riggerrob

................................................................................ Not this year ... but in the near future, they will develop GPS-linked AADs that will save even the stupid.

Reaction time varies widely, depending upon how recently you have reviewed emergency procedures. As a rigger, I encourage skydivers to pull all their own handles whenever their reserves are due for inspection. I also use this as a opportunity to review emergency procedures. You would be amazed at how many forget to toss their main pilot-chute! You would be amazed at how many forget to look at their cutaway handle! You would be amazed at how many forget to look at their reserve ripcord! We usually "talk through" one type of malfunction in slow-time, then the second time, we rehearse in real-time. I tell them to pull all their handles during the second rehearsal. You would be amazed at how many skydivers hesitate for 20 or 30 seconds when I start yelling about "holes big enough to drive a bus through, broken lines, you are on your back and spinning, you cannot untwist the risers, you cannot untwist the risers, you cannot untwist the risers, etc." The fiend in me also has a habit of grabbing their leg strap and spinning them around. Har! Har! Har!

***Well you could get an M series reserve that is prone to opening so fast that it will smack you stupid. They had to have the attachment points upgraded to prevent the lines from ripping off the bottom of the canopy. ... .................................................................................... A large part of the problem was that Raven Dash-Ms were one of the few reserves built with 3/4 inch wide, Type 3 binding-tape for line attachment points. I inspected a Raven Dash-M 282, that tore up after the user was: over-weight, over-speed and unstable when he scared his Cypres. If you returned a Raven Dash-M to the Precision factory, they would replace the A and B line attachment tapes with Type 1 webbing. Most other reserve manufacturers use Type 1 webbing for line attachments. Yes, I have heard that performance Designs does not use Type 1 webbing, but I cannot tell the difference at arm's length. Tandem reserves use 1 inch wide, Type 4 tape for line attachments.

"Safety Whistles!" "Safety Whistles!" "Safety Whistles" finally made it into production! Yeah!

Maximum 20 years is the simple answer. The details are far more complex. First, there was a bad batch of mesh woven during the mid-1980s, that grounded most round reserves. Secondly, before 1990, few manufacturers knew how to design main canopies for wing-loadings greater than 1 pound per square foot, and nobody knew how to design reserves that would land softly at wing-loadings exceeding one pound per square foot. IOW older parachutes need different flying techniques than modern parachutes. Thirdly, 20 years of steady jumping in the California desert will wear out any parachute. Fourthly, it is difficult to find manuals for parachutes sewn more than 20 years ago ... er before the internet was opened to the masses ... It is even more difficult to find Service Bulletins, Airworthiness Directives, etc. without looking in the dusty archives of grumpy old, grey-bearded Master Riggers. Fifthly, many manufacturers have said not to use their products after "X" number of years, to limit their liabilities. IOW they can no longer predict how they will fly without a factory inspection.

"... The text from the ad: Here's my Talon 170 for sale ..." ................................................................................. Start by getting the seller to clarify who made the harness/container. When was it made? Which model of harness/container? How big is the container? Harness measurements are best done with a Master Rigger.

"... At least with Dacron lined canopies, lines last quite a while and small trim changes not much of an issue. Finding replacement line sets for an old canopy can be tough, but likely not a problem, as by the time the lines need changing, the canopy will be in pretty poor condition anyway." ...................................................................................... Agreed, Dacron lines wear out at about the same rate as F-111 fabric, so that - by 700 jumps - they are both due for retirement.

.................................................................................... There is a lot of overlap with these statistics. As for "being in the saddle at 2,000 ..." Hee! Hee! There are multiple regional interpretations of that number. Back in the good-old-days (1980s), you merely had to "show a pilot chute" above 2,000 to keep the Safety Officer/DZO off your back. Also remember that old-style parachutes descended much slower, even when they malfunctioned. We have also seen a dramatic reduction in fatalities since the introduction of electronic AADs ... 20 years ago ... because electronics are a better judge of altitude than the human eyeball. Nowadays, I kick myself if I am not "sitting in the saddle" by 2500 feet.

The USPA STC allows for only four seat belt locations and is for early serial number Cessnas. When going for field approval I would heartily recommend the Hooker Harness Systems single belt harness restraints. Simple and effective when used properly. jon ................................................................................. Agreed! Jack Hooker is the man! However, if you are operating in a country - where civil aviation authorities do not recognize Hooker's certification - may I recommend an alternate way of anchoring tandem students.? Hook tandem students' side straps to cargo rings, or seat-belt fittings. If none of the seat-belt fittings will accept a Quick-Ejector Snap, then slip on a Maillon Rapide #6 connector link. Maillon Rapide #6 is the most popular size link for tandem mains. This "re-neck engineer" fix may not satisfy government paperwork requirements, but it will reduce the size of your students' flail-arc and you will waste less time recovering from injuries.

