May 12, 2009, 12:26 PM
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Airworthy Vintage Gear
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I have been accumulating gear for decades now. I put it together into jumpable form, then store it in the loft until such time as the opportunity arises to air it out. With my schedule being what it is, I don't jump the half of it.
In any event, this forum seems to be populated with people who might be able to put to good use my duplicate items - for vintage gear jumps or just for fun.
I have the usual assortment of B-12/C-9 setups, with either 4-line release or modifications.
I have a couple of bellywarts, to include a T-10R and a C-9 with quarter bag, kicker plate and MA-1.
I have a UT-15 (Russian PC class canopy) and a couple of MK-1s. One of the PCs is in a Mini-System.
If there is anyone that wants any of this - hopefully to put it to good use, since it is all in good working order - contact me. I will let it go for less than I have invested in it; I just don't want any of it turned into car covers or kids' playthings.
I considered the classifieds, but figured this forum was where people who know what is what, and how to safely use it, would be found.
Also, my goal was more to make this stuff available to the part of the skydiving community that would actually value it than simply to list it "for sale." There are people who would drop the bucks for display or other purposes, and I have put too much time and effort into making it airworthy for that.
Thus, I think this forum is the best place to effect a handoff.
The UT-15 was the last round that I owned before converting to squares. It was hands down the best accuracy round that I ever jumped followed closely by the French Pap. Those 2 were the only rounds that I never had a mlfunction on as well. Seems like I averaged a mal every 200 or so jumps on PCs. I made 1600+ jumps on the Pap and UT with narry a mal.
I had two malfunctions on para-commanders (in about 300 jumps). Both were caused by a short retainer line on my sleeve. The sleeve and pilot chute were pulled into the modifications in the back, which caused a spin. Maybe I could have rode it in, but both times I cut it away.
I wonder about packing methods on the para-commanders. I almost always did a book pack job. Maybe things were too neat. I had a lot of hard opennings and burns on my canopy.
A lot of jumpers, just flaked and sleeved their canopies. That seemed to work okay. I was leery of that method, so I rarely did it.....
I had two malfunctions on para-commanders (in about 300 jumps). Both were caused by a short retainer line on my sleeve. The sleeve and pilot chute were pulled into the modifications in the back, which caused a spin. Maybe I could have rode it in, but both times I cut it away.
I wonder about packing methods on the para-commanders. I almost always did a book pack job. Maybe things were too neat. I had a lot of hard opennings and burns on my canopy.
A lot of jumpers, just flaked and sleeved their canopies. That seemed to work okay. I was leery of that method, so I rarely did it.....
I did both ways.. and had better luck with just flaking it.. ang sleeving mine... rather than flakeing... splitting it.. doing all the cute little folds... on the stabilizers etc....
It seemed simpler.. and less functions. Maybe it was just less wierd folds to induce shit to happen.
The only malfunction that I ever had on a ParaCommander was the time that I packed it exactly 'by the book.'
A whuffo showed up on the dz that day and was asking about packing/etc so I took my time to explain everything to him, I went real slow, and made it as neat as possible.
I had two malfunctions on para-commanders (in about 300 jumps). Both were caused by a short retainer line on my sleeve. The sleeve and pilot chute were pulled into the modifications in the back, which caused a spin. Maybe I could have rode it in, but both times I cut it away.
I wonder about packing methods on the para-commanders. I almost always did a book pack job. Maybe things were too neat. I had a lot of hard opennings and burns on my canopy.
A lot of jumpers, just flaked and sleeved their canopies. That seemed to work okay. I was leery of that method, so I rarely did it.....
Short retainer line = hard opening. A long retainer line seperates the snatch force and opening shock so you don't get it all at once.
I had two malfunctions on para-commanders (in about 300 jumps). Both were caused by a short retainer line on my sleeve. The sleeve and pilot chute were pulled into the modifications in the back, which caused a spin. Maybe I could have rode it in, but both times I cut it away.
I wonder about packing methods on the para-commanders. I almost always did a book pack job. Maybe things were too neat. I had a lot of hard opennings and burns on my canopy.
A lot of jumpers, just flaked and sleeved their canopies. That seemed to work okay. I was leery of that method, so I rarely did it.....
I did both ways.. and had better luck with just flaking it.. ang sleeving mine... rather than flakeing... splitting it.. doing all the cute little folds... on the stabilizers etc....
It seemed simpler.. and less functions. Maybe it was just less wierd folds to induce shit to happen.
I seem to recall this being a common experience for this whole category of canopy (PC, Pap, etc.): doing the meticulous "Christmas tree" wound up having a higher overall mal rate than just a simple side-pack (flake & sleeve). Just my own anecdotal experience from what I'd done/seen/heard.
I was taught a the “side pack” by my PC mentor a couple of years ago. Flake the canopy, clear the steering lines, center lines and then slide it on the table. Do not split the canopy. Clear the “dog ears” up by the crown lines. Clear the stabilizers and fold the corners in and then fold in half. (kind of looks like an envelope). Pull down the sleeve. Double stow the crown lines (two wraps of the retainer band) to prevent bag slump. Don’t double stow the crown lines if you have a POD. Stow the suspension lines normally. Go jump. Repeat.
I wonder what the malfunction rate is on a para-commander. I don't know of many people who went more than 200 jumps, without a malfunction on one. (reguardless of packing method)....
(This post was edited by steve1 on May 18, 2009, 11:21 AM)
I made about 900 PC jumps with only one malfunction. Left stabilizer panel wrapped aroung the steering lines. The majority of the pack jobs were side pack, i.e. flake and sleeve. The one malfunction was a "By the book" pack job! Side packing was introduced at Taunton, Ma. in the late 60's fro POP'S in Indiantown Fl.
I made almost 2,000 PC jumps and never had a canopy malfunction. I had one total mal. Over the years, I think I tried every packing method there was for a PC. They all seemed to work for me.
The reserve container is a SuperPro; I have one in Red/Blue.
Also, the Capewell fittings seem to be the 'large bar' type. They actually came in two different sizes and you could not put a large bar male fitting into a small female fitting; or vice-versa.
In that 1st photo, those ripcords pins are just about to release a pilot chute into your face.
I have over 1,500 jumps on a PC and it never malfunctioned. I would always flake, fold all the gore openings and sleeve it...basically everything the PC manual said to do. Some openings were better than others but that applies to any canopy I ever jumped.
