darkwing

A spectre is a truly great all around canopy. It is very popular with us conservative old hands. You might consider a 150 instead of a 170, but check with your instructors. PD has a loaner program. Email them. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

the whole thing gets pulled through and it kind of inverts at the pull through point. It looks straight when you are done. Look at the pix posted above by hook... -- Jeff My Skydiving History

The quick and easy answer is that they will likely both get sued. In America they sue everyone who might have any money/assets, who is even peripherally associated with the problem. I would add that just because a reserve didn't work, doesn't necessarily mean there was any problem with the pack job. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I can't believe that it is an issue of vectran vs. spectra. It may be an issue of line trim. Contact the mfr and tell them about the problem. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

There are two possibilities-- 1) your body position is inducing the turn 2) you are pushing off the plane and causing it The fix in either case is the same-- awareness and adjustment. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

Jump Shack implies that it is useful for other sizes of line, and now I'm sure many people will try it. I wonder if it would be any better/worse/different if you pulled the loop through the locking hole, instead of the running end? The problem I envision using the running end is that pulling through several feet of line too quickly could heat the region around the hole to the point where the line strength was seriously degraded. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

No flat spots? -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I am appalled that someone would straighten a bent pin and return it to service. There are ways it can degrade in spite of its passing Test 2. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I'm a bit confused by their directions, but I'll try it out. I gather that the entire running end (which may be several feet long) gets pulled through the locking hole, so that it sort of looks like you turn everything inside out at that point on the line (but I know it isn't really inside out) -- Jeff My Skydiving History

the date stamp on the handle is usually just the year, but that is good for most. It is interesting that there are failures being reported for pins outside the date window though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

can you describe the snow-snow block to me? -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I started in 1973, and jumped a lot (by the standards of the time and place) until the early 1980s. I had several years of no jumps at all, and some with very few jumps. Mostly due to college (10 years worth), and competition burn-out. I tried it again in late 2000 and decided it was fun again. I'm very glad to be back. My wife is quite good about my weekend absences. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I'd say you should not do it. There was a recent discussion relating to this with respect to inadvertant breaking of the seal on a rig when testing the ripcord pin. In that case, when the pin was never pulled, I agreed with the rigger who resealed it and noted accordingly. In this case, I think you should not do it. As I recall there were some passionate disagreements. I think that most of the riggers who thought it OK to reseal and note in the case under consideration would bounce to the other side of the argument here. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I will add the place where the kill line exits the bridle, on the bag end of things. On Cazer's at least, there is a lot of friction wear on the bridle tape where it wraps around the connector link. I've seen several pilot chutes where this was the first thing to fail. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

Technically there is no "new owner" yet, as the airport board is being very slow to move. As I understand it there are at least two groups interested in leasing. Until a contract is signed the current operator (Jack Walter) is understandably reluctant to invest in advertising, etc. With that caveat in mind, we locals hope things work out for Jack, and we are looking forward to a HMB. My belief is that Jack will get the contract, and that the HMB will go on as intended. BE THERE. edited to add: ps- the web site hasn't been updated for a long time, and isn't a reliable source of information these days. I assume it will be if the business situation stabilizes later. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

My educated guess is that the figures cited above are pretty much ideal, and that in actual use the figures are usually a little to a lot lower. The factors I am considering are lower speed and some screening by the jumper. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

That's the advantage of having just a two way. It is easier for the base to keep an eye on the swooper all the way. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

Yes, I owned one of the pre-slider, pre-relief slotted starlites. It put me in the hospital. I still distinctly remember tracking and debating whether or not to pull. Nice after opening, and nice pack volume though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

In a sense you answer your own question. Yes, there are times to delay and times not to. NEVER be on the wrong side of that decision though. If I am under a main and spinning on my back at 4 grand I'll delay. If I am at 1 grand I won't delay. It is the fuzzy part in between that kills people. Any scenario you come up with is likely to be morph-able into a fuzzy area. You had better decide for yourself, so that there aren't any real decisions to make. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

Because it will be another expensive add-on to an already expensive progression. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

they work now. I think there was a problem on the server side for a few minutes.... -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I couldn't view the photos. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I'm an Infinity guy myself, but pretty much any widely used rig out there is fine. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

I'm not sure where the logos are or how big they are, but you might just sew some fabric over them. Single row of stitches, easy to remove. Use small needle, and thread, just plain cotton/poly thread, not E thread. -- Jeff My Skydiving History

Like several others here I have done it both ways. I have several hundred jumps with no altitude device. These days I jump with a wrist mount and two audibles. With no tools ground cues (at your home dz), and the altimeters worn by others are fine. Still, I recommend tools for everyone, but am not bothered by experienced and competent jumpers who don't have them. -- Jeff My Skydiving History