councilman24

There was a light blue F-111 paracommander on my DZ back in the early 80's. Think they called it an RW PC. Never knew what happened to it. It was smaller but not that small compared to the stuff we're jumping know. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

As of today the service cost for the Cypres-2 4 and 8 years service has NOT been determined. Only that "Airtec plans to keep the cost as close to the original CYPRES but nothing has been set in stone to date." Per SSK today. So can't know the cost as of now. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

If you packed reserves you'd know that after a numer of years you CAN tell the difference just by feel. When the material starts feeling limp it's hard to ignore. Packing DOES damage non-zp canopies. Personally I can't believe the 25 openings part. Two or three or four or five depending on type would start me wondering. Yes we riggers are certifying the airworthiness, but to some extent it's an educated guess. We can test a harness (even if we had the equipment) except to failure. I recently had a 12 year old ramair reserve fail tensle testing, at about 4 lb's, but only in one area. If you want your last chance to live to be "iffy" pick up an original swift for $100. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I've wanted to get into IDPA but haven't had time and the closest is an 1 1/2 hours. I have done some GSSF. My first ever competition of any kind, first time I saw the real targets, first time I shot against a buzzer and was 37 out of 150. But too good! In amature civilian the winner wins a glock, the top of the middle third wins a glock, and the top of the bottom third wins a glock. But the courses of fire are all the same. It's all from a low ready position. There are no timed reloads. So it's was a low key way to start. And there IS a GSSF shoot in Jacksonville the weekend of the symposium! Last time it was the weekend before the PIA meeting and I went down early. This time I'll probably be too busy to shoot. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

