PC options

[mujie96 0]

Can someone tell me in small, simple words the difference between a collapsible and a standard PC? I ran a search, didn't find much. Thanks.
Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[PhillyKev 0]

There are two differences.

How you pack:
Standard...nothing special, fold as normal and stuff in the BOC

Collapsible...You must make sure to activate (cock) the PC each time you pack it or you could end up with a pc in tow

After deployment:
Standard...deploys your main and then bounces around behind your canopy adding additional drag. Cause some performance loss which becomes more noticeable with higher performance canopies.

Collapsible..."collapses" (kind of turns inside out, no longer catching air) after deployment to reduce drag.

Two types of collapsible PC's, bungee and kill line. I've never seen a bungee so can't speak to that, but the general and most popular usage is a kill line PC. My understanding is that the bungee is more susceptible to problems.

[riggerrob 558]

There are three disadvantages with bungee collapsible pilotchutes:
1. They do not work for the first 5 seconds of a hop and pop.
2. They may re-inflate during an aggressive hook turn. Icarus discourages their use when wing-loadings exceed 1.36 ( if I remember correctly).
3. Bungees need maintenance. First they have to be adjusted by someone who knows what they are doing, secondly, the bungee wears out after a few hundred jumps. Thirdly, if you were silly enough to install a bungee on an F-111 pilotchute, the fabric will eventually wear out and you wil be left with a pilotchute-in-tow.
Wait-a-minute! All skydiving gear needs maintenance every once in a while.

On the plus side, bungee pilotchutes are almost idiot-proof, since you don't have to cock them. Certainly a wise choice for a junior jumper who is still learning how to pack.

[mujie96 0]

So, can I assume that for my very first rig a standard PC will suffice? I'm a very low time jumper and at this point I really don't do anything high performance.

Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[rgoper 0]

Jess:

wouldn't you want a collapsable pc? that way you could see if your pc is "cocked" or not by visually inspecting the "green" or "blue" in the "window" it gives me the warm fuzzies anyway.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[PhreeZone 15]

A normal PC will work just find and it elminiates one malfunction. I know lots of jumpers that use them with no problem.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[AggieDave 6]

Normal PCs work great, however, eventually you might want one, so why not pay a little more now for one. Just remember to cock it and to check it/have it checked with your pin checks.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Jessica 0]

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So, can I assume that for my very first rig a standard PC will suffice?

Yep. I like mine. Just one less thing to forget or fuck up for a low-timer. Plus it looks really scary (loose threads, orange pvc pipe handle) and freaks out the jumpers with the collapsibles. (And yes, it's in fine, functional shape, riggers the world over have had it hysterically thrust in their faces by me.)

I'll get a new pilot chute when I have a canopy I'm loading at more than .9.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[drenaline 0]

If its you are getting the pc new, go for the kill line because eventually you will like one and it works better than the standard pc.

I've been using kill line since jump 18 (now am in 56), just make sure to get your pin check and look at the window.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[AndyMan 7]

Collapsable pilot chutes:

1) are required by high performance canopies. not an issue for you.

2) reduce drag, allowing for faster flight. This means in addition to slightly faster landings, you'll also have slightly better penetration into the wind, and will have a slightly easier time getting back from long spots.

3) pose less of a problem should the pilot chute come over the front edge of the canopy.

Some people say that you should get an uncollapsable one, because you might forget to cock the pilot chute during packing. This makes no sense to me. Either you know how to pack, or you don't. "forgetting" to cock the pilot chute makes as much sense to me as forgetting to set the brakes, it's just not an issue.

Generaly when people ask me about gear, with the exception of the main canopy I always recomend gear that they'll be able to use for a very long time. While a collapsable pilot chute won't make a big difference now, it will make more of a difference on your second canopy. Buy gear that you plan to keep.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[mujie96 0]

I got the collapsible PC, my container will allow me to go down at least two sizes when i'm ready so I figure I'll have ot darn near forever. thanks for all the input.

Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[Spy38W 0]

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I got the collapsible PC, my container will allow me to go down at least two sizes when i'm ready so I figure I'll have ot darn near forever. thanks for all the input.

Cool, do you happen to know what size container you're getting?

