evan85

+1 for waiting until a packer has a bit of down time and asking them to help. Pay for a pack job (and maybe a bit more) and ask them to either watch you or do it themselves but go slow and explain. I did this at a local DZ and the packer taught me some great tricks for getting my slippery new canopy into the bag AND wouldn't even take my money. YMMV

Yep, I did in fact see that post. I was hoping for a more-detailed explanation--hence my use of the word "elaborate". Also I figure Mirage must have a reason to recommend silicon over 3-in-1, and I was hoping to figure out what that might be.

I have a Mirage G4, and happened to take a look at the user manual. Mirage recommends silicone spray, not 3-in-1 oil. Could you elaborate on the advantages/disadvantages here? Why do they recommend silicone while you recommend 3-in-1 oil?

John, thank you for your detailed explanation. I want to make sure I have your directions correct for my own maintenance procedures. Please confirm this is what I should be doing for normal maintenance (not testing, etc.): Use standard 3-in-1 multipurpose oil Pull cutaway cables completely out of rig Coat last 7-8 inches of cable (enough to clear the nylon loop) Replace cutaway cable/handle in rig, correctly assembling 3-ring, etc. Or should I be coating the entire cable? Do you let it drip or lightly wipe it off so there isn't excess oil?

First of all, you should ask your instructors. They're the ones that have seen your canopy skills and your landings and are in the best place to answer this question, not a bunch of random folks on the internet. If you want random internet advice anyway, at least give us some more information. What canopy have you been jumping as a student? How big is it? That being said, take a look at what you're proposing. You weigh 190 pounds, and your gear will weigh another, say, 20-25 pounds. You'll be loading a 170 sq ft canopy at between a 1.24 and 1.26 wing loading. Go to any of the major canopy manufacturers' websites, pick a canopy (the kind you might eventually get as a first canopy) and look at the wingloading suggestions. Let's look at the PD Sabre2 as an example (http://www.performancedesigns.com/sabre2.asp). For the Sabre2 170, PD recommends an exit weight (that's you PLUS your gear) for students of no more than 136 pounds. As a "novice", the maximum exit weight on a Sabre2 170 is 153. Your exit weight of 210-215 falls between "advanced" and "expert"--and much closer to expert (187 and 221, respectively). So the short answer, from this random internet guy who's never seen you fly a canopy, is that this is a bad idea and you should stick to a wingloading of no more than 1.0 as someone just off student status (that would still put you as "intermediate", not "novice" on the Sabre2 chart). Flying a canopy that's too small can have serious, dangerous, even fatal consequences. You'll have lots of time in this sport to work up to a higher wingloading, but only if you stay safe and conservative at the beginning.

Thanks! I think that's the answer I was looking for. I don't think it would actually fall out because the helmet foam goes all the way around my ear, just wanted something to hold it in place.

That's the first place I looked. What it actually says is this: Note "if no jump is made". Here are the details of what happened with mine: I set it to -450 at the takeoff airport, and then it says -450 on the display. As we climb, it behaves correctly, matching my wrist-mounted N3. It alerts correctly in freefall and under canopy, again matching my N3. Then we travel back from the the landing zone to the DZ/airport. When I'm getting ready to make the next jump, it says "0" on the display, and I had to manually switch it to -450 again. I'm just trying to figure out if this is intended or not (so I can send it back). I don't jump at offset DZs very often, but when I do, it's just one more thing to remember that I wouldn't have to do if I had another N3 in my helmet instead.

Just got a new Optima II, and was jumping at a DZ with an offset landing area this weekend. Do you have to reset the altitude offset each jump? It seemed like I did but maybe I was doing something wrong. On my N3 you just have to set it once and it stays on all day. Thanks!

I have a Pro-Tec helmet, and just got a new Cookie G3 as well. I anticipate potentially using both, though I will likely favor the G3 and use the Pro-Tec less. I used to "mount" my N3 in my Pro-Tec just by slipping it in its rubber sleeve and jamming it into the foam cut-out for the ear -- it so happens that it fits fairly tightly and doesn't move around, even if I shake the Pro-Tec around. Now I have an Optima II as an audible and plan to wear my N3 on my wrist. I'd like to figure out a way to mount my Optima II (a good bit smaller than my N3) in my Pro-Tec when I want it there, but in an easily-removable way so that I can transfer it to my G3 when necessary. Anyone have a good solution for this? Thanks!

Anyone know anything about this? Is the only difference between this and the Optima II really just a 4th high-speed alert?

Pops, you make a fair point here. I acknowledge that there is inherent risk and uncertainty in everything, let alone hucking yourself out of a plane with some metal and fabric strapped to your back . That being said, I suppose what I meant to express is that I want to know those risks and weaknesses of the system I may have to rely on for my own safety to the fullest extent possible. For me, one aspect of this is gaining a better understanding of the AAD -- what it does, what it doesn't do, etc. Of course, I hope never to have to use it and I would never knowingly "rely" on it. But in at least one way, there is something I can do -- change the activation altitude on my Cypres 2. To the extent I can learn more here that helps me make that decision, I think that's very important.

TK, I know I don't know you, and I know I'm fairly new in the sport. But here are my observations of what we actually know, which I feel still leaves a hole in my understanding of what happened. I'm not trying to speculate or make guesses, but rather to understand what happened to I can ensure my own safety on future jumps. Specifically, once my Cypres2 is updated, I understand that I'll be able to manually adjust my activation altitude, and wonder if this incident is one indication that I should do exactly that. 1. Neither jumper's main was deployed -- main PCs were found stowed. 2. Instructor had pulled both cutaway and reserve handles; student had pulled neither. 3. Your press release states that "Both skydivers had their reserve parachutes activated by a computerized Automatic Activation Device (AAD)" 4. Your other post in the other thread states that "all the gear worked exactly as it should." You state that this is "a far simpler situation," but don't explain what that situation is. So my question is this: if both jumpers had their AADs fire, why did neither reserve fully inflate prior to impact? My understanding is that a correctly-functioning AAD that fires at the correct altitude (that is, works "exactly as it should") should cause the reserve canopy to fully inflate prior to impact. I won't speculate in this post, not least because I do not have nearly the amount of knowledge or experience as someone like you. But I want to know that, should I pass out, or completely lose altitude awareness, or for whatever reason find myself with no canopies out by the time my AAD fires, my reserve will open in time to save my life, if not prevent me from suffering any injury at all. Any information I can glean from incidents such as this and from much more experienced jumpers like yourself could help save my life.

***as if I'm paying someone to be a layover in the shipping process.*** That's exactly what you're doing. There are two reasons. Reason 1. Sometimes, the dealer gets much better incentives than you. For example, when I got my Mirage (custom), I called direct and they said they could sell it to me at list. Ordering through a dealer got me a good % discount on the list price. The 40% you see, for example, might only apply through a dealer. Reason 2. Much more importantly, especially because you're new to the sport, your rig will come completely disassembled. How do you plan to inspect it for manufacturing defects? How do you plan to install your main, let alone install and inspect/pack your reserve? How do plan to install your AAD? Assuming you are not a rigger, you will need to send your rig to a "middleman" to do at least two of these things (inspect/pack reserve and install AAD). More likely, you will want a rigger to inspect the rig and install your main as well. Why not use one middleman instead of two? Ship the rig straight to a dealer who will check it out and also has a rigger to do all of those things for you.

I just got a new Cookie G3. There's a red plastic tab tucked into the main helmet liner right where it meets the chin/mouth liner. Anyone know what this is? Thanks!

I believe Mirage discontinued the split bag. I was not given the option when I called Mirage to talk through all of the options on my new G4 (maybe 6 months ago).

I also have a new Mirage G4 (M4 size). I know that Mirage makes their d-bags not perfect rectangles on purpose -- it's supposed to help the rig shape correctly. I still use the stock d-bag so I have no personal experience trying something else, but it's something to consider.

From the page you linked : Product Description Don't let sweat get in your way. Pick up a PD sweatband or two and beat the heat. You can also attach your digital altimeter by threading the screws through the wristband between the mounting plate and altimeter itself.

So I'm thinking about a trip down to San Diego in the near future. I'd be there for about a week, and would want to jump as much as possible. I'm a little under 100 jumps and still belly flying. Which San Diego-area DZ would you recommend?

Here is the e-mail I sent to Mirage along with their response:

Thanks Freeflaw, I was looking into UPT's alternate closing method but decided to keep this post to just the one topic to start I e-mailed Mirage about both issues and I'll post their response when I get it

I was recently looking into the closing-pin-piercing-the-bridle issue, and came across the recent Parachutist article on the topic (http://parachutistonline.com/safety_training/safety_check/industry-bridle-response). In that article, I noticed one interesting quote: Now, I had been taught to always make sure the pin was "smiling". But I jump a Mirage G4. Should I be turning my pin over so that it's "frowning"? Furthermore, is this actually better in terms of making it less likely that the pin pierces the bridle?