Greg, inventor of the slider

[katzurki 0]

Uh,

I read somewhere in a couple other threads that I can't find right now, that there was that guy Greg who supposedly invented the slider, alive, kicking and working for Atair, and in the next post a few months later, that he went to jail what did he do?

[billbooth 10]

The slider was invented and patented in the '30's for round parachutes. It was re-discovered by an engineer at Pioneer in the '70's.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

The slider was invented and patented in the '30's for round parachutes. It was re-discovered by an engineer at Pioneer in the '70's.

Was that engineer Ed Vickery?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[riggerrob 558]

The slider was first invented in 1945, but no-one figured out how to make it work with rounds until the 1990s (BRS and Butler).
Greg Yarbenet re-invented the sail slider when he was testing early squares for Pioneer during the 1970s.
Recently Greg Y. did some consulting for Atair, but the latest word from Atair is that Greg is in jail.

[wmw999 2,132]

Quote

but no-one figured out how to make it work with rounds until the 1990s

Actually the Starlite had a spider slider in the 1970's. It was a pretty firm-opening canopy.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

The slider was first invented in 1945, but no-one figured out how to make it work with rounds until the 1990s (BRS and Butler).
Greg Yarbenet re-invented the sail slider when he was testing early squares for Pioneer during the 1970s.
Recently Greg Y. did some consulting for Atair, but the latest word from Atair is that Greg is in jail.

I met some guy about two years back at Skydive Chicago that claimed he was the inventor of the slider and that he was working on the X-33 parachute system.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[gjhdiver 0]

Quote

Uh,

I read somewhere in a couple other threads that I can't find right now, that there was that guy Greg who supposedly invented the slider, alive, kicking and working for Atair, and in the next post a few months later, that he went to jail what did he do?

You're talking about Greg Yarbernet a.k.a sliderman, who is generally credited with inventing a slider system for square parachutes whilst working at Pioneer. He also worked on and designed a number of other parachutes for Pioneer, most notably the original Hornet. I had one of these and gave it to him back in the mid 90's. Greg also used to build ram air kites capable of lifting and flying a person. He used to take his then 5 year old son on flights with them.

I last heard of him working as a teacher in Pennsylvania, so how he ended up in jail and for what I couldn't begin to imagine.

[NickDG 23]

Greg Yarbenet was working with a small model of a ram air parachute, and trying to figure out a way to slow down the opening.

He took off his wedding band, slid it up the lines, tossed the whole thing up in the air, and the rest is history . . .

Discoveries and inventions in aviation always seem to come to several people at about the same time. This is what happens when they all come upon the same problem at the same time. (There's still a good argument to be made for who actually first flew an airplane).

The thing I always thought made Greg Yarbenet, was he probably could have patented his slider, and would have gotten money for every one produced since. But, he didn't. In fact he was very humble about it. Parachutist Magazine wrote that he said it was no big deal and that someone else would have thought of it eventually.

I owned a Starlite (ouch), but I sold it and bought a Piglet . . .

NickD BASE 194

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

I last heard of him working as a teacher in Pennsylvania, so how he ended up in jail and for what I couldn't begin to imagine.

Quote

That's an easy one...

Probably an "Eagles" fan...

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[nicknitro71 0]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/04124/310265.stm

http://www.35wsee.com/news2a.cfm?more=3099&category=1&news=fullstory

Quote

Yarbenet Pretrial

A former Rice Avenue middle school teacher was in court Thursday, trying to get some evidence against him thrown out.

Police charged Greg Yarbenet with sexually assaulting a student.

Yarbenet's attorney's want the court to forbid prosecutors from using any evidence they found on Yarbenet's confiscated computer.

Prosecutors won't say what evidence if any is on the computer.

The defense argues the search warrent for the computer had already expired by the time police reviewed the computer contents.

Judge John Bozza will decide.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[NickDG 23]

He did indeed go to jail over this for 11 years (or something). The parents of the molested child are trying to get the state to stop paying his teacher's pension while he's in jail.

Of course, there is a small chance this isn't the same fellow . . .

To steal a joke from RN's long ago troubles;

What's Greg Yarbenet jumpng now?

A one cell . . .

NickD BASE 194

[nicknitro71 0]

Quote

What's Greg Yarbenet jumpng now?

A one cell . . .

That's funny Nick!

Memento Audere Semper

903

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

To steal a joke from RN's long ago troubles;

What's Greg Yarbenet jumpng now?

A one cell . . .

Quote

RN also said something once about~

"from now on getting to 'pack' himself for
a change..."

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[darkwing 4]

I met Greg Yarbenet at a big boogie (probably Freak Brothers) in the mid-1980's and we spoke at length. I recall he said that he tried to patent it, but there was some prior art on a german canopy for the 1930's that rendered his version unpatentable.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[gjhdiver 0]

Quote

He did indeed go to jail over this for 11 years (or something). The parents of the molested child are trying to get the state to stop paying his teacher's pension while he's in jail.

Of course, there is a small chance this isn't the same fellow . . .

To steal a joke from RN's long ago troubles;

What's Greg Yarbenet jumpng now?

A one cell . . .

NickD BASE 194

No chance at all I'm afraid. When I shipped him the Hornet I got out of the old attic, I shipped it to him at Rice Avenue Middle school.

A shameful end for soemone that had such an impct on the sport.

[iwasmumbling 0]

hey everyone, im Greg's son sean. Its a sad situation where he is now. Just for the record though he IS innocent of his charges but its a long story and not sure if i can really say much legally . Just to add to it all hes dieing of brain cancer right now. But hey he lived a good life and doesn't regret anything. Just took a few jealous ppl to ruin it all. Oh it was the X-38 project for NASA and also he coordinated the powered parachute scene in the james bond movie die another day. Ok this post is only what 7 years late???

[iwasmumbling 0]

oh if anyone has any questions i dont mind answering them

[talon2 0]

Quote

oh if anyone has any questions i dont mind

answering them

Listened to Gregs slider account at a PIA symposium . Interesting to note that he wanted to all it a diaper but the name was already in use or coming into use as we know it today.Very much an unsung hero..........Sad to hear of his troubles

[DougH 270]

Just googling his name comes up with the reason he is in jail, unless there is another guy with the same name who worked as a teacher.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[mjosparky 3]

A slider in the form we know today was used on a round as early as 1948. It is now used on the aircrew system in sevice in the Navy and AF.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[iwasmumbling 0]

nope thats him unfortunately. worse part is he is stuck in prison knowing that it didnt happen. my father was and is a good man who was taken advantage of for someone else's gains.

[liftedtitan 0]

Quote

nope thats him unfortunately. worse part is he is stuck in prison knowing that it didnt happen. my father was and is a good man who was taken advantage of for someone else's gains.

I am sorry, but anyone that ADMITS to molesting someone should rot in jail as far as im concerned. Im sure in your eyes hes a wonderful man, but put yourself in the victims shoes.

IF one person reads this before its deleted then I am happy.

Moriuntur omnes, sed non omnes vixerunt.

[michalm21 0]

Quote

Quote

nope thats him unfortunately. worse part is he is stuck in prison knowing that it didnt happen. my father was and is a good man who was taken advantage of for someone else's gains.

I am sorry, but anyone that ADMITS to molesting someone should rot in jail as far as im concerned. Im sure in your eyes hes a wonderful man, but put yourself in the victims shoes.

IF one person reads this before its deleted then I am happy.

+1
Plus this:

"Former Girard middle school teacher Gregory Yarbenet, already in prison for molesting a former student, was sentenced to an additional six to 18 months behind bars after he admitted molesting a second student.
"

http://www.silentlambs.org/newsletter/NewsLetterItem.cfm?SendoutID=151

You gave us a slider, thank you sir for that.
But now rot in jail.

[PiLFy 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

nope thats him unfortunately. worse part is he is stuck in prison knowing that it didnt happen. my father was and is a good man who was taken advantage of for someone else's gains.

I am sorry, but anyone that ADMITS to molesting someone should rot in jail as far as im concerned. Im sure in your eyes hes a wonderful man, but put yourself in the victims shoes.

IF one person reads this before its deleted then I am happy.

+1
Plus this:

"Former Girard middle school teacher Gregory Yarbenet, already in prison for molesting a former student, was sentenced to an additional six to 18 months behind bars after he admitted molesting a second student.
"

http://www.silentlambs.org/newsletter/NewsLetterItem.cfm?SendoutID=151

You gave us a slider, thank you sir for that.
But now rot in jail.

Yes, to this. Being falsely accused by some out-to-lunch dingbat is one thing. He admitted molesting two children? I can forgive a lot. I can see how maybe someone made a mistake when they were young. They did their time, & hopefully learned a thing or three. Pedophilia, I can not forgive. I think the recidivism rate is >95% for pedophiles. If you have that type of urge. You know it's wrong. Cut it off, or do whatever else you have to. You don't do that to a child.