riggerrob

This reminds me of a conversation with a (retired) Canadian tanker. We both served during the Cold War. I developed a massive drinking problem that lasted longer than my 13 years service. I eventually sobered up. He still drinks heavily (evenings only). When I asked him whether the Canadian Army deliberately hires drunks, he replied “No. They drive you to drink.”

————————————————————————————- I donned my dress uniform for hundreds of ceremonies in summer, winter, rain, etc. but no one ever explained what was accomplished by standing around for a few hours. I am still waiting for an explanation. ??????????????????????????????????

It seems like you'd almost have to rig something up for launching backwards, like divers leaving a boat. —————————————————————————— How does a tandem exit a balloon stable?

....... I did a rough measurement on myself and I'm maybe a 20 or 21". ————————————————————————————— That was only a rough measurement. Since few people can measure themselves accurately, harness factories only trust measurements made by Rigger’s or tailors. Main lift web length is only one variable. Home length and width can also affect MLW fit. Some shoulder yokes are short (from top of reserve container to 3-Ring), which makes them fit great on slender people (marathon runners), but too tight on people with large shoulders (weight lifters). The better manufacturers (e.g. Sun Path) write home size (A, B, C, etc.) on data panels. .... but you need a riggers’ assistance to decypher the code. Backpack width also affects MLW fit. Combine BP width with the length of the lateral/horizontal straps and equations get complex. Finally, leg pads that are too long (built for people with large thighs) can throw from any other harness measurement. Your next step is getting measured by a rigger - or tailor - and bringing that new number back to the discussion .... combined with a detailed description of the data panel on your rental rig. Another option is posting pictures of you wearing that harness.

This is really a question about landing areas. Landing in random farmers’ fields is low risk in the Canadian Prairies, but damanably dangerous along the coast of British Columbia. Yes, wind shifts have forced me to land in farmers’s fields - near regular DZs - in several countries. We always adjusted the exit “spot” before the next jump. I would never plan a tandem jump to land in a random field. How does a tandem pair exit a balloon stable?

Flying near thunderstorms is dangerous!

The lawyer - who launched that lawsuit for MGM - deserves to be shot ......... er ........ left to rot in a septic tank for a week.

The September 2018 issue of National Geographic Magazine has an article about facial transplants. One tried to commit suicide with a gun. One was shot by her husband. One accidentally shot himself with a shotgun. One crashed his truck into a tree. 3 out of 4 were shot in the face. How many of those people would need facial reconstruction surgery if there were no guns in their homes?

......... That may be changing with the advent of 3D printing and rapid prototyping, because now if you post a 3d printer file to build a widget, and a million people download it, the license holder CAN lose money from lost unfulfilled demand ..... . —————————————————————————— In theory yes, but probably not in practice. The more likely outcome is a bunch of sloppy copies that perform poorly and deteriorate the reputation of the copier/forger. Sandy Reid advised me “If you don’t understand something, copy it exactly.” The problem is understanding all the critical dimensions, materials, manufacturing processes, etc. without access to factory patterns or the original design concepts. Sandy only shares design concepts when they help marketing. There are a lot of tolerances, critical dimensions, assembly procedures and patterns never shared outside the (patent-holder’s) factory. For example, I routinely repaired Talons - with factory patterns - while working at Rigging Innovations. Since they moved the factory out from underneath me, I have never seen another RI pattern. The best I have been able to obtain is bound, grommetex, etc. replacement flaps from the factory.

No, I think you'll find Britain got the Industrial Revolution started. —————————————————————————————— I said “one of the first”. We can agree that Great Britain was the first to industrialize with steam power, coal mines, railroads, steel mills, etc. France was close behind, then Belgium, USA, Canada, etc. By 1914, Germany was rapidly industrializing with Russia slowly industrializing. Many of the poorer countries in Africa and Asia will never industrialize.

I disagree. North America was the first continent to gain widespread access to the internet, ergo. Internet-induced obesity was first noticed in NA. Similarly, NA was among the First Nations where video games gained wide acceptance. Ergo more hours devoted to chasing electronic soccer balls and fewer hours devoted to chasing real soccer balls. The NA economy was one of the first to industrialize, ergo one of the first where both parents working outside the home became the norm, ergo. Fewer hours per day devoted to child-reading. Some poor nations will never industrialize. Similarly, with both parents working outside the home, there is less time to cook nutritious foods from raw ingredients, ergo. the increase in sugary fast-foods.

