councilman24

I guess you haven't packed enough rounds yet, or you would have packed a free sleeve and a sort of free bag tso'd round. The Strong Aerostar uses a free sleeve. The apex is retained with a strip of velcro much like a SL PC assist. The sleeve makes it very easy to pack into a strong seat with the canopy contained. The Free Flight Preserve V is a semi free bag round that is certified for 150 knts and 275 lbs. It can go faster but they haven't done all the testing needed. It includes two break ties at or near the skirt, a bridle on the bag with sacrificial bartacks like a rock climbing shock absorber, a break tie holding the apex to bag, and a reinforced PC. If the load is sufficient to break all the bar tacks the bag comes free. Granted it comes free to lessen the shock, not to deploy in a horseshoe. http://www.freeflightent.com/PV_Pack_Inst_V.pdf I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

As to the cypres, any cypres can be converted to a two pin. If it's a non field replaceable cutter, which only have at most about 3 years of life left, you have to send it to the service center at SSK. It's $130. If it's a field replaceable cutter you just have to buy the cutter for $230. The one pin field replaceable cutter is still good for it's shelf life. http://www.cypres-usa.com/ I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I still believe that S/L gives a more well rounded graduate. You have more canopy time, more exits, your not afraid to get out low, you have more opportunity to learn spotting (a very lost art), you HAVE done it on your own which is a goal for many. But, I "grew up" on T10's and ParaCommanders. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

While I admire you dedication to maintenance, every year or even 400 jumps seems to be overkill for a deployment bag. Maybe for risers also. The only bags I've ever replaced are old after market bags with banged up grommets in the 80's. What's you rational for changing a deployment bag? Or does you rig have the PC sewn to the bag and it's just easier? Risers, unless they're showing wear? If everyone changed their PC every year it might be a good thing but most of us are too cheap. Of course I wouldn't limp and be in pain all the time if I had. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Paulaner, another wheat beer. Best on tap in Kufstein, Austria setting by the square. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It's AirTec's English. I just copied it from their website. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No there not. Only on request and at additional charge are they changed. See text below from Airtec site. Also the dates for the original question are here. "If a new field replaceable cutter is desired, is this included in the maintenance charge? No, this will be charged in addition to the maintenance cost. We are often asked if we can exchange the old-style cutter to the new field-replaceable type. This is not an update and is not included in the maintenance procedure. An existing old-style cutter cannot be modified to the new field-replaceable type. However, should a customer specifically request that we do exchange the cutter, then we are able to remove the old cutter and install the new one. Should we do this, it is necessary for us to charge the cost of the new cutter to the customer. New units are equipped with the field replaceable cutter in the 1-pin version since February 1995 and the 2-pin version since May 1999." I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

