councilman24

Look at it this way. The rebuilt harness will be better because it won't have the wear and tear of the original. Send it to the factory. If he trusted it to begin with he should trust the replacement. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I was. Too lazy to look it up. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

See some of the links above. You definately want the full ear coverage version. This gives you somewhere to put an audible altimeter and helps keep the helmet from lifting off your head in the wind. Many camera jumpers first helmet was a Protec. I have a 35mm and a Hi 8 camera on one now. You might want the full face but for style and accuracy I wouldn't bother. You can probably find a new Protec at the local kayak shop. Also from most of the gear dealers. The water style pads dont absorb sweat and become water logged. You don't want the BMX unless the bill can come off. It restricts vision too much. And is likely to try to rip your helmet off your head, or your head off your neck, catching air in freefall. Protec = $40 Bonehead = $250 I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

As a long time jumper I first started with motorcylce helmets. Then went to Protec's, and then frap hats. As I got smarter I wanted something harder on my head. So I bought a couple of Protec's. I put color matched duct tape over the ears if I want it quieter. For several years I've been trying on helmets, borrowing helmets to jump, and generally shopping around. I still haven't found anything I like. Especially that I want to spend $200 - $300 dollars on! None of the new helmets, or Protec's, have any saftey rating. Many of the newer helmets have little padding in them. Some, when broken in a collision become razor sharp and after taking some of the impact can slice you open. I just never have found anything that I thought had more protection than a Protec. The exception is a full face helment protecting from blows to the face in the air and facial road rash on the ground. But, some aren't made big enough for me, some I can't see very well out of and some I just don't like. So, since I have felt the over riding need for a full face helmet, I still put on a protec when I want something harder than my frap hat. It's not cool, it's not the latest technology (not necessarily better technology), but it's also $40 instead of $300. BTW motorcyle hemets are not good, too much crushable foam makes them too bulky. Skiing helmets are worn by some but still look kinda dorky. Many people used to wear hockey helmets, without the cage. You don't see this (at least I don't) any more but I'm not sure why.? There are some water sports helmets other than Protec that have promise. Don't remember the name but one had a harder shell than the Protec. Anyway, not the keewwlll advice but some pratical advice. Spend $40 on a Protec now, spend the rest of the money on jumps, and borrow some hats to try in the air. Many of the helmets have one or two shell sizes and change the liners to fit (including protec) Some are able to be heat fitted to you head. But, I still haven't found one that fit well enough on my oversize noggin that I want to shell out the money. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You want video or movin' pictures? I had a battery operated full size VHS VCR and separate color camera in 1984 Hmmm '83?. Built a chest pack for the VCR and a mount for the camera. Actually still I still have all the gear. Film will go back to the 50's or 60's, if not earlier. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Except for the spelling. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Dyeing a rig (in the u.S.) is a major alteration that must be done by a Master Rigger with approval of the manufacturer or field approval. The only dyeing routninely done half way succesfully was in the 50's (?), 60's and 70's. Old military surplus OD green containers were dyed black to have the "hot shit" rig on the DZ. Don't consider it, don't try it, either live with it or buy something else. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

And how much less did you weigh then? I used to stand up my PC, about 40 lbs ago. Trying to get enough guts to jump a Phantom 28 that I bought for $60 as a main this summer. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

IF you have the skill and appropriate equipment to do it safely you or someone should go along. 11 out of 13 of the last UNintentional low turn fatalities were off field landings. While I don't know and don't mean to imply any of these could have survived if other jumpers landed with them (and they may have in all cases) it can't hurt to have help. Even untrained help to guide others. Again, if your not experience and sure that you can recognize the dangers and land off field safely, don't become another incident. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

BUT, at my favorite pizza place (run by Italians) in Kufstein, Austia all pizza DOESN'T come with cheese! Only those with cheese listed as a topping. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

That's a differrent kind of slippage from what I'm talking about. I was discussing slippage when loaded at opening. A little is good, too much is bad, too little not so good. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I agree. You missed my point. I said using one with a HIGH performance canopy may not be the best choice. When canopies are landing at 80 mph that means it will be inflating then too. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

