councilman24

Is that a right side standard door along WITH a left side cargo door? Looks like dual side exits to me!! Yeah yeah, I know. Probably not cert. for both doors open/removed. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

http://www.makeithappen.com/spsj/acron.htm One reference here. I believe there was at least one item sold under this name back in the early square, or maybe round, days. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Go to a radio control hobby shop. Buy piano wire, hmm .020 or .030 depending on the size of line if I remember right. cut about 12 inches. Get a 3/4" inch dowl about 5" long. Drill a 1/8" hole through it in the middle. Fold the wire in half, put half way though dowl, fold each end opposite directions along the dowel, and wrap with duct tape. Push wire in through the weave several inches below where you want the other line to end and out at that point. Thread the other line through the fold wire about a 1/4" and pull through. You really more push than pull. Trim line at recommended angle and dress back into the main line. But now I have to kill you since I told you the secret. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Too late and too tired to explain but the new proposed technical standard PIA TS-135, submitted to the FAA as the standard to replace the current TSO correct this issue. Yes, right now there are a number of combinations that are illegal to assemble. But some of the rigs are not required to be labeled. So this was a big issue that was a technical illegality. We've fixed it when the new standard is adopted, but I'm too tired to try to figure it out and explain right now. Trying to get ready for my wedding Saturday. Later. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I have routinely used for 15 years for canopies with 825 microline large rubber bands for the first two locking stows on a four gromment bag. Then small rubber bands for the rest. By the time your past the first two stows you have half the lines (due to the cascades) and small rubber bands are appropriate. For the 500 lb microline I'd use small rubberbands for everything. The real key is do the line stow have enough tension on them? Through a combination of rubber band size, line size, d bag size and canopy size? This doesn't make up for poor packing technique, but it does make it easier. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I don't get offended by someone taking there rig somewhere else. I can't do all the gear that I'm asked to anyway. But what that means is that when the alternate rigger is not available, (he's a part time resident) and someone comes to me who floats between riggers, they are NOT first on my list to fit in. My regular, long term customers who care about who does their rig get first shot at the time I have available as a part time rigger. If I can fit someone else in I will. I have several part time customers that bring their rig to me once a year or 18 months for a "good" inspection. Then take it to who ever for the rest of the time. This means I get stuck doing the minor maintenance that others won't do or don't notice. Velcro, broken stitches, worn out parts, etc. And, since I didn't do it last time I have to inspect things that could have been changed more closely. When I'm the only rigger that works on it I know that some things have been inspected several times and couldn't have changed (like line rotation) and so don't have to look as hard at them. I couldn't care less if someone takes there rig elsewhere. If they've been a long time customer I wonder and ask them why. If they were unsatisfied I want to know it. Usually it's convenience. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Also, a lot of those "waviers" are also authorizations to take the kid somewhere you don't expect them to be, i.e. the zoo. Do things you may not want them to do, i.e. sex ed. And act in loco parentis if something does happen. The ones that include wavier of liability are probably no better than a skydiving wavier or worse than a skydiving wavier r.e. kids. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

respiratory syncytial virus google it and you'll get a lot of information. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Before LANC ports, I have the indicator that was a photodiode taped over the LED. A minijack into the DC power plug and it had a red and green led to tape to the ring sight. I don't remember who made them. Brent maybe? Nope ParaGear still has them #L1248. #L1241 has it's own battery. Or go to Radio shack and put it together. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Where did they say this? Sparky Ok let me rephrase that, most manufacturers and riggers that make up the PIA and tend to believe that 20 yrs is a good "cutoff" date but there is nothing in stone. PIA Article Look at the 8th- 10th paragraphs. Do a search about old resreves. Some very respected riggers also conform to this. d Even this statement (my bold) isn't quite right. This is NOT a PIA article. It's an independent article written by Allen as an independent business man and does not represent the views of PIA. As inferred above, PIA as an organization has NO position on the matter. And, very few riggers are independent members of PIA (I'm one, and chair of the rigging committee). Some manufacturers have imposed life limits on TSO'd equipment in civilian use. Security is one and PD is another (as a manufacturers inspection). But, in the absence