councilman24

Cross post for visability. If you plan on making reservations for the PIA International Parachute Symposium today is the last day to make reservations for the special room block and deal negotiated by PIA. See www.pia.com for more information. Keynote speaker D-1 (no I didn't forget any digits) Lew Sanborn. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

If you plan on making reservations for the PIA International Parachute Symposium today is the last day to make reservations for the special room block and deal negotiated by PIA. See www.pia.com for more information. Keynote speaker D-1 (no I didn't forget any digits) Lew Sanborn. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It's not USPA that would be building it. It's actually a committee started within PIA. See PIA committee list at www.pia.com The idea is to build a combination museum and PIA headquarters on the same site as the USPA headquarters. What support USPA might provide is unknown, but PIA has been collecting material and funds for many years. The idea is to preserve some of our history and heritage, much of which is being lost as gear get thrown out and pioneers die. Only by the work of indiviuals and indiviual corporations is much of our history being preserved. Irwin was able to donate to the presidential museum an unissued seat WWII emergency rig from the same production run as the one G. Bush the daddy used when shot down. In return senoir Bush was the key note speaker at the 1997 Symposium (normally a $40,000 fee). These private collections and corporate collections could be donated or loaned to a central museum for all the newbies to wonder at. If your in Jacksonville early for the symposium stop by the PIA committee meeting to find out the latest. Schedule is on the web site. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

And for a really old example. Early military based rigs had metal cones with holes through them just below the point. Gommets or gromment like tabs would from the other flaps would be stacked over these cones and the ripcord pins passed through the holes. When the RC was pulled the flaps, aided by the spring pilot chute and by the pack opening bands, would slide up and off the cones to open the container. Stress could be on the flaps such that even with the RC pulled the gromments didn't come off the cones. Know as cone lock. Solution ... pull and then punch your chest reserve. For your back reserve with cones, use your last hope rope. A line sewn to one flap and fun over your should to somewhere you could grab it. Aren't you glad you didn't start in the 70's? I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You see, these are the kind of things that newer jumpers can learn from us POPS. Been there, done that, have the implanted metal to prove it. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

For a D license you have to land within two meters on 25 jumps. They do not have to predeclared. It used to say on jumps you spotted but that has been removed. Probably in realization that the pilot is spoting many aircraft now and spotting no longer is critical to accuracy as it was with rounds. The SIM does indicate that "Jumps to meet skill requirements must be signed by a USPA Instructor, Instructor Examiner, Safety & Training Advisor, or a member of the USPA Board of Directors." He's confusing the PRO rating requirements which require 10 predeclared (not necessarily consecutive) standup landing within 10 meters of the target. These must be witnessed by an S&TA, IE, or a BOD member. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Talk about dangerous! If you can't see it it's a tandem being towed parasail style by an SUV along a gravel road, only about 5 ft high. Parasailing ram airs is very dangerous. Don't try this at home. It takes skill by the driver to maintain constant tension. Imagine the SUV turning 90 degrees. The rope goes slack the, canopy continues, the rope goes tight at 90 degrees to the line of flight of the canopy. What happens when you drag a ram air side ways throught the air. That being said, it's kind of fun. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Expect to be more scared than you've ever been or can imagine. It's normal.

