Unstable

I would strongly urge you to dial in that skillset - when you go to anything much above 1:1 wingloading, the ability to allow the canopy to plane out before touchdown is going to be a critical skill. =========Shaun ==========

Wouldn't the MicroSD port make the unit very susceptible to water damage? =========Shaun ==========

I talked to him about a 1-2 years ago, and he was moving down to a lake house and had rented a dumpster and emptied it twice with parachutes and materials. He sent me a box with all sorts of goodies (material, line, hardware, AADs, etc). =========Shaun ==========

I don't think anybody here can answer that question but yourself. Check for applicable service bulletins, perform the inspection, and make a decision. =========Shaun ==========

I know of at least 1 manufacturer that has built a custom rig for a large student to learn on (Jumpshack) - then again it all comes down to how much money does he want to spend? My first reaction would be he's going to spend a lot of money for a custom rig to try a sport he may not even enjoy. =========Shaun ==========

They have also stated they are refunding me for the demo rental fee, jump, and reserve repack. As a Quality Manager myself (former Aerospace, now medical world), I can already see a few concerns with the statement. A very good documented corrective action is the right response. However, it takes multiple process breakdowns to allow a failure like this to go out the door. This is not a 'our associate didn't follow the print' type issue. I would be very interested if they post the results of their internal investigations and what corrections and corrective actions are put into place. =========Shaun ==========

It's a recurring issue in the KC area, and its a recurring issue across the country. We've seen major DZs booted off in high-profile cases in Texas and Washington (to name a few) and airport access is a major stumbling block for both new and well-established DZs. That is why I always donate to the Airport Access Defense fund. Here is a Question - (and maybe we can elicit responses from both Jeremy and Gary) ~ How and when should USPA become involved when local officials refuse to grant permission for skydiving operations on a federally-funded airport? Specifically, when do you switch from honey to vinegar (to refer to the aforementioned analogy)? =========Shaun ==========

Wow. Do you know how they recruit the middleman? Is that done through DZ.com or through mass emails? =========Shaun ==========

I think that's it. Jumpshack is still cranking out rigs and it seems every DZ has at least a small handful, but I would think the biggest market is the Strong Dual Hawks. At least here in the Midwest, *most Cessna DZ's are using strongs, and we have 2x IE's right in the area. I have not seen the TNT (their 1 pin model) making a big splash in the market, but then again it is competing directly with the Sigma. Edited to add* More I think about it, the more I lean towards the adaption to a 2-pin model would make economic sense. I'll be the first to say I have not seen the numbers, but Airtec, AAD, and Aviacom (defunct) found it profitable to make 2-pin adaptions, so I would be interested in the numbers if M2 came to a different conclusion. Talking to my contact at JS, their output has increased, not decreased, since 2001, so I find it a hard argument to believe that the demand for 2-pin models is in decline. =========Shaun ==========

I actually have a Hornet 170 in my basement, excellent condition and made with that thick-crinkly South African ZP. I think I'm going to take it out this weekend and see what it does. This thread has intrigued me. =========Shaun ==========

OK, here is another question - when is the 2-pin model coming out? I can't imaging that it takes much engineering to make that happen. =========Shaun ==========

that was my biggest concern - I send in my argus each 4 years, but that is a fraction of the cost. I would second the comments here about Advanced Aerospace Design being a more 'open' company. Does the M2 offer a 2-pin system? =========Shaun ==========

Perhaps I have been giving it an unfair rap. =========Shaun ==========

Has the Manufacturer of the product been around that long or the product itself? I may be misunderstanding, and if so,I'm more than happy to eat crow. =========Shaun ==========

Yeah, I feel like we've all been down this thread 100 times before. I've put jumps on both, with about 900 on a Sabre2-150, and I think they are very comparable canopies. The Sabre2 has a lot more stopping power in the upper portion of the flare, with the Safire2 having more near the bottom. Both openings were comparable. Safire2 has a shorter arc recovery, but not much. =========Shaun ==========

Yes. Don't buy a safety-critical device until it has proven itself in the market. Cypres2 or Vigil2 it is. =========Shaun ==========

I would generally recommend against the M2. I was an Argus user back in 2006-2007 when they had only been on the market for a few year, and that didn't turn out too well. Cypres 2 and Vigil 2 have proven themselves to such an extent that the risk of you having an expensive paperweight is minimal. =========Shaun ==========

I'm throwing this out there, but the NB-8 is still in production and in active use. As a matter of fact, there is a flight school under the wing of a local State University that uses 2008-vintage NB-8s for spin training. =========Shaun ==========

Yeah, they do. You can still buy brand new 0-3cfm canopies from Flight Concepts, precision aerodynamics (Falcon), Jumpshack (few different models, mostly students), North American Aerodynamics, Eiff Aerodynamics.... I don't see PD 7 and 9-cell classic models on their website, I would be interested if they still make them.\ Edited to add: I jumped a brand new Classic 282 for accuracy for a few years, ended up selling it to a coach for the Golden Knights to use as his personal rig off-the-job. =========Shaun ==========

this thread is interesting because there are pieces of truths to every statement, but when you look at then holistically, then the advice doesn't make sense. I agree with this statement 100%. Dolphins were good, basic, inexpensive rigs with no options. Several manufacturers now will make a no options, solid black rig for a discount, if you just ask. My biggest concern with old Dolphins is they found a market as Student rigs. Old rig + lots of student jumps = =========Shaun ==========

Sorry, I can't help myself on this one. My comments are in italics. =========Shaun ==========

This statement hit true to me ~ I'm an active rigger and I have ~4 rigs for sale, jumpers getting out of the sport, but I can't find a buyer because the owners want to sell them for the same amount they purchased them 10 years ago. My biggest advice is to work with riggers and jumpers in the area and don't spend any money without talking to them first. They know you, they know the conditions you'll be jumping in, etc. It's nice to go out and buy all brand new stuff and pay $6500+, but we all know that in reality, good used gear will be a better fit for a new jumper looking to find their way in the sport. Even an F-111 (really 0-3cfm low-bulk fabric) canopies will be a good fit, provided the canopy was well kept and with less than ~400 jumps, and kept at or below 1:1 WL. =========Shaun ==========

++1. Aside form the very loud voices like Kimmi's, I think airport access is a very real threat to our sport in the long-term. I've seen it myself - good ol' boys have a Federally-funded airport that they want to use all to themselves, and want their Saturdays free of other users so they can push their aircraft out of the hangars, drink their coffee, and push them back in. A general aviation airport then becomes a taxpayer funded Country Club for pilots. Longmont has not issued exclusive rights to Mile High, and any and all pilots are able to use the airport at their leisure. =========Shaun ==========

New loop every packjob here, on racers I like to replace the quickloop every 3 packs or so, depending on the level of wear. Especially with cutters above the reserve pc, I like to look and pay attention to the condition of the loop as it passes through the grommet stack and through the cutter. This is where the wear occurs. =========Shaun ==========

I've been rigging for ~9 years, very active. Business comes in spurts, for example I had 17 rigs in queue in early July, then had 4 weeks lull. All my rigging money goes into jumping and more sewing machines. It's about a break even deal. =========Shaun ==========