Drying your canopy

[elias123 0]

Hi :)

I was just wondering something. I jumped a few hours ago into a hail and rain cloud. Everybody on the load (third one of the day) felt it :) We landed in rain and now my canopy is very wet. What I would like to know is how long a canopy must dry, at least, before you can safely pack it and jump it again. A few hours? A day? A few days? Or should I just leave it drying for the rest of the week and pack it on friday night? I'm guessing two days drying should be enough, or is this a wrong assumption? Would it be safe to pack it up tomorrow, if the canopy feels dry? Can you lay your canopy near a heater, or is it possible that is is bad for a canopy? Right now the canopy lies spread out in my living room with a fan blowing over the fabric and there is also a heater on wich is at least 30 centimeters away from any fabric.

Thanks in advance !!

Eli :)

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[BIGUN 1,053]

You may want to hang/clip it by the tail end up with the fan blowing in the nose cells.
Like this: http://picasaweb.google.com/annagalperin/PictonWollongongTheFunnyFarm/photo#5191499506439248450
When you climb inside the nose cells and the very back of the cell (at the tail) is dry, then pack it.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[elias123 0]

Ok, will do, Thanks for the tip :)

Blues !

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[councilman24 36]

The other question is how wet did the rest of your rig get?

If the reserve got even a little damp it should be opened and dryed.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[elias123 0]

After the jump I immediately asked an instrcutor if he could take a look at the rig and more specifically the reserve. He said it looked fine, it also did not feel wet at all, and he said that there was no need for a repack. (Thank god cause I just paid for a repack last week )

Blues

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[pilot-one 0]

Quote

After the jump I immediately asked an instrcutor if he could take a look at the rig and more specifically the reserve. He said it looked fine, it also did not feel wet at all, and he said that there was no need for a repack. (Thank god cause I just paid for a repack last week )

Blues

Hmmmmm.......That's what I thought when the same thing happened to me. I was close to a repack so we opened it up and it was wet inside although from the outside it seemed dry. I personally would not save a few bucks to chance it. Some people will tell you otherwise but I can think of at least one person that is dead most likely because of a wet reserve. This subject is a huge controversy mostly because the reserve manufactures don't test wet reserve canopies.

[councilman24 36]

A little damp goes a long way. I just got two pilot rigs in that I refused to pack as is because they had gotten a little wet somewhere. They also had a lot of sun damage. I suspect they sat in a warbird aircraft most of last year and the cockpit canopy leaked. Dye had run and they smelled of mildew. I doubt they were ever soaked. I've also seen two other pilot rigs with 'water' damage. One looked like it had coffee spilled on it. Again, dye ran and how long it was wet was unknow. Another sat in a leaking cockpit for a brief time.

If it was a few sprinkles then may be okay. But, if your canopy got soaked to the point of needing a fan to dry it, it's likely some of that rain got in the reserve somewhere. The outside is water proof, will dry fast, and may not feel wet even if water went down the risers or around the flaps. Was it pouring when you landed?

I'd have the rigger who packed it open it up to check. If I was asked to do this and there was no moisture I'd reclose the reserve without a full I&R, not redate it, and not charge the jumper much if anything.

If they're not available, at least get the opinion of another rigger in person. Paying for another repack should be the least of your worries.

And pass the suggestions on to the others on the load.

BTW make sure there isn't any sunlight coming through your living room windows or anywhere else your put it to dry.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[JohnDeere 0]

Quote

I can think of at least one person that is dead most likely because of a wet reserve.

2nd that i lost a friend with a wet reserve

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[mjosparky 3]

Hang you canopy by the tail in a place protected from the sun. When the lines, particularly at the cascades, and the risers are dry the rest of the canopy should be dry.

As Terry said, you are foolish if you don’t get the reserve inspected and repacked. That will all so give the container a chance to dry.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[fasted3 0]

Quote

BTW make sure there isn't any sunlight coming through your living room windows or anywhere else your put it to dry.

UltraViolet radiation is blocked by glass. Gear needs to be protected from direct sunlight, but it should be safe in the living room. Let the flames begin.

But what do I know?

[freeasabird 0]

My understanding is the glass has to specify UV protection. Else it is as good at blocking UV as air...

-----

[elias123 0]

Quote

If it was a few sprinkles then may be okay. But, if your canopy got soaked to the point of needing a fan to dry it, it's likely some of that rain got in the reserve somewhere. ... Was it pouring when you landed?

I'd have the rigger who packed it open it up to check. If I was asked to do this and there was no moisture I'd reclose the reserve without a full I&R, not redate it, and not charge the jumper much if anything.

If they're not available, at least get the opinion of another rigger in person. Paying for another repack should be the least of your worries.

BTW make sure there isn't any sunlight coming through your living room windows or anywhere else your put it to dry.

Hi,

Thanks everyone for the replies so far!
The canopy was not that wet that it needed a fan to dry it, I just thought it might go faster, and would not do any harm. It was not pouring rain when we landed, more like a very soft rain. When I came into the hangar I let the canopy dry for about an hour. I then went home and spread it around my living room (canopy was protected from direct sunlight at all times). Like I said I put a fan blowing over it for a few hours and after that I also let it blow into a few cells. At a bit before midnight I checked the whole canopy. More specifically around and inside the tail, cascades, lines, risers, bridle, POD and PC. Everything felt dry. I left the canopy unpacked during the rest of the night to let it dry some more if there were spots I missed. I packed the main just this morning. I will definitely get a second opinion from a rigger and/or instrcutor at the dropzone, and then maby a repack after that.

