tdog

Yes, at PIA I touched it and saw it. Ribs and bottom skin are the Optimum like - low bulk - material, in white fabric only. The top skin can be any color using the standard PD ZP. When I touched it, it felt just like the optimum fabric, thin and soft... No crunchy slippery shinny brand new ZP feel. The canopy seems ideal for the average fun jumper who does not want a long diving swoop. Imagine this... A new jumper gets a new rig. They pack a Pulse in it as their "First canopy"... It can pack 2 sizes smaller than it's published size. So, those who originally had 2-3 sizes of "wiggle room" in their main container now have 5 or so sizes if they downsize from a pulse to a Katana or Sabre 2. Further, the Pulse might be a good canopy for someone with less jumps as it promises a quick recovery and consistent openings. Thus - buy a container for a pulse loaded 1 to 1 rather tight... You probably could downsize all the way to 1.8 wingloading on a ZP Katana in the next 2000 jumps or so... It might mean one container could last a skydiver's career, unless they really downsize a lot!

I look the direction I want to go, far out on the horizon, and my body goes there. Most minor corrections, per what you asked, are done with such small movements that all you have to do is "think it" or "look where you want to go" and the rest just happens.

Considering my only true malfunction (and legitimate cutaway) was my BASE canopy packed without a bag, very neat, into a old vector - there are certain advantages to BASE containers for freepacked canopies. And - I can say with a good deal of confidence, wingsuit deployments in a BASE container are different than with any pocketed corner rig - and I would not use an old vector for any low wingsuit deployments... And there are certain non-DZ aircraft you can jump from and open low, but the TSO thing is a good thing to have so your friend, the pilot, does not get screwed. Back when I wanted to practice certain skills before jumping off a bridge, I would have rented (not purchased) the BASER, if available, so I could practice and experiment with certain packjob techniques both wingsuiting and freefalling - before using a similar rig for a real fixed object jump. By my first BASE jump, I had over 100 dead air exits (skydive balloon and tall bungee jumps), so I was pretty confident I wouldn't screw that up. Before my first wingsuit BASE, I had tons of balloon jumps, some with my BASE container... No matter how much you do to practice/research, there is always the first time with gear... And - I have some nifty ideas on how to make my BASE packjobs better, but I don't want to try in the BASE environment where err kills more often. This is where the BASER could be used. But what do I know... You clearly are an expert, by your posts. It is clear by your attitude here and on BASE Jumper.com, you have something against the BASER and Sonic... I on the other hand have kept a rather open mind.... If my pocketbook was full, I might even own one for experimentation.

I think the PD Pulse, with the Optimum like bottom skin fabric and good olde ZP topskin, that packs a few sizes smaller than a Sabre2 of the same size, and promises a flat glide and quick recovery in a semi-elliptical intermediate canopy (kind of opposite of the Katana in recovery arc) is going to be a hit for those who love zippy small canopies, like maybe the Stiletto, but are maybe not into the diving swoops. Never flown one, but I touched it and read the press release/product lit sheet and I wish I had one because I think it would be in my wingsuit rig. I think the PD Optimum in all the larger sizes, like we have been begging for bigger than 143s, will make a lot of people happy. I think the spectra rip-cord just approved this week for UPT's vector's is going to be the future of our rigs... Cheaper, lighter, and fully inspect-able without tools by riggers and end users. I think the new fabric in canopies, main and reserves, and new uses of lighter, better designed materials, shows some of the most promising "radical" changes we have seen since perhaps the three ring or square parachute.

Dirt, oxidation, and concentrated funk. The same stuff you get in your belly button and ears if you don't clean them out... A rigger can clean it out when repacking.

I think an old rig -or- sew a harness to match a rig are the only "good options". I have seen and used vests many times.... But they teach a few key bad habits when they don't have cables and double sided velcro in the main lift webs... Simply, they don't teach the importance of pealing before punching and stripping to full arm extention.

I remember reading why it was "The Uninsured Relative Workshop." You can't tell a jury in a trial if someone has insurance or the limits of the insurance as they should not think about insurance limits when recommending fines or damages. But you HAVE to tell the jury the legal name of the defendant.

Considering my last 700 jumps are logged on two pages in a logbook, one page for each year, you might want to consider jump "batches"... Now most people might just want to say jumps "294-301" "4-way training with team, exits and stop drills".... In all seriousness - I think a lot of people with 500+ jumps don't do a lot of logs. They probably just want their manifest data from their home DZ to populate everything for them.... Although I know one guy who spends more time logging the jump than the plane ride - fine print, all the details, for 3000+ jumps...

One of my customer's is American Humane Society. I am going to endorse my check over to them and send it with my invoice to them with a note, "cash this."

I fully agree with you on that point. Yet again (we do this a lot here, you and I) - you took something I said and twisted it to something I did not mean. It might be my fault for not being clear enough. I never said the manufacture could upgrade anything. I meant to say that the manufacture has knowledge about their equipment that is superior to knowledge any one of us has. They also can read the FAA guidelines and talk with FAA officials to determine how their work instructions should be carried out. So they are a good authority, probably the best authority, to publish who can do what in regards to specific work instructions, considering they designed the system and the procedures for working on that system. Of course they could be wrong. But even if they are, I bet following their advice will give a lot of credibility in a court of law. Certainly more credibility than anyone that does not wear the manufacture hat to work every morning. Hence, I am going to continue to read the manufacturer's instructions and follow them. If you believe UPT mispublished any instructions that say a master or senior riggers can do certain procedures, please contact them asking for an immediate revision to those documents. Thanks for implying I am a student! I am always learning and picking up new things. Knowing I would get a post out of you in this thread by what I said - I had already called a few people with a lot of creditability for their opinions.

