fcajump

Well, I wear an 11-1/2 EE (US sizes) when I jump, but I think you're refering to Monty Pyton's Flying Circus, the British comidy troup and associated shows/movies/etc. And while I think both are very enjoyable to watch, this is an actual air show in the 1930's tradition seen live by thousands (vs millions) each year. JW Besides - we don't have any dead parrots. Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

As some of you know, I am one of the skydivers working with the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, VA www.flyingcircusairshow.com We're a 40 year old weekly airshow keeping alive the traditional barnstorming airshow. We're a 501c3 non-profit with a very limited promotions budget. Well... NASCAR and Toyota are running a promotion, and the Flying Circus is trying to get voted into the final round. In looking at the vote counts, I think we might have a good chance, if we can get more help... So, I am asking you all to help us with this promotion. Please go to: http://www.sponsafier.com/share/101666 ...and click on the "Vote" button in the bottom right. You can vote once a day everyday between now and the 10th of March. PLEASE help us the the Flying Circus car into the finals!! Thanks!!! Jim Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Might contact Strong... It was a couple years back, but I recall them selling new MC-4's on the open market. http://www.strongparachutes.com JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I wasn't accusing you of taking shortcuts (wasn't really commenting either way). My engineering brain just couldn't let that one pass! I probably should have added a smiley. Actually, my engineering brain too no offense, just saw the opportunity to elaborate. Thought I had included a smiley too...

If A > B, then B < A. If you are taking more time for non-repeat rigs, then you are taking less time for repeat rigs. It's the same thing. Granted. But I would put another concept to the equation... c="normal" inspection time (define it as you will, but I know what it means to me... and in talking other riggers, it tends to exceed most other "normals") A>C B=C B is never less than C, but A is always greater than C

...yea, I know... "it's not you, its me..." I am so used to hearing that (PM sent) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Nope, you don't have to agree. And that's fine.

Don't know if I am the rigger referred to here, but as I'm a rigger who jumps in the area and I know of other riggers in the area with similar pricing practices, lets assume I am for the sake of this discussion... (I take no offense either way...) This is my SOP. My policy and philosophy is this... My normal inspect and repack is very thorough and I tend to take more time and IMHO care than I see from some other Riggers. However, the first time I see a rig, or if the rig is brought to me open rattling around in the car trunk and/or just drug out of a tree I do spend even more time. First time I see a rig, I do a stitch-by-stitch inspection of EVERYTHING inside and out. If its still under my seal, I do assume a certain level of consistency in the gear. If not, I assume nothing. While I have been told this is excessive (by a mfg), I have also found gear incorrectly made that had been previously "A.I.R"ed by other rigger(s). Its not that I take less time for repeat rigs, its that I take that much more time for rigs I haven't seen before, or that has been deployed. So, I simply use my seal as a discount token. For those that want to ground deploy their system, NO problem... bring me your rig with my seal intact and THEN we'll have you put it on (all the way) and do a deployment while talking through an emergency. (teaching opportunity, not just pull and go) I have my prices published online for all to see: http://www.parachuterigger.us/html/prices.html You don't have to pay my prices. But, then again, I don't have to pack your 'chute. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

2-4 hours, but you're not necessarily the next rig to be worked on, and a Saturday is not necessarily the best day to get in line. (PS - as someone else said, bribes help here... ;-) My part-time shop is usually booked a couple weeks out. CYPRES2.

In the big picture I would suggest that a (generic) plane in a climb attitude is less safe than a plane that is trimmed for a standard flat/steady-state exit. For a static line student in a Cessna or wing suiter in a King-Air, this might be a critical safety issue. For an experienced jumper, exiting low from an Otter where the pilot is not in a max-climb, not as much of an issue (I do it with pilots that know me and I'm the only one going out at the time, but in the general case I would not necessarily recommend it.) Just my $.03 (inflation) JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

I feel that, like with any skill, you're always forgetting things. The question is, are you replacing/adding/refreshing things faster or slower than you're forgetting them? I very much like the PIA seminars, BUT you get out only what you choose to put into attending. I've learned much at them, but I've also seen folks present that I'm sure from the glazed look in their eyes took nothing away from them. My Brother-In-Law is an RN, and MUST take a certain number of days of training to stay legal. As a pilot, I must prove that I can still identify a CFI on sight every other year. While the US has currency requirements for our riggers, to my knowledge enforcement would be only after the fact (or due to a whistle blower). Personally, I would like to see some kind of refresher training required... but the devil is in the details and it could very quickly drive all but the factory riggers out of business. JW (who is still aspiring to be as good as either Jerry or Terry ) PS for the poll, I would have liked a multiple selection option as I (and others) have done several of the items. Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Wonder if its time to re-invent the brake toggle stow line?... OLD time riggers/jumpers and those who pack tandems (at least SE) know what I mean... is a loop that goes through the cats-eye though which you lock the toggle top. Don't know how well they would help for un-stow pressures like this, but might be worth looking into for h/p canopies... Just $.02 JW Simple. Stiffer toggles. If they won't release, they're too soft. I made my own for that very reason. The white loop you mention will wear out too quick with HMA, Vectran, or Spectra. plus the need to pull the toggle down past the cateye on occasion will be required. Good points. JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Wonder if its time to re-invent the brake toggle stow line?... OLD time riggers/jumpers and those who pack tandems (at least SE) know what I mean... is a loop that goes through the cats-eye though which you lock the toggle top. Don't know how well they would help for un-stow pressures like this, but might be worth looking into for h/p canopies... Just $.02 JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Not cutaways, but broken steering lines on back-to-back jumps. First time I was chanting emergency procedures until the hard deck, then landed with my heart racing with anxiety... Next jump I was chanting every swear word at the rig and the rigger who didn't change both break-lines when he fixed the first one... Get with a rigger to review the gear and your packing, then go get back in the saddle!!

