councilman24

Well, considering that B.S was in 1978, I don't remember. Oh, I did make sure the house I bought had a forty foot basement for rigging rounds. And my ashes will rattle and be too dangerous to spread in freefall. Hey Lisa, Which one are you in THE picture? I want to label my new wallpaper. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Because FB's are known for lacking both? But I've got my FB pin. (But never got a number.) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I also have an example of a mud flap mount made out of webbing, stiffeners, and pull-the-dot snaps. The webbing is sewn into the shape of an isoceles triangle with siffeners between the layers. A strap goes around the mud flap and fastenes with pull the dot snaps. A local rigger who got out of skydiving used to make them. I have one friend who used one for ten years without any problems. It something that I could reproduce fairly easily. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

One good option is the thinner neoprene SCUBA gloves. I think mine were $35. Wear with thin polypropylene liner gloves to absorb the sweat. These won't have quite the feel of some, but I'm used to jumping in gloves anyway so for me it's not a problem. I usually wear leather gloves with thinsulite insulation in cool/cold weather but bought the SCUBA gloves for a zero degree millenium midnight jump. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I agree with Eric. I pack some 10 to 12 year old reserves that are getting pretty limp. The older the reserve the less I'd push the performance max. susp. weights. You shouldn't exceed the strength max. susp. weight. There was one dude on one of the forums who was way overloading his reserves, said after two or three terminal openings he got a new one because they weren't landing like new anymore. This is a little extreme. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I think you might get more wear on the soft link in this use than as a line link. After the canopy opens and there is little load on the soft link, movement on the metal ring on the canopy my wear the soft link. As a line link there is very little movement because of the higher load. Also you have the gromet in the bag provided wear. There are a lot of different combinations of PC loops, canopy attachments and bridle designs. Think about the "flopping in the breeze" wear with what ever system you try this on. And let us know how long before you have to chase you PC I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Start here ftp://av-info.faa.gov/data/knowledgetestguide/faa-g-8082-15.pdf Follow the references to part 65 of the FAA regs. In short, learn a lot of stuff, pack 20 parachutes under the supervision of a rigger, take a FAA Written test, then oral and pratical test. There are some courses which provide the knowledge and testing in about 10 days, with some prework. You will not be able to make a harness/container that is legal to jump in the US. That requires TSO testing and certification of the design, quality control, etc. etc. Most riggers wouldn't try to make one for fun unless they had access to the patterns. Ten years ago a British rigger explained their process to me. To become a rigger (top level I think) you had to make a harness and container. There was apparently a set of patterns available for a rig made by an out of business company that everyone used. The examiners then would routinely cut up the rig, even if there wasn't anything really wrong with it. I'd pick a new project. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The speaker schedule is now available at www.pia.com I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

See http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=242356;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread - just down the page. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

An excellent example of a tip I saw at the sypmosium (by you?). I use a handle made from a 1 3/4" diameter delerin rod with a slot cut half way through. By wrapping the pull up cord around the handle through the slot it locks off on itself and doesn't try to rotate. As good as larks head knoting the pull up cord to a handle but faster. I also have went the high cost way and bought one of Allen Silver's ratchet closing devices. Combines plate and ratcheted axel in one unit ... just two fingers on a socket wrench. With appropriate care not to tear a rig apart or get an excessive pull force. Also something I got at the sypmosium. But you don't expect us to give away ALL of our secrets, do you? I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

You need to get to the PIA International Parachute Symposium for all the lastest tips, tricks, new stuff, etc. I've learned more about rigging at the Symposia than anywhere else. Go here for more info.http://www.pia.com/ The speaker schedule (just out) includes Derek Thomas on the Javelin, Rags Square Repairs, Dave Dewolf's rigging tips, Racer packing, two rigging forums, Ram Air Reserve Assembly, Speed reserve in Next H/C, Relative Workshop packing, Softie Pilot rig packing, etc, etc, etc. Speakers include Dave Dewolf, Nancy LaRiviere, Brian Germain, John LeBlanc, Bill Booth, Ted Strong, Norm Kent, Gary Peek, Derek Thomas, Bill Gargano, Rags Raghanti, Frank Arenas, John Sherman, Ty Bowen, Allen Silver, Gerard Fetter, Rusty Vest, and a bunch more, including me. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No glue, no pins, no basting. One or two hemostats, a ruler, and counting the blocks. No you shouldn't use glue on a canopy because of unknown reactions with the fabric. But, interestingly enough, most if not all harnesses are hot glued together before they are stitched. I can send or fax a set of written directions for this method, but unless you see it demonstrated its a little hard to follow. Send me a message if you want the instructions. BTW your DPRE may not know how to do this method either. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Because he's an engineer who hasn't learned that skydiving is fun, not work! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I had a rigging customer come to drop off his rig. We pulled the reserve and then I took the main out. This was in the middle of Michigan winter and the rig was cold. When I pulled the lines out of the two black tube stoes he used for locking stows they did NOT retract. The stayed stretched out until they warmed up, then they retracted. So, in cold weather they would not have been providing much if any tension on the locking stows. This is a reason not to use some tube stows in the northern US or other cold climates. I prefer to have my lines held tighter than tube stoes provides. I also like having something that will break easier if necessary. I bought some sky bands this year but haven't tried them yet. As an aside, a key to replacing rubber bands is to just pull on one broken end as close to the knot as possible this will break the rubber band again, usually at the knot and the remenants will fall off. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I wear a silk balaclava thats thin enough to fit under my helmet. Always been more than enough. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Remeber it's an ORAL and practical exam. There will be oral questions. Right now the DPRE guide says that a senior rigger cannot assemble a rig. Most DPRE's I know don't agree with that answer (and the FAA recently agreed that a senior rigger can install an AAD into a rig ready for it) but be prepared with the "right" answer and the accepted answer and say yes sir to what ever your DPRE say is "right." Good luck with your patch. Hopefully you know Rags' no pin method. And remember the BEER!!!! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Too soon to spend more than a few dollars on a helmet. In my 20 plus years I've went from motorcycle helmet to frap hat to protec. I've been looking at and trying a lot of the new helmets and I haven't found one worth the money. I didn't like the oxygen because I couldn't see me chest mount altimeter under canopy. I'm also not sure that I could have seen my handles. The boneheads, etc just aren't worth the money to me. Stick with a $40 dollar Protec for now. It'll give you the bump protection. Then try whatever your considering in the air before you buy it. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I bought mine here. http://www.chiefaircraft.com/Aircraft/Aircraft.html and made my own pouch. A single cell CO2 with oral inflation is better than most skydivers wear. Of course the best flotation device is a continent (land) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Canopy manufacturers cann't agree on how to measure surface area or compressed volume. At the last PIA meeting there were some proposals and the technical committee will be looking at this again. And rig manufacturers cann't agree on how to measure container volume. Imagine trying to get inflated volume of a canopy from these folks. They may very well be able to determine an approximation from CAD drawings but would it be assuming the panels are rigid? if not, inflated to what pressure? I don't know if any of the manufacturers have sophisticated enough models to predict the final shape in the air. It certainly isn't something that lends itself to actual measurement. It's of little interest or use to the buyers and users of parachutes. I recommend Parachute Recovery System Guide by T.W. Knacke for the truely masochistic. It has more physics and equations than you'd ever want to deal with. Give up the engineering and go skydive. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Let us know how the field testing goes Bill. I have this image of you flaring, the lines stretching, and retracting to pull down the tail just about the time you leave a divot. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I doubt it. This design detail while easily measured hasn't usually been shared out right. While you might find a general relationship you would find differences particular to each canopy design. Often times problems with particular canopies or complaints by particular customer are "fixed" by changing the slider. So any individual canopy of a particular model may or may not have the standard slider. And the manufacturer may have altered the slider during the design life of the canopy. If you have a particular problem with a particular canopy I'd deal with that manufacturer. If you start measuring, let us know. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

There are two schools of thought and they have been extensively discussed. One is have one emergency procedure for everything. Pull the red handle and pull the silver handle. Reasons for always cutting away. Only one procedure to remember. No decisions to make other than to initiate emergency procedures. If you have an RSL, and a partial, pulling the red handle is like pulling the reserve. (Don't count on it, see below) If you have a PC in tow it may be released by the opening of the reserve container (depending on why, I had one of these. Also see below). In that case the main will be leaving as the reserve deploys rather than two out. Probably some more, but this isn't what I recommend. Reasons not to. In the event of a PC in Tow or hard pull with nothing out, you still in freefall. Your at 2000' at terminal and have very little time. You may not have time to cutaway and still successfully deploy your reserve. Two case studies. First me: Demo hop and pop in the winter. PC in tow due to tight winter pack job and older wire pin. I fired the reserve and had a tree snag both canopies before they were completely open. Second case: A transient jumper from England with about 80 jumps stopped by our DZ rented a rig, did a solo and didn't open. No indication of suicide. He had been having stability problems trying freestyle manuvers on the last 5 jumps. Two searches of the are couldn't find his cutaway handle. I believe he got unstable, realized he was low and initiated his emergency procedure. Unfortunately he pulled the only handle that wouldn't save him, the cutaway. Two ramairs rarely entangle when deployed together. The army and other have tried to get them to interfer and had a very difficult time. You should be ready to deal with two canopies out (see dual square report at PD's web site). Risers have entangled with deploying reserve and cause at least one fatality (tandem if my memory is working). This especially of concern on older rigs with less efficient riser covers, weak velcro or bent or broken tuck tabs, or minimal riser covers to begin with. You'll get a lot of response or be directed to many threads on this issue. Both opinions have merit. Since I know I'd be dead cutting away first, I'll stay with my procedure. Whatever YOU decide, and this is a personal decision - there is no one right answer for every jumper and their gear - make the decision on the ground and rehearse it until the response to particular malfunction is automatic. I didn't have to decide NOT to cutaway. I had made my decision years before ... for a PC in tow or no PC deployment fire the reserve, then be ready to cutaway if necessary. Side note; Make sure you understand your equipment. I had a customer (I'm a rigger) on time who had a throwout PC caught on his gear. He pull the cutaway handle and for a moment thought to himself the RSL would open the reserve. Obviously it won't. He remembered a split second later, pulled his reserve and landed fine. I've had to educate (reeducate) several newbies on just how things work. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Just guessing but probably 600 to 700 out of 2500. Maybe more. That's what happens when you throw S/L students for 15 years and have three rigs (meaning you don't have to ride the plane down to be ready for the next load.) I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I don't set my brakes till I'm where I'm going to pack, but I DO set them before taking the rig off. That way I can do it standing up and I don't have to make a special trip to the rig from the canopy to set them. I never use a packer. They didn't exist when I started and I don't trust anyone else anyway. Not to say that I won't jump a rig packed by someone else, but sure not going to pay for it. Setting my brakes before I take the rig off is one way I've speeded up my pack jobs. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I've had a Nechi and now have a Viking simple home zig-zag machine. I wore out the hook on the Nechi and a new hook was going the cost the same as I paid for the machine, $100. So I got the used Viking. You can use a 110(18) needle in most machine that take standard home needles. This is the needle size for e thread (#69 upholstery thread at your local fabric store) This will work for making drag mats, toggles (including sewing the 6 layers of the nose), installing leg pads, replacing velcro, etc. As a more expensive alternative but inexpensive compared to full size commercial machine I've considered this http://www.sewingmachinestore.com/sewingmachinestore/sailinsewmac.html $500 straight/%600 zigzag walking foot portable. Similar full size machine would be about $1200. Also, a "generic" (Artisan) version of a singer 20 U, one of the standard single throw rigger zigzag machines can be had with stand and motor for $700 plus shipping. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE