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FrflyPimpDaddy

How freakwent are tandme malfunctions?

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It depends on a few things. The packers, the type of packers and the canopy used. Some DZs can go thousands of jumps without a tandem mal, some can't.

If the packing is up to par and the equipment is religiously maintained, then there's no reason why a tandem rig can go 1000 jumps without a mal.

But, even with perfect maintance, perfect packing and a perfect TM, shit happens and stuff can mal.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Most people who FLAT PACK my tandem canopies go 1,000's of jumps between partial malfunctions. The record is 7,500 between malfunctions at Skydive Las Vegas. Skydive Chicago, and certain military groups, reported similar results. Most DZ's who PRO PACK their tandems have 'functions every few hundred jumps. This differential between malfunction rates, Pro pack vs. flat pack, only seems to occur when packing large canopies.

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This differential between malfunction rates, Pro pack vs. flat pack, only seems to occur when packing large canopies.



Would it be right to infer that on smaller sport main(sub 200 sq.ft) canopies, that the Pro pack leads to a malfunction with less frequency than a flat pack?

Does the statement also imply that there is a higher chance of a packing error when Pro Packing large canopies?

Kris

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Most people who FLAT PACK my tandem canopies go 1,000's of jumps between partial malfunctions. The record is 7,500 between malfunctions at Skydive Las Vegas. Skydive Chicago, and certain military groups, reported similar results. Most DZ's who PRO PACK their tandems have 'functions every few hundred jumps. This differential between malfunction rates, Pro pack vs. flat pack, only seems to occur when packing large canopies.



Amen to "large" canopies. I haven't had a single mal since I bought a Sigma 395 (actually a "large" Sigma canopy) to replace an EZ 425!!

:D
Russell M. Webb D 7014
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Packers seem, to be the greatest variable affecting malfunction rates, with vintage of canopies being a secondary factor.
My first few years - doing tandems - I had plenty of hard openings, but no malfunctions.
Then I moved to Southern California, where the malfunction rate was something like 1/100. Most SoCal packers roll packed according to Strong Enterprises' manual. We experienced all varieties of malfunctions: bag lock, line dump, torn sliders, torn bottom skins, torn top skins, broken lines, tension knots, slider hang-ups, etc.
When Iron Mike introduced PRO-packing, openings got softer and our malfunction rate dropped dramatically. Malfunctions increased under his successor, who still PRO-packed, just not as neatly.
All that proves is that a neat PRO-pack is more reliable than a sloppy "anything" pack job.
Then I moved to Pitt Meadows while trading F-111 canopies for SET-400s. For the last 5 years we have averaged 1/1000. Part of that is the inherently softer openings of SET 400s.
All of these malfunctions have been traced to specific sloppy packing practices or "finger problems."

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I think that the malfunction rate for tandem rigs is always going to be lower than on sport rigs for one primary reason, the experience of the packers. Typically you have DZ employed packers that have packed a zillion rigs and are highly proficient with what they do, ie, they are specialized in packing tandem mains. Where as most sport jumpers that pack their own mains, only have "x" number of pack jobs that corresponds to the number of jumps they have. A jumper with 150 jumps has only (in theory) 150 pack jobs, and as such is less effficient than the packer packing tandems that has 2000 pack jobs. When we are first starting out in the sport we have so much to learn and to keep in our head, and I have observed packing proficency to be one of the harder things for newer jumpers to become effioecnt at.

Hence, my theory is that tandems malfunction less than sport rigs becuase the people that pack tandems "typically" have more experience than people packing sport rigs.

--
My other ride is a RESERVE.

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In Sweden we usually don't use packers and keep quite good track of reserve use.
The figures last year were:
just under 500 tandem per reserve ride
~250 student jumps per reserve
1000 A-D license per reserve.
Tandems have longer lines and wear a lot.

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Most DZ's who PRO PACK their tandems have 'functions every few hundred jumps. This differential between malfunction rates, Pro pack vs. flat pack, only seems to occur when packing large canopies.


At my DZ, we recently started PRO Packing the tandems (SET 400 and other 425's). There has been less malfunctions, and according to the TM's, softer openings since we stopped flat packing. I think one of the reasons we have had success with the PRO pack, is when you pack from a hook, you can walk all around, see in the sides, and just get a really nice pack. Seems to be working pretty good.

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Sport rigs tend to malfunction about 1 in 1000.



Sweet! I've got 42 jumps on my new rig. That means I still have 958 jumps to go till my first malfunction!;)



Haaa, ya keep on thinking that. My first was on jump 27, my second on jump 98 and my gf's was on her 7th....

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