f1shlips 2 #1 March 3, 2004 What is the best way to inspect a reserve? I was taught to sit on the floor and pull the canopy towards me, working left to right/right to left focusing on little sections at a time. I've heard of people hanging it up by the trailing edge. , and I assume they simply walk up and down the reserve with thier eyes. In Poytner's there's some mention of a light table. I couldn't find anything about that in the forum. Has anyone ever tried sticking some lights up the nose (shnoz) while it was suspeneded. It seems like defects would pop right out at you that way.-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tink1717 2 #2 March 3, 2004 You have to come up with a method that will best suit the facility that you have. If you have enough room to hang it, great, if you don't you'll have to figure something else out. I don't think it would be a good idea to stick a light up there. Just too many things to get snagged, heat issues, ect... A light table would be great, provided you have room, and money. All that stuff costs.Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off. -The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!) AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1shlips 2 #3 March 3, 2004 QuoteYou have to come up with a method that will best suit the facility that you have.... you'll have to figure something else out. Yup, that's why I'm axin. You were with me at DeWolf's, you doing the same procedure?-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markbaur 0 #4 March 3, 2004 QuoteI was taught to sit on the floor and pull the canopy towards me, working left to right/right to left focusing on little sections at a time. That's an okay method for inspecting the top. Do you use the same method for the bottom? How about the insides? Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1shlips 2 #5 March 3, 2004 >That's an okay method for inspecting the top Bottom is pretty much the same, little more work, but pretty much the same. I stick myself into the cells and keep a hand out to hold it taught and work it over me. There's less material, so standing near a light seems to work well. If that's an just an okay method, what do you do?-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markbaur 0 #6 March 3, 2004 I'm a hanger-upper. It's easier to get a light to shine along, onto, or through the canopy that way. Some cells are too small to crawl into, so hanging by the trailing edge means I can pull the cell taut and see to the end on those small canopies. And hanging makes checking line continuity a snap. Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tombuch 0 #7 March 3, 2004 Hang it up by the tail, then climb into each cell pulling the fabric toward you. Move around within each cell doing a 360 inspection. It's faster and easier than you think. I know a rigger who has a series of fluorescent lamps mounted on the wall behind his hanging space so the light shines through the fabric and makes it easy to see any wear points. It's a pretty neat set-up and easy to build if you are going to be packing a bunch of reserves, but probably not worth the effort for a home pack job. If you go that route, just be sure there is either a bunch of space or some kind of guard between the lamps and the canopy. Fluorescents don't get very hot, but there is some heat, and the fixtures create a few snag points. Tom Buchanan Senior Parachute Rigger AuthorJUMP! Skydiving made Fun and EasyTom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1shlips 2 #8 March 4, 2004 Quote Move around within each cell doing a 360 inspection. It's faster and easier than you think. I know a rigger who has a series of fluorescent lamps mounted on the wall behind his hanging space so the light shines through the fabric and makes it easy to see any wear points That sounds like the way to go.-- drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tink1717 2 #9 March 4, 2004 No, I had to modify it to accommodate having no place to hang a canopy. I made it so I can do it on the floor by using a sort of "flat pack" method of flaking it and doing a chord wise inspection. Time consuming but effective.Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off. -The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!) AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver30960 0 #10 March 5, 2004 One good trick I learned for space-challenged riggers is to inflate the canopy one cell (half-cell, as it were) at a time with a floor fan. Keep the fan close to keep the cell inflated, stick your head in there and check things out. You can check top skin, bottom skin, crossports, the whole shebang. You have to rattle the canopy around a little to make sure it inflates all the way back to the tail, but overall it's a pretty easy method if you can't hang the canopy. Doesn't do much for inspecting lines, continuity, or connection points, so make sure you check them out on their own once you're done with the canopy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