of regulatory or manufacturer requirements many riggers have their own "comfort" level. Allen Silver has his (see article above). Allen's a friend, I respect Allen and have learned a lot from him but also realize that Allen rigs almost exclusively for pilots. Some riggers time limits are shorter, 15 years, some are longer, 25 years, and some riggers will pack almost anything. I just refused to do 1950's military seat harnesses with 1960's canopies that were being packed routinely by another rigger. Would these have held together? Probably but I wasn't going to put my name on them. I actually use the 20 years as a guideline also, with individual circumstance taken into accout. Many riggers would like a life limit. It would eliminate the uncertainty of when to refuse to pack something due to age and give us something to tell the customers as an absolute. But, each time the PIA Rigging Committee discusses this, we recognize that individual circumstances make arbitrary limits difficult to justify. A reserve that's set on the shelf in it's original bag for 10 years isn't as close to retirement as one that has been packed every 120 days for 10 years and jumped in the desert sand. This is somewhat a culture thing also. I know many countries other than the U.S. have life limits essentially as law. And those cultures accept that level of regulation. In the U.S. when PIA did propose a life limit several years ago there was such a uproar that we still haven't stopped smarting from that idea. Prior to about now, most of the sport reserves were retired for changes in design. Most people have upgraded from the first two generations of square reserves, Safety Flyer and Safety Star, and original Swift, Cirrus, and Orion reserves. But, I have many customers with early 1990's Glide path reserves and super raven reserves that are getting tired just from packing. Should these go 20 years? I'm getting suspicious of some now. And I had a circa 1990 Laser square reserve fail tensile testing. Also, when do we question the harnesses that we have no way of testing? I jumped one of the prototype SST's back in the early 80's and that thing was beat to hell and faded to pink from red. I'd never jump it now. But it held together. When do we say 'I don't know' about a 15 year old harness? I have several customers I'm priming with suggestions that maybe they should think about something newer. As to a used reserve. We ALL jump used reserves after the first jump. There is no reason not to buy a reserve from the late 90's or earlier that is of modern design. That includes Tempo's, Super Ravens, Glide Path (now Flight Concepts), Strong, as well as popular PD reserves. You and your rigger should review the data cards and determine or ask if it's been deployed and how many times. And your reserve should be sized not for the maximum load limits under the TSO but for the maximum weight limits based on performance. You should not pick it on the size of main your going to have or on the size of the harness that is a "good deal" at the DZ. I've convinced a number of customers to not pick their container size first, but rather their reserve first. Chairman, PIA Rigging Committee I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Vigil batteries are $125 plus installation (plus shipping? don't know) and are replaced when the old one fails. From memory UP TO 4 years. Cypres II 4 and 8 year service is $160 plus shipping. Includes everything to keep it running for 4 years. Plus inspection. They won't say it's a battery. Not much difference there. Lifetime for Vigil? quote from web site. "The Vigil® main components such as cutter and electronic components are designed to have a life expectancy of 20 years from the Date Of Manufacture." Note "...designed to have a life expectancy..." Real time service lifes yet to be known. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The are details of each that some consider features and some consider issues or problems. Overall cost of ownership is similar. User error has caused many of the activation issues reported. I come down on the cypres side. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

http://www.pelican.com/new_products/trade.html Google for internet dealer. and or look at there other stuff. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Not kidding! This is what he taught newbies transitioning from RC student rigs to throw out rental rigs. Of course these guy couldn't even DO a barrel roll. Then I set them straight later. This guy thought he was gods gift to manhood and skydiving, cheated on his gorgeous wife, forged my signature on reserve cards, and was a general asshole all around. He claimed he had a USPA jumpmaster rating from a course ran in South America. I don't think the DZO every really checked up on him and I think we finally found out he didn't. But he JM'd a long time. As the post above shows, that was the myth/rumor/procedure talked about around the campfire. The above post is another reason I've never advocated pulling the pin by hand. You don't know what is making the PC tow. As stated, twisted belly bands were one of the major causes, then twisted leg straps. If you pull the pin by hand on one of those you've just created a horse shoe malfuntion that you have no hope of clearing. And if you STILL cutaway you have a reverse streamer. I watched someone I knew back in the early 90's tow a twisted leg strap, pull the pin by hand and dump her round reserve into the horse shoe. She was spinning on her side under the horse shoe. Even when I saw the PC leave I thought it wouldn't open in time. The round snaked through and opened about 150' but she was spinnning so fast she was still ADDING line twists when she landed. ONE advantage of rounds. Borrowed a rig and jumped 2 hours later. I know that the likely hood of something that wouldn't clear pulling the pin is less these days but it's not zero. I remember the front loop story but never new if it was true. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I can't tell from the pics. Is it missing stop discs for the rear slider grommets? Or are they two small ? I don't much like that much fabric through the grommet either. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I don't disagree Lisa. Didn't really mean to imply that newbie riggers have any more license to kill that any rigger. But, there are very few newbie riggers that I know I'd choose to trust. Some because they really don't care. I don't think some of the younger, AAD era jumpers have the same respect for the sport. As well as in my area malfunctions are down overall. If you don't see reserve pumping out every weekend you lose some of the expectation that your work will be used and is someone's last chance to live. And some newbie riggers who care but just haven't learned all the history, development, what went wrong 15 years ago that sometimes starts all over again, etc. etc. Not that I'm lobbying for more work. I've got all I want. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This one, with the cutter below the bag, is actually pretty easy to have occur, as described above. If a rigger doesn't take a second look at the cutter after putting tension on the loop it won't be found. Ripcord still works, Cypres will cut and PC will probably clear. Remember, riggers are people too. I'm not sure what you ment by "strict code riggers" in your last sentence, but in the U.S. no one second checks the work of riggers. At least not until it's opened the next time. Quality control is all in the mind, procedures, and conscious of the rigger. And riggers hold their certificate for life with no requirement for continuing education or recertification. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is another topic. But that is how it is for now. Luckily reserves aren't used often, and most errors are non-critical. No rigger is perfect and riggers are not created equally. A lot of advice here states "see your rigger" of have "a rigger look at it." I usually (hmm sometimes) qualify that with see a rigger you trust or an experienced rigger if it isn't something simple. New riggers really have a license to learn (as well as a license to kill). I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No where in my message did I talk about sleeves (long bag to you). I put these rounds in normal rectangular d bags sized for the container. My Paracommander is in a sleeve, and I pack two strong pilot rigs with a round in a nylon free sleeve. Canopy slup was a problem unless delt with. There were enough stows of my PC crown lines that I didn't have to worry about it. It's in an old Crossbow piggy back rig so plenty of room for the cotton sleeve. I see no reason good reason not to put these in sleeves, expept that I'd have to make it. Got lots of d bags around. No sleeves. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

For both a 26 lopo (crossbow reserve, no diaper) and a Phantom 28 I did not use the diaper. I just packed it like we used to pack T-10's in d bags for students. Flaked the canopy, fold in 5ths, and s fold into the bag, and use the locking stows. The rest of the lines are on the bag. This doesn't hold the skirt closed but I wasn't worried about it. The skirt isn't out until the lines are tight. This also mimics the Preserve V deployment but that is held closed until canopy stretch with a break cord and centerline break "cutter". I didn't consider locking the skirt closed, as well as bag. I didn't see that as needed when the bag was closed and the lines were on the bag. The Phantom has only been jumped once this way. The lopo has been jumped 6 or 7 times. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Yeah but try to find the individual listing on that website. That's what I was trying to do. Didn't look at the picture. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I made the decision long ago to pull the reserve and it saved my life. With a PC in tow you are already below pull altitude at terminal velocity. If, like me, you prefer to keep your shoulders level and don't watch the bag leave, then it takes some real amount of time to realize the situation. So, you past pull altitude, going fast, and your going to pull the only handle that won't save your life? I was doing a demo in February in Michigan in 1987. Low clouds so we did a 2000' exit. Tripped on exit so took a 3 or 4 seconds before throwing out, took 3 or 4 seconds before looking, recognized PC in tow and did what I had decided on the GROUND, pull the reserve. And be ready for the main out. In reality the main did deploy with the reserve but if you add all this up I was getting opening as I went into the top of a tree. IF I had wasted time cuting away I'd be dead. Yes this is unique because of the low altitude but many people still routinely pull between 2000 and 2500'. In this case it's even worse than mine because your already at terminal. My personal feeling is that you don't have time to waste. And you should