For 5 bucks? Sure, collect enough "trade show" junk to be worth 5 bucks. Coolest thing last time? Fancy calender in Russian. Right down the side walk is a water front shopping district. The Landing http://www.jacksonvillelanding.com/ I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Been there, done it, got the t-shirt and the personal video! Real cool Having the bomb bay door open underneath you is pretty Hmmmm cool? awesome? wild? crazy? All of the above! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I shattered the end of my tibia and broke a chunk out of my fibula. The plate and screws on both are still there. Except for one screw I BROKE some how and started backing out under the skin. I hobble, limp, sob in pain in bed, use a cane 20% of the time. Can't run, pay for talking a walk, but have 1800 skydives since then (1987). Too chicken to have it fused solid. If you can take the run out of a landing join the rest of the "metal" crowd. There's some on every DZ. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The STANDARD skydiving helmet for years was the Bell open face motorcyle helmet. You were hot shit in a Bell and a chump in anything else. Motorcyle helmets can and have been used for skydiving. My first 35 mm SLR was mounted on a cheapo open face motorcyle helmet. But, I wouldn't try a full face unless you removed the visor. If you don't my guess is the wind will. And they really are pretting bulky. What we don't see any more are hockey helmets. (with out the cage) They used to be pretty popular in the early 80's. Part of the reason I haven't bought a new "cool" skydiving hard hat is the lack or any real shock absorption. If I want a hard hat I put on the protec. BTW I've see a chin/face guard somewhere for the protec, as well as a replacement liner used for the military that improves the padding. Down hill skiing helmets are another "uncool" chioce. But if they didn't have the provision for ski goggles you almost couldn't tell they weren't purpose built for skydiving. I'm still looking and waiting for something I like. I had a good friend killed in pre cypres days when she hit her head (in a frap hat) on the door of a DC-3 and fell unconcious to the ground. The only guy that realize she was in trouble was to low to get back to her. Helmets are a good thing. (Hey, Martha can't use the line anymore.) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I'm not only going to PIA, I'm the Speaker Coordinator. And have been on staff since 1997. I admit little hands on with the systems. But, the MC-5, according to ParaFlite's web site is still using the Lissman 7808 airfoil, and I believe the vertical two pin reserve system originally similar to the Swift H/C system that was introduced with the swift reserve in the early 80's. As well as the over built rig not needed for sport skydiving. I only mean to imply that a larger jumper might be better served with more modern airfoils/canopies and sport systems. Gear large enough for pretty much anybody small enough to get on an airplane is available in the sport market. I see that Paraflite has ZP military systems with modified canopy designs that extend the stand off distance (glide distance). So my Cirrus Cloud from 1982 is similar other than size to the MC-1. The MC-5 being a 7 cell version. My 1982 Swift reserve is of similar design. Sure, they're big tanks with similar handles. But are the older design canopies and the unnecessary over build desireable? Maybe so. Maybe not. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Be aware that all/most/some of these rigs, while they may be recent manufacture are 20 year old designs. The military is in the process of determining a replacement system. These older designs, while they have served well, may not be the best bet for a new heavier skydiver. (Just guessing based on user name.) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Depends on your definition of hard openings. Many (most/all) of the newer canopies have been designed to take longer to open. Canopies like the Fury, Strato Cloud, Triathlon, Sabre, etc. would routinely take 300-400 ft to open. Many (most/all) jumpers with less than 5 years will consider them to open hard. I consider them to open normally. I had one of the first Spectre demo's because PD was replacing a lemon Sabre 190. I didn't pick it BECAUSE it took 700' to open, whether at terminal or hop and pop. And when hop and pop's are at 2000' you get to hear flatline on your time out. These are streamers that eventually clear. Now, that's what todays jumpers want. I still jump my early Triathlon and Sabre because I want a parachute over my head in less than 500'. I once jumped a Viper and the owner warned me not to cut it away because it would take a 1000' to open. And it did. So, the opening I want is a hard opening to many. Of course I'm an inch shorter than I was 20 years ago. There are at least two groups of canopies. Those that open like a Sabre I and those that open like a Spectre. Outside of that any parachute can spank you hard, break bones, and maybe even kill. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This is like asking how long it takes to stop a pickup truck, without knowing the speed, the road conditions, the tire conditions, the brake conditions, the reaction time of the drive, or the real weight of the truck. Soon enough for 2000' deployment (most of the time), not soon enough for a 300' deployment (most of the time) There are no hard and fast answers for mains. Reserves have to meet specific limits on opening speed when packed according to the manufacturers instructions. But even these speeds are measured on realatively fresh pack jobs and in limited combinations of canopy and rig with only a few tests requiring environmental challenges. No tested are required past a couple of days. But I'll guess anyway. 379 feet. I'm I right? Sorry for the sarcasim but it's that kind of day. I know you want an answer but the range can be very wide and influened by all the things discussed above. Boy i'm in a bitchy mood. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Main risers are not part of the TSO'd components at this time, so you're not going to void the TSO. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Right, The through the 19th advertising was by somebody who included the day most people would be leaving, the day after the banquet, the 19th. The events end with the banquet on the 18th. Look me up, I'll be part of the staff. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I see a major opportunity for screwing these up. If you put the pin through the cateye in the steering line and then THROUGH the riser ring instead of on top, the steering line can slide up and load the pin in the fabric keeper. I've seen this happen with regular nose toggles and newbies who thought the nose should go through the ring. Sometimes it holds but eventually it lets go. If people can do this with regular nose toggles it can happen MUCH easier with the pin that goes through the ring easily. So, I guess the French still haven't come up with a fool proof toggle. I think a grommet could still pull this one out too. Especially with the bulk of tape that stands between the bottom nose and the pin. Zoo toggles wouldn't work with sliders that come down. They had a line loop on the end and a pin sewn down a ways. The loop went through the cat eye, around the ring, back through a gromment in the toggle, and then the pin went through. Velcro held the folded tape and pin in place. But a grommet coming down would easily nock the pin out. I'm to lazy to go take a picture. BTW the hoods are usually binding tape. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No fair editing the question while I'm typing the reply. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The $5 single pass to the exhibit hall is just that. None of the seminars are included or given in the exhibit hall. The one day $95 pass includes ALL seminars that particular day and the exhibit hall. The full registration is for all seminars, exhibit hall, and closing banquet. As listed on link above. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

