JohnGraham 0 #1 June 23, 2005 Well, title of the thread says it all, really - I'm just curious. I've heard a couple of people attribute it solely to Bill Booth, and a couple more label it as a gradual progression helped by a few people... anybody out there know for sure the right answer? Cheers, John G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #2 June 23, 2005 Greg Yarbinet. Definitely not Bill Booth. He invented everything else. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 5 #3 June 23, 2005 Yup, Greg Yarbinet. I had one of his early ones. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeFB2764 0 #4 June 23, 2005 http://www.llab.se/kgp/dvdoc/vingfsk/slider.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #5 June 23, 2005 The last time the slider question came up someone mentioned Greg is now doing a 20 year prison stretch. Does anyone know for sure if it's the same Greg Yarbenet? Say it ain't so . . . http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04124/310265.stm NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wartload 0 #6 June 23, 2005 QuoteThe last time the slider question came up someone mentioned Greg is now doing a 20 year prison stretch. Does anyone know for sure if it's the same Greg Yarbenet? Say it ain't so . . . http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04124/310265.stm NickD BASE 194 Interesting that the online article is dated July 23, 2005. It appears that CNN can now predict the future! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #7 June 23, 2005 You need to look more closely at the article. It says that it was written Monday, May 03, 2004 The date at the top is the current date. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #8 June 23, 2005 QuoteInteresting that the online article is dated July 23, 2005. No, it says June 23, 2005, todays date. The article date is May 03, 2004. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 5 #9 June 24, 2005 (Since I can't edit my original post any more) Thanks to MikeFB... for his post. My slider was in fact on a Volplane. I still have the hydraulic reefing system in my garage; the slider made the canopy reliably jumpable. (The Volplane itself got eaten by a Cessna prop several years ago--no injuries or damage except to the canopy) One cool thing about the Volplane for demo jumps was that you could pull the toggles all the way down, then let them up rapidly. Canopy would surge in front of you, then behind. From the ground it looked like you looped the canopy. I wouldn't try that on my Sabre. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybill 19 #10 June 26, 2005 Hi JG, Well, I think everyone is guessing!! According to an old Scare-a-chutist article, I think it was "Parachuting Poynters" by Dan the man Poynter, a Pioneer Aerospace engineer named Jim Reuter "invented" the first practical "slider" for Ram Air Canopies!! According to the article, as I recollect, Jim said that Pioneer management charged him with the task of working on how to "Reef" a Ram Air. He noted that at the time, Scare-a-Fright had these rings and ropes things on the top surface of their ram-airs so he started looking "lower." He said that he was playing with a table napkin sliding it thru "a ring" (I think he said he used his wedding ring??" any way the idea of restricting the canopy by choking the lines with a group of rings afixed to a small piece of cloth and "wa-la!!" the slider!! As I recall the article showed a picture of Jim with one of his first workable sliders. Now I'm sure someone will go nuts and want proof so if you want proof, come to m house and dig thru my 40 years of "Parachuist" magazines I have stashed in boxes!! (Who said that Riggers are not Pack Rats??) PS Jim Reuter also invented the "Reuter Wrap" a cute little device that preceeded diapers on some Pioneer round reserves. However, that's another story.SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #11 June 26, 2005 Quoteso if you want proof, come to m house and dig thru my 40 years of "Parachuist" magazines I have stashed in boxes!! *** Put on the coffee Bill, I'm on the way! It's not that I 'need' proof....I just like digging through old 'Scara a Chutist' mags! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #12 June 26, 2005 The first sail slider patent was issued in 1945 to Floyd Smith or Bennet or one of the pioneers ... It is written up in Poynter's manual. Too bad no-one figured out how to make a sail slider work with a round canopy until the 1990s (Ballistic Recovery Systems and Butler Parachute Systems). Sail sliders remained dormant until Greg Yarbanet re-invented the sail slider in the 1970s while working for Pioneer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #13 June 26, 2005 QuoteThe first sail slider patent was issued in 1945 to Floyd Smith or Bennet or one of the pioneers ... It is written up in Poynter's manual. Too bad no-one figured out how to make a sail slider work with a round canopy until the 1990s (Ballistic Recovery Systems and Butler Parachute Systems). Sail sliders remained dormant until Greg Yarbanet re-invented the sail slider in the 1970s while working for Pioneer. No more calls, we have a winner! SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billbooth 10 #14 June 27, 2005 Years ago, I ran across a patent for a slider for round parachutes granted in the 30's. The slider for the ram air canopy was, more or less, re-invented in the 70's. Since I discovered this, I've looked through every old parachute patent I have been able to find, hoping for other "lost" gems. Nothing so far, unfortunately. Actually, I can't believe that all those hard openings on the early ram airs without sliders, didn't "beat" the idea into me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #15 June 28, 2005 QuoteYears ago, I ran across a patent for a slider for round parachutes granted in the 30's. The slider for the ram air canopy was, more or less, re-invented in the 70's. Since I discovered this, I've looked through every old parachute patent I have been able to find, hoping for other "lost" gems. Nothing so far, unfortunately. Actually, I can't believe that all those hard openings on the early ram airs without sliders, didn't "beat" the idea into me. Jumping a ram-air with out any reefing, i.e. slider, is brutal. You are lucky you didn't bite your tongue off. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #16 June 29, 2005 QuoteQuoteYears ago, I ran across a patent for a slider for round parachutes granted in the 30's. The slider for the ram air canopy was, more or less, re-invented in the 70's. Since I discovered this, I've looked through every old parachute patent I have been able to find, hoping for other "lost" gems. Nothing so far, unfortunately. Actually, I can't believe that all those hard openings on the early ram airs without sliders, didn't "beat" the idea into me. Jumping a ram-air with out any reefing, i.e. slider, is brutal. You are lucky you didn't bite your tongue off. Sparky I think (I hope) he meant "with the reefing systems of the time." I believe jumping a Para-Plane or Cloud of the time without any reefing would have broken bones (tongue not withstanding)... The early upper ring reefing systems on those canopies opened "Briskly" to say the least ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billbooth 10 #17 July 2, 2005 The original Para Planes had upper surface ring-and-ropes. To say the least, they were not very efficient. My first 300 or so ram air jumps were 3 second delays. When I started taking it to terminal, I got knocked out a lot. The canopy sure was pretty with all those brightly colored stars dancing around. After one opening in '72, I woke up in an ambulance. Oh well, everyone gets to be young and foolish at least once. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZigZagMarquis 8 #18 July 8, 2005 Quote Jumping a ram-air with out any reefing, i.e. slider, is brutal. You are lucky you didn't bite your tongue off. Sparky Awh, come-on Mikey, we could go back to "Ropes and Rings" and such! ... now I know why all y'all "old guys" hobble around the DZ the way ya's do... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #19 July 8, 2005 QuoteThe original Para Planes had upper surface ring-and-ropes. To say the least, they were not very efficient. My first 300 or so ram air jumps were 3 second delays. When I started taking it to terminal, I got knocked out a lot. The canopy sure was pretty with all those brightly colored stars dancing around. After one opening in '72, I woke up in an ambulance. Oh well, everyone gets to be young and foolish at least once. *** Was it the Para Plane that bit that hard or the rings & ropes? I had / have a 'Sport 260' Strato Cloud with rings & ropes...and it was without question the softest opening parachute I've ever jumped. It seemed to take just as long to open...as it did to pack! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #20 July 8, 2005 QuoteQuoteThe original Para Planes had upper surface ring-and-ropes. To say the least, they were not very efficient. My first 300 or so ram air jumps were 3 second delays. When I started taking it to terminal, I got knocked out a lot. The canopy sure was pretty with all those brightly colored stars dancing around. After one opening in '72, I woke up in an ambulance. Oh well, everyone gets to be young and foolish at least once. *** Was it the Para Plane that bit that hard or the rings & ropes? I had / have a 'Sport 260' Strato Cloud with rings & ropes...and it was without question the softest opening parachute I've ever jumped. It seemed to take just as long to open...as it did to pack! Didn't that Strato-Cloud have the rings on the lower surface though? The original lower surface rings and ropes strato-star opened VERY softly too. The original Para Plane and Para Cloud however had upper surface rings and ropes (and even packed differently for sub-terminal vs terminal) and opened FIRMLY. The terminal openings on the Para Plane were the hardest openings of anything I ever jumped... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travman 6 #21 July 10, 2005 Ok, who invented the collapsible slider? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #22 July 10, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteThe original Para Planes had upper surface ring-and-ropes. To say the least, they were not very efficient. My first 300 or so ram air jumps were 3 second delays. When I started taking it to terminal, I got knocked out a lot. The canopy sure was pretty with all those brightly colored stars dancing around. After one opening in '72, I woke up in an ambulance. Oh well, everyone gets to be young and foolish at least once. *** Was it the Para Plane that bit that hard or the rings & ropes? I had / have a 'Sport 260' Strato Cloud with rings & ropes...and it was without question the softest opening parachute I've ever jumped. It seemed to take just as long to open...as it did to pack! Didn't that Strato-Cloud have the rings on the lower surface though? The original lower surface rings and ropes strato-star opened VERY softly too. The original Para Plane and Para Cloud however had upper surface rings and ropes (and even packed differently for sub-terminal vs terminal) and opened FIRMLY. The terminal openings on the Para Plane were the hardest openings of anything I ever jumped... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Back in '81 I made a bunch of jumps on Strato-Cloud 230s with ropes and rings on the bottom. Softest opening canopy ... Even comfortable when dumped in a track ... Just took all day to pack ... As for pack volume? ... My hands were usually bleeding by the end of the process. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billbooth 10 #23 July 11, 2005 Without very long, and stretchy nylon lines on Paraplanes with upper surface rings-n-ropes, terminal openings would not have been possible...well, not more than once every few weeks anyway. When someone tells me they had a hard opening nowadays, I ask them how long they were "out" for. When they say they weren't knocked out at all, I just laugh, and walk away shaking my head. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwampThing 0 #24 July 11, 2005 QuoteWithout very long, and stretchy nylon lines on Paraplanes with upper surface rings-n-ropes, terminal openings would not have been possible...well, not more than once every few weeks anyway. When someone tells me they had a hard opening nowadays, I ask them how long they were "out" for. When they say they weren't knocked out at all, I just laugh, and walk away shaking my head. Quote I guess that explains why my old jumpmaster had a boxer's mouth guard in his gear bag huh?! The Pessimist says: "It can't possibly get any worse!" The Optimist says: "Sure it can!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brettpobastad 0 #25 July 17, 2005 QuoteThe canopy sure was pretty with all those brightly colored stars dancing around. How do I get me one 'o them canopies? I don't know what I was thinking but I would have guessed Steve Snyder. ...or was it Ted Mayfield?"It's only arrogance if you can't back it up" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