FIRST spend time saving your life, then deal with the main. Not deal with the main and THEN save your life. NOTE: This discussion and decision IGNORES (on purpose) whether there is an AAD that might deploy your reserve if you haven't or not. See Kallend's thread. In a fatality I investigated as S&TA a jumper with about 80 jumps on a solo went in with out pulling either main PC or reserve ripcord. No AAD on rental rig at this time, years ago. But we never found the cutaway handle. He went through some trees and it may have been pulled by a branch. But, he was trying basic freeflying moves and having stability problems according to his log book. I believe that he had stability problems again, lost track of altitude, realized he was low and initiated emergency procedures that were cutaway and pull reserve. In this case he pulled the only handle that wouldn't save his life and ran out of time. I don't KNOW this is what happened but we never found the cutaway handle so believe it was pulled at some height by the jumper, not the tree. I have no issue with the alternative decision, to cutaway. This is a personal choice and USPA recognizes this, by publishing both procedures. I do have some issue with reaching back and trying to pull the pin. Again, I don't believe you have time to waste. At least not on every jump. Of course the real idiot was the instructor who used to teach newbies to roll over, pull in the PC, roll back face to earth and then pull the reserve. Just my $0.02. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No pics and it's hard to find on the web. But just go to the POP rivet dispay and look for backer plates. Just a thick washer. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Damn, Rob! a C-9?? I didn't like jumping one when I weighed 160 lb's!!!! At 227 lbs I can't think of anything I'd suggest someone jump who didn't jump rounds when they were lighter. I got away with my Phantom 28 at 220 lbs but I'm sure glad I hit the peas. But that's with 300 round jumps. Maybe a jumpbo PC. BTW the Phantom 28 went into by my V-5. Hmmmm actually I think I put it in my Reflex instead of the Sabre 170. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Any hardware or home store that sells pop rivets (and most do) should have them. They are for using when the material being fastened isn't strong enough, like plastic. The look just like a washer except they are thicker. There may be two sizes. Get the one that looks like all the other washers on rigs. This is just something I found to replace thin sheet washers that were bending. I don't know any manufacturer that uses them. They are probably more expensive, 3 or 4 cents instead of 1 or 2 cents. It SOUNDS like the cord is okay. Just be aware that over the years lots or things have been tried and some have been a problem. And it should be finger trapped so that there is only a small loop at the end. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Search my posts. I learned on rags (T-10's), my first canopy was a Paracommander, and I've got about 300 round jumps. I'm also a rigger and routinely rig round pilot rigs. So I am very familiar with round canopies. Any relatively modern round reserve, made out of F-111 type fabric will fit in medium size modern rigs. I bought a Phantom 28' off ebay for $60. I inspected it, put it on three ring risers, added a d-bag, and a throw out PC. It went in my rig for a Triathlon 190. While I pack rounds with diapers all the time and this one has one, it's really better to put it in a bag rather than mess around freepacking it into the rig. Now, I jumped this Phantom 28 weighing about 215 lbs PLUS gear. I'm pretty good at PLFs so I figured I could land it with out getting hurt. But I've got an ankle with a lot of metal so I wore high boots. But I put it in the pea gravel pit from a half mile out. So I did a PLF but not my best. For someone who's never jumped a round I'd limit this to about 190lbs WITH gear. I have a 26' lopo that I used for an intentional cutaway canopy that I've let a couple of people jump in there own rig and land. This I limit to about 160lbs. A lot of people have Paracommander rigs still in their closet. If it's airworthy go for it. Practice PLF's a lot. End up doing them backwards off something about 5' high. Work up to it at two or three levels, starting just standing on the ground. You should be brused and sore from the practice. Make SURE you keep you feet and knees together, knees bent, and look up at the horizon. If you look down your likely to separate you feet, stick a leg out, and break it. Spotting is very important. It's not just the right side of the airport, it's the exact exit spot to get to the exact opening spot withing a couple of hundred feet. Landing approach starts at OPENING. Review holding, running, and crabbing. Canopy control isn't zoom around until 500' and then get set up. It's 3000' of looking at the target and judging whether your going past, coming up short, or going off to the side. Get an old time jumper to throw the wind drift and spot. (You may not even know what a wind drift indicator is!?) If you do it out of a Cessna with a slower speed and from a low altitude (5000') you have a better chance for a good spot. Enjoy the quiet. Find an instructor that taught students using round canopies for the best advice. And find a rigger that routinely packed or still packs rounds. Nothing hard but you have to at least know how. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE