jdathome

What's to frown on? A hot girl with another girl strapped to her chest. Seems like all smiles from this point of view. The problem I see with female TI's is the set back it's going to create. How will you ever get the male students to go out on their own? "I better do one more Tandem to be sure!" Really, isn't 69 tandems enough? LOL Great photo Kim!

You're missing the point, in a way. A service bulletin is something like a recall, each mfg issues them in an attitude of safety. If they find something wrong with their design, they issue a service bulletin to correct the flaw. Some can be fixed by your local rigger, some must be sent in. Others may be grounded? It's all about safety. Age is the enemy, yes. But you can tell a rig that was cared for vs one that was neglected. Fading and fatigue are not easily covered up. Once you find something you think is good, first ask your instructor. He'll know if the rig is a good choice by dimention. He'll know if you have the skill to fly it safely. Then ask your rigger to inspect it, he can tell you if the rig is safe: airworthy. Beyond that, you need to learn more about the sport. You need to feel what it's like to depend on that thing on your back to save your life. Learn about the equipment so you know what things do and why. If you think you want to skydive, get your ass to the drop zone and hook up with them. Considering gear choices and cost is simple. Deciding if this sport is for you can only be figured out after you get going. A lot, probably most, first jumpers can't wait to go again. But for one reason, or another, very few go on to get a license. If you are one of the few, money and time won't matter. You'll jump as often as your bank account will allow. Then you'll hit up the credit cards. Be prepared to be adicted...we all are!

Sounds like a question for Monte Python?!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFXG3r_0B8 Sorry, 1st thing that came to mind while reading the replies to the OP. LOL

These are all good points to consider provided by the previous posters. One thing I can add that may help, when you are looking at a rig, the provided information should include a date of manufacture. Take a quick peek at the manufacturer’s web site. Normally you will find “Service Bulletins” somewhere in the support area. This process is a job for your rigger to perform, but if you find an outstanding required repair on a potential purchase, you would be able to ask in advance if the Service Bulletin has been satisfied. This could save you weeks, if you were to buy a rig that needed a trip to the factory before it was air-worthy. You can also get a good look at the manual. Learn as much as you can before you buy! Ask your rigger(s) at your home DZ what they like and are comfortable with. Buying something they are familiar with, and something they may already have spare components for, could also help you in the long run. I don’t see too many Racers at our DZ, so for one of our members to buy one isn’t frowned upon, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what to look for in your initial inspection and decision. One of my friends bought a used Quasar II a few weeks ago. I was there, at Couch Freaks, when he bought it. But not being familiar with the rig, we got stung on both notes above. The rig had an outstanding Service Bulletin and my lack of knowledge about the Quasar II didn’t allow me to catch it before the sale. It cost an extra $100.00 to send it in and have the work done by Strong Ent. Don’t get me wrong, sending the rig to Strong works out great for the long term. They gave it every possible inspection and performed the update at a very reasonable price. They even replaced a leg pad that had a tear for no charge! The only thing my friend really lost was three weeks waiting for it. Talk to your instructors! Don’t buy until you finish your AFF! Paying for a couple extra rentals is a lot cheaper than buying the wrong setup. Be patient….Slow is FAST when skydiving is the subject! Hope this helps. Good Luck / Blues…

Thanks, i'll give this one a go.

Well I think L&B needs to return my email. I have mailed to them on three different dates and three different email addresses. Have not received one reply, not one! Could someone provide a known working email address for support at L&B? I love my Altitrack, but I'm failing to get the good results everyone else seems to be getting? All I really need to know is, when I download new jumps from my Altitrack, the free fall totals don't update in Jump Track. How can I force the program to update automatically? Sounds trivial, but free fall totals, for me, are one good reason to fly a dive computer... Blues... Jeff Reinke

Wendy, you are a kind and caring person. You don't have anything to worry about in the "karma" department! I will never forget your concern for my safety. You even offered to give me a canopy to use until I could save up to get one on my own, or work up to the canopy I was jumping. You looked at my situation and thought I was putting myself in harms way, then took the time to do something about it. My hats off to you! Thanks Again! PS: I am still jumping the 190 Diablo and doing very well with it. But I must add that your comments and advise have made me more cautious and respectful of the hurt it could inflict. I stand up most of my landings now, even on no wind days. But I always hear something telling me, "be careful, this thing can kill you in a second!"

