BrianM

Me too - my home DZ for the last 14 years. That's what I was saying. The post I was replying had it the other way around. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Direction: Down "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

This is INCORRECT!!! I just looked at the manual for the Vigil, CYPRES, and Argus, and all of them do it opposite to how you describe! If anyone reading this needs to use this feature, don't take my word for it either - read your manual! Don't learn how to operate life saving equipment from an internet forum! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Sounded to me like he was making a general statement. Interesting. I hadn't seen that before. The page you are referring to is the warranty, and doesn't actually contain recommend checking the calibration, just says that if it is off to send it in. So I looked through the manual for other references to this, and found: Page 27 says to check the calibration after cleaning and drying the filter when it has been in contact with salt water. Page 29 says to check it after replacing the battery. Now I'm wondering if, as a rigger, I should have a barometer in my rigging kit? Interesting that this is in only in the Vigil II manual, not the Vigil I manual. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I have an electrical engineering degree, and they didn't teach me anything that would be useful to operate any AAD (or any other device). Now if wanted to design an AAD or some other device... The best choice between Chevy or Ford is, of course, Chrysler! That is strangely enough apropos - I'm in the process of buying a couple AADs (never owned one before in 14 years of jumping), and opted for neither the Vigil nor the CYPRES, but the Argus. And I drive a Dodge. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

... or an impossible scenario like a downward acceleration greater than 9.8 m/s^2. The scenario of the cabin being pressurized on the ground is really quite easy to detect and ignore. It is this sort of scenario that makes me feel that the Vigil is little more than a FXC 12000 with improved precision and some bells and whistles added on. The real advantage of a digital AAD vs a mechanical analog device is the ability to implement algorithms to validate the data and do a better job of making the fire/no-fire decision. Seems a shame to build a digital AAD that doesn't do that. I strongly agree. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I wasn't accusing you of taking shortcuts (wasn't really commenting either way). My engineering brain just couldn't let that one pass! I probably should have added a smiley. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

If A > B, then B < A. If you are taking more time for non-repeat rigs, then you are taking less time for repeat rigs. It's the same thing. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I agree with erdnarob/riggerrob. Most inspection & repacks take me anywhere from two to three hours. Assembly adds a bunch of time to that. Installing or removing an AAD adds a bit of time to that. 45 minutes for an inspection and repack is not at all thorough and meticulous. It sounds more like a repack without an inspection. I've seen riggers do that. It defeats the entire purpose of the "repack", which is to inspect the gear. I disagree. Having an AAD can change your decision tree. Definitely don't rely on it, but it's important to remember that it's there. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

The "2 rel" means 2 release - as in 2 cutters. It is for a 2 pin container. It can be converted to 1 pin. If it has the field replaceable cutter (I don't remember when they introduced those), if doesn't even have to be sent in. Oh, and contrary to your subject line, it is not yet expired. You have 12 years + 3 months for the CYPRES 1 (12 years + 6 months for the CYPRES 2), so it is good until the end of September 2011. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

His right hand is holding it by the pin end, not the handle. He probably used his right hand to clear the cable, then let go of the handle with his left hand. As for the kink - RSL? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Could, have many times, and it's a really nice jump ship. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I did notice that. I'm curious how loose the locking stows were when you unpacked it (or was it deployed?). BTW, my answer is the same as davelepka's: "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

It already has happened. The OP is talking about flying from Canada to the U.S., not domestically within the U.S. From here: Carry-on is allowed for flights to any other country - only flights to the U.S. are affected. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

The main page is essentially a logbook. Once you have jumped with it, it will show those jumps. Setting your current jump numbers and cumulative freefall time just tells it where to start counting from. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Wow only 25 secs from exit to pull. Pull was at 4k as seen on vid. So what does that make the exit altitude? . 9,000 or 10,000 from a Cessna... Guess the customer didn't wanna spring for the extra altitude. About 7000' - you can see the cameraman's alti as he's climbing out. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

There is a video that has been going around the internet for some years of a CYPRES cutter doing exactly that. I can't find the video right now; I think it was on skydivingmovies.com. There are before and after photos in a PDF file on Airtec's website: http://www.cypres.cc/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=89&func=download&id=25&chk=c1d32ddfee0e0b37c0cb6793ba9523a7&no_html=1&lang=en I've attached the after photo here. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

There's a video on the internet somewhere of a hawk attacking Norman Kent's pilot chute. While I've had hawks come fly beside me under canopy a couple times, I sure wouldn't want to be attacked by one! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

as dangerous and as badly as that could have turned out, i bet it was still pretty awsome It was pretty neat. I saw this speck that looked like it was moving fast, didn't figure out what it was until I was almost on level with it. I passed behind it and to its right, and as I went by it turned its head and looked over its shoulder at me. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Two or three years ago I freefell past an eagle at around 4000 feet, missed it by about 20 feet. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Who's the bigger nerd really? The guy pulling exponential decay functions out of his ass or the guy using gnuplot? Well, of course, the bigger nerd is - wait, are we arguing over who is the bigger nerd, or who isn't? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

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

I once had someone warn me during a dirt dive not to put my hand over his watch when I docked, because he'd had it happen before and couldn't see his alti. Sure enough, I did exactly that. I did not do it intentionally - it's just not something I'm normally thinking about in freefall, the watch is in exactly the spot where I normally take a grip, and since I'm not normally looking directly at someone's wrist when taking a grip, I didn't even see it. I didn't even know I'd done it until he complained after the jump. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Could you explain what you mean by half hitching the locking stows? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

It's a video, not a photo. For those who can't see it: at the end of the startup sequence, instead of saying "Enjoy", it says "Meow". ... now I just need to find rigs that will fit my cats... Edit: screenshot attached. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg