Quagmirian

While we're on this subject, and given that practically any loop-cutting AAD could lock up instead of cutting cleanly, why do some H/C manufacturers put the cutter on top of flaps rather than the base of the container?

Can someone give me an outline of why this is a bad idea and what can go wrong? Anyway with over half my parts cut out and and a bit of sewing done, it's about time I show off my design. [inline parts.gif] This canopy will probably never fly, but if anything this project has at least opened my eyes to how much stuff there is to know about parachute design.

I think PD uses slightly lower bulk seams for the Sabre 2.

Paying for healthcare at all is fucked up, in my opinion.

I don't think you're going to get to any DZ by tube. A train journey followed by a taxi ride is an alternative if you feel like pissing some money away. There will probably be a few Londoners on here who could give you a lift. There are a few DZs which call themselves 'Skydive London'. Here is a list.

John LeBlanc on Dacron.

A good track really does produce proper aerodynamic lift. Anyway, if that bothers you, wait till you hear about atmonauti...

Anybody know what this is? From the drawings it looks really... odd. http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4634080.pdf

To make a small fortune in skydiving you're going to have to start with a large one. Becoming an instructor will cost a lot of money, but you can earn money (or at least save it) pretty quickly by learning how to pack. You don't have to be a skydiver to do that.

Isn't it normally the other way around?

They last for the rest of your life. Nylon does not degrade over time, it only wears out from use and sunlight.

Spoken like a guy who has absolutely no idea how real gear emergencies can actually play out. If you don't understand that there are circumstances that make pulling a reserve handle next to impossible (soft handle tucked under MLW, floating handle, rigging issues, randomness) and that having an RSL as a backup has true value, then you're the guy who shouldn't be jumping. There are valid reasons for people who have specific gear considerations to not have an RSL. Not understanding potential problems is NOT one of them. Seriously. I can't edit my post for some reason so I'll just put this here. I was being sarcastic, and deliberately using those words to refute a previous poster's similar argument about AADs. I jump with both an AAD and an RSL (I wouldn't jump without either), and I agree that most jumpers should, for the reasons you described. I am aware that in some situations these safety devices can cause more trouble than they solve. I myself have disconnected my RSL after deployment to do some canopy flocking, and I know of at least one person who jumps a very highly loaded canopy and doesn't have an AAD.

People who have an RSL on their rig aren't confident in their own abilities to pull the reserve after cutting away, and shouldn't be jumping.

Would the USA ever allow the USPA to actually govern the sport, by making rules instead of guidelines?

About bloody time. I remember tying to use this function and wondering why it didn't work.

Pull on you're break toggles to flair the canopy.

Not much to go on here but there is some hardcore thread-in-fabric action going on. http://youtu.be/DVYjwUJviik

Correct answer. Elsinore is how DZs should be run.

The original Swift Reserves did have light reinforcement and a box stitch where the ribs met the skins.

"Get the fuck out of the plane." Good to see our fellow jumpers checking the spot and for traffic and not at all being encouraged to exit when the green light comes on.

There will never be a better deployment method than the one we have at the moment, stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Also, there will never be a better canopy than the Paracommander, so don't bother trying to design a new canopy either. Yes, there is a good chance that your ideas will have be thought of, tested, and tossed away before, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try anyway. I would love to see you come up with a new deployment bag design, and I wish you good luck with your project.

Is it really possible to take an RDS to terminal?

Ok, here we go again. I've decided that I really liked my last model, nd I'm going to bring back the airfoil, with a few improvements. It's still got a thickness of 16% and the basic shape is still there, but I've smoothed it out a bit in an attempt to improve performance. I've also steepened the leading edge inlet by about five degrees. As for the seams, they're about as simple as you can get, and according to RiggerLee, I should be able to get away with them, for a few jumps a least. They'll also be super easy to mark and sew. I've drawn up a stabiliser, based on the predicted line lengths, this time taking into account the length of the bottom seam, tape and lark's head knot. The line trim will probably change, but now I know that I can replace the stabilisers on the finished model if I need to. I haven't drawn any patterns yet, and I'm interested to hear what people think about this.

Pretending bad things in the sport don't happen isn't going to make them go away.

What's wrong with that?