Almost looks like he is starting off the dive 1/2 through the side-spin recovery procedures... That observation, along with more information on his past experiences (especially any bad ones) might explain why he is starting the dive that way. Not justifying, just trying to understand. I would suggest that a TI/E (or at least the DZO) talk with this TI... hopefully the TI will be receptive to constructive criticism... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Nothing that other's haven't already said, but a vote for: Is it controllable and landable (and not likely to get worse)? Yes -> land it. No -> cut it before your hard deck. Now, if you have never flow with rears, you have not fully learned your canopy and need to do so ASAP. INCLUDING FLARE. (practice up high, this will be much different than toggle flare, the stall on rears can be very abrupt.) Done it twice... jumps 20 & 21 on a Goliath (as the name implies, its BIG). No problems, but a PLF was helpful on the second. (Rigger didn't change the second line when the first broke... so it broke the next week and he got to change it then...) Now, given a smaller, twitchy canopy... maybe not. (see above test) Good that you are asking questions.

Jerry, Thanks for the tip! Will try one as I'm always looking for better. The one I reviewed has been great for short/quick work, but I am concerned about its long-term quality (get what ya pay for). As I talk to other riggers, I am finding that while we don't all like the same tools, we are all going through similar frustrations, searches and in some cases home-made tools. Thought it was time to share some, especially for newer riggers who feel that they are one their own. Thanks for adding to this one. As to the Auto Zone site, I was afraid of that. The solder gun is there, but their search engine is inconsistent even given the same search string twice. For others looking for it, I would say if the part number doesn't get you there, try by brand (which worked 2/3 times I tried). Blue Skies, JW

Ok, so this is not rocket science, and it would be nice if we all had laser cutters that finishes the edges, but some of us are on a budget. I've tried several affordable "hot-knifes" that have ranged from a soldering iron retro-fitted with an exacto-knife type blade (cut but never hot enough at the tip to finish the edges) to a soldering gun with a large round tip (which made a large melted mess). I've also seen several hot-knifes that are made for nylon webbing, but are useless for working with light-weight fabric. Finally found a good all-around hot knife for working with nylon, both webbing and fabric. Dorman brand soldering gun Available at Auto Zone Online: http://www.autozone.com, item 85369 Price: ~$20 In most appearances, this is like most other soldering guns: pistol shape, trigger switch, quick heating and light to help see what you are doing. However, unlike any other soldering gun available its here, its tip is flat. From the side the tip looks like brands, but viewed from the top is very thin. This allows the knife to be drawn through the material making a thin, clean melted cut. With just a little care, it will simultaneously cut and sear F-111/ZP or Type VII webbing with ease, leaving a professional edge. The only other soldering guns I've seen with a flat blade like this, are more traditional soldering gun blades that have been pounded flat by frustrated riggers. Jim Sr. Parachute Rigger "Hot Tip" for cutting fabric/webbing with such a hot-knife: a thick piece of glass laid down under your material makes a great cutting surface. Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

N/A

Matt I have seen a set of risers exactly as you describe, from a canopy using such a hybrid line set. I will leave it up to those more knowledgeable than I, but here is my guess... I am reading between the lines (sorry) of several reports out using this hybrid configuration... and based both on the reports, and the set of risers I saw last week, it seems to me that the heat that would normally be dissipated into the spectra (causing the unwanted shrinkage) is being held by the slider grommet during its travel and not dissipated into the Vectran at all. This results in the hot slider grommets coming to rest on the risers. The heat quickly dissipates into (and damages) the first area of Nylon webbing it contacts. By the time you have stowed your slider, the grommets are probably cool. If this is correct (and I am very open to other ideas) it seems to me that having to retrim the canopy after a while is better than melting risers and risking their failure... but that's just me... JW PS - seems like one more reason to reline with Dacron Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Was watching another thread and I noticed that their students were not wearing helmets. (not typical where I jump) While most TI's that I know have their students in frap hats, I also have seen one TI that puts Protec on them (and a full-face on himself). For myself, I used a Protec on me to help ensure I was there for the whole dive and a frap hat on my student to ensure that they were less likely to either hurt me (headbutt) or have their hair in my face and/or risers. Curious what others do elsewhere... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

As for it being a different DZ making Twin Cities look bad, I doubt it. While I took the first comment as a play on the evil "twin" always present in fiction, the nasty thing about the internet is that a quick review of STC's site leads to mapquest which includes sat photos, which looks very similar to the ground shots in the videos. So the twin must look JUST alike... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

When I jumped here (attached) everyone was required to (and I think the least of us had a 'D' and many were PRO rated). I had one of the ParaGear specials for that jump. Normally I am at least several miles from the nearest body of water, so not close enough that I worry about it. I guess if if I jumped close (

: http://www.paragear.com/templates/parachutes.asp?group=29&level=1 Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

Not that I know of... But backing up one day directly over the tree line and looking back at nothing but miles of woods... I climbed up the fronts even without them... Don't know how effective it was, but it made me feel better doing something right about then... JW Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...