Hooknswoop

I agree, no doubt in my mind. Hook

I didn't look back, but I am fairly sure I said a straight leaading edge and a tapered trailing edge (like a Cessna 182 wing), I call semi-elliptical. Semi, becuase only the tail is tapered and elliptical becaue that is the accepted terminology. I have never seen a truely elliptical canopy, only tapered canopies. Other canopies that I group into the semi-elliptical catagory are the Safire, Spectre, Sabre2, Hornet, Silouette, and Diablo. Square canopies; Sabre, Monarch, Triatholon, and all ram-air reserves. Ellipticals; FX, VX, Crossfire, Stiletto, Velocity, Vengance, Samari, Batwing, Cobalt, and Heatwave. Just the system that works for me. Hook

I count all three of those as sem-elliptical, tapered trailing edge w/ a straight leading edge. Hook

Best advice I've heard (Bill V.) regarding RSL's is wait until after your first cutaway, then decide if you want to remove it or not. BTW- IIRC, the Silhoutte is a semi-elliptical canopy. Hook

The Instructor(s) are probably teaching the "Arch", "Look", "Reach", "Pull" method for the PRCP. Take away the "Look" step, which usually results in a de-arch, and have him watch the airplane on exit and the de-arching/front-looping exit problem should go away. I always hated having people look at the main handle, chances are they couldn't see it anyway, resulted in a de-arch, and that isn't the way skydivers deploy their mains anyway. Ever try to look for your BOC? Good luck Hook

To keep things simple for myself, I put canopies into one of three catagories, based on planform. 1. Square: No taper, leading or trailing edge. 2. Semi-elliptical: Trailing edge tapered. 3. Elliptical: Front and trailing edge tapered. The degree of tapering and if the thickness of the cells decreases as the ribs get closer to the end cells are also factors of the design. Hook

They are several ways to tamper w/ a Racer or Reflex w/o ever disturbing the seal. Hook

What did you (they) do, how did it work out, and would you (they) do the same thing if you (they) found yourself (themselves) in the same situation? Hook

What would you do if………………… A steering line broke at 200 ft? Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit? You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude? You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless? After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through? In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles? Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall? Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy? You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop? After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic? In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation? In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions? You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore? You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground? Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens? Just food for thought Hook

I have J-4, no problems like you've experienced. Can you post pics? Hook

It sounds like you aren't leaving enough excess line in the bottom of the main pack tray (12-18 inches). My risers do not reach all the way to the main pack tray and I've never experienced lines snagging on the reserve container. It's something to check anyway. What container is it? Hook

Not being as strong might be an advantage, as you will use more "finesse" to rig instead of brute strength and finesse is better for the gear than muscling a reserve. You'll be fine. Hook

I recently had great service from Sky Systems. Hook

You did make it sound as though he was an instructor, two of us thought so....... Hook

Just curious, how did you get the nickname "Divot"? Hook

This is why (one of the reasons anyway) that instructors shouldn't date students. Hook

Your right about the location of the finger trap, so much for my memory The finger trapped secton was between the groment in the hat and the reserve pin. The concern was to make sure the finger trap didn't round the corner through the top of the PC hat, through the gromment. I remember the rigger getting permission to make the finger trapped section slightly longer to help prevent it from slipping, as long as it didn't round the corner through the groment on the PC hat. When I re-pack a reserve, I pre-stretch the loop, make it the correct length, and I don't have a problem with the loop stretching, or the pilot chute or pack job becoming loose. Hook

Unfortunately, I have seen it. You could lift the rig by the reserve handle and yank on it and the pin didn't get pulled. I should have said tamper reisitant. Hook

I tried out a friend's Time-Out. I took it until it flat-lined, scared the hell out of me. I could almost see the EKG go "flatline" The Pro-Track will catch your attention too. And they have the absolute best customer service I have found anywhere. http://www.l-and-b.dk/ Hook

Pullinjg on the line that tightens the pop top on a Reflex is finger-trapped for 1.5 inches. This finger trap is what keeps the pop top tight. With only 1.5 inches finger trapped it isn't very difficult for it to slip. I have seen a rigger increase that 1.5 inch finger trapped section to increase the friction holding the closing loop in place, per the manufacturer's OK. Thier only concern was that the finger-trapped section did not turn the corner through the groment in the pop top down into the free bag. The finger trapped section must be completely on top of the hat, between the edge and the groment. I won't pack Reflex's because an over-zealous rigger or even the owner can tighten the pop top down far enough to bend the making for a hard/impossible reserve pull. Then if they go in because of it, it will have my seal on it and I would be held responsible for packing the reserve too tight. Same thing for Racers, they aren't tamper proof. Hook

There is a Super Guppy based in Houston. I saw if flying a few times on my way to work. Amazing to watch it fly. Hook

Like Bill V. mentioned, I intentionally packed a line over on a PD-170. I did a hop and pop and pulled out my hook knife and tried to cut the line-over. I knew which line it was, I was expecting it, I knew I had time/altitude to mess w/ it and I still couldn't get it done. Even had I cut the line, I would have had to release the other steering line, after possibly inducing line twists from having only one brake stowed, kick out of the line twists, and do a controllability check w/ the rear risers. That is a lot to get done before deciscion altitude. The main can be easily damaged by the lin-over and obviuosly one steering line will have to be replaced. Under even a moderately loaded elliptical, this process wouldn't be feasible as a course of action. If you have a line-over cut away and pull your reserve. If the line is just on the end cell and you have the altitude/time to make an attempt to clear it, sure give it a whirl. After experiencing how fast that PD-170 at about a 1:1.12 wingloading slung me around, I wouldn't sepend a second to think before chopping a line-over. I had a line-over on an FX-79 a few years ago. When I cut away (with tunnel vision from the "G's"), I looked over my shoulder and the main was BELOW the horizon. Hook

I had a friend suggest setting the audible altimeter below where you intend to break-off, pull and deciscion altitude. His theory was if you set it for the exact altitude you are supposed to do something, you are programed like Pavlov's dogs. Then when the audible doesn't work, you miss the altitude. Set lower, it is only a wake up call if you miss the altitude. The audible is treated as a B/U device, not relied upon for altitude information. I don't rely on my audible for altitude information, it only serves as a wake up call if I screw up. Of course my rpo-Track spends most of it's time on my ankle Food for thought. Hook

According to PD, 314 cu in with polyester/Dacron(which is what I have almost all PD's lined w/). 296 cu in w/ microline. Variations of 10% or more are common due to temperature, humidity, material tolerances, and packing technique. Hook

Yes, he's alive, busted up pretty good though. Hook