Hooknswoop

This needs repeating. This I'll disagree with. I think that once you are in a dive at whatever airpseed, how you got there is irrevelant to the recovery arc. A certain dive angle at a certain airspeed is going to require x feet to recover. Ya, the more I think about it, the more I think it is almost the same, learing with a larger or smaller canopy. My thought that a smaller canopy is better to learn with is based on the jumper having a lot more jumps and having solid canopy skills. It is a trade off, smaller margin but less speed or larger margin, but more speed. Maybe a middle ground...... Derek

I have been saying that for a long time. Canopies with a short recovery arc leave very little room for error. They temper that with the fact it is easier to judge altitude the lower you are, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a very small window. I explain it like this: Let's say a canopy has a 10% 'window' where you must initiate the landing turn in or you will either hit the ground, or bleed off all your speed, or worse, plane out above the ground, then bleed off all your speed, leaving you at low altitude with no airspeed left to trade for lift in the landing flare. If your ideal hook turn altitude is say, 500 feet, that gives you a 50-foot window. 25 feet too low and you impact, 25 feet too high and you get nothing or a hard landing from having no airspeed. No let's say your ideal hook altitude is 100 feet on a lightly loaded, short recovery arc canopy. That gives youa 10-foot window. 5 feet to low and you impact, 5 feet to high and you get nothing/hard landing. With the higher hooka ltitude, it gives you 5 times the margin for error. Of course the penaltys for missing the larger window of the smaller canopy witht he longer recovery arc is everything happens faster because of the higher airpseeds and the penalty for being too low is going to be much more severe. Forgive the numbers, they aren't real, just easy math to make my point. Derek

It does change the facts that you said a Vigil Misfired when it wasn't a Vigil, it was an Astra. A little research before posting would have prevented the mnistake. Instead you pulled the trigger without aiming. Again, some research would educate you. Cypres's had the same electrostatic issues as the Vigil did when it was new. The reason the Vigil got hammered for it so bad is the lesson had already been learned and then re-learned on the Vigil. I don't doubt that when the Cypres was tested by the military (I'm guessing circa 1991-1992), it was the best AAD on the market. Now it has a competitor. Time will tell which is the best unit. To make such simple mistakes shows you do't care enough to do a little research. If you want to 'learn from past experiences of others', then you should do the research, ask questions, etc, and do exactly that, learn from past experiences. So far, it is obvious you are not doing that. Derek

Look up 3 posts............. Derek

Since you are 'in the know', what is your opinion of airline security pre and post 9/11? Derek

http://www.local6.com/news/4041085/detail.html Derek

Risers can twist up against each other creating a hard/impossible pull because they twist against each other. A tandem drogue where the excess drogue release rip cord is inside the drogue bridle can get captured if the drogue spins in free fall. It has happened, but it is rare. Derek

At what altitude did your friend deploy his main? How much altitude does it normally take for your friends main to open? Sounds like you are thinking of an Astra, not a Vigil. The Astra is made by FXC and has the control head on the outside of the rigs. The Vigil isn't made by FXC and is completely internal, like a Cypres. Derek

Look into the "Scott Grips" The hold VERY well on loop style carpet. More than enough to hold a tandem in place. Derek

I think I read of that happening in Australia. I don't think the APF keeps their newslettes on their web page anymore, I'd have to check. They are very good reading though. Honest, straight foward incident reports. They keep names, places and egos out of the reports which makes for good lessons for all. Edit: I checked their web page and can't find the newsletters anymore. Try e-mailing the APF and ask them about an incident with a spun up drogue preventing the drogue release ripcord from being pulled. I remember reading about it and asking a major manufacturer about it and if hard housings for the ends of the ripcords would be a good idea. From what I remember, it wasn't their rig that had the issue and they had a good reason why the inserts were't necessary on their rigs. Derek

A lot more than I spent. I'd have to check my logbook, but I think today makes me one year jump-free. Derek

$0.00 Derek

I think the links matter. I never said Rapide links don't work or shouldn't be used, only that Slinks are better, much better. I never siad you said that. I asked you to give me one reason why Slinks aren't better than Rapide links. You said they are equal. I think Slinks are better and have given the reasons why. You can't give me any reasons why Slinks are not better than Rapide links. I don't dislike Rapide links. They are OK. But SLinks are better. When it comes to reserves, I wanted the best on my back. Slinks are the best. No, but I would admit that # 5's are stronger, but the downside is how big they are, which can make them uncomfortable. You say Rapide links and Slinks are equal and you won't put Slinks on your reserve. But you don't have any reasons for that opinion. You owe it to yourself and your rigging customers to have solid reasons for any gear opinions you have. I have a page of "Derek's Gear Tips" I give to each rigging customer and is somewhere here on DZ.com. I have solid reason(s) for each and every gear tip on that list. I can back up every tip w/ facts. Bottom line: SLinks are better that Rapide Links in every way. Does that mean Rapide Links are death? No. But why would you not use the best equipment available? I think I've said everything I can say. Good luck to you. Derek

"Slinks are no better then a rapid link.." Yes, you did say it. How can you think that stronger is not safer on a reserve? Derek

LOL- right, they can't say you have to wear a pink jump suit, but you do have to maintain an AAD according to the manufacturer's requirements. As for the 15-year life span on your rig, that's up for debate. I have proven you wrong on several issues in this thread. You still haven't given me one reason why Slinks are not better than Rapide links. Derek

They fail when you don't install the correctly and/or don't check them periodically. No, I said if a Slink fails, it will most likely be on opening. I also said that SLinks don't seem to fail even when installed incorrectly. That is not what you said. You said, " I would not use soft links on a reserve..." You didn't say "MY" rig. I took that to mean you wouldn't pack a reserve, any reserve, that had soft links on it. Unless you have evidence otherwise, ya they are the gest thing since slliced bread. You don't need an AD (especisally since the FAA won't issue them for skydiving gear anymore), just look at the FAR's. Derek

They are only for mini-risers to prevent the slider from coming all the way down. They won't fit on reserve risers. IF your slider grommets are burred/sharp, you haven't been taking care of your gear. The fix is to replace the grommet, not SRC. With undamaged grommets, which get damaged by Rapide links BTW, you don't need to covers since Slinks won't damage your slider grommets. Derek

When the lines stretch, they absorb energy. Once they have stretched to their fullest, they transmit 1005 of the energy. During opening when the lines stretch, they absorb energy. A 3 G spoin under a canopy will result in the jumper feeling the same forces regardless of the type of line. I never said stop using Rapide Links, only that Slinks are better because they are stronger. OF course everything has a weak point. What evidence do yo have that the links aren't it? I can show evidence that they are the weak point, i.e. broken Rapide links. No I'm not. I've never sewn a large 3-ring to a harness. So, you will now pack a reserve with Slinks? Again, do you have one thing Rapide links do better than Slinks? Sorry, for being so harsh, but have been wrong many times in this thread. I have backed up every point I have made with facts. You haven't/can't. You should step back and re-read your posts and learn more about modern gear. Derek

There is no 3rd 4-yeaqr check. They tell you there is a 12 year, 3 month life limit. Derek

I would not use soft links on a reserve...” “And I would pack a rig with slinks just like I'd pack a rig with rapid links” Hmmmm. Did you just reverse yourself? “Now... Making the slink supper stong does NOT make the system stronger.... The rapid link is not and has never been the falure point in a parachute system....” I disagree. Rapide links have failed. Anything you can do to make the reserve system stronger makes it safer. As for balance, that doesn’t make any sense. You cannot have a reserve system or component of a reserve system that is too string for the rest of the system. If you double the strength of the links, you only make the system better, not throw it out of ‘balance’. Where you have been wrong so far in this thread: “Were a rapid link will still hold after being over loaded... the barrel threads give way before the steel snaps.... As the rapid link will bend and take a much higher laod without total failure...” The Slink is stronger than a Rapide link. Given a force where a Rapide Link will fail, a Slink will still hold. “I don't want to move the failure point to the risers 3ring point...” This is what Bill Booth has to say about the failure point for a main canopy: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1042892;search_string=microline;#1042892 “If something has to break, it should be above the main riser attachment ring.” “One total failure on a rapid link would still keep a canpoy over my head... A failed three ring and your dead...” Simply not true. As I said, I have seen a 3-ring release on opening. It resulted in a simple reserve ride. I have released on riser before the other on an intentional cutaway system before without any issues. Far from being dead. “A slink installed wrong is more likly to total fail then a rapid link IMO..” Not true. I have seen failed Rapide links, but there are cases of incorrectly installed Slinks holding. In fact, there aren’t any cases of Slinks ailing from improper assembly “would not use them on a reserve for my on feeling about were the failure point should be” Where would you put the failure point on a reserve? Me- I wouldn’t have a failure point on a reserve. Given the 4 (+, I won’t get into life span issues) things you’ve said in this thread that are wrong, I would re-think your position on Slinks. Derek

