freakyrat

My rig has also fit under the seat of a Saab340 going to Couch Freaks in Ft. Dodge and also has fit in the overhead of a Canadair Regional Jet and also under the seat on that aircraft. I have one of the gearbags from Aero Tech Products of Deland Florida. The front part of the bag zips off and it usually contains my jumpsuits and other things. Makes it easy to fit on any airliner. I have my helmet in a seperate helmet bag from Square One Also the Aero Tech bag is a solid color and non-descript. It has a pocket on the side for your business card and all seams are well sewn and taped so its built like a tank. The bag just never arouses suspicion in airports. Chris

If you are flying Southwest Airlines they have Cypres specifically addressed in their Operations Manual and a counter supervisor will be glad to get you a copy of the page. I had it when I flew to Chicago with them two weeks ago but didn't need to use it at either airport I used. You can also print out the DOT approval letter for Cypres on the SSK website www.pia.com/SSK. Hope this all helps Chris

Bill I carried my rig on Southwest last weekend from Houston Hobby to Chicago Midway with no problems at all. I also had a copy of Southwest's baggage rules reference parachutes equipped with Cyppres AAD"s which I posted in an answer to LouDiamond's thread and didn't have to use it. Chris Chrzan

Just to let you know took my Cypres equipped Mirage through Houston Hobby and Chicago Midway on Southwest last weekend without any problems. I haD a piece of paper from Southwest that reads G/BAG/PAR CATEGORY-BAG SUBJECT-PAR ...PARACHUTE PAGE01 PARACHUTES CONTAINING THE AIRTEC CYPRESS AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICE /AAD/ HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS NON-REGULATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THEREFORE, CUSTOMERS MAY TRANSPORT THEIR PARACHUTES EQUIPPED WITH AIRTEC CYPRESS AAD'S AS CHECKED OR CARRYON BAGGAGE. I hope this settles things. The screener at Midway said it's a parachute , see you. I said thanks an proceeded to the gate. At midway the machines are up front in the lobby so if the screener want's to check something they can have you open the bag in front of them. When I was in Canada the screener has an extra TV monitor at the end of the x-ray machine and if they question something they will show you what they are questioning and ask about it in a polite way. Therefore no hassles. Chris Chrzan

What more can I say to add to all these wonderful posts. All I can say was that the memorial was electrifying. You could really feel Roger's spirit there among all of us. It was just an incredible tribute to the life of an incredible person. Chris Chrzan Skydive Houston

Karla I plan on making the SDC service. My home DZ Skydive Houston and what I hear several other DZ's are planing memorial jumps for Roger at the same time on Monday. Chris Chrzan Skydive Houston

My sympathy Carey. Blue Skies Calen Chrzan POPS 80-way attempt Skydive Arizona

I got the email this morning and my prayers are with Craigs family and Cheryl and her children. It's been a real sad week around here but better times are ahead. Blue ones Craig Calen C. Chrzan

Chris That was one awesome post. Keep the faith. Calen C Chrzan FB1783

"When we are young, wandering the face of the earth, wondering what our dreams might be worth, learning that we're only immortal, for a limited time." (Dreamline, RUSH 1991) Roger knew what his dreams were worth and accomplished them many times over and helped others in this great sport achieve theirs whether students or experienced. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends at SDC. Calen C. Chrzan

I'm sitting here with my Freak Brother membership card. It was from 8/7/84 at Freeport, Il. I think it was my first Freak Brother Convention. I was on a 14-way dive that Roger and some of his friends organized. What a fun dive it was. I also remember Roger demonstrating how to exit a DC-3 and cover the most ground with the least amount of effort. I remember the first time I tried this exit and found out it worked and thanked Roger for demonstrating it at the Convention. Just a few of my thoughts here. I would just like to express my deepest sympathy and my condolences to Missy, Rook, and other members of the Nelson family. I pray that God will give you the strength to carry on as I know you will. Calen C. Chrzan Freak Brother 1783

Just a few tidbits. If you are travelling by air to the WFFC check airfares to Blommington-Normal (only 47 miles west of Rantoul) Because they have a discount airline AIRTRAN that flies there they have competitive airfares by all the carriers that fly there. Chris