How far is the reserve pin pushed into the closing loop? If the pin has a bevel, the bevel should be off the grommet. Only the straight part of the pin should be contacting the grommet. I inspected a rig with a similar problem and was able to gain roughly a half inch by pulling the pin back where it was supposed to be. This gave the jumper a little more slack in the cable. One thing worth mentioning, the slack in the cable is not to prevent accidental reserve deployment should the reserve handle be bumped, or come out of its holder, or when you bend over to exit an aircraft. Yes, you need slack for these movements, but the reserve cable slack is there to prevent pin tension during main deployment. That means during the opening shock when the main inflates. That tug on the harness is what needs to be considered. If you think you are putting enough tension on the reserve ripcord while merely bending and twisting, you’re not. You need to have someone strong pull straight up on the main risers to simulate main deployment. Do not jump the rig if you’re not sure enough slack exists in the reserve cable. Hope this helps? Blues…

I like your inspection sheet. It seems to be very detailed. May I suggest a couple things? If you were to add a letter-head, of sorts, near the top of the invoice, it would look very professional. Rather than your contact info being on 2nd page and near the bottom. Also, including your rigger seal symbol and rigger number may be a nice touch? But my suggestions are merely symantec, the info you have listed looks like it serves its purpose very well.

ColorNote is one of my favorites. It allows you to put different colored sticky notes on your screen as widgets. East to open, easy to edit. Make check lists. Give it a try...you'll love it. All the Google Apps. Facebook Fandango Shazam (song recognition app) Timer ZP Dashboard And many more. I love my DROID!

Inside the riser, where the soft link is joined with it's larks head, you wouldn't want the brake line snagging that knot as it pulls through when releasing the brake. A rapide link will not be affected.

I have been in the sport for only two years. Last winter I thought I needed a way to get more involved with the club and skydiving in general. I went to rigger school and got my wish. I spend Saturday's at the DZ. Have dinner with the group on most Tuesday nights. I pack reserves and do rigger stuff during the week too. No joke, just yesterday I was telling my girlfriend that next Saturday I was ground crewing for our demo team Saturday night. Leaving at sun up on Sunday for Ft Dodge to spend Sunday and Monday at Couch Freaks. She got pissy and walked away. Later, and this isn't the first time, she threw out the ultimatum again...skydive less, or find a new place to live. I started looking for a new place to live today! Screw this...SEE YA...!!! This is not a hobby, it's a life-style.

This works for my Javelin Odyssey: Stick the end of the toggle through the cat eye, as normal when setting the brakes. Take the excess line loop and thread it through the loop at the top end of the riser (the hole the rapide link attaches to). Bring the brake line loop back down to the toggle stow. Stick the end of the toggle through the loop and into the toggle stow. A couple things to think about when/before using this technique: 1) DO NOT do this if you are using any sort of soft link. 2) This should only be done when you have enough excess brake line so the line still has some slack in it when the riser is fully stretched. Imagine the riser after deployment. Hope this helps, but only do this if you are sure it won’t interfere with your deployment. Blues… Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

What I did was spend time with a rigger that allowed me to watch one, then pack one. I was also able to do the same with another rigger before my class. I learned tons of little tricks, even on the first two pack jobs. This gave me a slight advantage at school, but not much. My advise would be to get as many of your 20 required pack jobs done before you go to school. This allows you time at the loft you are attending to learn all the different machines and tools of the trade. I packed 18 reserves in 5 days, plus the classroom stuff. It was BRUTAL! Most courses are two weeks. I went to Para-Concepts at Skydive Chicago. Kirk's class is only 8 days, but it's 8 long ass days! Good luck. Being a "rigger" will make the sun shine brighter and life will be a magical dream! Birds will sing your praise as you walk down the street.....oh wait, that's what great sex does. Being a rigger is mostly a pain in the ass. But I dig it! Blues... Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

I emailed them on July 2nd. I never even got a reply! I just sent another email. We'll see what happens. In their defence, I notice the email address is different from the one I used the first time? I also see they took down the forum. Someone was spamming the hell out of it. You couldn't get any answers off the damn thing. Blues.... Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

Too cool....here's to a pie in your face! Congrats!!! Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

This issue can be addressed in many ways. Should the rigger have known where the data label was on the rig he was servicing? Maybe not, but he should have been able to figure it out without calling the mfg, don't you think? Being a new rigger, I find myself fumbling around looking for that damn thing too sometimes. I tell you what, those rigs get a pretty close inspection due to the extra time spent. As for making the log entry, we all have our own pattern and sequence of what order we do things. As for writing down the numbers from the labels, why? If you find the rigs data card, everything you need should be on that card. I find the data card FIRST, then compare each component to the information from the card. Once that check has been complete, I move on to the A.I.R. When the work is all done, I fill out the paperwork and seal the rig. This works for me. It may not work for you and I don't care. Get your system down and do your job the best you can. Learn from your mistakes and don't do stupid shit that can get someone killed. I use a mollar strap because it works for me. If you don't use one, that's great. But don't give me a load of crap and tell me I'm wrong for using one. To the original OP, if you don't like the rigger your using, find a different one.

