Hooknswoop

We aren't talking about a breakdown, we are talking about a design problem. What happends when a car manufacturer realizes they have a design problem on their cars? Who pays for it? Not the owner, that's for sure. Kelli's old Mustang had a design flaw with the intake manifold. Ford paid to replace it, 100% of the parts and labor, and in her case, towing. When the alternator quit, I didn't call up Ford. I ordered a new one and replaced it. Completely different scenarios. Derek

Does it matter if it is a $100 or $500 SB? Say it is a mandatory SB. Derek

I disagree. What you are saying is that with increase skill and experience a higher WL isn't any more dangerous. But what we are talking about is a fixed experience level, i.e. 100/200/300/400, etc jumps and WL. Given someone with 100 jumps, a higher WL is more dangerous. Once they accrue more jumps and experience, that danger level will come back down, but initially, there is an increase is the risk level. Increasing WL increases risk, in and of itself. A jumper with 100 jumps at 1:1 is safer than a jumper 1 with 100 jumps at 2:1, all other things being equal. That is why the proposals tie in # jumps to WL. No proposal are so simplistic in that leaves out jump #'s and focuses entirely WL. In fact the proposal I support and I think every other WL BSR proposal includes a max WL for jump # experience, mandatory education/training, and an option to demonstrate their superior abilities in order to exceed the max WL for their jump #'s. This is because the higher the WL, the higher the risk factor, not every jumper should be held to the limit if they can demonstrate they can handle a higher WL, and w/o education and training the jumper can simply accrue jumps w/o learning anything and go to higher WL’s. Will any WL BSR and education/training proposal stop low-turn injuries and fatalities? No, of course not. It will prevent a lot of them and lessen the extent of injuries that do happen though. This is because, as you said, as a jumper gains more experience, they are able to handle the higher WL’s. Unfortunately, right now, they are downsizing faster than they are gaining experience and don’t have the experience to recognize the level of risk they are subjecting themselves to. Allowing a jumper with 100 jumps to fly a canopy loaded at 2:1 puts that jumper at a very high risk. You cannot say WL is a major risk factor. Derek

I expect the reserve system to work and the manufacturer to pay to fix any manufacturing or design defects. Things like how long a container lasts or how good the pin protection is, I'm stuck with. If I damage a rig through normal use, I would fix it/expect to pay to have it fixed. If a manufacturer does not issue a SB for a design/QC problem, they are opening themselves up to lawsuits for hiding it. If gear manufacturers need to charge more to account for recalls/problems/whatever, then do it. I don't have a problem with that. I do have a problem with paying for their mistake. I wouldn't have a problem if they issued a notice on how to pack Mirages (basically like the manual says) to prevent this issue in place of the SB. That would make my life a whole lot easier. No containers to mod and it wouldn't make small Mirages harder to pack, as the SB does. Derek

You don't think higher WL's are more dangerous? Derek

Not money for nothing, but get what you pay for. Derek

Right and if you find one that needs to be set more and overdo it, it could affect the airworthiness of the rig. It could create a horse shoe. I've seen a reserve dploy as the main did because of a sharp grommet. Fortunately the main and reserve didn't entangle. I don't think there a re very many repairs that woulodn't affect the airworthiness of a rig if done incorrectly. Derek

The manufacturer can define it as a minor or major repair. RI does it all the time. I've moved Cypres pouches, etc on Talons w/ permission from RI. Mirage Sys can do the same thing. If you look at most SB's, you could easily say that if done incorrectly they could affect the airworthiness of the rig. The Reflex grommet SB could affet it's airworthiness if done incorrectly. Smash the grommet too much and make a sharp edge which could cut the loop. If I owned a Mirage, I would be pissed, same as I was pissed about the -M SB. Derek

I would think the risk of lawsuits if they knew of a problem and did nothing to fix it would far out shadow the cost of applying a SB. Derek

You do have a choice, but it sucks. Either pay to get the SB applied or remove your AAD and keep jumping. Derek

