Hooknswoop

It just breaks. Depending on how it is handled and the conditions it is used in, 300-500 jumps. Steering lines seem to wear out the quickest. Hook

Check your line trim, specifically, the "A" lines. Hook

A ground observer with a radio................. Jumpers look center of clouds-up, ground observer, center of clouds down? A possible solution? Thoughts? Hook

""Thomaston Upson County traffic this is Otter 221AP, Jumpers over Thomaston 14,000 and below in one minute." Helpful, if the pilot happens to be listening to unicom. Some do, some don't. There is no requirement to." Right, Quade asked what a radio had to do with it, if they have one and tuune it to the unicom/approach freq, at least they would be aware of parachute operations. Without a radio they could be blissfully flying directly under jumpers. I don't have time to do the math, but I bet jumpers could spot and jump, maintaining VFR minimums and still hit a glider(or other aircraft) that flys out from under a cloud. Hook

"In reply to: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- what does having a radio have to do with it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Thomaston Upson County traffic this is Otter 221AP, Jumpers over Thomaston 14,000 and below in one minute." " Right. I excluded right after opening from the blame of a canopy/aircraft collision being the aircraft's fault. A conflict between a landing canopy and a glider is a no-win, it isn't like the glider can go-around. This is an issue skydivers and pilots (I would say the USPA but they are more worried about getting control of Tandem ratings) should think about and come up with an answer before the FAA looks into it and comes up with an answer. Hook

Kill line pilot chutes wear at several points. The following is what to inspect and some suggestions for increasing the life span of your kill line pilot chute. The Spectra kill line shrinks from the heat generated from sliding through the bridle as the pilot chute collapses and the bridle stretches over time, affecting the original calibration. Because the change is so gradual it often goes unnoticed until you begin to experience hesitations on deployment. To check for correct kill line length, cock the pilot chute and watch the kill line. Does it become taunt before the two white ribbons that run from the apex (the top of the pilot chute) to the bridle? If it does, then the kill line is too short, not allowing the pilot chute to completely inflate. When cocked, the two white ribbons should be taunt and there should be some slack on the kill line. Also, if the handle of the pilot chute being pulled through the small opening at the base of the pilot chute on deployment, the kill line is too short. Your rigger should be able to replace the kill line, or if the kill line was manufactured with enough excess line, your rigger can simply extend the kill line. Check the stitching that holds your handle to the pilot chute. If the handle rips off, you would have a total malfunction. Check the bridle, especially where the pin attaches to the bridle. If any of the stitches have come out, have your rigger repair it. If the pin rips off of the bridle you would have a pilot chute in tow malfunction. As you fly your canopy, the deployment bag is free to spin around the bridle. Eventually the bridle will wear out and break at the grommet. Have your rigger use waxed nylon cord to tack both sides of the rapide link to the reinforced part of the deployment bag to prevent the bridle from rotating in the grommet. Some manufactures sew the pilot chute bridle to the deployment bag, eliminating this problem. The disadvantage of a sewn-in pilot chute is they are difficult to replace, usually a job for a rigger. Lastly, have your rigger install stainless steel rapide links instead of the plated links. They won’t corrode, reducing wear on the bridle. Whether your pilot chute is a kill line or not, the Z-P or F-111 fabric wears just like the fabric on a canopy. The porosity of the fabric degrades with use, decreasing the drag of the pilot chute. Eventually the pilot chute will not have enough drag to deploy your main canopy, leaving you with a pilot chute in tow or a bag lock. An indication that your chute may have problems is a pause between throwing your pilot chute and the canopy coming out of the bag. A patch on a pilot chute would be difficult to sew and could cause it to spin on deployment, creating lines twists. As the mesh wears, holes will develop. Once the mesh tears the hole will become larger quickly. Replace a pilot chute with holes in the fabric or mesh. Checking your pilot chute every time you do your 30-day three-ring maintenance is simple and could prevent a malfunction. If you are not confident inspecting your pilot chute, have your rigger help you. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hook

Oops, right, that's what I meant :-) Safire2, 149 is larger than Safire1, 149, and Safire2 149 is 1 sq ft smaller than Sabre 150 Hook

