inextremis

It gives you instruction NOT to jump from pressurized aircrafts? It gives you instructions to take special care for moving autos? Now it will probably give you instructions to keep your rig in thermostat to maintain stable temperature? And probably, to jump with this thermostat? Well, what I can say - there is AAD, which does not have this "issues" (which actually are defects). Yes, the owners manual says not to turn it on and ride around in closed vehicles, because unlike the CYPRES which becomes active at 1500ft, the Vigil becomes active at 150ft. And yes, the owners manual give specific instructions for pilots on pressure testing the cabin. Had Vigil been fielded first, you'd probably be on here bashing CYPRES2 cause it won't save on a 1000ft emergency exit. It's not too much to ask that users read and follow the directions.

Webbing is definitely degraded over time by sunlight/UV, especially the stitching. Now, 50 hours, 70 hours, 100 hours--who knows, I'm more than willing to roll on time frames because there are too many other variables involved. My point was simply that leaving skydiving gear in the sun longer than necessary is not good practice.

Don't you think it would be better if it didn't screw up at all? Oh, most defninitely--but I don't think we're going to have a flawless AAD. This is a typ1/type2 error issue (not firing when it should vs. firing when it shouldn't). Some errors are more obvious than others--and more dangerous than others. I think Vigil has designed a very sensitive and accurate product. I've also witnessed CYPRESs malfunction similarly, including an unexplained firing of a CYPRES under an accuracy canopy that appears very similar to Vigil's recent tandem firing. But look, I don't work for them and I don't consider myself a Vigil advocate--I'm just trying to see through the third party reports and the electronic hysteria developing around this device to figure out if I'm going to keep a Vigil in one of my rigs or swap it out. Vigil could really help themselves by being more transparent and responsive on this issue.

Here is a quote and the source--not the one we used originally--that says 50% reduction after 50 hours. Of course different canopy colors, treatments, etc. can extend that. I'm still going to try to find the original source we used. blue skies, Tom "Military specifications for parachute materials state fabrics should not lose more than 25 percent of their original strength after 50 hours exposure to sunlight. Investigations into causes of deceleration parachute failures have shown strength loss of more than 50 percent after 50 hours of exposure to sunlight." http://www.tpub.com/1ase2/97.htm

When doing research to justify the construction of a hangar for a military skydiving club, we did some research and found that after 70 hours in direct sunlight, nylon canopy fabric (F-111) had degraded about 50% of its original strength when new. (Agree--that's not exactly a "half life") I don't recall if our source was from a manufacturer, an Army publication, the Poynter manual or maybe even the Chemistry department--but I do remember seeing it in writing. I'll ask our other riggers this week where we got that. We incorporated the info into our packing classes to help teach people not to leave gear in the sun. And yes, we got our hangar built.

Cabin pressurization fires, and fires in moving autos don't concern me, because Vigil gives specific instructions in their owners manual to avoid those circumstances. As I read their accounting of the August 06 firings, they don't say that the units merely got hot (although anyone who leaves their rig in a hot trunk is abusing lifesaving equipment, IMO, and sunlight degrades nylon at approx. a 70 hour half life). What they said was that the temperature and pressure were BOTH near critical maximums in the software, and that the compensation logic (relating pressure and temperature), required in any AAD, permitted the error. I suspect that this is at a 'lightning strike" level of probablitly. Of course, it sucks to get struck by lightning or have an AAD fire in a door. I don't trust my Vigil or my CYPRS2 (I own one of each), I'm very alert around open doors and on the camera step. But I also don't think we're seeing the Vigil function outside the parameters set by its software engineers, and I'm not convinced those parameters are inappropriate for skydiving..

That potential twisted riser problem is exactly why I use the little cardboard tool, rather than the "right on top" method. You can slide the cardboard up the risers as you'e reinstalling the canopy and not even remove it until the canopy is hooked up correctly.

There is also a simple tool that takes the guesswork out of it. Two pieces of stiff cardboard, 2 inches by 6 inches. One stowing band goes around both holding them flat and together in the center. When removing each riser, place it between the cardboard just above the three rings, and put a second stowing band outboard around the cardboard to hold the cardboard together and the riser in place. Repeat with the other side. Mark an easy to read L on the left side, and . . . . . R on the right side. I keep one in my riggers kit all the time.

OK, here's what I think (and mine was cut out). Remember that round canopies open because of a low pressure area created on the TOP of the parachute by the high speed flow of air, not because of air blowing up from the bottom (recall all the photos of rounds with the top mushroomed out, but the skirt still mostly gathered). That pucker vent should have staged the opening somewhat, which would have decreased opening shock and increased reliability by allowing for more line stretch before skirt separation. Very important at higher velocities. Blue skies, Tom

Always. Not sure how I could justify not having one if I needed one, even though there are very few scenarios that would present both the time and the ability to rectify the malfunction thorough inflight rigging. A single line snagged in a quick release or hitched around a main flap might make a hook knife mighty valuable.

Seven riggers (three full time, plus at least four jumpers with Senior Rigger tickets) at the US Military Academy at West Point, some of them do extra work on the side. You can call the loft there at 845-938-4314

The idea that an instructor might not be a rigger is sort of a recent phenomenon in this sport. It used to be that the "dropzone leadership" (for lack of a better term) started out with the old Jumpmaster rating, and eventually got both a rigger's ticket and their "I." That was because the "I" at smaller DZs usually packed the student's gear, and had to be a rigger to do so. Now that we view the instructional and rigging skill sets as independent, we have a really interesting set of circumstances in the sport (and in this thread). Great question and responses.

My advice would be to concentrate on getting the balloon to a survivable altitude, and then do what the other posters have said. Watch wind speed and tethering practices on take off, and obstacles in the direction of the wind. I was in a tethered balloon trying to manage flaky winds (top tethered to a fixed object, bottom to an 8 person ground crew). The ground crew lost control of their rope, and the crew tending the top line could not release it from the fixed object in a timely fashion. As the balloon started to drift away, the top line pulled the balloon over sideways, and the burner flamed a very large (like 5 ft. x 15 ft.) hole in the side of the balloon while we were 60 ft + in the air. We were fortunate that someone eventually hook knifed the top tether or we could have had major problems. The balloon (with a little extra gas) got us to altitude--I was more than happy to say goodby to the balloon and pilot, and had a great jump. Enjoy yourself, the first three or four seconds are especially awesome.

Congrats. Can't have too many good riggers. Can't afford to have any bad ones!

Our staff rigs are both G3s and G4s. The consensus is that both are great rigs, but in the larger sizes of canopies (150 up), the G3 is a little flatter and looks a little better. In the smaller sizes (120 down), the G4 looks better. Functionally, we like them both. I jump a G3 M4 with pretty much all of the options. Love it--quality gear.

Our club has been in existence since 1958 with only one fatality. This past week the instructors were discussing wraps and entanglements, and we installed RSLs on all our training harnesses so we could work through those issues in detail with our students. RSLs are out of sight out of mind for most inexperienced jumpers. I am a liberal "grounder," my philosophy is that you can never be wrong grounding a skydiver but you can certainly be wrong not to. But MANY DZOs don't bother to install RSLs on suspended or leaning training harnesses, and it's a mistake of omission. So supertack that RSL on the training harness where it can't be ignored, and establish instructor student dialogue about rooftop landings, wraps/entanglements, and exactly the function of an RSL.

They are all (with the exception of the Bell 210) significantly smaller than the helicopters you jumped. The troop style military helicopters are ALL great to jump, and I've pretty much jumped them all. But the MD Explorer and the UH 145 appear to have some exit limitations. In April, the Army will announce its selection of a civilian light utility helicopter to replace all the UH1s and some of the UH 60s. It could be one of the four I listed. Several military teams/clubs have jumped the UH1s in the past, just trying to gauge the net effect of going to the smaller platforms for military skydivers.

I'm interested in the jump capabilities of four helicopters--the Bell 210, the AB 139, the MD Explorer, and the UH 145. Looking only at photos, the first two appear suitable (obviously the 210 as a Huey variant), the last two are questionable, particularly for 4 way RW or other group exits. Possible door issues. Know anyone with experience jumping from these aircraft?

Not only ready to go, but I have found that detailed history is a big selling point with most skydivers. Rigger owned? Maintained in which loft? Number of packs on the reserve? Exact number of jumps on main? On reserve? Packed on sand, grass carpet? In the closet for 6 mo or more? Ever jumped in water? Even if they don't ask, those sorts of factoids are in the back of buyers' minds, and they assume that if you went to the level of detail to tell them that, maybe you're a detail person about your rig as well. Just my $.02, I'm no expert, sold about 6 canopies and two harness/containers in the last 18 mo. cheers,

Sometimes it can be the most simple of things. Go to the cascades on your brake lines, and begin untwisting the lines, moving slowly downward toward the toggles. If you have never done that, I suspect they are twisted up (and therefore short and out of trim). Depending on how you handle your toggles after landing you could have thirty or more twists in a line--no kidding. I have had a number of canopies that rocked forward and backward when the brake lines were twisted up. I untwist them every dozen jumps or so, or when I have extra time packing at the end of a day. Can definitely make a difference on front/rear rocking on opening. Blue skies. Tom

Spectre 190 seemed to be the canopy that all of the military freefall instructors were using when I went through HALO school last summer. I subsequently demo'd one (170) from PD and was so impressed I bought a 170 new--after having jumped a Stiletto for two years. It's different, but really sweet, just what I want in a parachute.

Spectre is a very interesting canopy. I demo'd and then bought one after putting hundreds of jumps on a Stiletto, for two specific reasons: I jump camera for a lot of beginning RW jumpers who don't always track reliably, and I do a lot of demonstration jumping (and jump a DZ with few outs). I loved the other PD canopies but the Spectre gives immediate control after opening and the best ability to land in a very tight spot--at least for me. I was worried about it's drive until I demo'd one. That demo program is fantastic, in some ways it's silly to buy a canopy before you jump one several times.

You might consider doing some weak side and backwards PLFs. Everyone "favors" one side for PLFs. Get past that and do them on the side you don't favor. Then do several jumping backwards. Learning backwards PLFs will help prevent head injuries from the "feet-ass-head" landing after stalls or in high winds, and it will also help prevent the "dislocated elbow" injuries some people sustain after an accidental stall. All this has been standard stuff for military jumpers for many years.

$240 is reasonable, I paid $229 for a manufacturer reline a couple years ago. I have also found that most manufacturers will fix worn slider stops and minor trim issues as well--I'm a rigger and most riggers charge piece rate for things like that. It's a great time to broaden your experience and skills with a similar sized demo canopy from another mfr., that would fix two weeks of your four week problem right there, blue skies

I think the mark of a pro is how cool and unemotional they can be when unplugging a demo. I tell the jumpers on our team, "It's not how many jumps you have, it's how many you have LEFT." With demos, that's especially true. Well done. TAK