If the bungee breaks your left with a non collapsing PC. When it wears out it becomes weaker and allows the PC to inflate easier. The real trick with these is setting the bungee tight enough to keep the PC collapsed under canopy but inflate on low speed deployments. This is a balancing act. At my small DZ we have one very experience jumper who uses one. He flies a medium performance canopy and hasn't had any problem with it. If you doing a lot of SL jumpmaster hop and pops or low exit demo's with a high performance canopy this probably isn't a good choice. The obvious advantage is that it doesn't require cocking, which may have been the initial problem with the recent Australian fatality. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

In the US jumping out of date is illegal. Jumping without a cypres isn't. You'll have to decide whether you chose to jump without a cypres. Or not jump until you can keep it maintained. But, many dropzones will check and you'll have problems jumping the out of date rig. Unless you forge somebody's name. Please don't. I have no great opinion about somebody jumping an out of date rig, except the pilot is liable and the jumper is screwing with someone else. But, when people start forging my name that's the last time I touch their rig. I made an exception to that rule for a jumper that had forged my name a couple of times and another rigger's name 2 or three time. He claimed he got religion, would never do it again, and he really wanted me to look at his rig. I did it just to see what his two and half year old reserve pack job looked like. It was really my work. This guy also didn't take care of his rig. I opened it and it would have probably been fine. Oh, 4 months later he forged my name again. Another jumper brought me his rig only a week or two out of date. It took over 35 lbs of force to pull the free bag off the canopy once the locking stows were out. He had kept his rig in the trunk of his car all summer to go to the DZ after work. The coated bag had stuck to the canopy. Probably would have been ok during a high speed deployment. After a cutaway? it might have taken awhile. Riggers all probably the least complient with keeping their rigs in date, at least according to George Galloway. Of course we're always busy doing everyone elses rigs. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

There are two ongoing efforts to facilitate extension of the repack cycle, from two different directions. PIA is spearheading one and has asked for USPA'S financial partnership. This effort has been onging for a couple of years and would take longer. The other is in cooperation between PIA, USPA, and the FAA. We hope that one of these efforts may be successful in the near future, like this year or next. But, SHHHHHHHHHH. If you talk about it you'll JINX it. I'm not willing to go into any other details here for now. Terry Urban PIA Rigging Committee Chairman D-8631

Stainless hardware that was identical to the cadmium plated hardware tended to slip. The hardware has been redesigned in several ways and several versions to limit this problem. Cadmium plated hardware actually always slipped a little and this was a good thing. Some redesigned stainless hardware didn't slip at all and loaded the harness higher. Most of the problems have been solved with the redesigned one piece friction adapters or the two piece version. These concerns really on affected the friction adapters, not the three rings or harness rings. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

But, it's another $180 next winter. If it only needed one service, it's only worth about $260. Needing two in a row I'd say it's worth $100 right now. This is based on the calculator, $950 replacement, $75 battery, $180 service ($160 plus shipping two ways.). Two hundred is really twice what it should be worth, unless your desparate for a cheaper cypres. Translate to Euorpean prices for the above items. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Reply from Kai at Airtec, forwarded to me by SSK: "We see no problems with this knot configuration, and no advantages either. I see the described knot as an alternate method, not as a replacement of the standard way. Greetings from Wünnenberg, home of the "smilie" :-) Kai " I've learned my new thing for today. Must be nap time.