Diverdriver or Quade could do a MUCH better job w/ this one, but I think most gliders don't have a radio, they aren't required to have one. They sure couldn't see, and wouldn't be looking for a skydiver in freefall to come down on them. I don't know if gliders have to have or if they have transponders (a device that tells Air traffic Control where and how high an aircraft is) or if ATC can see a composite glider on radar. Skydivers are SUPPOSED to look down before exit to make sure a) the spot is good, b) check for cliuds, and c) make sure there isn't a traffic conflict with aircraft. So far the "big sky theory" has kept free-fall/aircraft collisions to 2 that I know of. I have flown an aircraft w/ no electrical system (a piper cub) which means no transponder, no radio, no nothing. If I wasn't a skydiver or the average pilot that has zero clue what parachute operations entail, it would have been very easy for me to overfly a DZ and create a very serious hazard, legally. At that point, who is responsible to avoid a collision? Wouldn't have seen a skydiver and if (not being a skydiver) would probably have said "what the hell is that?" in time for them to go through the wing. Hook

Right, Safire1, 149 is larger than a Safire2, 149, which is 1 sq ft smaller than a Sabre 150. Crossfires were always measured PD style. Only the Safire1 and the Omega are differrent. For offical, e-mail Icarus. Hook

A friend asked me recently, who has right of way?, the jumpship or the canopy? From the airman's Information Manual: If the aircraft are of different categories -- (1) A balloon has the right-of-way over any other category of aircraft; (2) A glider has the right-of-way over an airship, airplane, or rotorcraft; and (3) An airship has the right-of-way over an airplane or rotorcraft. I don't think there is any doubt, legal or common sense, that a canopy has right of way over an aircraft. Of course this doesn't mean go head-to-head with an aircraft just to make them go-around. Avoid the runway and avoid the situation all together. But if an aircraft hits a skydiver under canopy, (I was on a DZ when this happened) excluding right after opening, it is the aircraft pilot's fault. Hook

It isn't distinctive, but the Safire2's are sized the same as the rest of Icarus's canopies now, which is the same as PD. There are other differences, but they are even harder to detect. Hook

You're right. I was thinking more of mis-routed around the closing flaps. Been so long since I have seen a ROL I forgot. Oops :-) Thanks for catching that. Hook

Thanks again. But if you don't agree with the last sentance, you're not a rigger :-) Hook

A Pilot chute in tow can be caused by: 1. An un-cocked kill line pilot chute 2. A pilot chute that was thrown unstable or poorly and has entangled with the jumper 3. A pilot chute bridle that was mis-routed during packing 4. A worn out, out of calibration (shrunk kill line) kill line pilot chute If #1, the pilot chute may still work, it may tow for a while, then inflate, or may never work, execute your emergency procedures. As long as you remain stable and don't entangle yourself in the pilot chute, you won't have a horseshoe malfunction. Be ready to deal with a 2 canopy out situation. If #2, Make one attempt to clear it (if altitude permits, and it should or you are pulling too low), if unable to clear it, execute your emergency procedures. As long as the pin doesn’t get pulled in the process, you won’t have a horseshoe malfunction. Be ready to deal with a 2 canopy out situation. If #3, Pulling on the bridle most likely won’t do anything, but if you do manage to get the pin pulled and you remain stable during this process, a normal deployment should follow. I don’t recommend reaching back and pulling the bridle, instead, execute your emergency procedures. If the bridle is mis-routed, you will not have a horseshoe. If #4, Same as #1 Reaching back to pull the pin in a pilot chute in tow situation can make things worse, think that one through before you are ever in that situation. Hook

They ship thm w/ and w/o the installation kit. They cost the same, but Air Tec asks that the installation kit not be ordered if the rig it is going into is cypres ready. Hook

lol- I got those parts. Thanks for the help everyone, pretty cool, I'm internationally known! OK, maybe not. Hook

Dutch, I think Hook

Sorry if I sounded sarcastic- didn't mean too. Bill V. is correct, there are safer ways to generate more speed to swoop a canopy, but they don't generate as much speed as a hook turn. Some of the low turn fatalities/injuries are from low turns that were not ment to be hook turns, they simply turned too low, for any number of reasons. Some of the fatalities/injuries are from people that don't know enough and either don't ask, or won't listen to good advice. I agree that there should be less, if not none, fatalities/injuries from a functional canopy. As somebody already mentioned, education and guidence can make the difference. it is possible to perform hook turns and never get injured. It is also possible to die from a single mis-executed hook turn. Genreally hook turns are under-estimated and personnal skill over-estimated. I get just as much, and sometimes more enjoyment out of flying a fast canoy as I do in freefall. And to be honest, I look at some other sports (taking a kayak off a huge waterfall for example) and say "those guys are crazy". Whatever blows your hair back. Hook

