Rickendiver

***Yes, and that is precisely the problem. Many of the shells are too hard and there is not enough room between them and the skull. A protect is one of the "best" helmets out there. It sucks. It creates traumatic brain injuries as the brain gets slammed against the side of the skull. You have to absorb the energy. The shell has to fracture like an egg shell and the foam has to have enough room to crush absorbing the energy. It would be better if the helmet shell were on the inside and the foam on the out side of the helmet. You asked what actually works. Well it's not a sky diving helmet. Yep, the foam padding used in helmets doesn't do much to decouple the compression and shear forces from an impact. It'd be nice if someone could come up with a better helmet pad material- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/enhanced/doi/10.1002/adfm.201400451/

Good to know! Time for me to quit worrying and jump some more

Aye, there's the rub. No, I honestly can't think of how I can prove that I'm less full of shit than DHS is, because DHS owns the data. I guess THEY could prove it by releasing that. Gen 2 was pulled from NYC in 2009 for the government contract bid process to be implemented for Gen 3. Quite a convoluted deal, as I found out. I had to take a LOA and work as an independent contractor for a while, just to be within their rules. All I can do is provide anecdotal proof that I was there, patents and relevant journal papers that I'm co-author on. (Google my name + APDS) There's also a few bartenders in East Village that might remember me

Yes! Highly intelligent questions. Yes, assay is bullet proof & EXTENSIVELY tested for cross reactivity and specificity on all signatures in the field, Los Alamos and with CDC. Also system controls & analysis algorithms eliminated any anomalies. This was a huge effort - Not at liberty to speak further on assay specifics. There WERE NO false positives. The systems were not pulled from the field for that reason. This is over sever hundred thousand assay data points in the field over about 6 years. Also, to be specific- those were Gen 2 prototypes, and not Gen 3 production units. Imagine a major transportation hub such as GCT in NYC getting dosed with Ba or Yp, etc. Hundreds of thousand of people each day who, in 2 days could literally be any where in the world without much hope of tracing the source. By the time symptoms present, how many doctors possess the information to even make a correct diagnosis? Autopsies would probably reveal the cause at that point. But I digress...The merits of whether or not to have this capability is another argument. My reason for being cheesed off - If someone with more information than me made an intelligent decision to cancel this program, then fine they should say so. But I'm saying that their STATED reasons are not true. I'm saying that I was there, and that I know otherwise. Anyways, done ranting. Like I said, I'm no longer involved with bio-instrumentation(or DHS). The systems really are a marvelous integration of engineering, chemistry & biology. It's a shame that after all the cost and effort of R&D, they won't be deployed.

You're certainly entitled to your snarky opinion. No, I stopped working on this a few years ago, and don't depend on this for a living. I've never watched "24", and never read a Clancy novel.

Thanks for your interest, Quade. These links are a start. The second one was early in the development of the automated system: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL32152.html http://www.pathobiologics.org/btac/ref/APDS_Dzenitis92106.pdf The system in place typically gives a response in about 2 days. the automated system gives an answer in 3 hours. Given that a bio strike would likely come at a transportation hub, 2 days is outside the timeline for effective intervention. The first link describes this. I'm saying that the automated system was canceled for reasons other than what was stated in the article, or any of the previous ones leading up to it. I know this, because I'm a co-developer of Biowatch Gen 2 & 3. I was personally present in a technical capacity every day of performance testing. Photos are of me working on Gen 2 systems in a well known east coast transportation hub. OK, one was having a beer afterwards.

This one finally got me pissed enough to vent in the psycho forum http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-biowatch-20140426,0,4684978.story#axzz30H24awiV I guess vulnerability to bio attack is no longer a concern for this administration Why am I pissed? Because I have first hand knowledge that every reason given in this article is total BS

My rig is an Infinity I-44 with a Pilot 168ZPX main & PD176 reserve that I bought new. No problems packing (after the first 20 or so pack jobs on the new main), and no negative feedback from my rigger. I've since relined the Pilot with Dacron, and it still fits although a little tighter. FWIW - I picked my reserve & main, and Kelly F. (Infinity) sized my container for them.

I have a Pilot 168ZPX that gave me a series of violent, asymmetric openings at about 140 jumps. I tried a bunch of different packing techniques (none worked). I finally had the Spectra line set measured and was found to be out of spec - some lines were too short and some were too long. Had it relined with Dacron, and it now opens very soft

I've only jumped 1 weekend with the Rev2, but so far have not had any issues wearing prescription Oakley's.