2.) Is the "Riggers Continued Education" I saw on the registration form same as the "DPRE Meeting" you mentioned? 3.) Any idea when the particular committees will meet (I could not find the date and time schedule on the website)? 4.) Is the Specification Committee meeting the only event on Jan 10th? 5.) Is Specification Committee open to all? 6.) And finally, is the DPRE meeting the only event on Jan 19th? Thanks a lot! Going to Florida is a major trip for me, so I just wanted to be sure what will be going on there . Bart I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

RWS's solution to grommets knocking toggles out is the "hood" of fabric rather than the "tunnel" of elastic often used as a keep for the nose. The grommet can't hit the end of the nose. Toggles are still one aspect of H/C/s that everybody's different, everybody thinks they have the best, and I believe there is still room for improvement. PdF remind me of Zoo toggles from the late 70's - early 80's. Don't have a picture. Of couse my first main, a PC, had real "toggles". Pieces of wooden dowel with a hole drill in them. Of course on my old fart rigs the grommets can't get there anyway. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Hi Bart, I'm Chairman of the PIA Rigging Committee, Co-chair of the Parachute Certification Standards Committee (PCSC), and a member of the Technical, Membership, and Symposium committees and Speaker Coordinator for the Symposium. So I think I can answer your questions. 1. The PIA business meetings consist of meetings of the whole membership in attendance each morning in whats called a Plenary session. At these we take care of attendance, setting the agenda, minutes, treasurers reports, future meeting decisions etc. The second and third days will include committee reports and budget requests, any motions by committees to change SOP's or other documents, etc. This meeting there will be elections on Sunday but I'm not sure which slots are up. Many are two year terms. Then we break up for a schedule of committee meetings for the rest of the first two days. We usually have three different meetings going on at once. 2. The Rigging Committee has a couple of projects going on but mainly we discuss issues concerning rigging that have come up through the year. The Technical committee has more formal projects like developing new volume testing methods, standard nomenclature for harness/containers etc. We also have briefings of signifcant events. We've had three briefings from Capewell concerning the pin problem and had a briefing from Sunpath concerning the two harness failures. Parachute Certifications Standards Comm. has just finished rewriting the technical document the the TSO approval of reserve parachutes and harnesses is based on. We expect it to be adopted in place of AS 8015 and become TSO C23e. We won't have much work at this meeting but this committee has usually met for many hours each meeting. The Risk management committee is focused on Business risk, not skydiver safety, and deals with things like warning labels, waviers, etc. 3. The Specifications Committee is another PIA committee that is composed of the manufacturers of basic materials. PIA is now rewriting and publishing specifications for Broard fabrics, narrow fabrics, and hardware. These are replacing the military specifications i.e. MIL SPEC XXXX fabric that have been abandoned by the government. This committee is meeting early because they have lots of work to do reviewing blue prints and test specifications for the various materials. This is really of interest only to those manufacturers and as involved as I am I've never attended a committee meeting. (usually I have others to go to.) The DPRE meeting is not open to the public. This is a meeting for Designated Parachute Rigger Examiners to meet the meeting and training requirement with the FAA. Now, how I'd get involved. I got involved because I was a part time rigger, apprenticed trained, and needed to continue to learn more. I attended the last Parachute Riggers Conference at the Nationals in Muskogee (sp?) OK in 1989. There I ment Bill Booth, John Sherman, Sandy Reid, etc. etc. PIA changed to the symposium after that with the exhibition and expanded speaker program. I've attended everyone except 1995. I also joined PIA as a non voting member in 1989. As I attended the symposiums and showed up early for the PIA meetings I got more and more involved. And I learned more and more. To the point now where I, a part time rigger who doesn't make his living from the industry, had a significant part in the PCSC rewriting the TSO. So your welcome to attend. In the meetings will be owners of many of the major manufacturing companies as well as others you may have heard of. Bill Booth, Ted Strong, John Sherman, Sandy Reid, Bill Coe, George Galloway, Pat Thomas, Kelly Farrington, Dave DeWolf, etc. etc. FAA reps will be there as well as people from the European regulatory agency. Getting to know some of these folks and realizing that many are skydivers who couldn't get a real job ( IT'S a JOKE! kind of ) is interesting. If your not interested in the technical aspects of parachutes or rigging, and just want to be a knowledgable skydiver it may not be worth the extra 5 or 6 hundred dollars. If you want to meet some folks and see how some of the stuff above happens then it probably is worth showing up on Tue. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