How much does a Rapide link 'give' over a Slink? How much of a reduction on forces transmitted from the lines to the reserve risers does this translate into? Once lines stretch to their maximum stretch point, they transmitt 100% of the forces to the links and to the risers. They work OK, but Slinks are obviously better. How many broken Rapide links have seen/heard about? How many broken Slinks have you seen/heard about? Slinks are stronger, it is that easy..... Derek

LOL, you won't find it. Once the canopy is in a spin, the forces transmitted by the lines would be the same regardless of the type of lines. Microlines transmit more opening shock because they don't stretch. But in a constant 3-G spin, the forces on the 3-ring loop would be the same regardless if you had microlines or Dacron. It is about what breaks if a Rapide link breaks on a reserve when a Slink would have held. When the forces go through the lines to the reserve risers, they pass through the links. If those forces are high enough, a Rapide link will fail before a slink. We agree that Slinks are stronger than Rapide links, right? How can stronger links that reduce the chance of a reserve failure not make the reserve system safer? Derek

Not according to Airtec, they say the life span is 12 years, 3 months. They won't inspect a 12 year, 3 month old Cypres. They'll give you $60.00 towards a new one if you send it in though. IF the unit fails a 4 or 8 year inspection, they'll fix it and send it back. I'm not sure how this justifys your reasoning that you won't put Slinks on a reserve. Do you think a Rapide Link absorbs more energy than a Slink and therefore is less likely to fail? Or do you think a Rapide Link absorbs more energy so less energy is tranmitted to the jumper via the harness? Let's say a Rapide link absorbs more energy than a Slink. First, how mcuh of a differnce would this make, and second, how does that affect the fact that Rapide links will bend, then fail, before a Slink will fail? I still don't understand why you think Rapide links are as good as Slinks. You talk about failurte points. Well, on a reserve system, you try to eliminate any failure points. You talk about lines hanging onto the end of a damaged Rapide link, but fail to realize that with as Slink, you wouldn't have had the failure in the first place. You talk about incorrectly assembled Rapide links when an ioncorrectly Rapide link will fail when a Slink wouldn't. You say you won't put Slinks on a reserve, but they are stronger, lower bulk, easier to install, etc. I never said Rapide links are bad, just Slinks are better. You have offered zero evidence that Rapide links are even equal to Slinks. I have offered numerious reasons why SLinks are better than Rapide links. Just give me one good reason why you won't put Slinks on a reserve. Give me one thing Rapide Links do beter than Slinks. Just one. Derek

No, Airtec says you have to send it in 4 and 8 years for inspection and maintenance(+/- 3 months for the Cypres1) and that after 12 years and 3 months, it is no longer airworthy. You don't send it in a 12 years and 3 months and Airtec decides if it is airworthy. It is automatically grounded after 12 years and 3 months, no inspection required. This life span wasn't issued when the Cypress was released. That fact does not invalidate the life span. I can do better than an AD, FAR PArt 105: "(c) If installed, the automatic activation device must be maintained in accordance with manufacturer instructions for that automatic activation device." I don't think the FAA would OK using a Cypres that is more than 12 years and 3 months old. If you can get the FAA to issue a letter stating that Airtec's Cypres life span doesn't have to be adhered to, I'd love to see it. Derek

We are talking about Slinks vs. Rapide Links. If you want to compare the strength of an incorrectly installed Rapide Link vs. an incorrectly installed Slinks are stronger even then. Where do you think the failure point is on a reserve system with Rapide Links? With Slinks? I would think on a reserve, you don't want a failure point. You would want everything to be strong enough not to fail, because if something does, there isn't another reserve to use. No, parts fail when the forces exceed it's ability to hold the load. Read it? Hell, I wrote it. I think you are basing your ideas of Slinks on false assumtions. You think if the Rapide link bends and the lines hold, a Slink would have failed and you are better off with a bent Rapide link than a failed Slink. That isn't true. The Slink wouldn't have failed if the forces were high enough to bend the link. You are better off with an intact Slink than a bent Rapide link. What would you rather have after deploying your reserve, a bent Rapide link or an intact Slink? Derek