Okay, everybody else now follow Rob's example. Terry

Rob, Which ones are you volunteering for? Since I'm the guy coordinating the speakers, just let me know and your in. Anybody's welcome to suggest a topic. But we need a speaker to go with it! We've discussed longer, more in depth "classes" on some topics, but right now we are not organized to do it. If someone wanted to sponsor a short course and co-locate with the symposium that could be facilitated. But with the Super bowl a week and a half away space beyond what PIA had may be at a premium. Hmm, I'm not sure I want to know how fast someone can throw a reserve together. My customers will be demanding one hour turnaround! Terry Urban PIA 2005 Symposium Speaker Coordinator PIA Rigging Committee Chairman D-8631 S&TA ME

Well, it took me a few minutes to find the second one, in the Icon manual. That's why I've never seen it before, I've never seen an Icon. I guess we'll have to ask Airtec if they approved it or Aerodyne is off on their own. The U.S.A. FAR's now require AAD's to be maintained according to manufacturer's instructions, even though they're not TSO'd, but not necessarily used according to them. Might ask Dave Smith at the APF what their position is. Acutally, I just sent him an email and copied Cliff at SSK. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

From the SIM: "(2) hand-deployed pilot chute in tow malfunction procedures (choose one): (i) For a pilot-chute-in-tow malfunction, there are currently two common and acceptable procedures, both of which have pros and cons. (ii) An instructor should be consulted prior to gearing up, and each skydiver should have a pre-determined course of action. Pilot chute in tow procedure 1: Pull the reserve immediately. A pilot-chute-in-tow malfunctions is associated with a high descent rate and requires immediate action. The chance of a main-reserve entanglement is slim, and valuable time and altitude could be lost by initiating a cutaway prior to deploying the reserve. Be prepared to cutaway. Pilot chute in tow procedure 2: Cut away, then immediately deploy the reserve. Because there is a chance the main parachute could deploy during or as a result of the reserve activation, a cutaway might be the best response in some situations." Either answer is correct for a particular individual. There are two reasons given usually for recommending cutting away. One is to have one procedure for ALL reserve deployments. But, I believe using this logic, in one of the two fatalities I've investigated, the skydiver realized he was low, decided to deploy his reserve, and pulled the only handle that wouldn't save his life, the cutaway handle. Both main and reserve were never deployed. The other is as stated, that the tow may clear and the main deploy. In fact this happened in my PC in tow in 1987. But I would be dead if I had decided, on the ground, to cutaway from a PC in tow. I pulled the reserve immediately but as it was I went into the top of of the trees with partially open canopies. (from lack of time, not interference). With a PC in tow your still in freefall, already far below your opening altitude with maybe 10 secs left. ( Ok, if you pull high like a lot of newer jumpers maybe more) Do you want to waste what time you have left pulling the only handle that won't save your life? There was a lot of testing by the Knights and/or PD (don't remember which) trying to get two canopies coming out to interfer during opening and only once do I know of it happening during the intential trials. One bag ended up under the slider of the other canopy and held it up at the top. I don't remember which was which. So, things can go wrong. But I want to get something over my head, then I'll deal with two if necessary. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Why, yes you are. Stop looking in the mirror and go skydive! It's not a Saville Row suit, and we don't care which way you "dress". It took me a few minutes to figure out what you were talking about. Really, you've got a lot more things to worry about than whether you "look marvelous." I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I've known others that stowed their brakes this way and got away with it. But the pulled down extra line just gets pulled out on opening and has a chance to get knotted up. The extra line is supposed to be left long and allows air to escape under the center of the tail. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You know, the worst thing I've had to deal with as an instructor are students bring various forum OPINIONS to the DZ and saying "This guy says I can, Why won't you let me?!" And the guy that did this the most ignored my advice, bought a small triathlon, and broke his back on his 13th jump on the rig. My advice to everyone is that opinions AND advice from the internet have the same value as used chewing gum you pick up off the street. You don't know who left it and it's not worth much. And that includes advice from me. One of the main reasons I even post is to counteract 100, 50, or even 3 jump wonders giving advice. After 24 years and 2500 jumps, landing in back yards, lakes, trees, and horse pasture, I still haven't experienced everything that can happen under a parachute. 11 of the last 13 unplanned low turn fatalities happened during off airport landings. Someone reading forums like these day after day may think they have a clue. But, until they've experienced things for themselves, and worked with the huge variation in ability, skill, understanding, and learning speed of students, they probably aren't helping and may be their advice may be dangerous. The important thing for everyone in sports like skydiving is to understand what they DON'T know. In MY HUMBLE opinion. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE