JerryBaumchen

Thanks.

Anybody have phone & address for Altico, mfrs of the Dolphin? Thanks in advance.

Hi Bill, I have some memory of a failed chest strap that occured 20+ years ago; I think the stitching failed/pulled out. My memory (getting worse by the moment) is that it was a Racer; if I'm wrong my apologies to John & Nancy. Something appeared in PARACHUTIST on the fatality and I contacted USPA to find out more. I was told that the chest strap is not a structural part so they would not release any further info. I always found their response interesting; it failed during opening but it is not structural. Hmmmm????? That's a marketing type trying to appear as an engineer.

Hi Rob, I first met Troy in the early 80's when I was going in and out of Denver on business trips. A very nice, quite, unassuming guy; just a nice guy. He once told me that on his original Centaurus he never did the three Strength Tests by dropping the rig from an aircraft; the FAA allowed him to load it to 5,000 lbs, three times, in a test machine and they accepted that testing. I thought he had a degree in Physics, not engineering; but I may just be wrong on this. I do not know exactly but the very first reserve tuck in top flap that I ever saw was at the '91 Symposium (I think '91 ??); it was a rig by PISA. However, your info may be more accurate than this. Just a couple of thoughts, nothing else.

"STOP THIS." You took the words right out of my mouth, Mick. Thanks and have a good one yourself.

Hi Red13, Since you say you are new, then welcome to the whacky world of skydiving. First, you must have a thick skin, and not just on dz.com. You may have noticed these posts had some help and some sarcasm, its all part of the sport. You can legally pack your own main that you intend to jump without supervision. I might not recommend that not knowing you. You can pack a main for anyone to jump if under the direct supervision of a rigger. You can legally pack your own reserve if under the direct supervision of a rigger; you cannot sign it off or seal it, he would have to do that. As a rigger, I would never let you do that where my seal was involved. Hope that this has helped.

Hey Superman32, You left out Retired, the best job I've ever had. Two checks a month & I don't even have to get out of bed. You'll get there some day. I suppose I could have listed Engineer since I keep my PE ticket current, even though I don't use it; just personal pride.

I voted but my incident was not a 'true' unstowed toggle. Many years ago, jumping a F 1-11 type fabric 7-cell I had the right side toggle and guide/steering ring go bye-bye on a hard opening. The 1" T-4 webbing that held the ring to the harness had actually been cut in two by the ring and everything was floating out behind me. Luckily, not a HP canopy so I just unstowed the left side and steered/flaired with risers; but a damn short stroke to stall that feller.

Hi Travis, I've been giving that very idea some thoughts; I kinda like pondering ideas, it keeps Alzheimer's at a distance. The problems that I saw were: 1. Lots of engineering time invested 2. Lots of R&D effort invested 3. Little actual demand in the marketplace 4. The risers would have to sell for around $200/pair 5. Some young rigger would build them in his basement, undercut your pricing and steal all of your potential customers. It gave me a lot of time considering all of the issues but in the long run, it just doesn't work out. It was just a good mental exercise. Since you mention where the line meets the webbing, let me do a little bragging (if I might be allowed). Look in Poynter's very first manual in Section 8.2.1.C.2.b and you will see some work that I did long ago on line strengths vs attachment methods. Now, do not let my negativism keep you from continuing to think about new things. Who knows, one day you may come up with the next greatest whizbanger.

Hi Sparky, I seem to be with you on this one. In my opinion (and it is my opinion only), the chest strap does take some loading (how much, I do not know) during normal deployment attitudes. Saying that, I can envision some attitude in which the chest strap takes virtually no load; however, I also feel that it always will take some load during deployment (this is of course considering a modern piggyback sport parachute system, not something utilizing a chest pack or some other configuration). As I look at different photos of ringed harnesses, I have reached the conclusion (no actual proof of this) that a fully ringed harness imposes more load onto the chest strap that would a non-ringed or hip-ringed only harness configuration. This is because I see these rigs on people more often like in the one drawing of Sparky's where the MLW is in a somewhat sideways 'V' configuration. To me, it is a very simple vector analysis; something one would learn about in the first month or so of an engineering Statics class. Now please do not ask me to get those very old textbooks out; heck, I doubt if I could actually find it anymore. Any Structual Engineering students out there who might want to analysis Sparky's two drawings for us? Anyway, just my old $0.02 worth.

Go and visit/talk to Sewing Machine Service in Renton. They are 'THE' industrial sewing machine outfit in your area. I don't have their phone number close at hand; but they are in Renton, in the old part of town. Try a guy there named Cerwin (pronounced Kerwin). HTH

Hey. Brokenwing, Now you're re-awaking some of the old memory cells. I think you are absolutely right on Hugh being the first to short-line one. That post took me back quite a ways. Don't know about the other mods.

Hi there CrazyL, You don't list any contact info. How about sending me an email ( or call 503-481-4714 )? I have something I would like to discuss with you. Thanks, Jerry

Hi Terry, teresting in how things get around, i.e., your comment about ". . .purchased the rights . . ." I do not know about any 'rights' because almost nothing is exclusive to a mfr; unless they patent something or other. Larry Chernis bought a copy of the QA program, the patterns, and some other building/mfg 'goodies'. The TSO-authorization(s) cannot be sold or transferred. The company that holds the TSO can be sold; have a change in ownership. However, that would have meant that Dan T would have had to sell Para-Phernalia lock stock and barrel; well OK, just the name and the TSO-authorizations. Larry Chernis had to go through the entire TSO process before he could produce his version of the NL III. Para-Phernalia's NL III TSO was under C 23(b) and Larry's was under C 23(c). Again, just some trivia for a night in the bar.

Also, Precision makes a 9-cell that is a reserve, if the old brain is still working correctly. Anybody know what George calls it?

Hi Terry, The original Owner's Manual would have had an original R/W/B canopy on the cover, as that is the only color combo they made for quite some time. I really do not remember the cover but I do remember some of the photos on the inside; strange memory, huh?

Hi Terry, The 'E' bay sale is not a ParaCommander Owner's Manual. It is a treatise by Gary Lewis on the PC and all of its variations at the time ( I think it was his Masters Thesis ). The actual original PC Manual showed you how to pack it, etc. Strangely, I have never read Gary's book; and I knew him well. Just little trivia for some late night in the bar.

Hi Parafredo, Care to expand on that "poor lead sealing method?" Curious minds want to know.

Hi there, A little off topic but you have a VERY dangerous situation with the 2nd photo ( of the j-box ), that is a fire waiting to happen. Believe me on this, I know. Jerry Baumchen

Terry, This just to get some discussion going. If it is accepted that the 2" wide bridle (virtually the standard for a reserve free bag) does not provide sufficient drag to launch the bag out of the container, i.e., in a horshoe situation, then why does the industry continue to use the 2" webbing. I would think that 1" Type 4 (at a 1,000 lbs rating) would be more than sufficient. Let the commentors begin.

OK nitrochute, Times up, who did the first short-line on a PC?

I had a number of local guys who would routinely sign my name to the data card when I had actually been the person who last packed it. I told them that if they were going to fake it, to keep me out of it; flip open the phone book, pick out a name and write it in. At least that would keep me out of the loop. Some time later we had a 'local rigger' who did a lot of 'repacks' and his name was Behn Haad. I never did meet him, though. It wasn't my name and that is what was important to me.

Hi DarkWing, The original R/W/B PC's had a 1.1 oz fabric in the apex. They (Pioneer) had trouble keeping up with this feature when colors came along. If you look you will see that this particular PC is not a checkerboard in the apex. When the color combo's req'd colors in the apex is when Pioneer went to the 2.2 oz taffeta fabric throughout the canopy. I owned #363 ParaCommander, a sweeheart. Easiest way to tell a PC from a Pap is that the Pap had slots in the front just at the top of the first panels of the front gores. Plus some radial slots near the top/hi pressure area of the canopy. Anyone know what a gore is?

The ONLY time I ever had a needle go through me was once I was having some difficulty in making a couple of stitches with a 31-15. I was holding the material very firmly and pulling the machine through by hand. The needle went into between a couple of layers of skin; so there I was with a needle in me, (however it had not gone all the way through it's cycle, had not made the loop down at the bobbin) and what to do. So I sit there for a moment and then back the machine up. All was well with no blood. Only once and I hope never again. That was too close. The problem with sewing through yourself (IMO) is that you are stuck to the machine, only have one hand free, and you are probably alone with no one to help. Oh forgot, lot's of pain also.

Hi Sparky, "I have heard that Mil-Spec has been abandoned . . ." What I understand it that it is on the way out but that you can still get Mil-Spec webbing, tapes, etc.; for now. The PIA has taken over the control of the documents, rewriting them into their letterhead and format. I think that it is only a matter of time and the term 'Mil-Spec' will disappear within this industry. Just my thoughts . . .