Just got my Royal Blue Rev2 a few days ago. Took about 5 weeks from the time I ordered it direct from Bonehead. The size chart seemed to work fine, as the Medium size fits my 22.5cm head nicely. This is my first full face helmet, so I'm spending a lot of time practicing operating the visor. One handed operation seems easy enough, even with light gloves on, and I can wear my sunglasses without a problem. So far, my only complaint is the chin strap hits my adam's apple when I tilt my head down.

55

Thanks Tim! You're awesome, man

*** You describe being hit with the risers in various places, so I'm thinking that you're getting tossed around pretty good before the riser releases, and I just don't think a riser cover would do that. With one riser cover open and one closed, the difference in length is not sufficient to create that type of leverage to move you around that much, especially with a rig that has 140 trouble-free jumps in the bag. Now if one riser (or line group) was hung up under the corner of the reserve container, that another story and a difference between the risers 4 or 5 times greater than a hung riser cover. This is really making a lot of sense - I'm looking at the reserve pack tray, and seeing a few wrinkles in the corners where lines could catch on, where perhaps before the last reserve repack the bulk may have been distributed to more fill the bottom corners. I'll be sure and route the lines as you described from now on! If I did this right, there should be a pic attached showing where my risers sit in relation to the reserve pack tray. Not sure if this may be contributory to the lines snagging. BTW- Thanks to you and everyone else for taking time out of your day to help me on this

Thanks - But the openings in between the bad ones are all normal & good. After slammer #2, I changed my packing method to include double wrapping the grommet stows & routing the main risers over the intermediate tab instead of directly on top of the reserve risers. Then 14 great openings before slammer #3. This one nearly ended me. The last thing I remember before lights out was some really intense back pain & getting bashed in the face. Still can't use some of my fingers!

Thanks, I'll do that. I've used the same rigger since I bought it new, and this is the second I & R he's done on it. Maybe he did something different this time. One thing I just noticed on my rig is that the risers, when stowed do not reach past the reserve pack tray. Is that problematic?

Trying to figure out WTF is going on with my rig. I’ve had 3 openings where it felt like maybe one of the risers was hanging up, followed by a HARD opening canopy. The last one riser whipped the shit out of me so much I was seeing stars for a little while under canopy, and I was lucky to land OK. My Rx Bobsters weren't so lucky, & my helmet has a nice gash in it. I’m jumping an Infinity I-44 with a Pilot 168 that I’ve packed the same way for 140 jumps with no drama of any kind until this. A couple of riggers at the DZ looked at my rig & didn’t see anything obvious. Riser covers seem to release OK on the ground. BTW-May be unrelated, but this all started happening right after my last reserve repack.

1100+ hours comm/inst SEL & MEL 240 jumps

Tandem at age 55, did AFF a couple of months after that. That was 2 years & 230 jumps ago. I'm clearly not as flexible and don't have the reaction times I did when I was in my twenties, but I'm still having a hell of a good time

A good point, but not entirely true. With additive manufacturing techniques, the magic lies in integrating nanoparticles with desirous material qualities, as well as designing inherently strong micro structures that result in a completed part that is much stronger than the original plastic material. The 3D printer is cheap and easy to use, but is by no means the only additive manufacturing method.

Hey, I remember this - It was at the boogie in Byron last October. I went out the door right before they did. IIRC he walked away without injuries.

Yeah, looks like it might have been a Stinson Voyager with a 165hp Franklin engine. Guessing from sectional charts in the area that the field elevation was around 4,000', and on maybe a 90 degree day would put DA up around 6800'. Even with half tanks, it wouldn't have made it anywhere with 4 people on board. Don't know why he didn't shut down when he couldn't achieve a positive ROC, even in ground effect - Those guys were lucky to walk (limp?) away from this one. I sometimes work out density altitude when sitting in the back of the jump plane, taking off downwind at max gross wt on a 100 degree day- Gotta love turbines!

I did AFF at age 55, so parents weren’t a factor. Didn't tell my fam until I was 3 or 4 jumps into AFF. Been flying airplanes for 35 years or so, but my daughter still gives me endless shit about learning to skydive. Pretty sure my brother wasn’t too keen on it, either (long-time jump pilot) – but I think they’ll come around to being cool with it eventually.

I've experienced a sinus blockage while flying aerobatics with a head cold. Pretty much feels like a nail being driven through your forehead. Landing a Citabria was hard enough like that - Can't imagine trying to land a canopy!

Not jump planes, and some of them not sitting on the ground... Bellanca Citabria Mooney M20 Commander 112A Piper Pacer