Ah! The old “nature versus nurture argument.” After age 40, nurture dominates. Place of birth might be an accurate measurement of citizenship among children. But after a few decades serving federal government (US Army and Border Patrol) and state gorvernment (prison guard), his loyalty to the USA has been amply demonstrated. It used to be that an immigrant could gain quick access to citizenship - in his new home - with an honourable military discharge issued in his new home. Look at the French Foreign Legion.

No. But we find it amusing that - after the spectacular mass shooting/suicide - people find old year book comments like “voted most likely to be a mass shooter.” My point is that family and friends and co-workers should be held responsible for helping people with mental illnesses. Read what (retired US Navy SEAL) James Hatch has to say about the importance of team-mates in his recovery from a gunshot wound, opiate addiction, alcoholism and suicidal tendencies in his book “Touching the Dragon.”

Some skydivers sew USPA badges on jumpsuits to hide holes.

........ Lone Star could live again. ......... Lee ——————————————————————————- Lone Star’s business model was based upon a giant silk screen printer. Unfortunately, the giant silk screen printer was not reliable, so both my Para-Kits were marked by hand. Fast forward 30 years and small CNC cutting tables are available down to even garage-sized models. Many can be fitted with lasers or hot-knives. Many “makers” are bright enough to fabricate their own vacuum tables. Down-load some cut files from the inter web and you can start cutting. For example: Chesepeake Light Craft are the industry leader in small boat kits: canoes, kayaks, sail boats, teardrop trailers, etc. CLC would love to reduce shipping costs by moving to the next stage of selling cut files over the inter web. Then hobbists could take cutting files to a local CNC cutting shop. The problem is that CNC cutting files are too easy to copy and the original designer earns nothing for the year or two it took him to perfect the basic boat. CLC also fears than some pirate will sell sloppy copies of a CLC design and CLC will get sued after someone drowns when their 4th generation sloppy copy sinks. Even if courts eventually decide that CLC is innocent, they still sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into lawyers’ pockets. Finally, we need to consider the cost of materials. Buying fabrics, tapes, suspension ones, etc. in small quantities means paying retail. The retail cost of fabric roughly equals the retail cost of finished, certified canopies.

A decade after that King Air crash, I still struggle physically, emotionally and financially. This summer I could not hike for two months because of sore knees. I recently joined another group therapy session to learn better coping strategies for dealing with anxiety. Finally, I just wrote an angry letter - to a lawyer - suggesting that they owe me 15 months back wages. The DZ at Chilliwack shut down around 2000 and Pitt Meadows shut in October 2017. The last few summers I have gone to Victoria to do tandems, but only one weekend this year. I have done some fun jumps at Abbotsford. Abby has invested heavily in updates and improvements (pin checks, Kodiak, etc.) now that (son) Jessie is gradually assuming control, but the place has a different emotional vibe that I am still figuring out.

Dang! That was as too close for comfort! We ate at the “Landings” several times while attending Parachute Industry Symposia in Jacksonville, Florida. The first time we attended a PIA Symposium in Jacksonville, we asked our shuttle bus driver about sight-seeing in Jacksonville. “What will we find if we walk six blocks north of the convention hotel?” He replied “Trouble.” Was the gunman a local? Was he only in town for the video-gaming convention? One measure of a society is how they challenge teenagers .... especially male teenagers. Do they point teenagers towards academics? Do they point teenagers towards construction trades? Do they point teenagers towards music/arts? Do they point teenagers towards the drug trade? Do they point teenagers towards video games? Do they point teenagers towards random (or religious) acts of violence? Recently Joe Rohan interviewed an American Army, Special Forces recruiter who complained about the tiny pool of physically-fit American teenagers that he could recruit from. He blamed the recent rise in obesity (30% of high school students) on the internet.

The term HALO distinguishes it from HAHO. As an another poster suggested, typical HALO openings are in the 5,000 to 3,000’ similar to sport jumpers. OTOH High Altitude High Opening jumpers typically open within 10 seconds of exit (maybe 25,000’) and fly their open canopies towards their target. With strong tail winds, HAHO jumpers can cover 25 miles, creating too large an area for defending troops to search.

