mark

What would the cables be attached to? Would your system work if the cables jammed because of poor maintenance or improper assembly? Mark

Amen. An FAA-certificated rigger doesn't need to jump, and isn't required to have an instructional rating, and doesn't need to be a member of USPA, FAI, BPA, CSPA, AOPA, DOT, DEA, or FCC. He just needs to pack 20 reserves (a couple days work), do some other minor maintenance tasks, and answer a few multiple-choice questions (questions which are known before hand, and for which answer guides are available). Most riggers do better than the minimums, but there's nothing in the rating to make that so. I'm in favor of a system of canopy instructor ratings, and in the interim I'm happy to see USPA adopting some guidelines. I'm in favor of advice from S&TAs, and I'm in favor of enforcement by DZOs. Mark

Check your assumptions. If your reserve takes 4 seconds to open, do you think you'll be falling at 120 mph at the 3-second point? And if you exit an airplane moving horizontally at 80 or 100 mph 500 feet above the surface, what is the length of your trajectory to the ground? Mark

Wamego, Kansas; K-State Parachute Club; late 80's; C-182. The static line rigs were pilot-chute assist. The group launched a 3-way round. There was a brief moment of panic when the first guy had a pilot chute hesitation... Mark

I talked with Bruce at Sunpath when I ordered risers a couple weeks ago. Their usual is mini rings on mini risers and large rings on large risers, but they make the other combinations as well: mini rings on large risers and large rings on mini risers. Mark

This camp (NPSL/rehmwa tunnelcamp) is over, but learning continues. My observations echo those made in other threads. I can't think of a way to get better, faster way to improve freefall performance than in a Skyventure-type wind tunnel. Get good coaching. Thank you Chromy, Steve, and Ron! Whoever said "practice makes perfect" wasn't telling the whole truth, which is: perfect practice makes perfect. If you're paying a ton of money for freefall or tunnel time, it doesn't make sense to scrimp on coaching. In how many sports do world champions coach rookies? I'm sorry being a world skydiving champion pays so poorly, but not so sorry as to not take advantage of it. You will get more out of your time if you have some measurable goals. "Getting better" is not a measurable goal without more definition. "Have fun" is not a goal, even though it should be an important part of your experience. "Have fun" is what the whuffos are at the tunnel for. If you plan on flying in the tunnel with your friends, sort out your fall rate issues before you come. Most folks counsel about getting adequate rest, nutrition, and hydration. You should also plan on bringing some warmies if you're scheduled for a night or early morning session. There is also a small danger from over-hydration if you're in for back-to-back 1-hour sessions. Finally, many thanks to Bill for organizing. I liked knowing exactly when I'd need to be in for briefing and when I was going to fly. Chromy remarked several times on Bill's organization, so I know he was impressed, and I can only imagine what it might be like to arrive for a boogie-camp not knowing how often or how long or how $much. I had a blast. Where were all the tunnels when I started? Mark

Except for tandems, the FARs are silent about USPA's role in skydiving. USPA BSRs require a C license or better, but BSRs are not legally binding even though they are good ideas, having been written mostly in blood. Mark

Hello Ron! The probability of changing Vigil mode by accident is vanishingly small. Start-up is like Cypres (push the button when light comes on), except it takes two pushes to get a Vigil interested in starting up, vs just one push for a Cypres. Llike Cypres, the unit does a self-check at start-up. Cypres-1 and Cypres-2 both have count-downs; Vigil shows in sequence "Bat OK", "Cut OK", and "Ctrl OK". After this initial start-up, Vigil offers an opportunity to change set-up (altitude offset, Pro/Student/Tandem), check info (serial number, jump logs), or change configuration (meters/feet, display flip, contrast). To change do any of these, you must press the button while the option is displayed. If you do nothing, no changes are made. When you are done, the display shows "Pro", "Student" or "Tandem", or the initial (P, S, or T) and the altitude offset). Sequence and timing are important. Just bumping the rig or pushing the button a couple times is not enough. The chance of pushing the button at exactly the right time to access the set-up menu and then Pro/Student/Tandem sub-menu are, IMHO, about the same as turning a Cypres on or off accidentally. Many thanks for excellent tunnel coaching this past weekend. Mark

Ace = Ace Hardware Store. It is a spray. Mark

[email protected] works better. I don't know if she gets mail for Laura, too. Mark

TAS = True Airspeed. See also IAS (indicated airspeed) and CAS (calibrated airspeed). Mark

I do. Mark

Only half true. What she wrote was, "It may only be good for hanging up as decoration, I don't know." She left open the possibility that it could be jumpable. How should we interpret her words, "If you plan to jump this, experienced canopy pilots only!"? You and I agree. I'm still waiting for a second opinion from someone else who has jumped that canopy. Mark

No, it is not so bad. Which is why I am surprised at the amount of ink this has generated. Mark

The canopy collapse and flare-ability are separate issues. If canopy collapses in turbulence behind a hanger, the lesson learned should be, "The SIM was right -- there is turbulence in the vicinity of obstacles, especially on a day when the winds are strong." Meekerseeker mentions the strong winds that day and, to her credit, does not blame the canopy for the problem. Curiously, Jumphog just writes that the canopy collapsed at 50 feet, leaving out the context and leading a casual reader to believe the collapse was spontaneous and unexplainable. There are several correctable reasons why a canopy might not flare well: the lines may be out of trim, the brake lines might be too short or too long, the risers might be too short or too long, or pilot technique might be faulty. And of course it's possible the problem for this canopy might be exactly what Meekerseeker says: none of the above. I don't think it has been established as a fact that this canopy doesn't flare well, just that she was unable to make it flare well. That makes it dangerous for her, but we just don't know if the canopy is unairworthy or dangerous for others. It may still turn out this is a bad canopy. I'd still like a second opinion, from someone else who has jumped it. Is that too much to ask? Mark

So why didn't Meekerseeker do that before she sold the canopy? Why didn't she have PD test jump the canopy? Why did she "potentially endanger a life" by selling an intact canopy? The answer is on her own web site: she sold it intending for someone else to fix it and jump it. One more time: all we know is that Mr. Ruetsch misrepresented the number of jumps on the canopy and lines, and that he sold the canopy for more than he paid; and that Meekerseeker had trouble landing it. That's all we know. Here's a phrase that should set off alarm bells: "It is the canopy, not me." Mark

I don't read the auction description (http://www.skydivekansas.com/107.htm) that way. She never says "unairworthy" and she took no steps to ensure it was unjumpable. She does say there's something wrong, but she qualifies this by saying, "It may only be good for hanging up as decoration, I don't know." I'd take that as, "Might be good only for decoration, but might be good for skydiving, I don't know." As for "But you buy this and jump it AT YOUR OWN RISK! Please, if you plan to jump this, experienced canopy pilots only!" you can find similar boilerplate attempts to limit liability on many other ebay auctions, especially skydiving gear. I also read in the auction description, "I ... have been the only one to jump it." I'm still interested in finding out if Meekerseeker has any comparison jumps on other Sabre 107s. I'm still interested in what other jumpers, especially PD test jumpers, might say. Right now, I'm regretting not bidding $70. Mark

There is nothing in rigger training or testing that qualifies a rigger to determine the airworthiness of a main canopy based on its landing characteristics. Meekerseeker is entitled to use her experience as a skydiver as a basis for her opinions of its performance, but her rigger ticket doesn't give her any special privileges in that regard. Before I condemn this canopy as a lemon, I'd like to know if Meekerseeker jumped any other Sabre 107s for comparison, and I'd like to know what other jumpers encountered when they jumped that canopy. And I'd like to know what the PD test jumpers had to say. We agree on this: if Kenny Ruetsch is misrepresenting the age or condition of the canopy, that's a crime. Mark

F-111 was made by the George Harris Corporation, now out of business. Around 1980, Mike Furry used it in his then-revolutionary Pegasus at a time when Para-Flite was still transitioning from 1.55-oz fabric (Strato-Cloud, Strato-Star) to a lighter 1.25-oz fabric (Cruisair), both of which packed much bigger than 1.12-oz F-111. The name comes partly from the weight, but also from the US Air Force F-111 ("Aardvark") which first saw combat service in Southeast Asia, and which was later used in the retaliatory strikes against Libya following the Berlin disco bombings in the 80's. A heavier fabric, B-1 (named for the "Bone"), never caught on in the civilian market. The late George Harris himself was a WW2 combat veteran who served with the 101st Airborne Division. I remember him for his graciousness and courtesy: he sold me 75 yards of white and 25 yards of red for my first parachute, at a time when his standard order was 5000 yards. Mark

On I-65, just north of Louisville: "Tattoo Charlie's. Tattoo's and Body Piercing's While You Wait" Mark

Shouldering and chesting will be important, too. Mark

I'm sure Kai Koerner (dz.com username "AirtecKai") would be surprised that SSK developed the Cypres. On my SSK Sweethogs, the Cypres cutter is installed above the pilot chute, on the reserve container bottom flap. Mark

Doesn't that just make your blood boil! Mark

Because the majority of the canopies came from Precision. With respect to the problem Crossfires, to the best of my knowledge Icarus has never claimed that there was a manufacturing problem particular to Precision-built Icarus canopies, and, also to the best of my knowledge, Icarus has never disputed Precision's claim to have built their canopies to Icarus's specifications. Mark

If you make the formation large enough it will go supersonic? Mark