"Acid mesh" degradation is not reserved for round reserves. (Pun intended) It was never JUST the acidic mesh. Of two panels next to the same piece of mesh, one could be bad and one good. There was always a fabric or other component to the problem never identified. But, I recently had a ram air reserve just as degraded as any "acid mesh" round canopy. The problem of fabric degradation had NOT been solved. That being said there are very few square reserves which have demonstrated this degradation. There ARE situations where I might rather have a round reserve, but by far I'd prefer a square. And of course have three square reserves. The round reserves are used as mains. A rigger for the USAPT in 1989 put it this way, "If you open a round reserve your STILL in an emergency situation." BTW last summer I put a Phantom 28 (as a main) into a 40' pea pit from 5000'. Hadn't jumped a round since 1985 but I've got about 300 round jumps. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It may be simple, but remember PIA is a COMPLETELY volunteer run organization. Unless someone champions an idea AND volunteers to follow through with it, AND finds a replacement when they don't want to do it anymore, it isn't going to happen. The current PIA volunteers do not have enough time to take on items like this. It does no good to say "Hey, PIA should do this." Maybe we should, but with out ANY full or part time paid staff, the person with the idea needs to run with it. We have a lack of dedicated volunteers participating the way it is. Many of the same people have been running the committees and organization since it's inception. We've gained a large number of new members recently. Especially raw material and component manufacturers and government agencies. But we have very few new committee chairs, officers, or volunteers. At the last elections we had NO contested committee chair positions. Often it's who can we draft and convince to do it. I was recently speaker coordinator for the symposium and ran the rigger continuing education program. (I'm not done yet!) I'm also rigging committee chair. NOT counting my time, my out of pocket expenses just to work harder are about $2500 a year. This is hotels and travel to the meetings and symposia. This is far more than I make rigging part time in a year. I do it as a service and because I enjoy the people and the activities. So, if you want more from PIA, we need your membership but more importantly your HELP. Let me know when the data base is available and we'll put it on the web site. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You wouldn't have had to get a second battery. They only replace them if there is less than hmmm 6 months left I think. It's some similar time frame. You can also ask them not to replace the battery, for instance if your rigger has them in stock and wants to use his. Also you don't have to send it in for a battery. Any rigger can change that for you. As for storage. For six months I'd simply keep it in a temperature controlled place safe from kids, pets, etc. Many of us in the northern part of the U.S. don't see our rigs for 6 months every winter. Repack the main along with the reserve when you start up. If the cypres battery is out of date I'd remove the cypres in case the battery leaks. Ideally for long term storage you'd open both canopies and store them in a cloth (breathable) bag in a cool but controlled, dry, dark place. Remove the cypres and store separately in case the battery leaks. Make sure the PC spring doesn't get bent. But this is really over kill for a few months or even a year. It's still best but just not necessary. IMHO I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Probably an hour and a half by train up the Inn valley is skydive tyrol. http://www.skydive-tirol.com/ Made a couple of jumps there a year and a half ago when in the area on business. Mainly a tandem factory for German tourists but some fun jumping. The freefall into the Inn valley between the alps was one of the prettiest jumps I've made. The valley's about 2km wide with the river, autobahn, highway, and high tension power lines running through it. Not a problem but looks intimidating. This isn't a major skydiver DZ. As I understood it they are over toward Vienna. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

One of the Javelin failures was on a relatively new rig that would have passed any inspection. What do you want a rigger to do? We have a known failure of unclear mechanism on a rig we would normally deem airworthy. I haven't had to decide whether I would pack one or not. But, I vigorously reserve and defend my right NOT to put my name on anything. I have the luxury of not making my living rigging. So I can chose the rigs and customers I service with fewer consequences. There are some things I won't do because I'm not current on them. There are some things I haven't been asked to do, like tandems. But I don't believe anyone has any place questioning what a rigger chooses not to do. I happily send people down the road to the rigger who isn't so picky. Some people believe this is wrong. That unless there is some demonstrable defect, either in design or condition, a rigger shouldn't impose their judgment on jumpers. For instance I won't pack a round without a diaper, i.e. military surplus. I haven't had to refuse to pack an overloaded reserve yet but I would. I put value not only on my skill but also on my judgment. If I won't do something I gladly explain why and suggest alternative riggers or the factory. What bothers me most (and many of us on the PIA rigging committee) is in the 26 years I've been jumping we just didn't break harnesses. (Ok the Greenstar Trac II, alternately know as the Death Star doesn't count) We would jump the ratiest, nastiest, most faded SST or Wonderhog and not worry. Now we've had two student harnesses break. In different ways. This frankly is pretty scary to riggers because other than pulling to destruction, which most of us aren't equipped to do anyway, our judgment on whether a harness is good just got much harder. I consider my primary job to keep the users of parachutes safe to the best of my ability. Not to keep them in the air or save them money. Those are secondary concerns, which I still deem important. One of the conclusions during discussion of these failure at the last PIA rigging committee meeting was riggers don't have enough "tools" ( examples, guidance, testing capability) to do as good of job as we'd like evaluating harnesses. And we informally asked the industry for help. Chair, PIA Rigging Committee I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

When they say made in China like your DVD player, they'll be $89.95. And they'll break every year. Bill Booth (Hi Bill) used to bemoan the fact that he couldn't sell a H/C for as much as Fury or Coe could sell a canopy. Well, he pretty much can now. That was his goal. They've obviously found their price point. We'll never know how many people aren't skydiving because of the Cypres price, let alone the price of the rest of the gear. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

