Greig

My dytter started giving the battery low warning after about 100 jumps with it. I never got around to changing the batteries and the warnings just stopped. I probably put another 100 jumps on it before I lost it over a big open field in Z-hills. >>I found another - abandoned in an open field, without it's plastic clip. Maybe that was my magic dytter! Anyways, L&B sent me a new one. They've got some kick ass customer service

Oh yeah, I also got in an argument with this guy at work about not being able to breath in freefall and absorbing oxygen through the skin. The funniest point he made was when he said "Do you jump through clouds?" I replied "no." His reply: "see, it's cause you'll suffocate if your skin gets wet."

My DZO once told me of a call he got from someone asking about PFF. After he finished explaining it all to the guy the guy asked "So do you supply the snowboards, or do I have to bring my own?" I can't count the number of times people have asked me if I ever "strap a snowboard to my feet" when I jump!! Blue Skies!!

I was at a freefly seminar put on by Brian Germain in Rantoul and he made a good point about PC material. He pointed out that F-111 isn't as slippery as ZP so it may be less likely to slip out of the PC pocket and give you a premature deployment. Give that some serious consideration especially if you're doing any freeflying. I'd say go for a kill-line F-111. You'll probably have downsized and have a new rig before you notice any significant degredation in the PC material. IMO there's nothing wrong with velcro on toggles. Just replace it when it gets old and keep an eye on your lower steering lines for any sign of wear. You could get some dive-loops sewn on too. Greig

Hi, The first time I jumped a Stiletto it had been packed for over two years. The reserve had just been repacked so the main was detached and re-attached. I pulled the main out to line stretch to make sure there were no twists but left the canopy in the d-bag. The canopy opened slow, really slowly actually (but remember, I wasn't used to canopies that actually snivel) and on heading. The rig had been stored in the rigging loft and I saw it almost every day so I new it hadn't had any wierd stuff happen to it. I've heard about tests performed on reserves when reserve cycles were in question and they found that after the first couple of days of being repacked the deployment speed doesn't really change no matter how long the reserve has been packed. But it did find that packing wears the canopy out faster. I guess the problems arise when people start leaving their rigs in trunks and cypres batteries leak, etc. As for storage, leaving your rig packed in a cool, dry and dark place is probably the best. I seriously doubt that a packed canopy would degrade any faster than one left in a garbage bag, plus being in the rig gives it some added protection. If the PC spring is not made of sub-standard materials then its load shouldn't decrease over time. Greig

Maybe switching to a Stiletto at the number you have might not be the best idea. But when you do switch, keeping the same wingloading is a very good idea. I went from a Sabre 150 to a Stiletto 150 and found that just the change in flight characteristics was more than enough to keep me entertained. Greig.

Bill, Is the weight of the canopy the only consideration in PC size? Can you post a list of which size of PC (assuming its ZP) works best with which range of canopy sizes?

I'm looking into getting an new complete rig. I was just wondering about people's experiences with some of the dealers. Specifically I was wondering about Rigs and Things ParaService and Pier ltd. Can you recommend a better dealer that sells Wings containers and Cobalts? Thanks, Greig.

Mr. Booth, Any chance you could post some pics of 3-rings that are incorrectly or poorly constructed. Like "If your three rings look like this, you'd better hope you don't have a spinning mal" sort of thing? Thanks.

Out of the total production cost of a complete harness/container system, which component is the most expensive to produce and what is the perceived total cost to the manufacturer? Any ballpark figures would be appreciated. Thanks.

Out of the total production cost of a complete harness/container system, which component is the most expensive to produce and what is the perceived total cost to the manufacturer? Any ballpark figures would be appreciated. Thanks.