BrianM

I've asked this in the past so I'll ask again. What were the malfunctions? What happened? What gear were they using? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6klvGVtw-HA&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r0AkiJV5Co&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PpDZWxvU64&feature=related Ummm...stability problems maybe? Ah! I can see how a speed bag could fix that. Not sure if that was sarcasm or not. If not - how exactly would a speed bag have prevented those mals? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Agreed - I wasn't referring to canopy size, but to the fact that the ability to fly close to stall is not the whole story. I think we're saying the same thing. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I don't think it's so much an issue of being able to hang it on the edge of a stall, as it is having that almost-stalled canopy being more prone to collapse when it enters turbulent air caused by the multiple nearby obstacles present in any urban landing. Of course, that risk may be worth taking, if the tradeoff is flying into powerlines! I landed on a city street about 7 years ago after the winds did a 180 shortly after exit on a demo. No wires, but there were street lights on both sides of the street. They were staggered, so I slalomed them. Flat turns is another useful skill for urban landings. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Yep; I posted pretty much the same thing 7 months ago (after the Polish fatality), in response to a poster who said that he'd rather a loved one have no AAD than an Argus, even if they were at firing altitude and had not pulled anything: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3850162#3850162 "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

He may be doing a fine R, but he sure as hell isn't doing a proper I. Sounds like a good rigger to avoid. What can he not inspect? - Fabric inside the main pack tray - Stitching inside the main pack tray - Main closing flap grommets - Main closing flap stiffeners - Main closing loop retainer - Main closing loop - Cutaway cable - Compliance with some service bulletins (such as the Javelin closing loop retainer modification bulletins) As I said to Billvon, he could very well open the main container, checks all these things, and close it so he doesn't have to worry about messing up the packed main. You are presuming that he doesn't check these things, when all I said was that he packs the reserve with the main in the container. I never really gave it much thought, as personally, I take the main out. Often as not, I end up packing the main for free since the customer didn't ask for that. Don't condemn the man based on my quick statement that he can pack the reserve with the main in the container. Your statement in your first post (quoted in bold above) and your recollection of that statement in your second post (also quoted in bold above) are different. Your initial statement was that he does both the inspection and the repack (I&R) with the main in place - not just the pack job - so that is what I was basing my comments on. I'm not trying to nitpick based on wording, BTW, and I hope it doesn't come across that way - I appreciate the clarification. If you're not sure exactly what he does, that's fine, and I'll reserve judgement. However, to inspect everything that I listed, I have to open the main container, lift out the bagged main canopy, completely extract the cutaway cables... so I really don't see any advantage to replacing the main before the pack job instead of after. To each his own, I suppose, as long as a proper inspection is being done. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

He may be doing a fine R, but he sure as hell isn't doing a proper I. Sounds like a good rigger to avoid. What can he not inspect? - Fabric inside the main pack tray - Stitching inside the main pack tray - Main closing flap grommets - Main closing flap stiffeners - Main closing loop retainer - Main closing loop - Cutaway cable - Compliance with some service bulletins (such as the Javelin closing loop retainer modification bulletins) "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

He may be doing a fine R, but he sure as hell isn't doing a proper I. Sounds like a good rigger to avoid. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

It seemed pretty clear that you did when you said: "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

You wish a guy was dead because you don't like that he posted his opinion in an internet forum? Wow. You seem like a really nice person. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

A knife will definitely help if it is your reserve that is over the tail! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I suppose that depends on exactly how you define "horseshoe malfunction". I've often seen it defined as the canopy being attached to the jumper by the risers plus some other point (or points) - in which case this would fit the definition. Granted it is not the "text book" horseshoe that immediately comes to mind when I hear the term. I agree with you that the jumper did a great job dealing with a bad situation. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Screenshots attached. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Are we watching the same video? A main suspension line was snagged on something (a container flap, according to the description). You can see it quite clearly. You can also clearly see both the cutaway and reserve handles being pulled - about three seconds apart. Main risers disconnected on cutaway, but the main was still attached by the snagged line. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

When I started jumping, one of my instructors told me he had 600 jumps and still hadn't told his parents! That was 15 years ago - I wonder if he's told them yet? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Not to mention that the reserve swelling would put pressure on the pin in a direction that is perpendicular to the pin. Moving the pin would require pressure parallel to the pin. BTW, the increased closing loop tension would actually make it harder to move the pin! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I think the biggest reason for chopping a horseshoe is so you don't have the main spanning the reserve container, which almost guarantees a main/reserve entanglement. If you eliminate one of the attachment points by cutting away, the reserve deploys beside the main instead of into it, and gives you a better chance of a clean reserve deployment. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

No more so than a CYPRES 1 or a Vigil. Your rigger should be checking/replacing your batteries regardless of which AAD you have. BTW, the batteries are in the main unit, which is inside the reserve container (same place you will find the CYPRES and Vigil batteries) - not exactly accessible to the user if it is not done during the repack. What exactly do you suppose is inside those magic CYPRES and Vigil battery packs??? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

CYPRES 1 batteries must be replaced after 2 years, regardless of voltage. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I make a bunch of closing loops in advance and keep them in my gear bag. I don't tie the knot until I use them because I have more than one rig, and also because I often end up giving them away to others. I don't want them to unravel in my gear bag before the knot is tied, so I melt the ends. Once the knot is tied it doesn't matter. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I would love to attend, but Florida is rather far from BC. Have you considered videoing the session and making it available for those of us who are not able to attend? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

That feature is not going to come in handy when the door fly's open at 400 feet, your Vigil fires the reserve out the door with you still seat belted in and takes you and everyone in the plane out. ...and won't save you from that height even if you need it. Here's an exercise for the reader : figure out how much altitude is required to accelerate to AAD firing altitude and then for the reserve to open. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

They recommend no more than +/- 1500 "to err on the side of caution", but it will do more. I just tried it with one of mine to see how high it would go, I gave up after exceeding 30,000 feet. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Then you have to ask yourself what is the greatest snag risk: helmet, cameras, container, neck, arms, altimeters, legs, ripcord, etc. A ripcord handle is small compared with all the other snag risks. Smaller yes, but it's still a snag point - and one that can swing around away from your body. We learned the dangers of ripcord stops on main ripcords a long time ago - now we have them on reserve ripcords. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

If you deploy your reserve unstable, and the handle gets snagged by the reserve PC/bridle/canopy/lines - you'll care! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Cats have great agility, speed, and reaction times. You might have better luck using the stick on the skydivers! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg