Hooknswoop

A Senior Rigger, 'hypothetically' did the work. Derek

He did not say you are not wise enough to skydive or not old enough to skydive. Suggesting that someone wait until they have at least an "A" license before buying gear is common, good, advice. Some people decide after 10-20 jumps that in spite of their initial enthusiasm, the sport, for whatever reason(s), is not for them. Buying gear too soon can result in buying the wrong gear, over-paying, or buying gear that won't get used, or finding a much better deal a week or two later. It is a big purchase that you will probably have for a while, so getting it right the first time is important. There are many choices and options that take a while to wade through and understand with the help of someone that has your best interest in mind and knows what they are doing. With the help of that qualified and your best interests in mind person, write down what gear would be suitable and then try to find it. Too many people get into the wrong gear by looking for what is available without a good idea of what they want and is suitable for them first. A great deal on a high performance rog, isn't a great deal right now. 10 student jumps in a day isn't very realistic. Quality over quantity. The most I've seen a student in great shape do is 5 in one day, and they were mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the day. Don't worry about what others think, and don't try to impress them. The best way to end up in the Incidents Forum is to try and impress someone. I was upstairs at a DZ when I heard what sounded like a car driving through the hangar wall. I ran out side to see a jumper sans helmet and shoes, climbing out of the hole he had made in the hangar wall (sheet metal) after his first hook turn close to where his girlfriend was standing. He was very lucky with only a very deep (4 inches +/-) 6 inch long cut in his side from the jagged edge of the sheet metal. I don't think his girlfriend was impressed. Buying your first rig is difficult. It is probably the most important rig you will buy with the least amount of experience to make the decisions. You are also on the steepest part of the learning curve. A common request is advice for gear "That won't hurt/kill me, but that I won't get bored with in 500 jumps." Because of a new jumper's inexperience and steep learning curve, generally that rig doesn't exist. The good news is that the rig "that won't/kill me "doesn't have to become boring in 500 jumps, as long as you challenge yourself to learn everything you can from it. Derek

'Hypothetical' gear compatibility question. Lets say a Vector Tandem RSL/Auxiliary Reserve Handle (No straight pin, Velcro doesn't match up correctly) was put on a Sigma Tandem in place of the Sigma RSL/Collin's Lanyard/ Auxiliary Reserve Handle. The cutaway cable is routed through the end of the RSL, where it goes from 1-inch webbing to Dacron on its way to the pin. Both RSL's are TSO'd and it is up to the assembling rigger to determine compatibility of approved components. The RSL would work as a Collin's lanyard and RSL, but nearly as well as the Sigma RSL with the Stainless Steel (SS) straight pin and correct length and matching Velcro. I also think there is a piece of Velcro near the shackle for the shackle lanyard to make using it as a Auxiliary Reserve Handle easier, that is not on the Vector Tandem RSL, but I am working from memory. Does this pass the legal test? AC-105-2C Says: "Assembled Parachute Components Must Be Compatible. Each component of the resulting assembly must function properly and may not interfere with the operation of the other components" I think the key words here are "must function properly". Without the Velcro at the shackle, correct length, matching Velcro, and the SS straight pin, it doesn't "function properly". Will it work as an RSL and a Collin's lanyard? Yes, it will. Will it "function properly"? No. It will not work as well as the Sigma RSL, which is the proper RSL. If it worked as well or better, then I think it would be legal, but it doesn't. Does this pass the common sense test? It was probably ("Hypothetically") installed because the original was lost in a cutaway and a replacement wasn't available and the rigger used a Vector Tandem RSL instead. With the parts off a Vector Tandem and some 1-inch webbing, Dacron, Velcro, and a SS straight pin, an exact copy of the Sigma RSL could have built, taking us deeper into murky waters. Or better yet, a Sigma RSL could have ordered and shipped over-night. If there was an incident with a tandem jump with this rig and the FAA sent the rig to RWS or independent loft for inspection and the incorrect RSL was discovered and reported back to the FAA, what would happen to the rigger? A poor position to be in. I would not have sealed the rig. Thoughts or opinions? Derek

No altimeter is accurate enough to tell the jumper to flare. Landing areas are generally not flat enough for flaring off an altimeter to be reliable. Depth perception is the only way. i recommend setting an audible 500 feet below each altitude you intend to do something, i.e. break off, deploy and cutaway. This way you are not waiting, like Pavlo's dogs, to break off with a dead audible in your helmet. It should serve as a reminder/wake-up call, a back up only. Derek

SSK has an Online Servicing Form that speeds turn around time. Derek

3 weeks-ish and $195.00 if they batteries are not due. Derek

>>>> Heal quick. Derek

It was a pain to make. I built it from scratch. It takes a lot of time and material to make. I don't plan on building another slider with anything on it, sorry. Derek

WFFC Fatality Derek

I think Bill Von was cooking up something to connect to a Cypres to see if it fired without using a cutter. Derek

And all this has what to do with the Viper rig? PM thi stuff. Derek

This is the front side of the flight plan I have used for students. Derek

Yes, but very little. I had a cameraman sit fly under me at pull time. I waved off and he didn't move, so I thought, "OK, here I come." and we had a trap door (Sigma System). The look on his face was priceless. He did that often with Sigmas and had never gotten caught like that. It is there, but very little, especially compared to the other systems. Derek

The thing to think about is that seat belts aren't really for you, but for the people upstream of you that you would kill in the event of a sudden stoppage (crash) and you become a projectile. A seatbelt over the lap or leg that you would slide out of in a crash won't do you or the people you will kill any good. Put in through your harness. A helmet will protect you in the event of a crash and wearing it or securing it before take off will prevent it from becoming a projectile in the event of a crash, killing your friends. A seat belt should be worn until a safe emergency exit altitude is reached. That altitude is dependent on several factors and can change from load to load. Now you are in an aircraft that is about to land, possibly crash, with no seat belt on and too low to jump. If you are sitting next to the door of a large airplane, then 1,000 feet is probably a good minimum altitude. It takes longer to exit a Cessna 182 loaded with jumpers sitting next to the door than it does to exit a Twin Otter sitting next to the door. If you are last out on a 20-way out of a Twin Otter and you take your seat belt off at 1,000 feet and there is a couple of people between you and the door that don't take it off until 1,500 feet, you are going to be in trouble if the aircraft starts to go down. By the time you get to the door, either waiting for the people between you and the door to unbuckle and exit or going over the top of them, it will probably be too low to exit. When the engine(s) quit, the pilot must nose the aircraft over to establish best glide speed, sacrificing altitude for airspeed to prevent the aircraft from stalling. What this means to you is that if the engine (or both in a twin) quit, the aircraft will start to descend immediately. If you take off your seat belt at 1,000 feet, right before the engine(s) quit, whatever time it takes you to get to the door and exit, the aircraft will be descending and you may get to the door as the aircraft is passing 500 feet and would have been better off belted in. The farther you are from the door, the higher you should take your seat belt off and you shouldn't take it off before anyone that is between you and the door. Seat belts ideally should be taken off in a ripple effect from the door forward, as each person reaches a safe minimum (or higher) emergency exit altitude. I get a chuckle out of asking someone that just took their seat belt off at 500 feet, to look down and ask if they will jump from this altitude. When they say "No.", I ask them why they took their seatbelt off if they aren't willing to jump, because if the engine(s) quit, that is exactly what they have set themselves up for. They usually reply "I never thought of it that way." Sitting next to or near an open door with a seat belt on is asking for trouble. In the event your main pilot chute gets out or your reserve PC fires (thanks to that curious tandem passenger sitting behind you), you are going to be ripped in half by the seatbelt. Even if it is hot, don't open the door until everyone near the door has their seatbelt removed. Of course don’t remove the seat belts until a minimum safe emergency exit altitude is reached. -Wear a seatbelt, through your harness. -Don't take off your seat belt until the aircraft is high enough that everyone between you and the door can get out and the aircraft will still be high enough for you to exit. -Don't open the door until everyone near it has removed their seat belt. -When removing your seat belt, 'clear it' so that it can't snag anything when you get up. -Never reconnect seat belts. -Always give your seat belt a tug to make sure the locking mechanism has engaged. Derek

I agree, when I do feel a trap door on a Sigma, I notice it because usually there isn't one. The Eclipse and Vector II have notice-able trap doors. Derek

Did anyone NOT know about it beforehand? Derek

The Sigma eliminates several possible malfunctions. It is very simple to use and comfortable. No to minimal trap door effect. Built in Collins lanyard and now, Skyhook. Great riser protection. Great reserve pin protection. Pre-flight is simple and is done with only opening one 'quick-tuck' flap. Check Cypres 'On' through window. Pre-flight: check reserve pin through window (which can be replaced in about 10 seconds with no tools), open main flap (quick tuck), check arrow on disk, check kill line, check straight and bent curved pins, check bridle routing, close main tuck flap. Done. Takes about 15 seconds to do. Good reserve system. The container stays closed until you open it, main and reserve. If the packer forgets to cock the drogue and the TI doesn't check it, it will probably cock itself after the TI throws it out. Main release handle pull forces are low. Different texture handles for main, cutaway, reserve and RSL. Drogue fall is smooth and comfortable for the TI and the passenger. Passenger harness is the most comfortable available and doesn't require the TI or passenger to move the leg straps after opening. The laterals do not load up on opening. The Sigma is to the Vector Tandem System what the Micron is to the Vector II. The Eclipse is a copy of the Vector II I like the Sigma tandem main, but prefer the Icarus tandem main. It isn't that one is better than the other, they are very similar. It is more of a chocolate/vanilla, Ford/Chevy type of choice. Derek

I have Eclispe, Vector II, and Sigma ratings. The Sigma is the superior tandem system, hands down. I refused to get rated on the Strong. Derek

Here's mine. The more we can look at the better we can make our own. Very cool. I am going to edit mine a bit after looking at the others. Derek

Bill, you the man! Nice work. Derek

Why is he jumping a Strong Tandem rig? Derek

I think it would really depend on the passenger's body position, just guessing though. I do know that a drogue-less backflip with a passenger that is arching is not easy to do. Derek

Definitely, yes. If the drogue is out, deploy the main, if not deploy the reserve. Good luck getting to a drogue-less tandem with an unconscious TI though. Derek

Generally mains that are hooked up backwards have the risers correctly installed, just on the wrong side so that the main opens flying backwards and each riser has a half-twist in it. Like you said, just take it out of the bag, do a line check and re-pack it, 10 minutes worth of work that can save a lot more time and money. "Never underestimate your ability to screw up an easy skydive" Derek

Let's not let this thread degenerate into anything less than main canopy selection advice. Giving advice about weather or not a canopy is appropriate is not easy. Not having ever seen the person fly a canopy or spoken to them in person makes it near impossible. Sometimes it is easy, i.e. someone with 100 jumps wanting a sub-100 sq ft cross-braced canopy because they can't seem to land their 220 very well. Usually it isn't clear-cut. Also what information the person seeking the advice gives and how they give it can make good advice bad. For example, "All my landings have been good", meaning they hurt a bit but they didn't break anything and only required jumpsuit repair for each on, or have been soft stand-ups less than 10 meters from target center. Profiles are usually looked at when advice is given for both the giver and receiver. If someone with 10,000 jumps offers advice it does carry more weight than someone with 10 jumps does. This is not to say that a lower-experienced jumper has nothing to offer, they do. Their advice comes from a unique perspective. I have had students ask another student that just completed the skydive that they are about to attempt for advice. They may have noticed something that I took for granted that may make the skydiver easier for the student. Discussing canopy choices with at least one Instructor is always good advice. Demo'ing canopies that your Instructors approve of is also good advice. But for anyone to advise you can (or for that matter, can't) handle a particular canopy without ever seeing you fly, is a guess at best. Predicting how someone will handle a smaller canopy than they have ever jumped before is difficult even after watching them fly and discussing it with them. Given all that, I don’t think you have learned everything you can from the 135 yet. It is good practice to learn flat turns, cross control turns, rear riser turns (brakes on and off), crosswind landings, accuracy, etc (Bill Von has a great list, a quick search will turn it up) under a canopy before downsizing. Downsizing slower than you are actually capable of doesn't hurt, downsizing faster than you are actually capable of does. Derek