Actually, splitting the RSL says "Master Rigger". Adding the grommet and bungee says "Senior Rigger." They are two different kits sent with different instructions. I think the manufacture is the best authority to determine if the retrofit is senior or master rigger work as they are determining how the change will effect the entire system. After seeing the kits with my own two eyes and reading the instructions, I think RWS appropriately quantified the skill required for the two mods. Setting a new grommet is no more complex than repairing and reinforcing an old grommet, which is tested as part of the senior rigger exam.

I am upset that this magazine has ended... I don't receive any magazines, newspapers, or anything in print - everything is online - EXCEPT skydiving magazine... Parachutist is boring, uneducational, and out of date. It only covers a bit of skydiving and nothing else related to parachutes or flying. Heck, the last time I tried to congratulate a friend for a new rating I saw in the back of it, he already had earned another one and it was passe - like sending a birthday card a few months late. Oh, and the only way to be in the front cover of Parachutist was to be a world champion.... I framed the front cover of an issue of Skydiving where four of my friends, for whom I normally flew video, were turning points in a training camp in Eloy. 4 college age students with different colored jumpsuits and old POS rigs... And they made the front cover. Heck, I even made the second page once. I wish Skydiving Magazine would have sold or given away the publishing rights to someone else.... (the customer database has value so the new owner could have at least started with a viable business).

Wow... I have written a lot of software in my day. I have purchased a lot of software in my day. That price is absolutely absurd to the point that I wish I could impeach every elected board member who approved it. Dear USPA. Contact me. I will rewrite an entire custom application that will allow all membership information to be tracked, billed, and reported, specifically for skydiving. Price = something the USPA can afford and can justify, about 10% of what you already spent, likely.... You won't even have to pay until it is delivered and does what it is promised to do.

Go on a vacation to a larger DZ, get some tunnel coaching, lots of it if you can (if you can get airspeed to coach ya at Eloy for an example, you will learn a lot). Not only is it a hell of a lot of fun, but you will get experience quickly, much faster than at a small cessna dropzone, and then you can ask the people at your home dropzone if they would like to JOIN YOU on a jump YOU ARE ORGANIZING.

Qulp. Tell the "boys in HQ" to PM me, email me, or call me, if they want something custom written, designed for exactly what they need, for much less than that. Much less.

Any word on if non-student, non-tandem rigs need/should have this retrofit? The wording is kind of ambiguous.

No, clearly does not have the ego for a coach ticket. The first time I jumped with him, he came up to me and said, "would you please jump with me in a 4 way". I clearly remember that jump. I remember flashing a key and then suddenly blood rushed to my head as I spun so fast to the next formation - thru the block - I did not realize what happened. I honestly was going to make a powerful move to impress him, but I did not have time. The next time - on that jump - it was my key - I took a deep breath BEFORE the key and probably closed my eyes and hoped for the best. He's clearly my role model.

I jumped the UPT "skyhook demo rig" last weekend... The one with two reserves. Real old rig with a lot of mods for all sorts of fun stuff I suppose. Upon packing, I asked the UPT guy, "what is that second grommet for." Response: "next question please." I assumed it was some super secret attachment point for the Bill Booth flux capacitor, the one that will save every skydiver's life, even the stupid ones... So we moved on and I did not say anything to anyone, especially on dorkzone.com. But now the secret is out... No flux capacitor, darn.... Interesting - so a rigger in the field will be asked, I wonder, to put in grommet into the rig to make the mod??? It seems funny that they did not publish all the data right away... Maybe their web guy was out for the week on vacation? They are a small company, so lets not assume the worst.

http://www.miragesys.com/sizing-guide/ The PD Optimum 143 is listed as "EXTREMELY tight, requires skilled rigging" or "soft" on every option. I looked thru my log and found only one Mirage I packed with a Opt143. It was one of the ones marked "EXTREMELY tight, requires skilled rigging" - and I seemed to pack it fine.... So I must be skilled - Mirage says so! The rig in question will be getting a KA120(ish) main as the smallest canopy... So the sizing options are: MT (143 marked extremely tight) MO (143 marked extremely tight) MOS (143 marked extremely tight) M1 (143 marked "soft") Any real world feedback on those containers with a PD 143 OPT? Thanks

I emailed them, mid day Friday, explaining I was a rigger and looked thru my log book and found I potentially had customers affected, asking for a link to their website or docs emailed to me with specifics... Nothing yet. Not at all impressed that it is not publicly available on their website the moment it is announced by the USPA. Rant over. If any of you get news, please PM or post to me.

A good interest rate credit card often beats financing... If you have dicipline to make the payments (more than the minimum) and can get a credit card (credit history). The seller (used rig) just has to accept paypal - which is free or small fee...

Mr. Hicks, if you can't hear me, turn up the radio.... You made me laugh!

One of these (attached) is best for packing, in my opinion. It won't roll. Just run your risers under it and pull your rig against it. Never spills. Never breaks. Doesn't rust. Goodwill - a few bucks.

https://www.mightymendit.com Watch the video on this site... And its a reserve too!

Interesting enough - Robin Heid just wrote an article for Skydiving Magazine addressing this issue, detailing the laws and interviewing a few DZOs that allow sub-18 year olds and the interesting waiver/parental consent techniques they use. It seems the key from every DZO that was interviewed - BOTH your parents must be on board with the idea and well educated. The DZOs interviewed: Skydive Temple - Texas, Austin Skydive Center - Texas, West Tennessee Skydiving Center. At my home DZ there are a lot of 16 and 17 year olds that show up daily, packing parachutes, driving equipment, making friends, learning the sport - and doing their first jump on their 18th birthday. My advice, if you can't find a DZ that will let you jump, find one where you can show up and make friends and learn, and maybe even get a job....