It shouldn't. They should provide their shipping #. You go to a shipping place, give then the container and #, they box it, ship it and bill the #. I don't know why they wouldn't. I used to think Mirage's were #1. After how they are handling this, that is no longer the case. RI has Product Modification Procedures (PMP's) for some of their rigs. They'll authorize Senior Riggers to do most, if not all, of them. From looking at the SB, I could do it easily. They should classify it as a minor repair and let Senior Riggers that have the equipment and feel they can do it handle it. Mirage should authorize $X.XX for riggers that turn in S/N's (or pics, or other proof) of containers they have applied the SB to to get paid. This does motivate me to hurry up and finish my Master ticket though. Derek

Yes. The PD would be larger. Derek

The U.S. Military uses metric for some things. Derek

Was riding the wing of an airplane from the ground up, at night, and had a pre-mature deployment, which ripped off 1/2 the elvator and severly damaged my canopy at 500 ft. Wrapped my BASE canopy around a guy wire at 500 feet. Got dragged into a turning propeller while rescue diving on a live accident at a boat race. Managed to get out of my BC just in time, but the prop still managed to hit my knuckles. Had a knife pulled on me, but I pulled a gun. Hanging off a single ice ax, dry tooling, with no other hand holds/footholds on the North Face of Long's Peak without any rope, pro, etc. Diving in on a student that stated spinning and flipped oont heir back at pull time. The D-bag went by close enough I could have grabbed it and his elbow hit my hand as he spun around and was pulled upright by his deploying canopy. Another student, which I had a leg grip on, started to deploy just as I was checking my altimeter, so I missed the arm grip. He trried to front loop, and the bridle was wrapped over my wrist. I pulled him back from a step-through as his canopy deployed. Had a mal on a FX-79 and couldn't believe a canopy could spin that fast. I couldn't lift my head or arms. I watched my toes as everything went to tunnel vision, then black. I woke up under a good canopy. I think it was a line-over that cleared. Another facter was the brakes hadn't been set because PA told me to pack that way. A tandem canopy folded up in turbulence at low altitude. It made a very loud 'slapping' noise as it unfolded just prior to flaring. We dropped 50+ feet and if it hadn't re-inflated, we would have hit very hard. Got caught chasing a free-bag too long and set up for an off DZ landing way too late. 90-degree hook, under power lines and through a gate that, fortunately, was open. There's more, but I'm tired of thinking about them. Derek

A collage degree is not a requirement to fly helos. The FAST test is the test that qill guage your potential to be a pilot. There are study guides available. Derek

Because I'm doing the one thing you are never supposed to do while diving, holding my breath. Really the only time holding your breath is bad is if you are ascending. We used to peel off our gear on the way up to the deck, and just exhale the extra, expanding air. I did that once from 40 feet down, only to surface and hand off my gear to a dive supervisor that had watched me the whole way. I had a lot of fun there. Lots of work, but fun. Derek

I didn't teach them SCUBA diving, I taught them how to move about and work in space in the NBL. I worked with the last Hubble repair crew and several of the ISS crews. 500+ hours diving in less than a year. Derek

It would be bad if that happened, but unless USPA steps up to the plate and prevents it, it just might happen. Derek

"Sit down. We don't have a problem" LOL!!! I thought for sure that was going to get real. Derek

I have to agree. Only one I trained for free got their ticket. I have changed my policy to charge for apprenticeships. I waste a lot less time now. Derek

I've had nothig but success with pockets. Nope, DZ's haven't changed. Derek

Tell him to take it to a rigger and have a pocket sewn on the slider. Derek

I received a copy of the Capewell SB from the FAA about 6 months after it came out. If a rigger waits to receive something, they'll be waiting a long time. Tell your rigger to go to Mirage's web page, or www.dropzone.com, or the PIA rigger's forum and download and print a copy. Derek

Sky systems builds the Factory diver and are still in busines. They do great work, just give'm a call. Derek