hackish

I could see the PC being caught in the burble of an opening canopy. More brakes applied during the opening more chance that the burble is directly above the canopy as it's not moving forward as much during opening). With a springloaded PC I could see it as being more pronounced since the PC would need more drag to stay up because of it's mass. With a lot of brakes I wonder if the opening canopy is actually venting air across the nose (actually going backward a bit as it inflates)... The only real concern I had thinking about it was that the canopy may be flyable but you wouldn't want the nose to start choking at 300'. Deciding not to keep a canopy isn't a big problem for me - not flyable and doesn't look fixable then choppy choppy. It is nice to hear from those who have had the problem that mostly it's keepable. -Michael

No, you do not recall correctly. [URL]http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3081407;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread[/URL] -Michael

In reading another thread I realized that I have no idea how you're supposed to deal with a PC over the nose. Thinking it through I'm not sure it would be easy to get the PC back over the top and I'm not sure you'd want to have it choke off any part of the nose by pulling 2 cells together... I assume a collapsable PC may end up with enough drag to collapse itself and then be less of an obstruction to the nose. Any ideas? -Michael

One of the local guys had his BOC converted to a pullout because his arthritis is so bad he can't reach behind his back. Of course he's old enough to be my grandfather. So did the main end up deploying? Or did it get chopped? -Michael

The manufacturer will always tell you to replace this and that is probably the advice that should be given. Riggers are sometimes called to use their judgement in determining if something is airworthy. A few pinholes? I had a few in my reserve but had to follow the rules and have them patched. In this case, despite the fact a few tiny holes would probably not have any effect it would be safer to follow the manufacturers recommendation. If they are a few snags that aren't really holes then it probably becomes a judgement call. -Michael

Many times jumpers are fiercely loyal to their DZ. So this DZ and DZO get bashed around a little online for allowing a private pilot to fly jumpers but at the end of the day it is probably flying jumpers and tandems this weekend. Whether it's using a commercial pilot or a private one to do the flying we don't know, but from a business point of view shutting down the DZ itself for a time may be a more effective deterrent. If I loan one of my cars to someone who is drunk and they get caught the car is impounded for 45 days. Perhaps a similar thing needs to be instituted for this situation. Put the plane into impound for 45 days as well as the pilot's license. This means the aircraft owner will take a more active role enforcing the legit operation of the aircraft and the credentials of the pilot using it. Closing down your DZ for 45 days should be enough deterrent. -Michael

Biggun said it well. It's generally accepted that you don't want to buy your own rig until you've got 50-75 or so jumps otherwise you _MAY_ find yourself on equipment you don't enjoy. -Michael

Since we're in the editing/correcting mode... Given the amount of time it takes the rigger to pack up a reserve or assemble a rig I'd have to say it's not done for the money. On a per hourly basis it's pretty bad so just a good heartfelt thanks goes a long way. Other than that a cold brewski or even a jump ticket... -Michael

Last weekend I watched an experienced jumper attempt to catch my canopy with his feet - fortunately he missed it as I followed the freebag into a farmer's field. I asked him please follow it if you feel strongly about helping but don't try to catch it. He said "it wasn't dangerous and I'd try it again". Sometimes these attitudes are around and there isn't a lot we can do about it. Experiencewise I'm not in a position to lecture someone else about these dangers. I've seen videos of people catching mains before and I think sometimes people try to copycat that type of behaviour without considering the consequences. -Michael

Maybe part of the answer is that a DZ needs to list the pilots with the USPA/CSPA for whatever country they're in. If your name is published on a list for all to see the chances of it being checked into are greater and I think people who do this sort of thing are being sneaky by nature - they wouldn't want their names published! -Michael

From my limited knowledge the number of start/stops on a turbine impose significant "wear" on it's life before it must be rebuilt. I don't think the practise of shutting down for a few minutes to save fuel would save any money at all! Probably the best I can think of is for us, the jumpers to work out the fastest and most efficient way of getting on the plane. I know this year we're doing a lot more hot loads where the 182 plane rolls up and is boarded immediately. -Michael

My 2000+ tandem pack jobs say they are not necessary, and since I've seen a packer close one in a rig, I think they are a bad habit. I could put the lines between my fingers and run laps around the packing tent (tarp surface) without the lines going anywhere. Like I said they're going in for relines but still we had a fair bit of wind this past weekend so the lines were pretty tangled. Sure you can pack without a weight but I wanted to point out that in some situations they are a good idea. I'm no expert either but I believe you should stack the odds in the favour of a beginner not make the task more difficult. I also think it would be a challenge to close any container - even a tandem with a gallon jug inside. If you're concerned about that then use a large enough packing weight that it's impossible. -Michael