1982 Northern Lite with wire pin. Tight February pack job, tired PC and subterminal deployment. Exit at about 2000' on winter demo. Stumbled exiting so took about 4 seconds to insure stability, threw PC and my procedure was to not watch it leave but keep my shoulders level. So it took 3-4 seconds to realize no opening happening. Look and saw PC in tow at end of bridle. Looked at reserve RC grabbed with both hands and pulled. PC in tow cleared as reserve came out. Both canopies were opening as I went into the top of the trees half way up a MI ski hill. Ended up hanging about 40 feet up mainly from main but with both canopies spread out in the trees. Shattered end of tibia and broke fibula on the crotch of two branches. Had to tell fire dept. how to get me down. This is a case where if I had taken the time to cut away first I'd be dead. Didn't have time to deal with the two out because they were still opening. The reserve free bag (F111) had friction burns through it but could find NO other damage to bridles, lines or anything else. Still debating 17 years later whether the tree saved my life or just broke my leg. I believe just that it just broke my leg but would have been close. BSBD and Bonus Days I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Site didn't give hazardous shipping charges but I ordered one to see. UPS Ground from CA to MI was $7.60. Looks like the best deal I've seen. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I've been trying to figure out if there is a way PIA can expidite these kind of transactions. But since we don't have a central headquarters location or paid staff it's not easy to do. It would still be the reputation of individuals and a lot of work for somebody. PIA might be able to put together a list of members, riggers, gear dealers, or manufacturers willing to do an escow kind of thing. Somewhere there was an article or thread about a single guy who set up a business in conjunction with one of the bigger dz's to do this for Russian and other oversears transactions. I haven't bought parachute gear but I have some other stuff and usually used a postal money order to have some recouse of postal fraud. I got burned on one for $100 where I sent a check and hundreds of other people got burned on the same deal. Last I knew he was being prosecuted. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Not to mention you might have the 10% larger than normal main and 10% smaller container. So it might not go at ALL. Each individual combination of specific main and rig need to be tested when at the limits of the manufacturers recommendations. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The old balloon suit was ram air inflated. It had mesh on the forearms and legs and literally inflated to a pretty hard "michelin man" look. I tried to dock on one and couldn't grip the forearm, my hand bounced off like trying to palm a basket ball. I had to grip the binding tape at the end of the arm with two fingers. These were built with the arms like a tube, end caps with a wrist cuff in the middle. So were actually constructed to be about a foot in diameter when inflated. The Silly Suit, Brand X, RW suit etc were ALOT like todays freefly suits (including being two piece), except for the arms were built with LOTS of wing. Think line from waist to wrist. These were part of the arm and double surface, not single surface like camera suits. I think some of the freefly suits are just old rw suit patters without the grippers. My first custom Flite Suit from 1983 is even more like a freefly suit, again except for medium wings. There was a suit, hmm I think a Shobi suit, that had paddles sewn into the shin and fore arm area. The idea with the arms was that you could turn the paddles horizontal to fall slower and vertical to fall faster. With the legs you either stuck them out or bent your knees. A friend had a squrrill suit. I don't exactly remember the configuration but the legstraps went inside (designed for ripcords) and the wing went from the wrist to the ankle like a flying squrrill. I still have every jumpsuit I've ever owned. A Brand X, black with red, white and blue outseam stripes on the arms and legs with white leather stars at the end of each limb; a Flite Suit with big puffy arms and legs that looks a lot like a freefly suit. (Can't fit into either one anymore) A big grey noname big wing suit, my normal Tony suit that's getting a little old. I recently got two suits with a rig, another Tony suit and a Pit Special. Both fit but right now I fall to damn fast in any of them. Thinking of getting a baggy freefly suit for RW. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE