darkwing

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This is an AWESOME post! There are things that I have done that I still beat myself up for (2 years later).... in fact one of them has kept me from going back to a favorite DZ out of embarrassment. This post might just help me move beyond that!!!!

Anyone who hasn't embarrassed themselves at a DZ hasn't been jumping enough. You are obviously qualified. If I let embarrassment keep me from a DZ I'd have to find a new DZ about 6 times a year.

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... However, the thread tension on the double needle work appears to show poor tension. Perhaps they can also do a better job on the stiching if they are going to redo your rig to fix the scratch. That said it is hard to make a judgement based on a photo.

It looks OK to me. Isn't the top row just a double row of stitches, rather than one messed-up row?

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...I just recognize the problem and am looking for tips and suggestions.

Put people in their exit positions and explicitly discuss what they will do and SEE on exit. Practice the count lots, and make sure everyone goes together. Make sure everyone knows how hard and in what direction they launch themselves, how they place their body in the airstream, what they are doing with their arms and legs, and where their eyes are looking. On the ground debrief what everyone saw, and how they perceived their own exit.

I think leg-locks were a 1980's thing. They certainly didn't exist in the 1970's. I suspect the reason they aren't in the dive pool anymore is because the judges and competitors didn't like them. I would be very, very surprised if a scrambles had leg-lock points. Generally in scrambles you realize the experience and proficiency of the participants isn't conducive to strong performances, and leg-locks require more skill than traditional points. You want do design the dive pool for the scrambles so people can succeed.

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We had a PD "rep" visit us a while back. When I told him I jump a Triathlon, he got all over my ass about how Aerodyne was shit and PD was the only way to go.
Stupid fucker. I finally had to tell him to STFU and stuff his PD up his ass.

I wonder how much of a "PD Rep" he was, because the response he gave you was markedly at odds with reps I have spoken with. Generally reps for all the companies are fairly kind to the competition. What goes around, comes around.

How many people? 1/2 acre isn't that much. When I organize I very often have exits no-grip, for two reasons, first, it gives people more chance to fly, and second, it gives them a better view of how well they actually exit-- timing and placement. Just like any exit, it is all about timing and placement. Many people have illusions about their timing and placement--and those illusions evaporate on no-grip exits.

Another reason to do no-grip exits, a chunk that funnels is much harder to recover from.

There are many great canopies, and the Spectre is one of them. Greatness depends on what you want it for. Don't let someone else's definition of greatness dictate yours. Decide what you want/need in a canopy, and find one that does that (if you can). It becomes your great canopy. I get tired of hearing "but that canopy doesn't... as well as ...." There is no ONE greatest canopy.

I can't get it on any of the 4 browsers on my Mac. Bummer. Looking at the source code is a nightmare if I want to try to get the actual file.

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What was jumping those like?

Even then, in a young man's body, it was like jumping a canopy that didn't flare as much as you'd like, and landed harder than you liked. That is the main reason I made a few that had 6, 7 or 8 cells. They were better.

Yes, it would be obvious, because the cutter would have fired and the loop would not be cut.

I am curious what the owner said about it. I hope you have luck contacting the rigger.

that's really a question fro BASE jumpers. Their canopies are different from skydiving canopies, and for good reasons.

I have about 50 jumps on one, and I'd do it again, but only into the water, or out of a plane that just had a wing fall off.

Sorry, but my experiences have been very different, even when I quit jumping for years... Do not condemn the whole for the actions of the few.

Thousands only.

I got pied for 1,000 and 2,000 and am a believer in the thousands only rule for pies. Don't dilute the honor.

It is absolutely NOT the case that slow fall necessarily = good track. However, a good track is not a fast fall rate. Other than that I agree with most of the advice.

Heck, I weigh the same and am 4 inches shorter, so you'd float on me. Just consult with a good jumpsuit mfr and get a good suit. I recommend Bev suits, but there are other good ones. Any reputable mfr should be able to make a suit for you. I don't have any mesh, and I recommend against swoop cords. I have actually cut down the extra fabric that came originally with my jumpsuit.

Also, you may be arching too much.

It has been done many times over the years, beginning in the 1970's, if not earlier. The down sides include: difficult to grip an inflated suit and uneven inflation. I think the reason they haven't been more popular is the downsides are not worth the tradeoff usually. Better to just get a big/multi-layer jumpsuit. BTW, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?

both tension knots and line overs can leave no trace on inspection after cutaway.

Have it inspected thoroughly, and perhaps put a jump on it as a main. As a rigger I would not repack a reserve that behaved like you describe until it got fixed. This behavior can be caused by internal failures (e.g., separation of a rib from top skin) that may not be obvious to the jumper. Of course there are other possibilities too. In any case, get it addressed.

Neither me, nor any of the people I jump with regularly would give you any sort of crap for scratching any time. Of course, there is good natured name calling all the time, for any real or imagined reason, but actual serious crap for scratching, no way.

250 or 2500? It makes a big difference. I had similar layoff, and it was easy to get back into it. In any case, you take your logbooks to the DZ, talk with them, and do what they say. I was ready to do anything they said, including sitting through a first jump course, but they didn't have me do that. Some talk, some time in the harness.... I had 1600 jumps at the time.

Well, according to their website --

Mailing Address:
U.S. Parachute Association
5401 Southpoint Centre Boulevard
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22407
Phone: (540) 604-9740
Fax: (540) 604-9741

How does that compare to your 2003 form?

It hadn't occurred to me that it was a reserve. Although the hole in the slider should have been a clue. I saw the direct attachment, and assumed it was diapered. A lot of people did retro-fit diapers on a variety of square mains.

Also--from the photo I can't tell if the lines are cascaded or not.

I don't remember a canopy with a stock round-hole slider. From the photo I'd say circa 1980. Viking? I think it isn't a Unit.