I've commented in every forum on this subject and posted about the problem I had getting on America West Express last January in Palm Springs. I had all the documentation also on Cypres, USPA letter etc. I got on because I was there early and had time to stand my ground. One of the nice lady TSA Supervisors was aware that Cypres is not dangerous and told the other screeners to let me through and that was the end of it. I did mail the TSA Security Director for Palm Springs a letter explaining everything and he sent me a nice reply to the effect that he would see that his security screeners were made aware of the cooperative effort between USPA, Airtec and TSA in regard to Cypres and parachutes in general. End of story. The next time I'm flying with my gear is to the WFFC on Airtran from Houston Hobby to Bloomington, IL. I'm bringing all the documentation with me including the TSA letter that I have from the Federal Security Director from the Palm Springs airport. Chris

Matt happy you found them. The outlet store here in Conroe TX had them but not with the flames. Another suggestion if you lose or break the new pair you located would be to get a hold of Oakley in California to get them replaced. Chris

Matt I found the box that mine came in from Sunglass Hut International. They are part of the Oakley Jackets Line In Cobalt. Sunglass Hut's Barcode is 00285 04009. I looked for a model number but couldn't find one. I guess they did discontinue these but the outlets may still have these. Chris

Matt I've owned 2 pairs of these. I got the last ones at a Sunglass Hut outlet store about a year ago. My first pair I bought at Oakley Vault in Cabazon California when I visited Perris. Sunglass Hut may still have these and I have still recently seen these at an Oakley Store at the Dallas Texas Galleria. You can try all these places. Sunglass Hut has an outlet store close to me and I'll go look on my way to work today and post a reply back. Chris

JJ I flew Delta out of Midway at last years WFFC. Had no problems with my rig going through the TSA's security checkpoint. You just got a clueless person I guess. Chris

Cypres was assigned a Part Number when the DOT approved it. I'm assuming it was a TSO Number Chris

First Off, I think were getting a little to Cypres paranoid here or at least some of the screeners are. One of the reason why Cypres is considered a non-hazardous item is because the amount and weight of the activation material is such that it is considered non-hazardous. It falls way under in this category. Same for the Lithium baterries. The amount of Lithium in the battery is such that it is considerd a non-hazardous item. The original German safety testing for Cypres was far more stringent than that done by our US DOT and that is another reason for the DOT approval. This whole Cypres thing can be settled quite easily if the manufacturer would put the US TSO part number on their website. Most of the screeners by now should be aware of the continuing efforts of the USPA and TSA in this regard. Chris

I've flown Comtinental, Delta, Airtran, and Southwest with my rig pre and post 9/11 with no problems. Continental and Delta have info on their website under baggage rules. Continental's is under sports equipment. Continental also has all this published in their FAA approved inflight manuals. Southwest has the Parachutes and Cypres thing also published in their manuals as they were the airline responsible for getting the Cypres approved in the first place. I have flown out of IAH and Hobby with my gear with no problems. Flew America West in January and only had a minor problem coming back out of Palm Springs that was settled by a TSA Supervisor lady who knew that parachutes with Cypres were OK etc. I even wrote the TSA Director at Palm Springs with my concerns etc and got a nice letter back from him. USPA and TSA have been working on a cooperative effort to make our travelling as hassle free as possible. Their training syllabus for their screeners should already be updated with a blurb about parachutes and Cypres etc. Chris

Chris I heard that the FAA was going to put a maximum service life on the Skyva. Have you heard anything?

Bob Ed didn't contact me after I sent him the materials that I sent the TSA Security director in Palm Springs. Nonetheless I managed to get one airport's security force educated with a little bit of tact and perseverance. I agree with you in one aspect, there seems to be a sporadic problem with Delta in regard to parachutes and Cypres. It has also happened at Miami with a gate security check, something that is not done anymore. I personally have never had any problems flying Delta with my gear especially here at Houston Intercontinental as most of the staff know me. The same goes for Southwest. If you still feel the way you do I would give them your business out of BWI because they are fully knowledgeble as their Director of Safety Mr. John Andrus was instrumental in securing the DOT approval for Cypres. Also if you called Delta on the phone with your concerns, you should have asked to speak with their Director of Corpprate or Flight Safety. This person would have the whole skinny on parachutes and Cypres. You could have also did a search of the TSA press releases on the TSA website www.tsa.gov and found out who the Security Director for Dulles is and write him a letter enclosing a brief resume of your skydiving experience, a copy of the SSK/DOT letter in regard to Cypres and the USPA letter from their website etc. I did after my little minor incident at Palm Springs and it worked wonders. According to the TSA Director in Palm Springs, the TSA by now has or is in the process of having directives in regard to parachutes and specifically Cypres out to the screener workforce in the field so the problem that you encountered should be eliminated. Getting back to Delta, they along with all other airlines have skydivers that work for them. A very well known Style and Accuracy jumper Stu Metcalfe is a pilot for Delta. In summation, I've never had a problem flying with Delta anywhere with my Cypres equipped rig. I've had it wiped down with an EDS test at Raleigh Durham but that only took about 5 minutes and I was on my way to the plane. You could have asked the screener at Dulles to wipe your gear bag down or you rig with the testing paper in the same manner and you probably would have got through security OK. Carry a copy of the USPA letter and SSK/DOT letter with you and you may also have you rigger make a photo of the whole Cypres assembly or do it yourself next time your rig is due for a repack and take that all these along with the individual airlines policy on parachutes with you next time you fly. Anyone who looks at the photos and matches them up to the X-ray can see that Cypress is nowhere near the size of a CO2 cartridges. Hopes this all helps. Chris

I've never had a problem flying with my Cypres equipped rig on Delta. I flew From Houston to Atlanta and back on Delta in Novemver plus I flew on Delta and Comair (Delta Connection) to the WFFC last year to Chicago Midway and back with no problems. This January I flew America West with my rig to Palm Springs from Houston. I had no problems going but coming back I spent about 10 minutes at security explaining about my rig and Cypres. I had the letter from the Cypres website. The USPA letter that was posted here and photos of my Cypres when it was out of my rig for it's 4 year check. I finally got through when a lady TSA supervisor explained to the screeners that parachute rigs are OK and specifically Cypres is a non-dangerous item. This compressed gas (CO2) thing is a misconception left over from the olden days of the early AAD's and has no basis of fact when it comes to Cypres. You just got a Delta agent who was uneducated to this fact. When Cypres got approved by the DOT Airtec was issued a TSO or Technical Standard Order Part Number for the device just like our rigs and reserves are and is every part of the airplane you fly on. When I got through security at Palm Springs I called SSK and also infromed the USPA the next day as to what happened. I also did a search of the TSA website press releases and found out the name of the TSA Security Director from Palm Springs. I called and also sent him a letter adressing my concerns in regard to Cypres. I found out about his background on the website and also in my letter gave him a rundown of my background in aviation and skydiving. I attached the SSK letter and USPA website letter. I received a wonderful reply that said to that he would see to it that his screeners are trained in regard to Cypres and the ongoing efforts of the TSA and USPA in regard to parachutes and Cypres in particular. He would also bring this up with the TSA Training Dept. on a national scale. I sent all this material to Ed Scott at USPA. With Cliff from SSK working with Delta I don't feel you would have any more problems flying with them. I also know personally of a situation that one of our Houston skydivers had with American that Cliff straigtened out that came out with American apologizing and flying him back to Houston in First-Class. Blue Skies

I've had two of the line twist malfuntions on my 120 Stiletto. One was the spinning, diving off on one side, pinwilling (Spinetto), very entertaining kind that I had to cut away from and one recently I caught the canopy out of the corner of my eye doing what you described and trying to dive off to the left with the line twists. I quickly grabbed the right side risers and pulled the canopy over my head and licked out of the twists. Ended up about a mile east of my DZ in Waller but still got back. These are the only times my 120 has line twisted. I think others expressed here what the basic remedies are for these situations but each situation is different. The bottom line is don't waste time because these type malfunctions on highly loaded eliptticals can go to hell pretty quickly.

I had a minor problem at palm springs in January that took all of ten minutes to resolve with a TSA lady supervisor who was familiar with parachutes etc.. I also sent about a 5 page letter with Cypres and USPA support documentation for my rig back to the TSA director for Palm Springs who wrote me back a nice letter that he would see that his screener staff was made aware of the Cypres and USPA testing on rigs etc. Chris