Micron Reserve Container Lock

[NickDG 23]

Just a guess based on the video . . .

To my eye the rig seems open "enough" for the loop not to be trapped.

Take another look this time with the idea the tuck tab is the culprit . . .

Once he pounds the rig open you can see the part that's tucked is pretty wide and long.

And maybe if the main container was empty it would have opened as that changes the dynamics. (I know there's little solace in that).

A different rig and a main container - but we once had AFF student rigs at Perris that totaled more than once in a while. We put in PCs with stronger springs and it still happened. We finally had to leave the main pin tuck flap open as SOP. Before we started doing that there wasn't an AFF instructor on the DZ that didn't have to punch one of those rigs open.

NickD BASE 194

[riggermick 6]

Quote

Just a guess based on the video . . .

To my eye the rig seems open "enough" for the loop not to be trapped.

Take another look this time with the idea the tuck tab is the culprit . . .

Once he pounds the rig open you can see the part that's tucked is pretty wide and long.

And maybe if the main container was empty it would have opened as that changes the dynamics. (I know there's little solace in that).

A different rig and a main container - but we once had AFF student rigs at Perris that totaled more than once in a while. We put in PCs with stronger springs and it still happened. We finally had to leave the main pin tuck flap open as SOP. Before we started doing that there wasn't an AFF instructor on the DZ that didn't have to punch one of those rigs open.

NickD BASE 194

I remember that! Nothing more freaky than having to physically assist a main deployment in free fall. I once had to grab the pilot chute and throw it to the other side as it hesitated in the worst way after the "punch", Not much fun. Ahh but we coped didn't we? And so it goes.

Mick.

[riggerrob 558]

Yes, I remember those Telesis student containers at Perris were among the few that R.I. ever built with two main ripcord handles AND an FXC on the main.
One of my last rigging jobs in California was to convert all of Perris Valley Skydiving Schools' Telesis to double-ended BOCs.

When we built a similar Telesis for retired President George Bush Senior, Sandy said:" That is the last rig of that configuration we will ever build."

[badlock 0]

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When we built a similar Telesis for retired President George Bush Senior, Sandy said:" That is the last rig of that configuration we will ever build."

Rob, just a short question: You wrote this a couple of times. Why did George Bush Senior get a entire new rig for only one AFF jump?
And why did he get such a different designed Rig and not a standard student rig?

Don't be a Lutz!

[mnealtx 0]

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And why did he get such a different designed Rig and not a standard student rig?

Would you REALLY want to be known as the manufacturer of the rig that totalled (for whatever reason) and killed a former President?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[riggermick 6]

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Quote

And why did he get such a different designed Rig and not a standard student rig?

Would you REALLY want to be known as the manufacturer of the rig that totalled (for whatever reason) and killed a former President?

That's about it!!!!!!!!



Mick.

[crazydiver 0]

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And why did he get such a different designed Rig and not a standard student rig?

Would you REALLY want to be known as the manufacturer of the rig that totalled (for whatever reason) and killed a former President?

Would you really want to be known as the manufacturer of the rig that totalled (for whatever reason) and killed anyone? If they have/had a functional product, then why wasn't it sufficient?

Cheers,
Travis

[billvon 2,384]

>Would you REALLY want to be known as the manufacturer of the rig that
>totalled (for whatever reason) and killed a former President?

Hmm. If I had to buy a rig that absolutely, positively had to work, I think I'd get the design that had the most jumps on it. rather than a more-unique one with (potentially) undiscovered malfunction modes.

I can think of at least one interesting failure mode the FXC-on-main arrangement has, that Perris discovered a while back.

[riggerrob 558]

When George Bush Senior was the key note speaker at the 1997 PIA Symposium, he announced that he would like to try skydiving. He sloughed off suggestions that he try tandem, and insisted on trying freefall, so the next thing you knew, all the PIA members were tripping over each other to donate gear for the highest profile skydive of the century.

Airtec donated a custom Cypres
FXC donated an FXC 12000 Revision M.
Precision donated a Raven 282-M
Flight Concepts donated a Man-o-War.
and Rigging Innovations donated a Telesis container.

R.I started with the USAFA pattern, but added an FXC and a second ripcord handle to the main container.
All the components landed in my lap for inspection, assembly and packing.
Once the rig was together, we did a few trial deployments on the table. The main pilot chute launched cleanly when we pulled the right-side ripcord or scared the FXC with a paper bag.
However, we experienced hesitations when we pulled the left-side ripcord. Eventually we traced the problem to the pilot chute cap squeezing the (double-ended) closing loop against the underside of the grommet on the bottom flap.
Our short-term solution was to use the shortest possible closing loop. Since that short a loop would offend professional packers ... our long term solution was to never build another Telsis with that main configuration (2 ripcords and an FXC).

[skydiverek 54]

SkydivingMovies.com is down, but the referenced file is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYIUjKGxagI&fmt=18

This situation is NOT Micron specific! Please see the attached two files.

[skydiverek 54]

Another, similar one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOuSnLKPy-Q

[pchapman 261]

skydiverek

Another, similar one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOuSnLKPy-Q

To summarize:
Someone tested a rig using a home made knife blade cutter on the ground, with the cutter just under the pilot chute, so that he could easily do multiple tests. (So it doesn't quite represent a normal AAD setup.) Not sure of the rig, but it looks like an old Vector II.

With a 110 mm long Cypres closing loop, when the loop was cut, the reserve container opened immediately. With a 125 mm loop, the same happened. With a 130 mm loop and the packed so the grommets zig zag and are not all lined up, the pilot chute did lock up the flaps and closing loop, bulging the flaps but not opening. Nothing happened for some seconds, until the rig was hit by hand and the pilot chute launched.

A good example of how a long closing loop combined with poor packing, and with a loop cut away from the top of the loop, can delay a reserve opening.