistic cloth is the coarse weave. Hard-core canopy pilots like to protect their leg straps with sacrificial sleeves made of ballistic cloth. In conclusion, ballistic cloth is more durable than Cordura, but if you are dragging your gear that often, your medical bills will soon exceed your rigging bills.

... [edit: Canopies are a slightly different matter. Some are sewn in countries other than the ones where the companies have their head offices, but not in anything like a sweatshop. The skills required are too high.] ................................................................................................... The majority of canopies are still sewn in first-world nations because of tight quality-control standards and tight materials-tracking requirements. It is easier to list canopies that are seen separately from their head office. Performance Designs is based in Florida but has a subsidiary in Honduras. Aerodyne is also based in Florida but used to sub-contract some of their production to Parachute Industries of South Africa. Parachutes de France is based in Europe, but they also have a factory in Mauritious (sp?).

When I say "FAA Class 3 aircrew medical or equivalent", I mean the same medical standards, just less federal paperwork. Transport Canada likes to set their standards one or two percent higher than the FAA, but there is no practical difference. Transport Canada charged me most $100 the last time I re-newed my Class 1 pilot medical. The federal paperwork did not make me any fitter to pilot an airplane. The key point is that a medical doctor wrote that I was fit to fly.

Agreed! Whether to chase a free-bag is a question of experience, terrain and canopy. Since I have over 6,000 jumps - including (5 cm) precision-landing competition and dozens of demo jumps - I am confident landing in the middle of a farmer's field to retrieve a free-bag. However, the worse the terrain, the less likely I am to chase a free-bag. If a free-bag lands in town, I MIGHT aim for the nearest soccer field. Far more likely that I will make a mental note of where it landed, (land on the DZ) then walk into town to retrieve the free-bag. All that changes when I have a tandem student strapped to my chest. Then my dominant priority becomes landing that student softly on the DZ. I have only chased one free-bag while doing a tandem. The free-bag landed in the open desert, a half mile from Cal City. I was strapped to the front of a aspiring TI for an evaluation dive. Bottom line: a free-bag is easier to replace than a broken leg.

As a Canadian-based Tandem Examiner, Strong Enterprises always allowed me a bit more flexibility on medical standards. I insisted that most of my TI candidates pass a Class 3 medical examination and provide a note signed by a medical doctor. Ideally that doctor was a Transport Canada approved aviation medicine specialist. I did not care if they filed the paperwork with Transport Canada. The primary goal of a medical to ensure that the TI is healthy enough to land his student softly. Local TEs are free to set slightly higher standards. For example, I have refused two TI candidates for psychological reasons. I have mixed emotions about allowing TIs with drug or alcohol convictions to jump with students. I drank heavily when I was a young TI. The only difference was that I never got caught drinking and driving. I eventually saw the error of my ways and have been sober for 19 years. May I suggest that USPA amend it's TI standards to include "FAA Class 3 medical or equivalent?"

I have seen small DZs shut down because some people were too rattled to concentrate on their next skydive. Manifest shut down jumping for the day because they were afraid of additional casualties.

You are thinking too hard. USPA sets minimum standards. Smart skydivers try to set their personal standards slightly higher. For example, USPA used to say that with my D license, I could deploy my main anywhere above 2,000. A long time ago, I decided that I was not comfortable being in freefall below 2,500 feet, so now I try to toss my main pilot-chute above 3,000 feet and plan to be hanging under a full-inflated main by 2,500 feet. USPA also sets decision altitude at 1,700 feet and "pull more handles" by 1,500 feet. BUT if I find myself spinning under a malfunction at 1,499 feet, I going to continue to pull handles until my goggles fill with blood. As for the concept of not cutting away below 1,500 feet and merely pulling the reserve ripcord .... That made sense when round reserves were fashionable.

Yes, Talk to Jay Stokes. You should also look for the seminar that he gave at the 2009 or 2011 PIA Symposium. Personally, I learned that tightening the Y-strap is a great way to ensure that (leg) amputees stay in the harness.

That is experience-dependant. It also depends upon whether your buddy landed his reserve in a farmer's field, in the river or in town. First priority is always to reduce casualties. So the perfect answer is to land as close as possible to your (reserve-riding) buddy while ensuring your own safety. For example, one time at California City, I watched another jumper cutaway. His main landed a half mile from the target. Since Cal City is surrounded by open desert, there was little risk to landing out.As a courtesy, I landed beside his cutaway main. Another jumper landed 20 yards away. As we were stowing our toggles, the DZ rigger roared up in a pick-uptruck. We told him "the main is behind that bush."