BrianM

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Your reserve toggle also has velcro

Reserve toggles, brake line keepers, freebag line stow pocket, AAD pocket, RSL... still lots of velcro left!

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"

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... What if you drop your rig onto the packing mat? ...

"

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Dropping your rig (onto concrete) fell out of fashion a couple of years (circa 1994) after Cypres 1 was introduced ... something about too many cracked battery boxes ...
Sure Airtec repaired a bunch of battery boxes for free and they did invent a stiffener, but the bad habit should have disappeared forever.

Yep, you are right, but try to get every single jumper to care about that.

Besides, there are other ways to apply forces to a rig. Ever see someone land like the attached picture?

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Your Argus cutter has no plastic insert to keep foreign objects from getting in there and interfering like some of their competitors have.

Even with a plastic insert, a foreign object could still get wedged between the closing loop and the insert.

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That cable may have been damaged when the Cypres was installed. It is difficult to route the cutter through the tiny new channels in the bottom flap.

How much force would it take to break this? Unless it's very easy to break, it would take some real ham-fisted rigging to break it while threading it through the channel. I'd think it would also be obvious it had been broken - you'd probably feel it give way, and hear a crack.

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Hint: use a flexible gun-cleaning rod to route a pull-up cord through the bottom flap, then use the pull-up cord to pull the cutter through the channel.

I've always hated installing cutters in Mirages - thanks for a great tip!

I've seen one cutter with that sort of damage. Another local rigger found it and showed it to me. I don't know what type of rig it came out of; I can ask him if he remembers.

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I'm wondering what would have happened if I'd had to pull while I was on my back.
I'm assuming that the lines would have whipped me around when the parachute opened. Is that correct?

If you are on your back, the wind will normally pull the pilot chute around your body; it will extract the reserve from the container and pull it around your body as well. There is a chance that something will snag on your body or your equipment as it goes by. There is also a chance that the reserve could fall out of the container before the pilot chute is able to extract it, and then blow back towards you, which could also result in becoming entangled with the reserve. Odds are good that you will have a perfectly good deployment, though not as good as if you are on your belly.

Lots of people, including me, have deployed reserves while on their back and had good deployments.

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As far as I know, it fires the reserve straight out from your back. Does that mean the reserve chute would have wrapped around me?

If you have an image in your head of a fully deployed canopy suddenly appearing below you, then falling into it - no, that won't happen. An AAD doesn't fire a reserve off your back. Like pulling the ripcord, It simply opens the container (though in a different manner - by cutting the loop instead of pulling the pin). The deployment should be identical either way.

Four loops, you say... I could try that.

You are correct, I do not have a Vigil handy to fire it. Well, actually I have a few rigs in for repacks right now with Vigils, but not sure if their owners would approve of me using them for experiments.

I've got lots of batteries of various voltages and capacities (up to 12V 12Ah), lots of capacitors of various capacitances, and a handful of DC power supplies (up to 13.8V 20A). Should be no problem to rig something up.

The connector on the Vigil cutter is a standard 3.5 mm stereo plug. I have no idea how it is wired. Three contacts to choose from - I guess it'll be trial and error unless someone knows which contact is what.

Fun!

What should I do with the unserviceable (type 1 with damaged plastic insert) Vigil cutter that's sitting in my closet? Ideas anyone?

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in case they read differently in freefall, you know which one to believe (that would be the 'experienced' one).

I'd believe whichever one said I was the lowest, unless it was obvious that it was wrong.

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All I know for sure is that an AAD a container with a potential failure mode like a trapped reserve is not acceptable.

Fixed it for you, since that's a potential failure mode of any cutter mounted above the pilot chute.

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hi i have a pd-230 in my DZ , for post- course rig i was wondering in what mode should i turn on the vigil: student or pro?

All good replies, but I'd say go ask a staff instructor, S&TA, or DZO at THAT drop zone. There may be considerations that only they are familiar with that are in play here. Or it may be a matter of DZ standard operating procedures. Either way, your question is best posed locally where the nuances are better understood, and where there may be a "rule" for that.

If nobody cares what you do, set that puppy on "pro". You deserve it and the pro setting is good for a killer ground rush during deployment.

He has 5300 jumps, is an instructor, and is the DZO. He's asking which mode he should use for the people he is training once they are off student gear.

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Is this only a problem with the metal D-handles? It sounds like the softer, pillow-type handles would be able to deform and stay with the MLW better.

Yes, a soft handle will bend with the MLW, while a metal handle will not, which will help.

However, even when the MLW isn't bent, the soft handle is still more secure. The soft handle is secured directly to the MLW by velcro. A metal handle is not secured to the MLW at all; the pocket is secured to the MLW, trapping the handle in place. The handle can work its way between the two strips of velcro, and do it with much less force than would be required to separate a soft handle from the MLW. Think about the force to pull a hard handle vs a soft handle, and why it is recommended to peel a soft handle before pulling it.

This will be worse if the velcro is worn. It may be possible in some cases to solve the problem by replacing the velcro. Replacing worn velcro is a good idea with either type of handle, but a hard handle will be less forgiving of worn velcro.

I had this problem on a Javelin with a metal D handle. I replaced it with a soft handle and have had no problems with it since.

Different opening altitudes
Different freefall speed/duration (freefly vs RW vs wingsuits)
Exit order
Time between exits (not distance - time!)

These can all tie in together. I've been last out on wingsuit jumps, with a looong delay after the last tandem, had a long freefall, opened fairly high, spotted the tandems a long ways below me - and found myself overtaking the tandems in the pattern.

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Tell that to the tandem student I have to land down wind in 10 to 15 because the winds shifted and you couldn't figure out how to read and adapt to a landing pattern from 1000 feet above it.

Reading a pattern from 1000 feet above is not terribly difficult.

... but what if you are not 1000 feet above it?

What if you are the lowest canopy, you're about to start or have already started your pattern, and a faster canopy passes you and lands in the opposite direction than the one you are setting up for?

Depending on where you are in your pattern, you may be still be able to follow the FMD, but your flight path probably isn't going to look anything like a standard landing pattern. Not terribly safe with other traffic around, especially if that other traffic are also suddenly flying creative patterns in order to follow the FMD.

If you're further along in your pattern, you may have no good options at all. Depending on the size and layout of the DZ, you may be faced with the choice of landing opposite the FMD, or going for the parked aircraft/hangars/trees/powerlines/runway with plane taking off/gravel pit/busy highway/etc.

Ok, I'm a little late seeing this thread - I don't come to this forum often - but I'm gonna reply anyway!!!

There is a Firefox addon called User Agent Switcher. It allows you to change the user agent string to anything you want This lets you trick the web server into thinking you are using a different browser/OS.

If I set it to send an IE user agent string, I see the "Copy Shortcut" link in Firefox, but it doesn't work. The link calls a javascript function which pastes the URL for that post onto the clipboard, so you can paste it elsewhere.

One solution is to write a different version of this function for each browser, assuming that is even possible (I don't do much javascript) - but, there is a simpler way that would work with any browser and any operating system, and is in fact used by many other web forums. Instead of using javascript to post a URL onto the clipboard, just put a link to that post somewhere. The user can then right click, and select "copy link" (or similar; exact text will vary depending on the browser) from the context menu. Many forums have the post number itself as this link - no need to even add a new element to the page layout.

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None fire at different altitudes depending on how fast you are falling.

The student CYPRES does.

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None of the AADs can figure out if you are belly down, or belly up, so your attitude will change the firing altitude because of the different pressures the sensor will see depending on your body position.

The Argus supposedly has sensors to determine orientation, but I have never seen much information about it. I know neither what sort of sensors it uses, nor how it uses the extra information.

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The CYPRES speed is designed for swoopers, I believe the Vigil has a Swoop mode, not sure about the Argus (not that it matters in most rigs)

The Argus does have a swoop mode. Unlike the CYPRES, it keeps the activation speed the same, but detects when your canopy opens, and will not fire after that, regardless of speed.

From the manual:

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1.3.4 «SWOOP» Mode
The Argus releases at 820 Ft. (250 meters) and below if a speed is reached equal or higher than 78 mph (35 m/sec). The Argus stops monitoring and goes to stand-by after it detects an opened parachute. Please be aware that this mode is not suitable for wingsuit-flyers!

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By the way I am doing this wifi at 33,000 ft how cool is that?

DOOR!!!

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You could spontaneously turn into a bowl of Petunias

... or a whale.

"Oh no, not again."

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Jumpers can already set offsets on their AAD already, some require you to set it each jump. others until the AAD is turned off. Granted this is not the same as simply raising the firing altitude, as offsets change the low end firing parameters too.

