RoryJ

So, I was working in a busy loft, but recently went freelance after taking a new job offer. Some still want to use me, but I am looking into some liability insurance to cover their assets while in my possession. Anyone know of any good companies? Not again!

Even easier/better: decide what canopies you want, tell Mirage, and let THEM decide what is the best fit. Also, ask your rigger, as that is the person that will have to fight that brand new rig. Not again!

From what I have heard from folks working at iFly tunnels they have ditched the 2 year contracts because they would rather you walk away than be miserable and guide guests a poor experience. Not again!

Those look like they were cut a bit short on the outside, or possibly that your right side one was sewn on just a bit cocked to give it that bubble like in your first picture. I just packed a tiny one and the owner was having problems with it coming open, so we did some surgery and relocated/added some stronger magnets. Sunrise are working on improving the set up, as we sent them pictures of what we did and they drop us some info on their potential fixes. Their customer service is good and their turn around times that I have seen for repairs have been pretty damn quick. Def give them a call on Monday. Not again!

Having closed a reserve SPEED bag on several occasions, I cannot see how this would be any more fun to pack. The flap never lines up as well as I would like and I just end up fighting to get rubber bands through the correct holes. I have a Party Bag on my two newest Infinities and I enjoy them quite a bit. Not again!

Glad everyone likes the video. I got sick of watching noobz constantly almost break the door, figured everyone could benefit. And it looks like we might have to have a convention and offer moustache rides for everyone not lucky enough to have a fuzzy tickler on the upper lip. Not again!

Spaceland has been Sigma for ages now, no Examiners for that that I know, just DJ Marvin with the Ratings Center for UPT/USPA tandem/coach/AFF. Not again!

I have been doing a bit of looking online, saw some Stimpson and ClipsShop bench-mounted setters. Anyone have advice for a decent setter for setting SS grommets in the occasional set of risers, replacement D-bag, or in a stiffener flap that has just had been replaced? I have come to expect to pay for my new toys, so I WILL pay for quality, but not needing to go the route of pneumatic. Basically, something to use at home for 0s, 2s, 4s, and 5s. Not again!

I have had good luck with Pete Swan, as well. Simon Wade in Boulder City, NV is also good for after market line sets. He is available at http://skydivingservices.net/. Not again!

The PDFs are all just blue highlighted links, most at the top of each section. Good to know about that, just sucks that they are "for purchase" instead of for general consumption/education. Thanks for that, though. Not again!

I was looking for some vendors for Cordura, webbing, and hardware and happened across this site: http://milspecmonkey.com/. They have a bunch of PDFs about MIL SPEC standards. Might be an interesting read for some. Not again!

And I just found three 7-34s for $4,400 with table and motor, fully refurbed and a Consew 733R2 for 5K a few miles away from me. And a Juki 1900 for $1000 off. And a heavier duty Juki for a reasonable price. This stuff is maddening. Not again!

It is time to break down and get a harness machine after getting my master ticket. I have my eye on two different Singer 7-34s. I do not plan to be a full time harnessing man, but want to have it available. Does anyone have any thoughts of why it would be a bad machine to add to my arsenal or alternate machines that I should consider? I have read through and saw about Jerry's 132K6 and the Consew updates, but not sure if I feel like springing $7K right now. And I am looking to update my Singer 69-8 to something programmable. I have been leaning toward a Juki 1900A HS, but also like how the Brother 430E worked, and considered waiting around for a 434 to be cool like PD. Any users out there have particular favourites that they could say the Juki or the Brother is markedly better for one application or another? I will mainly be using it for installing line sets, possibly using it for container repairs, and if I ever get saucy enough for building line sets. Used search for both, but seeing if what current thoughts are on all these. Not again!

No clue if anyone has posted this before, but this is a handy list of Singer models and what they do. http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/model-list/classes-1-99.html Not again!

Seems mostly positive... The student that had his non-RSL side riser due to the Collins lanyard may disagree with you. The Skyhook RSL (its full name) is an RSL, all said and done. It will work about 150' faster (than your reserve that is designed to open in about $300. A back up device should not be what makes you choose one rig over another, especially when you are expected to pay several hundred dollars for a "safety" option. If it is safer, why is it not standard? Not again!

I have a ContourHD that I side mounted and I was getting a bit of the face shield in frame, but not terrible. It was less than the amount of helmet in a top mounted GoPro. Not again!

And I fully agree with Sonic on this one. A Skyhook will save you about 150' AND adds a lot of complexity to what is supposed to be a clean, simple system. The Skyhook IS an RSL, plain and simple. Not again!

What JP said. I have a few, very few jumps on A2s. What little experience I have is that they have NOTHING on the bottom end of the flare. I jumped a 389 back in the day (I believe that is the size) and last season jumped the 340 (after we trimmed a bunch off the brake lines). I had a normal sized passenger and I am 165 lbs and we just flumped to the ground. I have a few hundred on Precision tandems and several hundred on the Icarus ones. I never want to jump another tandem main than the Icarus ones. They have great versatility from fast to slow flight. The 2-6 set up is awesome for keeping you non-sore for a whole weekend of jumping. I can stand up nearly any passenger 200 lbs and under with no effort on the 365 canopy. Side-ish note: The A2 I jumped last year was a demo from Aerodyne and someone there called us to ask how we liked it. We told them that the flare sucked and we were asked if we were hooking it in and were told that the instructors that were hooking them loved them. YMMV Not again!

I have personally seen 2 Vigil2 units do the same in the past year. We sent them back to the manufacturer/service center and did not get any definitive answers as to why. Not again!

So, a foreign rig came in and my coworker and I wanted to make sure that it was in date. A bit of searching online FINALLY got us our answer (one year for a French rig), but I thought that it might be helpful to have as many repack cycles listed in one place for ease of search, so please have at it with listing them here, or if there is an external FAI source, feel free to link that. USA? Canada? Slovenia? Ukraine? Russia? South Africa? Not again!

I originally got my ticket after BASE jumping for a few years because you are basically your own rigger there and I figured it would not hurt to know more about how to inspect and pack my gear. The allure of not paying anyone to maintain my gear was big, plus the added responsibility of making sure to take care of myself was there, too. Once I started actually working in the loft that trained me (and while I was being trained) I REALLY started to like all of the more technical stuff of repairs, differences between different canopies, etc. Gear excites me and I am ok with that. The new challenges to make my pack job better than the last one in there in cleanliness and aesthetically is also fun. Not again!