I`m interested in how this system actually works and how it differs from the skyhook. When this post first came up I combed the mirage website but couldn't find anything about the DRX. -Michael

I use weights all the time when I pack tandems. Can't do a 4 line check without them. Even with them the container sometimes moves. They also need relines so it's not at all the same as doing a sport rig with some slippery little microlines. Some of it may be related to the surface you have to put the rig on. At all the DZ's I have been to they had some sort of container filled with water or sand. I prefer something a bit larger than a gallon windshield washer bottle. However I agree for the oldschool folks who still flatpack or when you're packing your PC mk2 you really don't need them. -Michael

Damn right on that point. Somehow I must have packed a lineover. Still don't understand how it happened. One side of the canopy didn't inflate and when it did there was clearly a problem. I don't recall doing anything different when I packed it either. 2 chops in 80 jumps - not a good average. -Michael

Just wanted to give everyone an update. Some time ago the reserve came back from PD. One nicely applied factory patch. So I packed it and worried no more. To those who figured the lines should be cut off and the canopy should be donated to a school I can confirm that patches or not it works just fine. My first save as a rigger was my own. Do I buy myself a bottle of wine or hurry the @#$@#$ up repacking it before the woman sees it out of the container and asks questions? -Michael

I was thinking about the electric RC model aircraft I had about 10 years ago. It had a nicad battery pack that charged up in about 15 minutes and could fly up pretty high. An electric jumpship would be really really cool... -Michael

I have had offers from a friend who is a newbie pilot to take me up in a 172. I assume from my basic knowledge of aircraft that he'd have to reduce speed and possibly side-slip the aircraft so I could get the door open. I considered it, judged it too risky and subsequently stick to legal jumpcraft. -Michael

In years gone by there were a number of canopies where the reserve and the main were the same. However... Generally the line trim on a reserve is slightly different to favour more nose exposure and faster inflation rather than a better glide. Also, you're looking at an F111 canopy so it's not going to fly as well as ZP. The freebag issue might be able to be fixed by a master rigger sewing some reinforcing tape and a piece of webbing for the D-bag but it might cause TSO issues - can't remember how that works with mains... -Michael

The previous owner gold plated my reserve handle. Did a custom swaging and somehow tested and TSO'd it or something like that... I now want one my my cutaway that says "Don't throw away". How do you get one embroidered anyway? Could I just take it to an embroidery shop? I assume the handle would need to be open and apart for that... -Michael

I think it looks good. I thought about trying to make a skydiving video game but I can tell you right now i'd never have the time to complete it. To be honest I think the graphics are a little lacking but given the size of the skydiving industry we should be happy to take what we can get. I doubt I could do anything as good as that. -Michael

Yes of course and I haven't forgotten these things, was thinking about one more for canpara that would describe it all for the general skydiving population. I don't know anything about those dirty rotten low-pulling base jumpers but do they really do a reserve pack every time? -Michael

All very good points. I'm waiting to build a little more experience but I'm hoping to jump a PC mk2 this year. That main and reserve are both well over the 20 year mark. I think Jim Wilson regularly jumps vintage gear without ill effects. Are the "The materials are also less tolerant of wear than mains"? I don't really know. Do they use different reinforcing tape? Different nylon? Maybe different thread or stitching? From a production standpoint I see this as being highly unlikely as the cost savings is likely to be overshadowed by the stocking problems and losses. What of the main/reserves that are interchangeable? Certainly the lifetime UV exposure is much much lower. Yes I know the reserves are usually F-111 but how about ye olde student canopies? They too are F-111. I am aware that a reserve pack puts a lot of wear on the canopy but so too does an opening. If PD says that it takes noticeably longer to open after 10-14 packs does that mean we should all replace our reserves every 5 years? "I watched one guy spin-in under an older design split into 2 & 5 cell pieces connected only at the trailing edge. I'm aware of another which failed fatally. A 20 year old reserve is not the best idea. " In your two examples was it the age of the canopy that led to the fatality or were there other factors? I need a scientific not an emotional argument. I've heard of slammers that split brand new mains in two but that doesn't mean brand new mains are unsafe. As I said in earlier posts make sure the design was shown to be historically reliable and that the structure of it is intact. -Michael

I've been considering writing an article on why a reserve is set up to open quicker. In discussing that with my better half she questioned if going for the main instead of the reserve was from muscle memory or worry that going directly to the reserve would demonstrate to everyone that you fucked up and had to get out of low falling situation by pulling silver. I tend to think it's the former. -Michael

When you remove the next sentences of what I wrote you take it completely out of context. The point was that the number of reserve packjobs accumulated through 20 years of repacks is not likely to cause a canopy to become unairworthy. -Michael