It's interesting to read about this. I had never heard about fatality's due to a wet reserve before.

Thanks alot for the advice do far!

Eli

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[jsaxton 0]

The easiest way to dry a main canopy is to "air dry" it by jumping it.

I would not recommend jumping a wet reserve.

[fasted3 0]

Most commercial glasses DO absorb UV due to small defects in the composition such as Iron as well as intentional additions like Na2O.

The reason for this absorption has to due with the bonding of each glass type. Most comercial glasses are sodium-silicates. These glasses consist of a connected silica network, which is broken up by the alkali (sodium). The addition of sodium breaks the network creating non-bridging oxygens, which lowers the melting temperature as well as reducing the energy of electromagnetic radiation needed for absorption. In combination with small amounts of iron impuriity, which leads to intense UV absorption bands, these non-bridging oxygens prevent the transmission of UV light.

But what do I know?

[billvon 2,400]

>UltraViolet radiation is blocked by glass.

Glass blocks shortwave UV radiation but not longwave. Below about 300nm, it blocks about 95% of UV. (Below 200nm, air blocks UV, so you don't need glass at all.)

Most of the damaging UV is the shorter-wavelength stuff, between 300 and 200nm. So putting it beneath a window in the sun for 20 hours is akin to leaving it out in the sun for 1 hour.

[JohnRich 4]

They can be packed up wet and jumped, without any problem. But if you have the time, by all means, let it dry out. Air dry, away from sunlight.

I would keep the heater away from it. It doesn't take much heat to melt parachute nylon, and heat weakens the fabric, although once it cools, it should rebound to normal strength. But do without the heater.

Reserves normally don't get wet in a freefall rain jump. First, the raindrops are coming from below and hitting the front of your body, while the reserve is on your back, protected from the rain (assuming belly-flying here). Second, under canopy, the main parachute acts like an umbrella to keep the rain from falling on your reserve, and again, your forward speed puts the reserve in the lee side of your body, protected from raindrops. And third, the reserve flaps will do a pretty good job of keeping slight moisture from penetrating through to the reserve. It's probably nothing to worry about, unless the rig was visibly soaked.

[elias123 0]

Hi :)

"But if you have the time, by all means, let it dry out. Air dry, away from sunlight."

That's why I thought the fan might come in handy. I let it blow into the cells as wel as I thought this might help the inside and tail of the canopy dry faster. The canopy was definitaly not soaked, but it did feel wet when I landed.

"I would keep the heater away from it. It doesn't take much heat to melt parachute nylon, and heat weakens the fabric, although once it cools, it should rebound to normal strength. But do without the heater."

I consciously turned up the heater a bit, but I did make abolutely sure that the canopy fabric was not near it. It was at least a foot and a half away from the heater at all times. The drapes were also shut to block sunlight, even while there was cloud coverage as far as the eye could see.

"assuming belly-flying here"

I did a flip or two before I entered the cloud, so no problems there :)

And I know it's important that your canopy is dry, that's why I left it open during a 12 hour period even after I checked the canopy and everything felt dry. Just to be sure

Thanks for your reply!

Eli

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

I will definitely get a second opinion from a rigger and/or instrcutor at the dropzone, and then maby a repack after that.

Instructors are different for riggers. Get an inspection and repack as soon as you can.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[elias123 0]

I probably won't get a repack very soon. In any case I first want to hear what the rigger/instructor have to say. By the way, people who were on the same load and who jumped in the exact same condidtions as I, did not have a repack and jumped their rigs today without any problem at all. I'm not saying this is the smartest thing to do, and I don't wanna follow the herd or what eveyone else is doing, but I don't see why I should be the only one getting a repack when everythin look ok. And in all honesty I really don't want to pay for a repack now, I'm already low on cash as it is. I'm willing to take the, in my humble and not so very expierienced opinion, small risk.

Blues

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

I consciously turned up the heater a bit, but I did make abolutely sure that the canopy fabric was not near it. It was at least a foot and a half away from the heater at all times.

If you're talking about your home central heating system, then that warm air isn't going to be a problem. But if you're talking about a kerosene space heater or something like that, that could create a problem - they can put out a lot of high temperature. In that case, forego the heat, and just let the fan do the job.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

I probably won't get a repack very soon. In any case I first want to hear what the rigger/instructor have to say. By the way, people who were on the same load and who jumped in the exact same condidtions as I, did not have a repack and jumped their rigs today without any problem at all. I'm not saying this is the smartest thing to do, and I don't wanna follow the herd or what eveyone else is doing, but I don't see why I should be the only one getting a repack when everythin look ok. And in all honesty I really don't want to pay for a repack now, I'm already low on cash as it is. I'm willing to take the, in my humble and not so very expierienced opinion, small risk.

Blues

It's your call.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[elias123 0]

Quote

If you're talking about your home central heating system ...

I am :)

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"