Cazar Paralot ~ Strong Pop-top Copy

[Unstable 8]

This is a chest rig that I came to own for one reason or another ~

It is a August 1978 Cazar Paraloft Pop-top Chest container, manufactured in Burminham Alabama, and it currently with a standard 24' Flat Circular. A few items of note are the plastic reserve handle. I ended up rebuilding this rig for practice, and I've replaced all the velcro, new friction adapters, side straps, et cetera.

Stratostar lent me a Strong PopTop chest reserve to play with, and what surprised me is how the Cazar rig is a stitch by stitch exact copy ~

I cannot find anything in any Poynter manual, or online for that matter, about the Cazar Loft manufacturing container systems ~ it is apparantly TSO'd to c23b ~

Does anybody know about the old Cazar Sport rigs?

=========Shaun ==========

[Beatnik 2]

I don't know anything about Cazar sport rigs but there was another copy from a Canadian company in Montreal that is long gone now. They had a copy of the Strong Pop-Top and a few other designs including the Jerry Bird rig.

[stratostar 5]

Now you just need something to strap that baby on and go jump with it.... I'm thinking mark 1 pc in a stylemaster.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Unstable 8]

Yeah Man! The 1978 Cazar is in great shape now, it's just the 1953 24' Flat Circular I'd worry about....

=========Shaun ==========

[winsor 186]

Quote

This is a chest rig that I came to own for one reason or another ~

It is a August 1978 Cazar Paraloft Pop-top Chest container, manufactured in Burminham Alabama, and it currently with a standard 24' Flat Circular. A few items of note are the plastic reserve handle. I ended up rebuilding this rig for practice, and I've replaced all the velcro, new friction adapters, side straps, et cetera.

Stratostar lent me a Strong PopTop chest reserve to play with, and what surprised me is how the Cazar rig is a stitch by stitch exact copy ~

I cannot find anything in any Poynter manual, or online for that matter, about the Cazar Loft manufacturing container systems ~ it is apparantly TSO'd to c23b ~

Does anybody know about the old Cazar Sport rigs?

The last time I saw Jimmy Cazer was about 10 years ago. He is still listed in Talladega, AL; give him a call to ask about any particulars, and say hi from me.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[wmw999 2,121]

As an aside, that handle looks like one of the fiberglass ones that were considered to be an upgrade from the whiter plastic ones. A friend of mine, after replacing his, slammed the white plastic one on the ground and watched it shatter.

Wendy P.

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)

[stratostar 5]

It work..... if you need it.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Unstable,

What is interesting is that the 'WEIGHT' is not filled.

That is an FAA-req'ment on a TSO C23b component.

JerryBaumchen

PS) Wendy, good eye, that does look like a f'glass handle.

[councilman24 36]

And I had an upgraded fiberglass handle that just snapped when I stepped on it. But no where near my full weight on it. More set my foot down and it snapped. I was very surprised.

Not worth jumping any of the non metal handles. Replacements available.

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

[wmw999 2,121]

Good to know; now that I don't have one

Wendy P.

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)

[lekstrom10k 0]

The pure white handle snapped off for a Canadian jumper that died from no pull. It was winter up there , so figure the coldest you have ever been then triple that and you have a mild jump day for them.

[riggerrob 558]

Quote

I don't know anything about Cazar sport rigs but there was another copy from a Canadian company in Montreal that is long gone now. They had a copy of the Strong Pop-Top and a few other designs including the Jerry Bird rig.

......................................................................

Mike Sova (sp?) ran M.S. Enterprises for a few years.
I packed a few of the "Skinny Pig" harness/containers that Mike made back in the 1970s. It was the only civilian container I have ever seen with two curved pins on the main container!

Mike bought sewing machines and patterns for a 26' Lopo canopy from Ted Strong. It is rumoured that - when he defaulted on payments, - Ted Strong drove up to Montreal and re-possessed the sewing machines.

There was also a prairie riger who sewed a few Pop-Top copies and when Terry Ruel left Pitt Meadows, he left a full set of patterns for his variation on a Racer harness/container.
And remember when Al MacDonald built Excalibur harness/containers (1980s)? Excaliburs looked like Racer reserves sewn to Sidewinder main containers.

[Beatnik 2]

Quote

There was also a prairie riger who sewed a few Pop-Top copies and when Terry Ruel left Pitt Meadows, he left a full set of patterns for his variation on a Racer harness/container.

I think I know who you are talking about or it could be someone else who did the same thing. The name is slipping my mind at the moment but he is a master rigger and lives in Saskatoon. He built a few racer copies. Some of which are still being jumped.

Quote

And remember when Al MacDonald built Excalibur harness/containers (1980s)? Excaliburs looked like Racer reserves sewn to Sidewinder main containers.

I remember those. The reserve container is really the only difference between the Excalibur and the Sidewinder. They share many of the same flaps. Why change something that was working? The harness on those two rigs and the bullet are identical which are copies of the Racer harness.

[Unstable 8]

I'm still very curious about this rig ~ SEREJUmper sent me Cazar's home phone number, I'm going to give him a buzz and see if I can learn some of the history. I will report.

=========Shaun ==========