slotperfect 7 #1 March 7, 2004 Rather than hijack this thread I decided to post this separately. Usually when I am talking to a very experienced Tandem Instructor, I ask them: 1) How many total tandems do you have? 2) How many tandem reserve rides do you have? 3) Of those malfunctioned canopies, how many of them did you pack yourself? Interestingly enough, almost every time the response to the third question is "none." I realize that many Tandem Instructors rarely pack their own rig, which contributes to the results of that question. I also realize that maintenance related malfunctions (equipment failure) don't directly factor into the answer either, except that packers should question worn out or damaged parachute components and get them replaced. I know a few TMs that own their own rig, and never let anyone else pack for them, just because of the risk/responsibility factor. At the risk of running closely parallel to the other thread, I would like to hear from some of you DZ.com TMs with over 1500 tandems: 1) how many reserve rides 2) how many of those malfunctioned mains did you pack yourself?Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #2 March 7, 2004 2700 tandem jumps 14 tandem reserve rides 0 tandem malfunctions packed by me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masher 1 #3 March 8, 2004 I think that another very pertinant question is how many pack jobs by packers _didn't_ malfunction.-- Arching is overrated - Marlies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #4 March 8, 2004 Do not respond to this thread unless you are a TM with over 1500 tandems. It was a straight-forward question, so lets not dilute the thread with posts to the contrary. These are the types of threads which become instructional/research tools for current and future TM's. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #5 March 8, 2004 ***Do not respond to this thread unless you are a TM with over 1500 tandems. Quote Dang it, I only got 750. Maybe I can get in on the next thread! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites CTSkydiver 0 #6 October 18, 2016 More than my share: 7 cutaways in 1600-ish. Compared to only 2 cutaways on over 3600 solos; and those because my highly loaded main was just plain wore out by then and opened evilly. First five happened very early, in my first 400 tandems jumping canopies of less than stellar design. A couple of those blew up (one after previously being "repaired") and the rest were tension knots or lineovers (that I did not pack). My first tandem cutaway was my first real malfunction in over 2000 jumps (I'd done a bunch of intentionals with double-cutaway rigs for fun and in preparation of my tandem course), and happened on my first weekend with live students. In 1200 jumps on Sigmas, jumping mostly Icarus canopies but also Sigma 365s and 340s, I've had two cutaways. Both because of spinning line twist on 340s at close to max weight. The first I likely caused myself by pulling while still turning and letting myself fall into the trap-door with a shoulder low; the second because one brake toggle was packed (not by me) unstowed and I didn't notice it till the twist was locked in. I was over the ocean on a very windy day, jumping in the islands, and didn't have much time to troubleshoot. C-ya. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites justme12001 0 #7 October 18, 2016 2400 tandems (2000 strong, 400 sigma) 3 cutaways (2 strong, 1 sigma) 0 packed by me and I have 0 sport cutaways, other than the intentional on a tertiary rig to get the tandem rating. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 558 #8 October 18, 2016 Update:I now have 4,500 tandems 20+ reserve rides 0 packed by me. Most of my early tandem reserve rides after F-111 canopies (Strong 425 and 520) tore on opening or broke lines. Desert dust accelerated wear on those canopies. Since converting to ZP tandems (SET400j, SET366, Sigma 420-ish, Racer 400-ish, Icarus 330 and 360) most of my mals have been tension knots on Spectra suspension lines. Even suffered one step-through - that I landed. A dirty look at the new packer solved that problem. We always seemed to suffer a malfunction the first month after hiring a new packer. I have also noticed (wearing rigger hat) that smaller ZP mains (e.g. Icarus 330) are more likely to spin-up during opening. I have suffered a few "slider suck downs" that cleared, but those could have been prevented by 25 jump inspections and owners who were willing to reline as per Strong Enterprises' instructions (400 jumps per line-set or when difference across the A lines exceeds 3 inches). Caveat: I am not dissing Strong because I have seen similar line shrinkage problems on Spectra lines made by a half-dozen other factories. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jimjumper 25 #9 October 18, 2016 1800 (1500 Strong and 300 Sigma) tandems. 5 cutaways. 2 tension knots on old Strong 425's. 2 on Strong SET 400's both with blown end cells. 1 tension knot on Sigma 360. I also landed a couple of blown center cells, 1 ea. Strong/Sigma. None packed by myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #10 October 26, 2016 SkymonkeyONE Do not respond to this thread unless you are a TM with over 1500 tandems. Well, that's a helluva an attitude! Good thing I just busted thru 1650 tandems. I think I have about 5 chops on tandems, mostly broken lines, one with tension knots, and one streamer. The streamer I partly packed with assistance. I think my assistant inverted my slider. Damn, but that was a cool one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skydived19006 4 #11 November 2, 2016 3500 + tandems 2 malfunctions (broken suspension lines, and slider stuck tangled up) Zero packed by me Fun video of one of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3ENMl4R2b0Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites funkhugh 0 #12 December 20, 2016 Bringing this one back up because I'm in the minority for sure. 5500+ tandems. 0 reserve rides....yet. I packed over 4500 of them and the rest were DZ packers. Had some close calls but due to opening higher (5500ft) I was able to work out issues that could have been cutaways had I been lower (line twists, super slow openings, etc). I'm gonna have a chop on my next tandem now since I replied to this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skyfreek 1 #13 December 26, 2016 4500 tandems on sigma and strong combined 8 cutaways 2 packed by me. one of the cutaways , I was on the front almost 3000 on my own rig with 4 cutaways, all packed by me Quote 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. 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. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
CTSkydiver 0 #6 October 18, 2016 More than my share: 7 cutaways in 1600-ish. Compared to only 2 cutaways on over 3600 solos; and those because my highly loaded main was just plain wore out by then and opened evilly. First five happened very early, in my first 400 tandems jumping canopies of less than stellar design. A couple of those blew up (one after previously being "repaired") and the rest were tension knots or lineovers (that I did not pack). My first tandem cutaway was my first real malfunction in over 2000 jumps (I'd done a bunch of intentionals with double-cutaway rigs for fun and in preparation of my tandem course), and happened on my first weekend with live students. In 1200 jumps on Sigmas, jumping mostly Icarus canopies but also Sigma 365s and 340s, I've had two cutaways. Both because of spinning line twist on 340s at close to max weight. The first I likely caused myself by pulling while still turning and letting myself fall into the trap-door with a shoulder low; the second because one brake toggle was packed (not by me) unstowed and I didn't notice it till the twist was locked in. I was over the ocean on a very windy day, jumping in the islands, and didn't have much time to troubleshoot. C-ya. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justme12001 0 #7 October 18, 2016 2400 tandems (2000 strong, 400 sigma) 3 cutaways (2 strong, 1 sigma) 0 packed by me and I have 0 sport cutaways, other than the intentional on a tertiary rig to get the tandem rating. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #8 October 18, 2016 Update:I now have 4,500 tandems 20+ reserve rides 0 packed by me. Most of my early tandem reserve rides after F-111 canopies (Strong 425 and 520) tore on opening or broke lines. Desert dust accelerated wear on those canopies. Since converting to ZP tandems (SET400j, SET366, Sigma 420-ish, Racer 400-ish, Icarus 330 and 360) most of my mals have been tension knots on Spectra suspension lines. Even suffered one step-through - that I landed. A dirty look at the new packer solved that problem. We always seemed to suffer a malfunction the first month after hiring a new packer. I have also noticed (wearing rigger hat) that smaller ZP mains (e.g. Icarus 330) are more likely to spin-up during opening. I have suffered a few "slider suck downs" that cleared, but those could have been prevented by 25 jump inspections and owners who were willing to reline as per Strong Enterprises' instructions (400 jumps per line-set or when difference across the A lines exceeds 3 inches). Caveat: I am not dissing Strong because I have seen similar line shrinkage problems on Spectra lines made by a half-dozen other factories. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimjumper 25 #9 October 18, 2016 1800 (1500 Strong and 300 Sigma) tandems. 5 cutaways. 2 tension knots on old Strong 425's. 2 on Strong SET 400's both with blown end cells. 1 tension knot on Sigma 360. I also landed a couple of blown center cells, 1 ea. Strong/Sigma. None packed by myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #10 October 26, 2016 SkymonkeyONE Do not respond to this thread unless you are a TM with over 1500 tandems. Well, that's a helluva an attitude! Good thing I just busted thru 1650 tandems. I think I have about 5 chops on tandems, mostly broken lines, one with tension knots, and one streamer. The streamer I partly packed with assistance. I think my assistant inverted my slider. Damn, but that was a cool one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydived19006 4 #11 November 2, 2016 3500 + tandems 2 malfunctions (broken suspension lines, and slider stuck tangled up) Zero packed by me Fun video of one of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3ENMl4R2b0Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funkhugh 0 #12 December 20, 2016 Bringing this one back up because I'm in the minority for sure. 5500+ tandems. 0 reserve rides....yet. I packed over 4500 of them and the rest were DZ packers. Had some close calls but due to opening higher (5500ft) I was able to work out issues that could have been cutaways had I been lower (line twists, super slow openings, etc). I'm gonna have a chop on my next tandem now since I replied to this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyfreek 1 #13 December 26, 2016 4500 tandems on sigma and strong combined 8 cutaways 2 packed by me. one of the cutaways , I was on the front almost 3000 on my own rig with 4 cutaways, all packed by me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
