Hooknswoop

I was going to go after the free bag, but couldn't spot it. Derek

There was a Reflex there with the CReW mod with small flaps on the top and bottom reserve flaps to come up over the pop top a little. Is this the rig you saw? Derek

I agree that education would do more than regulation and is a better solution. The problem is the education isn't mandatory and the people that neeed it aren't getting it. I'm all for education, but, right now, it isn't working. Derek

Just to clarify because I got a PM about it; I caught the cutaway main on the sun set cross country load at about 10,000 feet and brought it back to the landing area. (Disclaimer: Do not try this at home) Unfortunately the free bag was lost. Derek

Ya, you are probably right. It was just my first reaction when I saw it. What was funny was the rep had never heard of a reserve with Dacron lines. Derek

I used to work at a DZ where the tandems were given an altimeter and pulled on their first jump. Well, as sometimes happened, this student didn't pull. She is a Medical Doctor, btw. After the canopy was open and I began to clean shop, she starts patting my leg, where the handle would normally be. I asked her, "What are you doing?" She said, "Looking for the handle." "I already pulled it", I replied. (Did I mention we had a good canopy at this time?)"Why?" "Because you didn't." "But you said to wave off and pull at 5,500 feet....?" "Right.........." "But my altimeter only says 4,500 feet......." "Tell you what, grab your harnes and don't let go and when I tell you, lift your legs for land, OK?" I wasn't about to let her help fly the canopy. Derek

If the flutes are set up for spectra and the reserve has Dacron lines, the flutes may slow down a slow-speed reserve deployment. Derek

Over-tightening the pop top can bend the pin. It is very difficult to see a bent pin while it is still through the loop. I had to replace a ripcord on a reserve that another rigger had (because of the ripcord SB) pulled to test it. It didn't break and didn't look bent, so he OK'd it. It was very bent. Derek

I heard a story recently from another rigger. They had packed a pop top rig and the owner had it tightened by another rigger. They brought the rig back to the first rigger because they were concerned about pull forces. They told the jumper not to worry and to prove it, had the jumper put the rig on and put a spring scale on the reserve handle and began to pull. 35 lbs.-nothing. 45 lbs- still no PC launch and the jumper complained that it was begining to hurt their shoulder. Finally at 55 lbs. the PC launched. Derek

Very interesting, 11059.90 sq ft less area the canopy can reach in 20-mph wind vs. 0-wind. So much for obvious . Run some numbers and see what you get. I was fooled. I started w/ 1000 FPM, but thought that was too high. 750 FPM gave me an almost 3:1 (2,000 ft down and 5867.2 ft across the ground) glide ratio, which should be right for a 300+ jump F-111 canopy or a 7 cell. Any opinions for say 3 different canopy speeds and descent rates? Derek

I inpsected the Icon and the Smart very closely at Eloy. The Icon's reserve free bag uses a bungee safety stow and a pouch that opens with Velcro on 3 sides, like a Tail pocket. It had elastic sewn in for the line stows. My concern was spectra, etc small lines vs. Dacron reserve lines. The rep didn't have an answer, but said he would talk to the designers about it. Derek

"Do you still have the box your rig came in?" Derek

Going through your hard deck with a problem is a very bad idea. You are committing to landing a malfunctioning canopy at that point. What if it got worse? If you don't have a good canopy at your hard deck, cutaway and go to your reserve. This is the whole point of the hard deck. Don't, you absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, did the right thing. Derek

It is Mike's photo. I asked him about it. The pilot really did mean to get the wing that low. He took the photo with a wide angle lens and was actually very close. I'm sure you can contact Mike for a print. Derek

Yep, I shot the footage. Really came out good. I fire-wired it to Duece, but not Iwan. Derek

"The File You Are Looking For Is Inaccessible. Please sign in and try again or check with the owner of the file." Me too. Seems you have to sign in to see the pictures................ Derek

I've seen a new canopy come apart and the jumper said it was a soft opening. One toggle had been bent in half as it was pulled into the guide ring. It opened soft because only a small part of the canopy took the opening forces, which came apart, then the rest opened. Derek

How many jumps on the canopy? Derek

If I can get someone to get mine, I'll get them to get yours too. Derek

use a whole lot, and spread it quick with a finger before it sets up or it'll be an even bigger mess than it needs to be. Do this outside and then stuff the shoes you normally jump in into the boties. Derek

I bought a pic from McGowen and forgot to pick it up at SQ2. Can anyone from CO pick it up for me? Or can someone else grab it and ship it? Thanks, Derek

I think there area number of cutaways each year from brake release problems, such as only one brake releasing or a steering line getting tangled while releasing the brakes, hence the advice to release your brakes above your hard deck. Any slider stow system must be able to release in the event of a cutaway after stowing the slider. Derek

I am guessing that when PD wrote that, they were not thinking about rubber bands on Racer free-bags. I'll e-mail PD for a clarification. Derek

Found this: : " RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION MORNING REPORT Attention: Directorate Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, NIFC, FLETC Ranger Activities Division Information Network Day/Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1993 Broadcast: By 0900 EDT INCIDENTS 92-504 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Follow-up on Illegal Jump John Vincent, the man who climbed and BASE-jumped off the Gateway Arch on September 14, 1992, is on his way to jail for 90 days. Vincent originally pled guilty to the misdemeanor and was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, 25 hours of community service, and a year's probation. On December 19th, however, Vincent had to appear before a federal magistrate judge for violating terms of his probation, for failing to report to his probation officer, and for two recent encounters with the police. The judge revoked his probation and ordered Vincent to serve 90 days in jail, beginning December 29th. The assistant U.S. attorney noted in court that "Mr. Vincent has a serious attitude problem." A request for a delay on the jail reporting date made by Vincent's attorney was denied. [Deryl Stone, CR, JEFF, 12/20] 93-859 - Boston (Massachusetts) - Serious MVA Involving Rangers On the evening of December 14th, rangers Robert Bond and Michael Tunis were driving to the Longfellow Home to assist in a special event when their 1990 Ford Crown Victoria was struck by a vehicle which crossed into their lane of travel. Bond applied the brakes fully, but no other evasive action was possible. The two vehicles collided virtually head on; both sustained heavy front end damage. Neither ranger was seriously injured, partly because they were wearing seatbelts and body armor and partly because the driver's side airbag in their patrol vehicle deployed upon impact. Bond received a minor burn to his right forearm from the sodium hydroxide gas released by the airbag and a sore left shoulder from the seat belt. The driver of the other vehicle was cited by Cambridge police for causing the accident. [Jon Dick, CR, BOST, 12/16/93] RESOURCE MANAGEMENT No field reports today. STAFF STATUS Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled. Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto and Marriott on AL (12/20-12/23); Dickerhoof on AL (12/23). Branch of Fire and Aviation: Clark on AL (12/23-12/30); Cook on AL (12/22-12/30). Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874 Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572 Telefax: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756 Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977 cc:Mail: Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY (numeric message) - 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843 " Derek

Only not allowed by the USPA. which means zip. A DZ can do whatever they want to. Also, that BSR is waiverable by the S & TA/ I/E. Derek