This happened to a friend of mine. He routinely shoved the hacky all the way inside the BOC to keep it from dislodging while transporting the rig in his car. After a few attempts to get the handle out of the pouch in freefall, he was forced to ride the white canopy down. He doesn’t do it anymore! The pilot chute isn’t the only way to extract the main, or reserve either. If one of the closing loops should happen to break, you would find yourself in a bad situation. Just a thought, is it possible to rent a locker at your DZ? Maybe you jump at different locations? But this would certainly solve your problem, if you go to the same DZ all the time. I would love to ride my bike, but I find myself transporting rigs back and forth for reserve packs and such. Good luck! Blues… Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

When sewing a patch that is close to a seam, I learned from the beginning the patch will be stronger if it is incorporated into that seam. When discussing a pending repair with a fellow rigger, he was telling me you need to be a Master Rigger to sew on a seam. Is there any wisdom to that statement? We are talking about a main canopy hear. Also, what should I charge for sewing patches? One patch I just did for our club was on the top skin and only covering a 2” by 3” area. But it still takes time, right? The next patch I’m doing is also on the top skin and about 3” by 10”, sewn into a seam where a non-load bearing rib is attached. Thanks for the input! Blues…. Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

My girlfriend ran off with our pilot. I'm not sure what the hell we're going to do until we find another pilot? That bitch! Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

We've sewn all our tandem rigs but one. I kind of like the split bag for that particular tandem. It's a ZP and very slippery due to it's newness. The split bag allows me to wrap the D-Bag around the folded canopy. I can't imagine messing with it while packing a solo rig would be worth while? Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

One pilot and five jumpers at our DZ. I believe that's all the seat belts we have? With lighter divers it wouldn't be a problem getting one more in. There is room. Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

I see a lot of mixed reviews concerning my original post. I love a good debate! I’ve only been in the sport a very short two years. Even with my short tenure, I am a Certificated Senior Rigger. My idea to be able to afford this addiction we all share was to invest money into rigger school in order to be able to make a little back over time. Rather than blow my savings on a rig and not be able to afford to jump it. Now I can pack reserves for my club and fellow club members. I can pack mains for anyone without having the whole “being under a riggers supervision” thing hanging over my head. In return I have become a contributing member to my club and drop zone. I believe I am also a better skydiver because of my knowledge of the equipment and how it works. But the flip side is, I’ve sacrificed being able to afford to buy my own rig for now. Anyway, I was just surprised that someone was being told it was a good idea for them to assemble their own gear. Although it may seem easy to attach a main to the risers and hook up the three rings, there are little things I have been trained to check that he may not think of. I understand the OP said he would have a rigger check his work when it goes in for the reserve pack and if that rigger misses something, he is a questionable rigger at best. My question is, in an effort to understand the boundaries of “okay” and “not okay”, if a rig needs a new main pilot chute, isn’t this considered a minor repair? Isn’t it mandated that a rigger should do minor repairs and why would a brand new installation be any different than a remove and replace repair? Just like anyone else, I am trying to learn and become a better, safer, skydiver/rigger. I know as a Senior Rigger, I can’t alter or change a harness, for instance. So I won’t do that. But as a skydiver/owner of a rig should I be assembling mains, risers, soft links, pilot chutes, kill line settings, checking brake settings and attaching toggles without having proper training, or authority? Not to mention, I want to know the guy/gal next to me on my next load isn’t going to kill me because they thought they could figure it out! Let the flaming begin! Great subject though. Lots of good discussion and comments. Blues… Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

Good job going to the PLF! I too am still new to the sport. I hate watching others stand up their landing, even in no wind, while I'm piling it in. Then once you get to the point where you think you are close to figuring it out, it's time to downsize canopies. Here we go again! Couple things: Do your best to not let this one hard landing freak you out so you flare too high on the next jump. Relax and bring it in smooth. Also, don't listen to peer pressure when you are getting a few more jumps and you feel like it's time to downsize your canopy. Get your flare down with the rig you are currently jumping and keep that PLF in your bag of tricks. It will save your ass at some point. Blue Skies! Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

The two people who have told him that are both low-timers, with four and three years in the sport. I have less time than that in the sport, but I am like a sponge. I want to learn and be good at my new found craft. Both jumping and rigging. But if someone at my home DZ said they wanted to assemble their new rig, I would tell them not to. Like you said, "What could go wrong?"