De trim wordt niet altijd bepaald door de fabrikant. Met de tijd rekken en verslijten de lijnen. Op een high performance koepel kunnen een vijftal centimeter een groot verschil maken. Volgens een artikel van rigger Derek Vanboeschoten in het magazine Skydiving, moeten de stuurlijnen van een nieuwe koepel zelfs een beetje te lang zijn. Door het gebruik komt er tot 10 cm krimp op de lijnen door het wrijven van de slider over de lijnen. De lijnen van een koepel dienen van tijd tot tijd vervangen te worden wanneer ze hun trim verliezen. Nochtans zal dezelfde skydiver die netjes de banden van zijn wagen verwisselt als ze versleten zijn en die zijn olie op tijd wisselt er nooit aan denken hoe het gebruik zijn parachute beïnvloedt.

"Why are so many people doing this kind of thing? If these turns are so dangerous, what's the advantange? I'm assuming it's the thrill of a fast turn, or harsh turn, but even still... that's no excuse to sacrifice safety for a little speed. That's what freefall's for." Change a couple of words and you get a whuffo's point of view: Why are so many people doing this kind of thing? If these jumps are so dangerous, what's the advantange? I'm assuming it's the thrill of speed, or cheating death, but even still... that's no excuse to sacrifice safety for a little speed. That's what driving, motorcycles, boats, etc are for. Why hook turn, BASE jump, hell skydive at all? Why go SCUBA diving? Ride motorcycles? Go white water rafting? In every sport you have different levels of risk. They are some mellow kayakers out there and there are a few setting world records for the highest waterfall riden over in a kayak. If they land wrong, they could be paralized or killed. Why not just go paddle down a calm river? I love it when a skydiver calls me crazy. Cause it's there. Hook

Compare the length of the entire steering lines, tail to toggles. If one steering line is slack and one is taunt, then one has to be shorter than the other. If the canopy didn't have this turn before, chances are pretty good that, seeing as your steering lines were just replaced, the steering lines are the cause. Hook

I put 831 jumps on an FX-70 and 25 on an FX-79. Crossbraced canopies out perform non-crossbraced canopies any day of the week. FX is a higher perfomance canopy than a Crossfire 2, all other things being equal. Hook

"What is the difference between the two of them?" Crossfires I have jumped: Crossfire I’s: 104, 109, 116, 134 Crossfire 2’s: 89, 108, 149 The differences I noticed: The openings were better on the 2’s, if that is possible. Turns on the 2’s are definitely faster than the original. The Crossfire 2, 89 sq ft begged to be carved in the swoop, very sensitive to toggle input. They also have more oversteer, but I didn’t think the original had much oversteer. The 2’s seemed to have a longer recovery arc. Normal full flight speed seemed to be about the same with the 2’s having a higher top end, probably due to the longer recovery arc. The 89 really surprised me with how much performance it had. Hook

"Right, she never said it wasn't a good idea to have one, only that counting on the fact that you can cut out a reserve line-over is a bad idea." I agree it wouldn't be easy, depending on the size/wingloading of the reserve, but I don't think someone shaking you while in a hanging harness is a good simulation of a reserve line-over. If cutting a line over on a reserve ment the difference between living and dieing, I bet I could do it. Hhhmmm, sounds like I need to pack a line over on my intentional cutaway rig........Right after i jump that Clipper with no top skin, now that I put an 8 inch hole in the slider :-) Hook

In some cases, like on one of my rigs, it takes more force to open the container than to deploy the main. It depends on fall rate, type of container, how tight the closing loop is, how tight the main d-bag fits into the container, how big the PC is, what shape the PC is in, and how heavy the main and D-bag are. On tandems, a fully inflated drogue opens the container, then the drogue partially (mostly) collapses and pulls the D-bag out of the container for the rest of the deployment. Hook