skydiverek

The ideal situation is when the cable ends in the lower half of the D-handle.

From Bill Booth: "While ago, I got a bag of sand from Skydive Las Vegas to use in webbing slip testing. It definitely lubricates the webbing, and polished the hardware. So I agree that desert sand (dry dirt) is the worst. Most slippage reports come from out West. The testing we do for slippage is done in a machine, and therefore cannot be done on a finished harness. The standard we use used to be 600 lbs. for 3 seconds with no slippage. By working with the hardware manufacturers, we have been able to get it up to 1,000 lbs. With the same hardware, different colors and finishes of webbing slip at different loads. We always test with lightly treated silver webbing, because in my experience, it slips the worst. Red and purple are the best, with black somewhere in the middle. Usually, a harness that is good when you get it, will start to slip gradually, if it ever does. So the second you detect slippage in use, do something about it. Sometimes washing the webbing, or slightly "roughing up" the center bar of a friction adapter with light sandpaper will solve the problem. Sometimes the hardware, or even the entire harness, will have to be replaced." and "We have made red and purple passenger harnesses, but most people like black. I don't think I look particularly good in purple...how 'bout you? And of course, the military is particularly fond of silver, which slips the most...and they want no slippage at loads approaching 1,000 lbs."

Quotewhat kind of info do you want ?Quote Any

Any info on this one?: http://www.crazy4skydive.com.pl/sklep/foty/X-fast.jpg

Direct video link for download here: http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloadsnew/cj_62176.wmv

Not true. From Yuri (outrager): "The ultimate wingsuit low pull award belongs to Den. He nearly landed a wingsuit a couple of years ago, impacting at line stretch with his slider still stowed in a C-line rubberband." That was over the HARD LAND, not water.

Not true. From Yuri (outrager): "The ultimate wingsuit low pull award belongs to Den. He nearly landed a wingsuit a couple of years ago, impacting at line stretch with his slider still stowed in a C-line rubberband." That was over the HARD LAND, not water.

You are gonna worry about it when you have a reserve horseshoe.

You meant 'main deployment bag', not a 'feebag', didn't you?

Have you tried Micro Sigma, yet?

From Bill Booth, on the drogue topic: "To be reasonably "stable", drogues need some sort of venting around their "equator". I tried a no-mesh drogue years ago (similar to a Vector reserve pilot chute). It orbited above me in wildly osccillating eight foot circles. It was quite a ride. The other reason all holes in our drogue are covered with mesh, is that TM's often have to dump their reserve pilot chutes past a drogue in tow, and I don't want any snag points to catch that reserve pilot chute. It is a lot of extra work to "mesh in" all drogue openings, so we only do it because we have to. We use the toughest mesh we can find, and quite often it outlasts other parts of the drogue http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1899999#1899999

Video here: www.canopypiloting.com/nick665.mov

What does that sentence mean? Strong did some tests in the 80's where the reserve was fired into the drogue on purpose. There was a report on that in Parachutist some 20 years ago. The test TM was (probably) wearing 3 parachutes, and had a huge bulk/load attached to his front, probably to simulate the passenger. The conclusion was that there is a VERY slim probability that the reserve will entangle with the drogue.

You are probably assuming that the spinning motion and the twists from the main will transfer thru the bridle on to the reserve (like the spinning motion and the twists transfer from your hand, thru the screwdriver, on to the screw). The difference is that the bridle is not stiff (like a scredriver) and will "absorb" the twists (=get twisted itself), rather than transerring the twists on to the reserve. Also, each TSO-D reserve was testdropped with THREE 360 twists. They fly straight...

Picture here: http://www.relativeworkshop.com/images/skyhookdemo.jpg

From Bill Booth: "Let me answer both questions. At first I worried that the Skyhook would put "too much" force on the reserve bridle, causing a bag strip in certain extreme situations, like an accidental main deployment on the tailgate of a C-130, that broke the right main riser, and caused the Collins' lanyard to breakaway the left riser, resulting in a both fully open, and "fast" main canopy dragging out the reserve bag via the Skyhook. To make sure this would not happen, I did drop tests from PD's tower to determine how much force was necessary to cause a bag strip, then designed the red Skyhook lanyard to break before that force could be applied. That's why it breaks at 400 lbs." Little background from Bill Booth: "The reason I have removed the right hand reserve ripcord (crystal ball) from Sigma tandem systems with the Skyhook, is that if you pull the "Crystal Ball", you pull the RSL, which pulls the Skyhook hardware, which pulls a bight of freebag bridle out of the container just under your right ear. While this will not stop the Skyhook from releasing during bridle stretch, it just might put your reserve bridle in a position to entangle with your helmet. I know this is far fetched, and we can't make it happen on the ground, but I'm not willing to take the chance." and "The "crystal ball" right hand reserve handle was originally put on Vector tandem systems when we were using the red, outward facing, PILLOW reserve handle on the left side. Now Vectors and Sigmas come with a forward facing red loop reserve handle on the left side, which you can pull with your right hand if need be. It isn't particularly easy, but neither was the "crystal ball". So, you really don't have to make a choice between the Skyhook and the Crystal Ball. Besides, does anyone know of a Tandem Instructor who actually used the Crystal Ball to save his life?"

Do the magnets loose their strength over time???

I'm failing to see how this would damage webbing. Do you have a photo or explanation of the damage? Download THIS: http://www.relativeworkshop.com/pdf_files/09122.pdf

Do you "feel" the hip rings? I mean, without the "protective layer", do you feel them (are they uncomfortable)?

www.uptvector.com it is!

A new option appeared on the Vector 3-M and Micron order forms: 'one piece OR two piece leg pad'. The two piece that used to be the only option till now is on the RIGHT. New one piece design is on the LEFT. What are pros and cons of each?

Billvon saved someone, too. And Greg Robertson (sp?).

From Bill Booth: "Well over 90% of all reserve uses on a Vector Tandem follow a cutaway. On the Sigma it's closer to 99.9%. So you really want to be sure that your canopy release system is as reliable as possible, don't you. When you add a third (drogue release) cable to the cutaway handle, you, at best, increase the force necessary to cutaway. (Due to increased housing friction) And at worst, you lower the reliability of your cutaway system. (If that third cable jams for any reason, you can't cutaway at all.) Increased complexity almost always leads to more malfunctions, and these three cable systems prove that point quite well. That's why Relative Workshop won't put a three cable system on any of our tandem rigs."

Here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=113117#113117

How is it different?