--
Hook high, flare on time

[PhreeZone 15]

>Either you know how to pack, or you don't. "forgetting" to cock the pilot chute makes as much sense to me as forgetting to set the brakes, it's just not an issue.

Tell that to the dozens of people that have to take a reserve ride since they forgot to set it every year.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[rgoper 0]

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Tell that to the dozens of people that have to take a reserve ride since they forgot to set it every year.

to the dozens of people out there who have reserve rides because you forget to cock your pilot chutes, you deserve the reserve ride. there, i told them.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[drenaline 0]

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Tell that to the dozens of people that have to take a reserve ride since they forgot to set it every year.

To those who had a reserve ride cause they forgot to cock the kill line, you deserve the reserve ride and the beer and the bottle. Good thing they didn't forget to pull.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[mujie96 0]

A Wings W-10, I talked to Roy at Rigs and Things and he said I could get my 150 in there now and go down to at least a 120 later. I would have tried a W-8 but I'm a chicken so I wanted the "big" reserve. Also, when I start my illicit drug empire I figure I'll invest in a Mirage should I want to go smaller.
Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[PhreeZone 15]

All I can say is hang around a DZ long enough and it will happen... I've seen it happen once to someone with probally a thousand pack jobs. We are all human and we will make mistakes. If the mistakes can be avoided without causing more problems later, I'm all for it.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[drenaline 0]

Lots of way to prevent that. Concentrate while packing and cock the kill line, cock the kill line again when puting the d-bag inside the container, checking the window after inserting the pin, do a pin check before puting it on and ask another skydiver to give you a pin check before boarding the plane.

Just one advice, make sure you remember the color of the line when its cock, and tell the skydiver giving you the pin check, sometimes we don't know what is the color that it is supposed to show.

If you pay a packer, you can save some of his work and help prevent that by cocking the kill line yourself.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[maretus 0]

I don't think that cocking the pilot chute is not so big deal either. You should learn a standard procedure that you do every time and it will be no problem. For example, as I come from jump and lay my canopy down i always cock the pilot chute immediately and after that go take bite, have something to drink, look the video etc.
And as phreezone pointed out it is good policy to cock the pilot chute if you are not packing it yourself.

http://www.ufufreefly.com

[dida 0]

sure, a standard pc will do the job for you. my first rig actually had one of those EVIL bungee collapsible pc's . since i never had to worry about cocking it when packing, now that i do have a kill line pc, it happens that i'm half done packing and realize i didn't cock it. what a pain in the ass it is to go back and cock the pc and watch your packing job go to shit

for the same reason that many drop zones changed student gear from ripcord to BOC (create habits that you will continue to use), might i recommend the kill line?

spiral out...keep going...

[PhillyKev 0]

Here's a tip if you're laying on your canopy and forgot to cock your PC.

Find the window in the bridle that shows whether it's cocked, you can pull the kill line out through that window so there's a length of the kill line hanging out of it, finish bagging your canopy and then you can cock it the normal way and it will draw the line back into the bridle.

[dida 0]

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Here's a tip if you're laying on your canopy and forgot to cock your PC.

thanks, babe! you're a superstar.

i love learning new little tricks. makes me feel like i know what i'm doing

spiral out...keep going...

[Hooknswoop 19]

Be very careful cocking a PC after the canopy is in the D-bag. If the kill line wraps around fabric as you cock the PC................

Always cock the PC after cocooning the canopy and before putting the canopy in the bag.

Aloso, if you cock the PC, then lift the canopy to PRO pack it, the D-bag can slide down the kill line, colapsing, or partially colapsing, the PC.

Hook

[AggieDave 6]

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If the kill line wraps around fabric as you cock the PC................

Even if it doesn't, most of the designs out there for kill line PCs will burn the fabric a bit when you cock it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Spy38W 0]

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A Wings W-10, I talked to Roy at Rigs and Things and he said I could get my 150 in there now and go down to at least a 120 later.

Sounds good, I have a W-11 that I started out with a 150 in, I have a 135 in it now that fits well. The other day I was packing for a guy with a W-10 with a 170 in it. Loads of fun, can't wait to see him try to pack it.

--
Hook high, flare on time