What concerns me more than the low end firing parameters is the possibility that it may affect the AAD's ability to detect that the jump is over, causing it to remain in jump mode, and not re-zero itself to ground level. I have no idea how each of the units on the market would behave, but I'd be concerned enough to power cycle the AAD before each jump if I decided to do this, regardless of make/model.

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the Reserve parachute was COVERED in green, black, brown, and yellow-ish mold

... so what did you do with it?

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You are knocked out and a AAD cuts your reserve closing loop for you and you land in a pit of man eating alligators and you are not wearing gator repellant. What do you do?

I'm going to count on that man who is eating alligators to save me - he sounds like a tough guy!

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Aviacom is a company that does 3D graphics, makes card readers, blue tooth devices and perfume bottles. It seems that the manufacture of AAD’s is a side line.

A google translation of their website says they do "Professional 3D modeling, animation, visualization and motion graphics".

I have the impression that they don't manufacture those card readers, blue tooth devices, and perfume bottles, but rather have done 3D modelling for the companies that do make them.

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That graphics & marketing company with the www.aviacom.com domain name seems to have nothing to do with the Aviacom SA that has the argus-aad.com page and makes the Argus. Unless there's something in the background I don't know about.

whois argus-aad.com

Registrant Name: Karel Goorts

Registrant Organization: G.V.C. BVBA

Registrant Address: Leemveldstraat 42

Registrant Address2: 

Registrant City: Overijse

Registrant State/Province: 

Registrant Country/Economy: BE

Registrant Postal Code: 3090

Registrant Phone: +32.27850280

Registrant Fax: 

Registrant Email: [email protected]


Administrative Name: Karel Goorts

Administrative Organization: G.V.C. BVBA

Administrative Address: Leemveldstraat 42

Administrative Address2: 

Administrative City: Overijse

Administrative State/Province: 

Administrative Country/Economy: BE

Administrative Postal Code: 3090

Administrative Phone: +32.27850280

Administrative Fax: 

Administrative Email: [email protected]


Technical Name: Hannes Van de Vel

Technical Organization: Connexeon bvba

Technical Address: Neerlandweg 17

Technical Address2: 

Technical City: Antwerpen Wilrijk

Technical State/Province: 

Technical Country/Economy: BE

Technical Postal Code: 2610

Technical Phone: +32.33693333

Technical Fax: +32.33693334

Technical Email: [email protected]


Name Server: be1.ns.connexeon.net

Name Server: nl1.ns.connexeon.nl

Name Server: be2.ns.connexeon.net

whois aviacom.com

Registrant Name: Karel GOORTS

Registrant Organization: AVIACOM NV

Registrant Address: Beekstraat 18

Registrant Address2: 

Registrant City: Zaventem

Registrant State/Province: 

Registrant Country/Economy: BE

Registrant Postal Code: 1930

Registrant Phone: +32.27850280

Registrant Fax: +32.27319798

Registrant Email: [email protected]


Administrative Name: Karel GOORTS

Administrative Organization: AVIACOM NV

Administrative Address: Beekstraat 18

Administrative Address2: 

Administrative City: Zaventem

Administrative State/Province: 

Administrative Country/Economy: BE

Administrative Postal Code: 1930

Administrative Phone: +32.27850280

Administrative Fax: +32.27319798

Administrative Email: [email protected]


Technical Name: Hannes Van de Vel

Technical Organization: Connexeon bvba

Technical Address: Neerlandweg 17

Technical Address2: 

Technical City: Antwerpen Wilrijk

Technical State/Province: 

Technical Country/Economy: BE

Technical Postal Code: 2610

Technical Phone: +32.33693333

Technical Fax: +32.33693334

Technical Email: [email protected]


Name Server: be1.ns.connexeon.net

Name Server: nl1.ns.connexeon.nl

Name Server: be2.ns.connexeon.net

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Depends on which translator you look at

No, not in this case. It's a straightforward translation. Oh, and I didn't use a translator; I'm bilingual, and did all of my schooling in French. So there!

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I recently had to have a discussion with an engineer regarding the difference betwen anal and detail oriented.

Whispering to self: please don't let him look at the occupation listed in my profile, please don't let him look at the occupation listed in my profile...

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Also since I happen to like and regard Rob highly I occasionally enjoy giving him a little shit.

Now that I can agree with! (I know Rob in person; in fact, he taught on my rigger course, back when he was working on getting his rigger instructor rating).