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sabregrl

Time to Replace my Pilot Chute?

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I got down from a normal jump on Saturday and my pilot chute ball was inside my pilot chute and my pilot chute line was twisted (pretty significantly). One person at the DZ (not a rigger) said that my pilot chute was "out of trim" and the only way to fix it was to get a new one. Any thoughts?

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One person at the DZ (not a rigger) said that my pilot chute was "out of trim" and the only way to fix it was to get a new one.



Folks, just when I thought I'd heard everything....

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Any thoughts?



I'd give it a few more jumps before coming to any conclusion.

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Never heard this. Every once in a while I get pretty good line twists on my pilot chute. It even happened on a brand new one. I figure it's just wierd winds or something since it's only rarely it happens. I've been told around 400 or so jumps in a good replacement time. One of the two bridle attachments next to the kill line broke on mine right around that time so I figured it was time to replace it.

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I've had mine twist up once (admittedly small sample space). I bought a second hand rig as my first (and current) rig. It's a Voodoo & had a 28" ZP pilot chute. I got a couple of hesitations (that scared the crap out of me) & then had an experienced friend jump it who also got a hesitation. I took the rig straight to the pro shop & had a new F111 32" pilot chute attached before jumping it again. Haven't had another hesitation yet.

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Those symptoms on one jump do not indicate 'out of trim'. A PC doesn't get out of trim as far as I know. It can be built asymetrical and spin after every jump. And if it's a kill line the kill line can be too short and not let be as big as it should be. And if it's not ZP it can wear out. And it can wear out in general. And the bridle can wear out, and the velcro on the bridle will wear out.

But spun up because out of trim? Was this guy the 40 jump wonder who thinks he's gods gift to skydiving and goes around giving lots of newbies bad and dangerous advice?
I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

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Look through the mesh of your pilot chute. You should see two tapes and a kill line running from the bridle attachment point, through the center of the pilot chute to the handle (hackey, monkey's fist, whatever). The kill line is usually made of Spectra and can shrink over time.

Next time you cock the pilot chute, continue to hold tension on the handle and observe the kill line and tapes. If there is tension in the tapes and the kill line is slack, it should be ok as far as 'trim' is concerned. If there is tension in the kill line and slack in the tapes, the kill line has shrunk too much and the pilot chute should be replaced or repaired by a rigger.

That is what comes to mind when someone mentions "trim" on a pilot chute.

That's one thing to check. How have your openings been? Are they unpredictable as far as time from pitch out to snatch force (say, when you get enough pull on the risers to seat you upright)? Are you getting intermittent hesitation or a lot of hesitation? If so, then I'd prolly replace the pilot chute. If your openings are predictable and the kill line is long enough, I personally wouldn't replace the pilot chute just because it twists up occasionally after deployment.

Also, one almost related thing to check is the stitching on the pilot chute, handle and bridle. A buddy of mine pitched the chute, then watched his hackey fall away after deployment. It separated from the pilot chute after he pitched. Luckily his main deployed anyway, but it could have been worse. He wrote an article about it in Parachutist. (Ask a rigger section, early 2008 I believe)

One last thing to check is where the bridle attaches to the main. Sometimes the rapide link can saw through the bridle, then you land and find yourself without a d-bag or pilot chute.

Anything else you didn't really ask about? lol :$

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I jumped my last pilot chute until it was literally frayed to pieces. I had thought of replacing it, but I didn't because it always worked. I got to the point where I said : I could replace this raged old pilot chute that works perfectly well, but why?

If your pilot chute works, and doesn't show signs of eminent failure, replacing it seems like a waste of money.

If the ball is getting sucked up through the apex on most jumps, that means the kill-line has shrunk due to friction. Your rigger can easily replace this kill line - and having him do so is a lot cheaper than buying a new one. Those things are expensive!

_Am
__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

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I got down from a normal jump on Saturday and my pilot chute ball was inside my pilot chute and my pilot chute line was twisted (pretty significantly). One person at the DZ (not a rigger) said that my pilot chute was "out of trim" and the only way to fix it was to get a new one. Any thoughts?



Who is the manufacturer of the pilot chute and bridal??

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

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Your rigger can easily replace this kill line - and having him do so is a lot cheaper than buying a new one.



I have made that repair and it is a BITCH. It is a LOT more work than it appears to be. All the local riggers that I have discussed this with agree that replacement of the PC is cost-neutral or cheaper. Certianly it is possible that they simply hate doing the repair and choose to charge so much that replacement is cheaper.
The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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I have made that repair and it is a BITCH. It is a LOT more work than it appears to be.



?!?

I'm a rigger.

Replacing a kill line is an easy way for an experienced hand to extend the life of your pilot chute.

I suppose there are easier pilot chutes, and there are harder ones, but I almost always prefer fixing something than just selling a new one. The fact that I don't own a gear store may have something to do with my bias.

_Am
__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

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Have you ever tried just stretching the kill line back out? Spectra is stretchy stuff, I've seen suspension lines stretched back out several inches to put a canopy into better trim until a new lineset could be installed.
Sometimes you eat the bear..............

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Have you ever tried just stretching the kill line back out? Spectra is stretchy stuff, I've seen suspension lines stretched back out several inches to put a canopy into better trim until a new lineset could be installed.


If you can find a rigger who is willing to replace the kill-line.
Its about $5. B|

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If I was going to replace it I'd do it myself, it would take 1/2 to 1 hour estimated. I'd feel pretty guilty giving my rigger $5 for 1/2 hour's work.

Actually my point is that unless the kill line is actually worn, which is a real possibility, then stretching it out would be a DIY job. I haven't had a kill line shrink out of tolerance on any of my PC's or I'd have tried it out already. I have replaced old PC's with new because the kill line, bridle and PC were all badly worn.
Sometimes you eat the bear..............

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Thanks everyone for your comments. To answer a few of them, the pilot chute has about 300-400 jumps on it, the winds were a bit weird on Saturday (the morning showed Santa Anas out of the east, grounds are usually directly from the west) and there was a little turbulence under canopy. The guy who mentioned the PC being out of trim is someone who's been in the sport for over 20 years and has been everything in the sport so he is very experienced. Since the twisting has only happened twice and the hackey inside of the PC happened once, I will look at the PC more carefully (and the tape and how it looks when I cock it) next time that I jump. The PC still looks in really good shape so I'm thinking this may be just a fluke. I have packed parachutes for one summer (over 20 rigs a day) and seen the twisting before but when it's on my rig, I get more interested. Thanks again everyone for your help!

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I jumped my last pilot chute until it was literally frayed to pieces. I had thought of replacing it, but I didn't because it always worked. I got to the point where I said : I could replace this raged old pilot chute that works perfectly well, but why?

If your pilot chute works, and doesn't show signs of eminent failure, replacing it seems like a waste of money.
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Thats about the 2nd dummest thing i've ever heard..."eminent failure" can happen at any time,,with a frayed peice of s...why try and predict it ? Spend the 100 bucks and change it out !! >:(
Do you drive around with bald tires with the sidewalls bulging and spitting chuncks of rubber too ? [:/]

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

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