Retired US Navy SEAL James Hatch has written a book about three distinct phases of his life. The first third - of the book - outlines James’ “Action Man” career as a US NAVY SEAL door-kicker and parachute instructor until he was shot during a capture-or-kill raid in Afghanistan. The bullet shattered James’ left femur and ended his military career. The middle third of “Dragon” details his medical recovery for that crippling gun shot wound. The final third - almost half - of ‘Dragon details his recovery from alcoholism, depression, opiate addiction and a suicide attempt. The wound ruined his self-identity as it left him screaming on the battlefield. James harshly criticized himself for in-professional screaming on the battlefield. Boredom, pain and hallucinogenic drugs made him lose touch with reality and he turned to the bottle for splice. There is a humorous anecdote about why nurses refused him “Parachutist” magazine! Today James still limps and struggles with PTSD, but credits medics, his team-mates and wife with helping him return to reality. James also explains how skydiving can help traumatized veterans find their place in civilian life after wartime service. Skydivers can learn a lot from James’ experiences especially about how important team-mates can be while recovery from injuries. James also emphasizes the importance of wounded jumpers naming their problems, bringing problems out in the open where they can be dealt with.

It is difficult to set an upper age limit for earning TI ratings. The limit is more about flexibility of mind and body. Younger skydivers are still curious and mentally flexible enough to attempt new techniques. Physical flexibility helps surviving those first few awkward landings. Physical strength and endurance make those long days easier. I earned TI ratings at age 29 and still do tandems at age 61. These days I breeze through tasks (e.g. packing) that I struggled with when younger because - over the years - I have learned more efficient methods.

Also read the book “Touching the Dragon” by (retired) US Navy SEAL James Hatch. The first third of the book outlines his “Action Man” military career as a Naval Special Warfare door-kicker, tandem instructor, etc. The middle third of the book details his physical recovery after being shot through the leg in Afghanistan. The final third - almost half of - “Dragon” details his recovery from opiates, alcohol and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Hatch uses skydiving as a way to help amputees recover from battlefield injuries. He also explains how the focus and fellowship of skydiving help military veterans re-find their place in society.

Dear Mark, A key point is that UPT is still selling PD360 reserves that are built exactly the same way as PD360s were built during the 1980s. Performance Designs has not changed those patterns. OTOH Early (1980s) Strong 425 reserves lacked a reinforcing tape across the tail and were built with a more porous fabric than 1990s-vintage 425R canopies. Strong issued two service bulletins. One SB was about reinforcing the tail and the second was about factory inspections and setting life limits on Strong tandem gear. A second motivation was wanting to get all the first-generation Strong tandems (Dual Hawks) back to the factory for a bunch of updates. Current production Strong tandem reserves are based on their SET 366 main canopy.

Agreed! Canada used to have a Long Gun Registry, but it was expensive, unpopular and made little difference to law enforcement officers. Most Canadian tax-payers saw the LGR as another attempt at buying votes in the economically-depressed Chatham, New Brunswick region. Chatham’s economy had been declining ever since the Royal Canadian Air Force pulled out during the early 1989s. I also agree with punishing gun-owners if their guns were used to commit a crime AND it can be proven that their guns were not properly-stored: locked cabinets, locked rooms, trigger locks, etc.

........... https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/saudi-patients-wednesday-reuters-1.4777276?cmp=FB_Post_News Click below to see a picture of an Air Canada jet being flown into the CN tower 9/11 style. It was posted to social media by an angry Saudi group. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/saudi-arabian-group-apologizes-for-posting-image-appearing-to-threaten-canada-with-9-11-style-attack-1.4775509 ................................................................................. Poor choice of target by a bumbling bunch of amateurs. Few people work within the CN Tower. Few TO firefighters will try rushing up the Tower to save a few restaurant workers. Only a few antennas will be damaged. Hopefully, Toronto has enough communications redundancy to render that strike temporary. Few grand speeches by the mayor of Toronto.

Agreed! We wish that a few other commentators had read the incident report before engaging their mouths ... er ... keyboards.