opefully your about 5'5" and LT 150 lbs for the rig to fit. B is yolk size, the width across your shoulders. A is the smallest and I've only seen a few of them. Most men no matter how short end up with a C. 15 is the length of the main lift web and doesn't relate directily to measurements on your body. most 5'10'" guys would end up with a 18, 6' 4" 19.5 or 20. 15 is pretty small. Hopefully you've tried it on with someone experienced checking to see that it fits. The only thing I can think of that you might watch out for is soft cutaway housings. Most Javelins that had soft housings have had them changed to hard housing for easier assembly and cutaway pull. I don't see any APF service bulletins for the Javelin that would apply. There is a change to the main closing loop anchor but in theory your Javelin was manufactured after the affected dates. Check out the service bulletins at http://www.sunpath.com/ for a description and ask your rigger if yours is ok. Some Javelins have double thickness leg straps. I think yours might in that range. These double thickness legstraps tend to get wear along the sides of the surface from the friction adapters. Sunpath has had to repare some harnesses due to this damage. Have your rigger check for this wear. It fuzziness at the sides of the surface of the legstraps. Also have your rigger check the grommets. (He probably will on his own.) I had some Javelins that have had lossened or damaged gromment on the reserve container. This sound like a lot of stuff but all rigs have some things like these going on. There have actually been relatively few problems with Javelins. Blue Ones, Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Centarus, Infinity (previous model was Northern Lite), and Strong containers are kind of second tier. (No offense to the manufacturers.) Not in quality or performance but in numbers, popularity, and advertising hype. In gerneal they offer good value for the price and are full feature rigs. The Dolphin was designed to be a generic rig. In many ways too basic in the beginning. I thing Mike Fury might agree. It's a funtional rig for those who don't care about looking cool and would rather spend their money on skydiiving. I haven't seen recent versions of either Centarus or Infinity. Since you have a local dealer for both have him refer to some local owners for their impressions and to look at them in person. You might not be cool or in at some dropzones. But if that's not worth the extra 2 or 3 hundred dollars (or more) go for value and not brand hype. For the record I have a Reflex, 2 vector II's, 2 early 80's Northern Lites, one of the original SST's (precursor of the Racer), and a Security crossbow from the early 70's. (I've only sold 3 rigs that I've owned in 24 years.) Only the first three and a Northern lite set up as a cutaway rig are in use. The hardest thing about ordering a new, custom rig? Picking the colors!!! I have some customer that have taken TWO years figuring out their color pattern. Have fun. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I actually agree with a lot of this post. There are a lot of experts here with any where from 0 to 200 jumps here. And a lot of newbies who don't think a 2000 or 2500' opening is normal. (See BSR's for C and D license.) But... this all reflects the state of skydiving now. Having started in 1978 skydivers and skydiving has changed alot during my jumping career. The perception of the sport is different to new skydivers. There are skydivers who cann't imagine making a jump without a Cypres, at 2500', actually having to spot and give the pilot corrections, and who rarely, if ever, pack their own main. Is this good? Probably not to old farts like me. And argueably not good at all. That's why I try to inject some perspective at times. A lot of people would be better served by lurking or asking questions, rather than to be quick with their 20 jump perspective. It would be nice to have something in between these two sites, but I did get a little tired of base jumping dead sheep at rec. Time to step down of my soap box. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Hmmmmm, I knew there was a reason I don't do CRW. Maybe I should list for sale that CRW rig I put together this year. Last ten years is no fun. I haven't had one in 16 years next Febuary. Two tension knots, one blown lines from bad reline, and one PC in tow. Anybody else think that microline is the reason we don't get many tension knots anymore? It sure a lot slicker than Dacron. It's my pet theory. Bill, if you read this, were your tension knots on Dacron or some version of microline? Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

My guess is that Aerohio will have your jumps on computer. I don't know Clevland. If you went to some boogies with budies, check their logs to reconstrut your jumps. Talk to Sherry or whoever you will have sign off your future licenses. Let them know that you will have to use reconstructed logs for the jumps up to now. Also, if you have copies of your past license applications (I always have people copy them so they don't have to redo the table if it's lost ... but not the answers) then you'll have a snapshot of time and jumps. If you don't have copies check with headquarters. I don't know if headquarters keeps the applications or not. But worth a call. And losing gear MUST qualify for BEER!!! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Part of the reason I starting training in 1982 was one rigger almost killed me. There wasn't anybody in the area that I trusted. Even now, being a member of PIA and having gotten to know a lot people in the industry there are still only about 3 other people I'd let do my reserve. There are more out there, alot more, but I don't know them. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I want all my customers to practice their procedures and pull it also, but I prefer they do it in front of me. First, it lets me critique their technique and answer any questions. Second it lets me examine the reserve before they pull it, for things like a loose PC, poor canopy distribution, signs of abuse, etc. etc. It also lets me see any problems with the pull or deployment that the customer might not recognize. Also, I examine the rig quickly to see if their is extra work that needs done that the customer doesn't know about. i.e. cypres service or battery, safety stow, grommets, broken stiffeners. And I don't have to worry about how they've handled the canopy while it was open. As for storage, I use dedicated plastic garbage cans for cat proof storage. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It is a concern. Of course, I have a number of customers who only have me do their rig. That's why I check things that cann't possibly have changed since the last inspection (line rotation) every time I do a rig, whether I did it last or not. Many (most?) of us take it seriously enough to double check our own work. And yes we can make mistakes. Hopefully they are minor. Part of our cross check is doing other rigs and seeing how other riggers are doing some things, as well as other riggers doing rigs we've done. Hopefully there is a lot of friendly communication going on. Of course, if we don't trust ourselves, should you trust us? Here's trust for you. My old girlfriend, who dumped me and broke my heart, still had me pack her reserve. BTW Winsor, I also encourage people to pull the reserve with it on, hanging preferably and encourage everyone to watch at least one inspection and pack job to learn about their gear. But, I tell them they will actually get a better pack job if they don't watch since I won't be distracted. My old girlfriend's immediate reply? "I'll watch you do someone elses." I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You need a better "someone" to watch you. I once watched a couple of guys with 200 - 300 jumps hook up a new main. They didn't ask my advice (I was their rigger) so I didn't offer it. They spent about an hour trying to decide that it was on right. He packed it, jumped it, and it was on backwards. (Side pack, Billvon.) They never looked below the links to see if the right side was on the right riser. It's possible to do a complete line check from the risers in about a minute if the canopy is laid out straight on its side. Have "someone" else show you what to look for. Good job getting it landed. If the risers were simply twisted or flipped through themselves the three ring should have been unaffected. The concern is whether the brakes lines are restricted. You checked, it worked, you landed plan A. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Your missing one answer. Used for education but not entertainment, i.e. news tabloids. I has a very close call once and the print tabloids picked it up off the wire service including stills. Kind or fun but I'm still here to explain. I was kind of pissed my girlfiend put the camera away and didn't tape my rescue from the tree. I once took stills of a 30 way jump on which a friend died. I gave the undeveloped film to her husband, also on the jump, to do with what he wanted. He later asked me to develope the film and look at it to see if she was shown. I had to have a friend help me look. She wasn't shown. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

[reply} In any event, for me parachutes are a hobby. FWIW, there is no link between "professional" and "expert." Winsor I agree Winsor. There is no defacto link between "professional" and "expert". For the record I'm a S/L Instructor, a S&TA since we were ASO's (Area Safety Officers for those of you age challenged by youth), a rigger since 1985 with seat, chest, and back, member of PIA rigging and membership committees, and staff of the Symposium. Haven't got around to Master yet for lack of time and need. I service about equal quantities of pilot and skydiver rigs. My "real world" career is as a research chemist. My intent with the Part Time Rigger Forum is to provide information and a forum for discussion for riggers who don't make their living in skydiving, and have to treat rigging as a part time small business. My belief is that in most areas Part time riggers provide the bulk of the service to skydivers. I'd include in that instructors and others who may make their total living in the sport, but not mainly through rigging. Thanks for your replies. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This poll is to gather some unscientific data on how many of us use full time riggers vs part time riggers. I'm getting ready for the Part time rigger forum at the PIA International Parachute Symposium that I'm moderating. Please answer about your primary rigger. My guess is that most reserves are serviced by part time riggers. Thanks and hope to see you in Jacksonville. Terry Urban I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

After 2500 it still unnerves me a little too. You have time to think about it. And look for airplane traffic. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I agree with Winsor advice. But would like to add that I believe you should work on getting your own, used, rig as soon as you can. You'll feel more comfortable with one rig and one canopy while you learning to skydive. Graduating from student status means your just beginning to learn. Getting a rig that fits well and is appropriate for your canopy flight skills will make learning easier. Your freefall won't be affected by rigs that may be marginally to big, or too small. Your canopy flight skills will improve faster if your flying one canopy, then move to another when ready. Your rig will always be ready and available. Of course I used my own rig for my first freefall, in 1980. A competition Para Commander (can't call it a PC or most of you will think pilot chute), a Security Crossbow harness and container (really were two separate parts) and a Crossbow reserve (round of course). But don't make the mistake I made for my first two rigs. They were the bare minimum airworthy for the time. When I was ready to move on, shortly, they were too obsolete to sell. It would be like buying an old two pin northern lite, an original swift reserve, and a X210 main. I know you don't know what these are but they are all 15 to 20 year old components. They might be airworthy but they are obsolete in saftey, design and performance. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

More information needed. Type of lines, area/climate where jumped a(sandy desert or grassy midwest), previous wing loading, packed inside or out, colors (for fading) etc, etc, etc. Depending on desireability (lines, colors, size), $500 might ball park, but it's going to vary alot. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Considering it's Tom Sander's company, Aerial Focus, I doubt that it was a mistake. Somebody want to ask Tom? I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It helps a lot to let go of your toggles once in a while, lower your arms and get the blood flowing. One of the prettiest jumps I ever did was a night dive, opening about 6000'. Moonlight over a low fog hanging in the low areas. Kind of expected a dragon to fly by. One of the things you have time to do when you open high is to check out the thin little lines, the few pieces of webbing, and the small canopy holding you up. (even 250 sq ft looks small when you have 10,000 between your toes) Enjoy the view, look around, really check out your gear, and don't get scared when you realize that 10 lbs of nylon is holding you up. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE