0
tonybrogdon

Green Star Express

Recommended Posts

How many remember this rig or ever owned one?

In 1977 I bought one from the former head of the Godlen Knights, Charlie Brown back in Richmond Virginia. It had a Navy Conial reserve and a PC main packed in a bag. Charlie came by my office and showed me how to pack it in my hallway. The PC was designed for a sleeve not a bag and the bag it used was not designed for the rig. Over twenty years later I looked up Charlie when one of the nationals were being held at Perris and gave the only picture I had of me wearing the rig taken at West Point DZ in Virginia. He remembered me and selling me the rig. I reminded him that shortly after buying the rig from him the USPA grounded the rig. It seems that it had a major design flaw. When going for the reserve the stiching would come loose at the risers and streamer the reserve. He told me that he had sent it in prior to selling it to me to the Mfgr and they had corrected the flaw. Not knowing this previously, I had always wondered what would have happened if I had to cut away on that rig.
Tony Brogdon
D-12855

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

While none happened there I remember they were counting off GSE fatalities on the wall of a hangar in Lake Elsinore. It's hard to imagine now but it was a lot harder to make sure everyone got the word in those days . . .

NickD :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My memory was that there were two parts to that story -- someone also had to have picked off the ugly and decorative-looking stitching on the mudflap, that happened to also hold on the reserve risers. Is that accurate? I don't remember any of those rigs showing up at Spaceland.

But reserve risers that are just stitched in still don't seem like a great idea, even if you don't pick off the stitching.

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)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi Tony,
BSBD.."and"..."GREEN STAR RIGS!!!!" the call to arms at Otay after that Navy dude went in with the "modified" rig!! Don't recall what exactly the mod was but between the "Design" and the "riging work" it didn't "work!!" Reminds me of some of the "Scary Stories" from the bad old daze of dudes "sewing D-rings to the 'outside' of the main lift webb on B-4 rigs" and when they pulled their reserve on a total or other high speed mal, the reserve ""RIPPED"""away at the stitiching!! Usually a couple of turns of 5-cord!! "Slaved" on reserve risers are generally not a good idea. Note how most rigs today have the reserve risers webbing continue to become the harness!!
SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I don't remember the exact circumstances anymore but it was common to install the high reserve d-rings for conventional reserves above the capewells. Of course the d-ring was still behind the main lift web. When they went to piggybacks they installed the reserve riser the same way. The stiching was a standard double W stitch above the capewell and then they also attached the comfort pad to the reser and capewell turnback with a box stitch that helped reinforce the whole thing.
The fix was to put a confluence wrap around the whole thing directly behind the capewell. If there was more than 1 fatality I never heard of it. This is probably hard to visualize without seeing one or knowing the construction of the era.
GUNFIRE, The sound of Freedom!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi Bill

I remember my first jump on my GSE. It was in Dublin, Va. after exiting at 7500 feet, I remember saying to myself, " This has got to the dumist thing I have ever done," jumping the PC to see if it would open using a bag verses a sleeve, not even knowing at the time of the problem with the reserve risers. When I saw the notice about the rig being grounded, I immediately bought one of the original Vectors with a 5 cell Strata Star main where after several ground pounding landings I bought my first 7 cell a 220 Comet.
Tony Brogdon
D-12855

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I reminded him that shortly after buying the rig from him the USPA grounded the rig. It seems that it had a major design flaw. When going for the reserve the stiching would come loose at the risers and streamer the reserve. He told me that he had sent it in prior to selling it to me to the Mfgr and they had corrected the flaw. Not knowing this previously, I had always wondered what would have happened if I had to cut away on that rig.



From the Poynter Manual:
Quote

On July 24, 1978, the USPA issued an urgent warning on the GS Express. The shoulder pad stitching passes through the reserve risers. Some owners have removed the stitching in order to move the pad. Unless the stitching is replaced, the harness can fail when the reserve is deployed.


"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I got a decent reserve because they were grounded. I was jumping a 24' T-10 as a reserve and at 235 pounds thought it wasn't a good idea. A guy sent his Green Star from Florida to New Jersey trying to sell it and I made an offer on the 26" Strong Lopo that was in it 2 weeks before I had my first cutaway. I put 3 jumps on that reserve and then loaned the rig to a novice who deployed it unstable and it lineovered. She landed a little hard but nothing too serious. The reserve had line burns all over the apex area and couldn't be repaired

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Anyway, I bought a new GS Express in early 1976. Nice rig...other than that reserve riser deal. I always understood that removing the stiching of the shoulder padding was what caused the problem...but meanwhile I had a rig that couldn't be jumped or sold. As I recall, we burned the rig in the Great Falls SPC (Montana) fire pit one evening...after I had already replaced it with a new Wonderhog...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I have only had 2 reserve rides. they were about 3 or 4 months apart back in the 80's the 1st on a 26 ft. navy conical. that was a whomp into the earth. but I stood up the 26 ft. strong lopo with ease. of course that was a few pounds ago. but even back then i was like 225. and young and strong. made of steel and bullet proof all that shit.
i have on occasion been accused of pulling low . My response. Naw I wasn't low I'm just such a big guy I look closer than I really am .


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0