What power? I don't see any engines. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

http://www.beautyhabit.com/alancumming.html I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The velcro patch above the pin on the RSL is supposed to "turn" the pin so the cable loop slips off the pin and the ripcord comes all the way out. It is not MEANT to keep the ripcord from being pulled all the way out .... But as you have found the pin can act as a ripcord stop. Ripcord stops are something used 20+ years ago on mains. They would allow the pin to be pulled but keep the ripcord from coming all the way out. This ment you could pull your main and let go of the ripcord without losing it. They fell out off favor after some people went in ( at least I think some went in) after pulling on their main ripcord and thinking they had pulled the pin let go, when in fact they hadn't pulled the pin(s). They were a bad idea. This is one reason I've never been a fan of the Vector RSL. One other minor consequence is it requires the larger ripcord housing to pass the loop in the end of the cable. So, no it isn't supposed to keep the ripcord in. It's supposed to come all the way out, but sometimes doesn't. As part of your pin chech you should check that the velcro patch that is supposed to turn the pin is seated. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

[reply It's not a Mirage. Mirages are built with a reinforcement in that location to prevent such things. Opps, Monday morning. Edited to bitch about the right product. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

To me it looks more like one more fix to a poorly designed and executed product. Not particularly ragging on Wings, but that "catch" should never have been there. Wings isn't the only one guilty of things like this. There is nothing about this that shouldn't have been anticipated. As pointed out, fixes have been around for 15 years. And while packing different might help, it still shouldn't be made like that. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I know some tandems were "flop" or "roll" packed in the beginning. And we used to pack our student rigs that way. My comments about flat packing do NOT apply to those pack jobs where the side flaked stack is folded in on itself. Don't try that at the bridge. BTW the last Tandem reserve I packed, about 1990, WAS flat packed, per the manual. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

For years after Pro packing became popular we weren't allowed to propack reserves. For years after one manufacurer allowed it another didn't. Not so much they didn't believe it worked but that even after it was tested they didn't think they could write instructions well enough to tell riggers how to do it. At jumping for 12 years I'm not sure if you've ever flat packed. But I don't believe that it does have more off heading openings. I've probably got about equal number of jumps, 1000+, with both. (A few hundred were rounds.) I certainly have had many more off heading openings propacking, but I also don't believe that is because of the pack job. That's more a function of the canopy. I can't remember an off heading opening on my Strato Cloud, Cirrus Cloud, Raven or Manta. But they also opened much quicker and didn't have as much time to turn. The only point is that a flat pack does not automatically put a 90 degree off heading orientation into the canopy. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

"(You see, the early squares were packed by laying them on their sides before folding, a packjob which is still used quite successfully by many people. Some people erroneously think this "side-pack" method induces a 90 degree off heading opening. It's not true.) " Quote from PrecisionDot Aero (George Galloway) on how to Precision Pack a canopy under general information. (Precision Pack equals Psycho Pack) A flat pack starts on it's side 90 degrees off heading. BUT the rest of the canopy is S folded on top of the nose. The tail and nose are now in line front to back. So the canopy unfolds front to back and side to side, just like a PRO pack. You've been misinformed. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Beezy, You didn't use a bridle extension on the tandem at PIA, if I remember right. And none of the instructions I could find today talk about a bridle extension. What's the current feeling on adding one in order to psycho pack? (See above post) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

First, flat packing DOES NOT make a canopy open 90 degrees off heading. When finished a flat pack is a pro pack that has all the material going from side to side in s folds between line groups versus half of the fabric going to each side. Second, Psycho packing is really more Psycho bagging. The part up until you lay it on the floor is the SAME. Third, Psycho packing actually requires pulling the bridle attachment point out to the side. This might be the most disruption to the order of the pack job of any. BUT, it has not been shown to affect opening. It also requires turning the canopy 180 degrees and then turning it back the opposite way. I doubt that psycho packing is easier to understand in reality. So, if your having trouble bagging the canopy, you might want to try psycho packing, IF there is someone handy to help you learn. But, your best bet at this point is to stay with one teacher and one method. Everyone does all of these pack jobs just a little different. If you just grab whoever's handy at the DZ to show you you'll see as many different variations (minor) as people. This can be confusing when your learning. BTW, I have no opinion as to what is best. I do have a personal preference as to what I chose to do. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I'd be more concerned that the new fabric bumbers have a sharp edge where the fabric or thread was hot knifed. Check the fabric bumper inside and out for anything hard. I haven't seen much if any damage from silicon bumpers. And the top of the silicon bumers was probably below that point. They would have been down over the link. I can't quite tell from the pictures but if thats at the end of the inserted line of the finger trap thats a weak spot and breakage from stress might well occur there first. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE