koppel

downwardtrend.com.au no picks handy right now but we have done a few :) I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

..... deleted my post cos I saw JS further down after i replied but thanks to Nancy again for all the time she has taken to email and educate on their products over the years I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Love the APF insurance... main is covered after a cut-away as are components like free-bag and handles. Covered for loss and theft as well :) I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

How about when you have a tandem mal over the water and you then have a tension knot on your 360 reserve.... Instructor did a great job landing in waist deep water preventing this incident ending up with any major injuries. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Its one of the Rigger Black Arts. Its possible to get 1250 lb Spectra through them little holes too I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

here you go I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

You forgot to add the bit where the TI bitches about the student for not arching because the harness was distorting them all out of shape ;) I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

bring your folks to Australia for a holiday. They sign and you are good to go. minimum age here is 14 for tandems, 16 for solo I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I believe that it is well documented that the APF system of no punishment for incident reporting has delivered one of if not the best reporting system in Skydiving worldwide. This does mean operators or Dropzone Safety Officers will always fill them out. It is still a fact sadly that some operators or DZSO's will not complete and return incident reports for whatever reasons they deem valid. The APF asks on renewal forms how many skydives a member has made in the last twelve months and also how many malfunctions they have had. This is a great help towards statistical analysis. An interesting point that was brought to my attention by one of the office members there that deals with these matters is that every year more malfunctions are reported on the renewal forms by a considerable amount than are reported via the incident reporting system. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

The APF has a great system to follow that will assist you. Firstly start spending more time on the DZ with a willing Instructor or find a friendly rigger that will take you under their wing and think about doing your Packer B. This will give you much of the basics that you are looking for as well as a rating to pack mains for students and tandems. Once you have earned that rating you can consider if you still have questions whether you would like to move onto your Packer A which will allow you to pack reserves. Again time at the DZ with the appropriate Instructors or more time with your friendly rigger. then you can ask yourself again if you want more knowledge and you can then start to prepare yourself for the Riggers Rating with a Rigger Examiner. Much of what you are after you will probably find by spending more time on the DZ with the right people but I encourage you to get the ratings. Knowledge dispels fear I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

So can you please comment on your thoughts about the Vigil requirement to compare the unit to QNH or a known air pressure/barometer annually? cheers I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

worked at a DZ that offered 6,000 tandems not sure if they still do. Got out after a take off emergency once the pilot had things under some form of control at 5,000 happily too. None of us wanted to land in the plane or spend longer in it than needed on that flight.... bloody door stuck on the cresco that jump too I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

yup I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

um...... no, I think you will find that your Vigil does not have a Swoop Mode (Argus) or Speed version (Cypres) try again? I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

The report was made in full to the APF and to the manufacturer. The following is information from Vigil provided via the APF to its members I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I chose not to identify the brand as it was not relevant to the comments I was making. I am not taking part in the 'this brand that brand' discussion. I work with the dealer in question and have the information available. My point was that the company in question chose not to respond to my emails themselves and also did not choose to provide a response to me via the dealer. They IGNORED the issue I raised, replaced the unit and carried on with no further comment. This is a failure on their part. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Sparky, you have often asked people to provide information on events that are purported to have occurred. You ask in this case for the report from the manufacturer. In April I had a ground fire of an AAD in my own loft. I reported it comprehensively to the manufacturer of the AAD and to the APF. I got a very quick response from the manufacturer in reply to my email telling me that the person that deals with these matters was ill and would respond to me when they returned to work. After two more emails from myself I have still not heard from them. The unit has been replaced via the local dealer and the owner now has a shiny new one. There is no report from the manufacturer so if you asked me to provide the report then I could not. By your logic then the event did not occur. As riggers we rely on the manufacturers to be forthright and upfront with information. This is sadly not the case for any of them! They are all obtuse and secretive about events where their products either operate outside of the required parameters or fail to operate as advertised. While I recognise that you are trying to prevent hearsay and rumour from being spread as fact you also need to acknowledge that not every event that occurs ends up with a public report that we can create a link to for all to read and say to ourselves 'see, there it is written from the factory so it must be true' Whilst my own personal experience as a rigger is many years less than your own I have seen with my own eyes enough events occur that have never made it to the general public even though it has been reported to the relevant persons/factories/federations. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

nah, before Brett headed to the wrong side of the world the Skyvan did come for a visit to Caboolture one time I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I have been looking for that article as I was sure I remembered reading it at some point. Perhaps you have a copy you can post/link to? I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I sent the unit back via Downward Trend of Australia as I work there. Edwin was sick at the time apparently and while I had quick email responses from AAD I never got a real answer from them. I have been on holidays overseas and have not chased anything up yet. They did however immediately offer to replace the unit with a new Vigil2 as I am led to believe they have done with all the units that have mis-fired on the ground or in the activation zone incorrectly. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I had one do the same thing in Austraila in April. I packed the rig in the morning, turned on the Vigil (SN lower than 6600 and software 1.36) as I do with all AAD's after a re-pack and then went out. Went back to the loft around 9pm with another customer to pick up their rig and found the Vigil had fired. No idea when or weather conditions on the day as I was out all day. I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

borrowed a work mates for one jump. I liked it but not allowed ot use GoPro at work so didn't get one I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.

Not sure what it was like when you were there but Caboolture does just about no tandems at all. Focus is AFF with a little S/L thrown in sometimes I like my canopy... ...it lets me down.