I believe those numbers. Back in the good-old-days, 1/3 of all fatalities were no-pull/low-pull. There was also a lot of overlap, with "cutaway too low to deploy reserve", or simply "cutaway but failed to pull reserve ripcord."

" ... and then orient yourself to your belly and stop a spin. ... .............................................................................. Many people's inner-ears get so badly "spun up" that they need 30 or more seconds before their eyeball orientation matches their inner-ear's orientation.

"... I noticed that bail out rigs run the reserve cable housing up the mlw, rather than over the top like sport rigs. I am used to punching out/down, any issues with strength having to pull up? .................................................................................... Some PEPs route ripcord cables over the shoulder, while others route them up the MLW. Ho! Hum! Ripcord pull angle makes little difference as long as you have rehearsed bail-outs and have reasonable arm strength. Just slip both thumbs into the handle and punch it away from your chest as hard as can. Pulling in line with the ripcord housing will reduce pull-force by 5 or 10 pounds, but still within any healthy human's strength. Continue pulling until you can throw away the ripcord. Look up at the most beautiful parachute in the world.

Decathlons are designed to accept both seat and back type PEPs. If you have enough leg room, I would recommend a back-type PEP ... for several reasons. First, your sight-picture changes less when you pull lots of Gs. Secondly, far more riggers have back-type ratings. Thirdly, several PEP manufacturers will, cheerfully install a square canopy in a back-type PEP (Aviator and Softie), but none of them will install squares in seat-type PEPs.

................................................................................ Ralph has helped lots of my customers get decent deals on new parachutes. Just be cautious when Ralph offers to sell you "slightly-used" parachutes! Hah! Hah! I was assured mine was brand new. But then again, I had him ship them straight to my rigger and I haven't yet had the opportunity to see it yet. Will have to see if the first time I get to use it there's a big "Call Ralph" patch on the side .............................................................................. I doubt if your new reserve will have "Call Ralph" advertisements on its end ribs. Most "Call Ralph" canopies were ZP mains sewn in South Africa between 1990 and 2010.

BPA, CSPA, APF, Skydive University, etc. have all published pamphlets, syllabi, video tapes, etc. on the basics of high-speed landings. The challenge is convincing A-License jumpers that they need to do front-riser approaches ... until they get consistent ... then do 90 degree front riser approaches until they get consistent ... then do 180 degree front riser approaches until they get consistent ...

"... watching the plane for the first 2 or 3 seconds. ... http://youtu.be/s61DBgD3JG4"

From a person who learned via static line, I don't see the value prior to any freefalls. I think the most benefit would be gained prior to the 15 second delay, with some value added prior to any freefalls. ................................................................................. Funny! When I was trying to graduate from 1/2 second freefalls, to five second freefalls, a bit of tunnel time could have saved me a dozen jumps. ... but that was back in 1979 ... Since 1979 I have earned S/L, IAD, Progressive Freefall and Tandem Instructor ratings. What do I know???? Hah! Hah!

................................................................................ Ralph has helped lots of my customers get decent deals on new parachutes. Just be cautious when Ralph offers to sell you "slightly-used" parachutes! Hah! Hah!

That greenish dis-colouration is normal on brass grommets that have landed on wet grass and promptly packed. That verdigris (sp?) corrosion is normal on brass that has been left damp for a few years. The corrosion grains are so tiny that they don't damage canopy fabric. Those grommets will easily last another 500 jumps. More important is to inspect the bottom side for dents.

............................................................................... What colour is the dis-colouration? What type of metal (brass, nickel-plated brass, aluminum, stainless-steel, etc.) are the slider grommets made of?

........................................................................ You just explained a great program - for a tunnel-rat - to demonstrate all the must-know freefall skills in two or three jumps, but he still needs to survive a couple dozen canopy rides before he is ready for an A License.

.................................................................................. Yeah! Many GoPro mounts look worse than ships' anchors for snag risk!

"... and no-one wasted all that time messing with seat-belts. ..." ..................................................................................... I have not walked straight since the last time I flew in King Air without seat-belts. GRRRRR!

"... and quick ejectors on both leg straps. ..." ...................................................................................... Military-specification Quick-ejector snaps have too many tiny springs and silly little moving parts that break after a thousand or so jumps. Then they don't snap shut properly, so you either have to tap them closed or risk them snagging on something and opening at the most embarrassing time. I have lost count of how many QE Snaps I have replaced on tandem student harness side straps. And I cringe ever time I look at a pilot emergency parachute with QE Snaps, because I know that half of them have so many broken internal parts that will not close automatically. When I worked for Butler, he insisted that warbird customers sign extra waivers if they wanted QE Snaps. And, yes I have made over 4,000 jumps, during which my tandem students wore QE Snaps on their side straps.

................................................................................ Cranks? Cranks? Cranks are for sissies! Real men push-start their vehicles. Did I ever tell you about the Korean War surplus Jeep that I learned to drive on???? Dumb soldiers push-started it, but the second day I learned how to park on hills.