Junk in my canopy

[angrypeppers 1]

I found this junk in my canopy tonite. I had to change the closing loop, so I figured I could get in a practice pack too. I was starting to flake the canopy, and saw this stuff. Looks to be part of a tumbleweed. I don't know how it got there. After I was finished jumping Saturday, I left the unpacked rig on the hangar carpet while I got out of my jumpsuit, etc., then packed the rig there. I checked out the canopy and didn't see any holes, but I think I'll hang it up this weekend and let a rigger inspect it.

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[pinkfairy 0]

This happens all the time.

I recently emptied gravel and sand out of my PC.

Large stones and branches have been removed from the student canopies at my DZ.

It usually gets there when the canopy falls to the ground after landing.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[d20111 0]

Did you land in a corn field? Probably pulled it in the nose when you landed. Make sure when you are gathering up your canopy you walk to it when you are coiling up your lines. Don't stand still and pull the canopy to you.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

AP,

Come jump in the desert sometime. If you're not cafeful, you'll bring all kinds of stuff back in your canopy after gathering it up after landing and going back to the hangar. Besides enough sitcks and twigs to build a good sized fire by the end of the day. There's lots of rocks, gravel and sand to be had... I've also seen snakes and kangaroo mice come back in canopies!

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I checked out the canopy and didn't see any holes, but I think I'll hang it up this weekend and let a rigger inspect it.

This not a bad thing and I don't want to discourage y'all since you seem to have a low number of jumps, so, please go ahead and do this and have the rigger explain to you things to look for when you hang-up & inspect your canopy, but in time, you should get comfortable do this by yourself.

The more you know about your own gear, the better off you are.

[karenmeal 0]

I think you should inspect the canopy yourself, then if you find something of concern, show it to a rigger.

It may seem like an intimidating task at 25 jumps, but it is not a hard thing to do. Can you inspect your underwear and determine if stitches are coming loose or if their are holes or funky stains in your drawers? Sure you can! And inspecting a main canopy is not really different.

Their are a number of different methods for doing the inspection. My preferred way is to start on one side of the canopy, inspect the stabilizer and then start with the end cell and pull the canopy over my head while looking at the top and bottom skin and ribs from inside. I keep pulling the canopy down over my head until I can see all the way to the tail of the canopy. I go through the canopy like this inspecting half a cell at a time until I get to the other side. Then make sure to inspect your lines, slider and pilot chute. When inspecting your slider check the grommets to see if they are nice and smooth. Rough spots on your slider grommets are way bad for your lines.

If anything looks fishy, get someone to look at it. The sorts of things you might see are possibly areas where the debris snagged some thread and pulled it out, causing the stitching and fabric to bunch up.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[riggerrob 558]

All good points.

May I suggest a couple of alternative methods for inspecting canopies?

First, try standing on a chair - or table - and staring DOWN into the cells.

Secondly, professional riggers usually have racks that you can clamp the tail to, then pull it up towards the ceiling. An inspection rack allows you to stand on your hind legs - like a gentleman - while standing inside the cells.

Thirdly, if you jump in the desert, wear a toque, to keep the sand off your hair.

[Krip 2]

Hi

Your canopy is like a person.

The more you know about it and the better you take care of it, the better it will take care of you and the longer your relationship with it will last.

BTW you can find gloves, altimeters, and other stuff inside a canopy laying around the packing area.

[karenmeal 0]

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Secondly, professional riggers usually have racks that you can clamp the tail to, then pull it up towards the ceiling. An inspection rack allows you to stand on your hind legs - like a gentleman - while standing inside the cells.

If I wasn't renting a place I would do this!

Never thought of the chair method, I think I'll start using that. I just take a really long time pulling the cell over me, or I use the fan method.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[chris74 0]

Wait to fly a paraglider !
After that, you will be able to warm you during the winter in front of your chimney piece , laying on your bear skin with a lovely girl .
Blue skies
Chris

[DSE 3]

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Thirdly, if you jump in the desert, wear a toque, to keep the sand off your hair.

Sigh...wish I'd known/thought of this earlier.
Lotsa sand out our way, got a head full of it when cleaning debris out of a canopy after Moab.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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I think you should inspect the canopy yourself, then if you find something of concern, show it to a rigger.

It may seem like an intimidating task at 25 jumps, but it is not a hard thing to do.

True enough, but wouldn't want to discourage a newb from talking to their local rigger... plus how else do us riggers get the entertainment of re-explaining that "all those holes inside the canopy" aren't "holes", but are "crossports."

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Can you inspect your underwear and determine if stitches are coming loose or if their are holes or funky stains in your drawers?

Ummm... Karenmeal... can you look at my undies for me?

[karenmeal 0]

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True enough, but wouldn't want to discourage a newb from talking to their local rigger... plus how else do us riggers get the entertainment of re-explaining that "all those holes inside the canopy" aren't "holes", but are "crossports."

I see your point, but I think it is a task that one can complete easily enough on their own.

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Ummm... Karenmeal... can you look at my undies for me?

Umm... no.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[squirrel 0]

ha! this reminds me of the time when my wife and i were doing 6 to 7 jumps a day (in the old days) and she had a bee in one of the cells, she ran from the packing area screaming! i was like, "hey, just pack it, the bee will get out on opening." yeah, and we missed the next load. to this day, it was one of only a handful of disagreements we have ever had.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[angrypeppers 1]

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I think you should inspect the canopy yourself, then if you find something of concern, show it to a rigger.

I did look at it last nite before I packed it and didn't see any holes, bunched fabric, etc. I'm going to check it more closely tonite. I really doubt that I'll find any damage, but it doesn't hurt to take another look either. I may just build a rack for the basement too. One I can disassemble when I don't need it.

And don't worry you rigger-types...I'll have plenty of questions and work for you. I will know my rig inside and out, that's just how I am. But I'm not there yet, so you'll get the questions. Crossports...I'll have to remember that!

Karen, Rob, Zig: thanks for the tips!
d: Not a cornfield, but there's plenty of farmland in the area. Tumbleweeds are fairly common. So are prairie dogs...hopefully they won't show up in my canopy some day!

Thanks!

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[lippy 773]

Hey Rob, Good suggestion on the touque, but I'm not sure how many people on here know what the hell it is.

Go CANADA

I got nuthin

[johan420 0]

I found a tree in my canopy when i was a student...haha..ok maybe im overdue it, but i was approximately one and a half meter long...

[karenmeal 0]

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Hey Rob, Good suggestion on the touque, but I'm not sure how many people on here know what the hell it is.

Go CANADA

Alls I know about touques is that I am supposed to wear them while drinking kokanee.

(Everything that I know about Canada I learned from the cock chorus at Lost Prairie.)

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[Jewels 0]

Was this junk acquired during your 25th jump for your A license, by any chance?

CONGRATULATIONS!

TPM Sister #102

[angrypeppers 1]

Since you mentioned it Julie, yes it was! Thanks!

And an update. I checked out the canopy as much as I could while spread out on carpet on the basement floor, and couldn't find any damage: threads, bunched fabric, holes, etc. So I packed it up and plan on jumping it this weekend. I may still ask about hanging it up though. I appreciate all the help!

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[Jewels 0]

Wooohooooo!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you!!

I'm also glad that your canopy seems to be in great shape. Make sure it stays that way!

TPM Sister #102

[Lastchance 0]

Last weekend at the dz I did a jump after a pack job, imagine that. Anyway I did a high pull at 7000 to enjoy the scenery and the cool air. The sun was shining down from directly overhead so I could see grass and weeds blowing around in a couple of cells. That was the first time I had ever seen that. I had landed and gathered my canopy in a spot that had been recently mowed and not raked and gathered some debris.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[northcave 0]

I found a hamster in mine once

[squirrel 0]

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I found a hamster in mine once

whooop! whooop! whooop! ( Gaydar alert )

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?