rmarshall234

You might want to post on the Skydivers with Disabilities side as well. I've known a number of jumpers with prosthetics but have been away from the sport for awhile so not sure if they are still jumping. There was a team called Pieces of Eight that was comprised entirely of amputees. Maybe they are still around.? Good luck, there is assistance out there - just need to make the right connection.

>Check out the book "The Man Who Rode Thunder," William H. Rankin. 1959. He ejected at 47,000 ft and experienced a 40 minute freefall/parachute ride that you find terrifying yet riveting. Check it out..

Sounds like fun. That is a pretty good sized opening with the doors removed and relatively low in respect to the horizontal stabilizer - which is your biggest concern. Watch out for snag hazards to preclude the possibility of a premature opening and make sure you are low in the door when you leave and you should be ok. I'd want to be very forward and low in the door on the first jump, possibly with one hand on the strut, and then just drop off down and away. If that goes well and you have plenty of clearance from the tail, you can vary the exit on the next jump. As for airspeed and pitch attitude, your pilot is the best source for that kind of advice. He has experience dropping jumpers from that aircraft and he wants to make sure everything goes well for you and himself. It would be a good idea for him to have a bailout rig though just in case. You do your job safely and brief it first and rely on him to do the same. Have fun!

Awesome!! That adds a nice little touch to this story of survival. Get that man a gold watch. And a bottle :-)

answering my own question... TBM Crash.pdf

Anybody know the particulars of this? Other than what is in the media.. Type of gear, egress, exit and opening altitudes, canopy rides, etc.. Terry? They seem to be from your neck of the woods.. Moderators...feel free to move to Incidents (or elsewhere) if appropriate.

Really? Yes. 'Cause if it don't open everything else is superfluous. I have never, ever, ever had any doubt that my reserve would open. (And I've had a couple rides like you mentioned - a navy conical 4-line release and a strong lopo.) My mains...not so much. "Just open baby", and I'll take care of the rest.

My reserve..

>When I rigged for Butler, I packed a few Para-Flite reserves into seat-packs. That answers my question - Thanks!

>Not making excuses for errors but you do see this. Understood. Have you seen serious mistakes like this lately though? It would seem to me that anymore, most riggers don't have access to a 40' packing table which becomes not just a regulatory impediment, but also a practical one. I think the days of the old time rigger packing a round in his hallway are pretty much over. And, those guys would find it ridiculously uncomfortable to be down on the ground like that and just not worth the effort. That coupled with the fact that today's generation of parachute riggers have never jumped a round and in many cases don't have the training - just like you said. The bigger and more practical concern for me is guys that pencil pack. Maybe for the above stated reasons. I get stuff in pretty often that is really bricked and in need of repairs. I agree that the technology has diverged so much it's time to split the two ratings and move forward.

But there is a restriction: A rigger with a back rating can't pack the same round parachute into a seat pack even though the consensus (so far) seems to be there is no appreciable difference. I would also agree that we aren't killing people (they do a pretty good job of that themselves) and it is because Certificate holders - be it a Rigger, Pilot, A&P, etc.- when they are outside their level of expertise do a pretty good job of saying "no, I'm not comfortable doing that". Not always, but mostly.

I would agree. The difference between a sport rig with a square in it and a PEP with a round in it is considerable. Much more so, than a PEP that is either a back or a seat type. (I don't know of any PEP Seat Types that have a square in it).? So, if the FAA does someday get around to making a change, it should be as RiggerLee suggests.

>All kidding aside, for those with multiple ratings, ARE there actual unwritten "things" you need to know to pack >some other container than "back"? I pack quite a bit of both back and seat types and I would say the answer to this question is "no". Aside from the length and the routing of the risers, and the bulk distribution, they are essentially the same. It is probably this way "because it's always been that way" and because the FAA is just really slow in getting around to making changes. And, I suspect things that are parachute and skydiving related are pretty low on their priority list.

This ^^^

Who flew the American flag into the Cal Poly rodeo this past weekend? My son and his family were in attendance and said it was superbly done!

You're alright, Wendy. Blue skies..

>What do you think about the project idea? I think it's a fantastic idea!! Go for it! It will be great training aid. There is a saying in fixed-wing aviation flight training that goes like this: "An airplane makes a lousy classroom". Which is true. Airplanes are noisy, cramped, sometimes too cold or too hot, and the student is experiencing a lot of anxiety. As true as that saying is for flight training my response when I hear it is: "Try Freefall". At least with your device we wouldn't be limited to hand signals.

Hi Buddy. Thanks for the aircraft update....I should get my commercial ticket and come fly the Caravan.

I've worked at both - nothing sketchy about either one. If you are going to be that close you should visit them both. They are close enough that you can do so in the same day. That way you won't be left wondering about the other, or your decision.

I wouldn't argue with Bill on this one. He has a _bunch_ of patents issued in his name and I'm sure he understands how it works.

Thanks Jerry! Very cool.

>The impact forces IMO are far greater with a square canopy going downwind Sadly, we had a jumper at Brown Field several years ago make this exact point. Mitch Murphy downwinded his ram-air in high winds and died from a broken neck. He was a good guy too.

As Councilman says, you need the correct materials and the right tools. I've packed these but the first time I did, I called Free Flight and Allen Silver beforehand. Allen sent me the correct materials and tools and FF sent me the checklist. The first one I did must have taken me all day. Mostly, because I tested every step - including testing the breaking strength of the "ties" - and made myself really familiar with everything. It is an interesting design and I've spoken with Abraham at FF about them and he said the staging works really well. The D-bag flutes are a PITA though. If you decide to do it yourself take Councilman's advice and also plan on loosing $ on the pack job. You'll need to sacrifice a lot of time procuring the right materials and tools and, educating yourself.

>I would like to know any possible rationale for some dropzones refusing to refund unused jump tickets or >money placed on account. This seems to be the answer to your question Mr. Mullins.

Your Profile doesn't list that you are a rigger so given that, I'd say the answer is "no". If you are asking for a certificated person however, I would suggest going with chuckakers' recommendation...."When in doubt about anything concerning gear, ask the guy who built it." That is great advice and I practice it all the time. If you can't get ahold of the manufacturer then once again, the answer is no.