The Parachute Manual, First Edition

[Hooknswoop 19]

Before there was a volume II, the first one was called, "The Parachute Manual". I got a copy of the first edition, in a 3-ring binder w/ "The Parachute Manual" down the spine in gold. It is amazing what has and hasn't changed.

"Current Regulation (FAR 91.15) require that chair type parachutes be packed within the last 120 days and all other types within the last 60 days. The special requirement was promoted by the manufacturers in the late thirties as they felt it would make the parachutes more acceptable to the airlines……..The USPA has attempted on numerous occasions to persuade the FAA to extend the re-pack cycle to 120 days. The message from Washington has been that while it would be nice, the rule making procedure involves too many people and takes too much time and isn’t worth the effort.”

The sport main section lists the pioneer 28’, Security Tracker, and Military surplus 28’, 32’, and 35’ “canopies converted to sport use” It also lists the Para Commander. That’s it, no square canopies. There is a picture of a Silver Cloud 230 and the Para Foil. ‘Ram-air’ isn’t even in the glossary. Or throw out PC’s.

“FAR 105.35 Liquor and drugs

No person may make a parachute jump while, and no pilot in command of an aircraft may allow a person to make a parachute jump from that aircraft if that person appears to be,-
a) Under the influence of intoxicating liquor; or
b) Using any drug that affects his faculties in any way contrary to safety.”

I wonder why they took that out of the FAR’s?

Derek

[skybill 18]

Hi Hook,
Funny thing you should mention that!! Got one in the archives. A lot of nylon has had its day since I got that manual.

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[councilman24 36]

Mine is the 1977 second edition, revised. Still the one volume version. I keep it here at work for reference.

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

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Or throw out PC’s.

That is because the "throw out PC" or "Hand Deploy Pilot Chute" as it was called when it was invented did not exist at the printing of that book. Furthermore, the hand deploy idea was brought on by a picture in that very manual. I don't have mine anymore, left it at Booths shop when I left, but if you look through your manual, you will find a picture of a guy who has just left the plane with a pilot chute attached to his helmet. That is where the idea originated for the first hand deploy (on my Wonderhog).

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[upndownshop 0]

Ted Strong still wants to put a reserve throw out on the shoulder.
You have to wonder why, but at the same time its hard to question someone like him or Bill.

I remember when belly bands and ROL 's came out.
I also remember packing my only mal at about 10 years old, it was a total and was ultimately a recall.
They used straight pins on the bridle and they would "stand" up and not release.

The good ole dyas.

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Ted Strong still wants to put a reserve throw out on the shoulder.
You have to wonder why, but at the same time its hard to question someone like him or Bill.

I remember when belly bands and ROL 's came out.
I also remember packing my only mal at about 10 years old, it was a total and was ultimately a recall.
They used straight pins on the bridle and they would "stand" up and not release.

The good ole dyas.

10 Years old? You must not have been jumping in the US...

As for the straight pins on the bridle, I always thought it unfortunate that the system had to evolve to pins in the first place. The original system had a container that the main/bag actually fit. The closure system was a loop of elastic on the first flap passed through the grommets on the remaining three flaps and secured with a bight of the bridle. It wasn't long before people were stuffing larger and larger canopies into the rigs (or making the container smaller) and the solid loop/pin closure came about.

Compared to the original system, it opens up a number of possible issues some of which I've seen reported on this board (pin seperated from the bridle). Straight pins should never have been used (at least with a non-elastic closing loop) and this should certainly have been obvious to the rig maker.

As for a throw-out on the reserve, I don't know if that will ever happen. There are issues with RSL, single sided access (can't really throw it with the other hand if you're disabled), etc. The main is considered by the government to be a toy mostly and there is much more freedom of alteration, but the reserve system is another story.

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Quote

Ted Strong still wants to put a reserve throw out on the shoulder.
You have to wonder why, but at the same time its hard to question someone like him or Bill.

I remember when belly bands and ROL 's came out.
I also remember packing my only mal at about 10 years old, it was a total and was ultimately a recall.
They used straight pins on the bridle and they would "stand" up and not release.

The good ole dyas.

10 Years old? You must not have been jumping in the US...

As for the straight pins on the bridle, I always thought it unfortunate that the system had to evolve to pins in the first place. The original system had a container that the main/bag actually fit. The closure system was a loop of elastic on the first flap passed through the grommets on the remaining three flaps and secured with a bight of the bridle. It wasn't long before people were stuffing larger and larger canopies into the rigs (or making the container smaller) and the solid loop/pin closure came about.

Compared to the original system, it opens up a number of possible issues some of which I've seen reported on this board (pin seperated from the bridle). Straight pins should never have been used (at least with a non-elastic closing loop) and this should certainly have been obvious to the rig maker.

As for a throw-out on the reserve, I don't know if that will ever happen. There are issues with RSL, single sided access (can't really throw it with the other hand if you're disabled), etc. The main is considered by the government to be a toy mostly and there is much more freedom of alteration, but the reserve system is another story.

Closing the rig with a bite of the bridle caused a lot of problems on it own. After that there was the "Polish pin", a bit of cutaway cable swaged on the bridle and it work somewhat better. But they were both sort of mickey mouse. Then came the curved pin. If you can close the container without the use of tools a good p/c will pull the pin every time. The straight pin was invented strictly for use in pull out rigs and should never be used on a throw out system.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[upndownshop 0]

I guess that does sound like I was jumping.
I was only packing back then, and that is the only mal I have packed. Thats how it should have read.

I can't remember who made the rig, I believe it belonged to Howard Hughes, no not that one this Howard is from Texas and jumped at Seagoville DZ.

Help me out here. When the Hand deploy's came out and one point I thought everyone was using the straight pins,long before the pullout was around?

I remember feeling bad cause I packed the man a total but ultimately the design was at fault.

I remember the elastic loops.

Ted said he didn't think it would ever happen he just liked the idea.
If i remember right the RSL would be connected to the pc, to create a "skyhook", again this idea was just one of Teds many thoughts for the sport.

If I am not mistaken that has been done on a rig years ago. I think it was a European mfr. Damn cant think of it. Ted told me who it was?/?

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Help me out here. When the Hand deploy's came out and one point I thought everyone was using the straight pins,long before the pullout was around?

I remember feeling bad cause I packed the man a total but ultimately the design was at fault.

I remember the elastic loops.

Well, maybe Sparky can help with that. I built the first 120 Wonderhogs and the ones with Hand-Deploy were all bight of bridle type. I then worked for Bill Buchman for about a year and all his with Hand-Deploy were the same (as were mine when I built my own after that). I have seen both the straight pin and the curved pin, but I was gradually getting out of the sport about then, so wasn't paying too much attention.

I never heard of any problems with the elastic closure and bight of bridle method we were using, but Sparky mentioned in his post that there were problems with those too?

I kinda miss the "cutting edge" days at Booths shop (Well, actually it was Pam Tayon's converted garage)... I learned a lot about how to think about things working for him.

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[RogerRamjet 0]

Quote

Ted said he didn't think it would ever happen he just liked the idea.
If i remember right the RSL would be connected to the pc, to create a "skyhook", again this idea was just one of Teds many thoughts for the sport.

If I am not mistaken that has been done on a rig years ago. I think it was a European mfr. Damn cant think of it. Ted told me who it was?/?

I think the other problem with hand-deploy reserve is AAD and how to make it work, not like there is a loop to cut...

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[wmw999 2,120]

I know that by 1979 the Wonderhog was using pins (at least that's what I remember being in my 1979 Wonderhog). I had bights of bridle in my Starlite that I converted to throw-out. The problem with that was that the holes were bigger than necessary (because it was originally designed for cones), so that as the elastic got old, strands inside could break, and eventually pull some of the bridle farther into the grommets than is desirable.

No, conversions were not the best idea. Neither is cramming huge mains, or trying to figure out a way to put tiny mains, into the wrong-sized container. But a system that's designed to take some common abuse is better than one that isn't.

Straight pins I saw used with elastic closing loops, and with pull-outs with gutted 550 loops. Pullouts were definitely around by 1978. I had a terminal reserve ride on a 24' 4-line from not being able to get the pud out in 1979 ). Shorter rigs are a huge help in that.

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)

[mjosparky 3]

Wendy mentioned one of the problems with the bridle bite. Another was jumpers would route the bridle is such a way that it would half hitch the bite and lock it up. If there is a ways to screw something up, skydivers will find it.

The "Polish pin" I mentioned may have been a West Coast thing. Leo Orlowski invented it at Elsinore from what I was told. The curved pin came from Hank Asciutto one very drunk night in the upstairs part of his shop Para-Innovators. Hank and Dennis Trepanier drew up the specs. and Dennis made them in his metal fabrication shop.

I think, but don't know for sure, that it was Bill Booth that came up with the final design with the velcro holding a loop between the container and the pin.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Regarding reserve throw-out PC's: I seem to remember an Australian mfr who built a rig that had this set-up. I can't remember the name and the packing manual is in storage; I'm too lazy to dig it out..
Also a local guy (here in Oregon) back in the 80's built a home-built rig with a throw-out PC. He was a DZ-rat so he jumped it a lot. I never did know of him having to use it in an emergency. I talked with him once about it and he said he had made 3-4 jumps during the development and he was satisfied with it.
Trivia for some evening over a beer.

[NickDG 23]

My Wonderhog also used the bridle bight closure method . . . and a belly band pilot chute . . . and a blast handle.

I also remember being ecstatic when the 2nd edition of P'sPM came out and I saw my name in the index. It was like I "arrived" or something . . .

NickD BASE 194

[riggerrob 558]

If i remember right the RSL would be connected to the pc, to create a "skyhook", again this idea was just one of Teds many thoughts for the sport.

If I am not mistaken that has been done on a rig years ago. I think it was a European mfr. Damn cant think of it. Ted told me who it was?/?