erdnarob

As said, smaller parachute for same weight means higher loading then more forward speed. At the flare, speed tranfers partially as lift. However, the Spectre is a 7 cells then its descent is steeper than a 9 cells in other words you go down more vertically than a nine cells. You don't mention what the 175 parachute was but if it's a 9 cells you have more flare than a 7 cells. If it's a Triathlon 175 this is a 7 cells like the Spectre but still smaller that the 190. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Training? What kind of training? That makes the whole difference...a realistic training. To be repeated at the beginning of each season at the safety day or any suitable time. I think the best training is from a suspended harness with an actual fall in a matress for instance and under the supervision of an instructor (when beginner) who believes in that. People on training have to be very aggressive on that ripcord. In the air, under a parachute with a malfunction, everything seems to be harder than on the ground especially when people have not lived a real experience about pulling a rip cord. As a rigger I whish the owner of a rig to be repacked put first his rig on his back and while in a horizontal position, pulls his reserve rip cord. His brain will "remember" the feeling. I think it is good also to train the people to pull their reserve ripcord with the left hand accompanied by the right hand. A person can generate like that way more force. The direction of the pull obviously should be in the same direction than the cable housing but if there is an small angle (10-30 degrees) that shouldn't make a big difference. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Have you checked with the Sunshine Factory of Z-Hills ? I generally sell my equipment in the Fall (October) since this is the time to order a custom size and color new equipment and have it ready in March. I guess I am not the only one to do so. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Cari, I see you have only 7 jumps. Why not continuing jumping with student equipment until you get your A licence. When doing so try to jump progressively smaller canopies like a 230 then a 210 square feet. When confortable with them and having more jumps try a F111 190. And later on you might jump a zero porosity 170 but always under the supervision of an instructor and provided you had become proficient with canopy handling. At 5'4" tall the second hand equipment is rather rare. That means you could end up to buy a brand new one custom made. My favorites are: the Vector III with a Sabre 2 and a PD reserve. I know renting is expensive but wait to be more ready to buy your own equipment. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

People the most suceptible to give you what you want are the parachute fabric manufacturers (check on google). Parachutes have been made successively of : waxed cotton or wool canvas, silk, twill nylon, ripstop nylon, taffeta calendered nylon with coating, low porosity ripstop nylon, one side coated nylon, two side coated nylon. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

When I travel for Skydiving, I always keep my parachute rig as a carry on luggage. I arrive early at the airport and at the security I asked generally to speak to the manager. I explain him that I have a parachute equipment with me in the cabin, I also show him my CSPA membership, my AAD owner's manual, my AAD X-ray picture and the TSA letter about AAD installed in a skydiving equipment as a carry on luggage as legal. The security attendant even asked me once if he could take a photocopy of that letter. When back from Perris I went thru the security at LAX without too much problem. My only problem at LAX was that my wallet had small change included. I had to leave it on the belt for scanning and leave it in the plastic bin while they were scanning me 25 feet away and probing my rig with the sniffer for trace of explosive. Now I have my small change always separated from my wallet and that way, I can keep my wallet on me. On the same travel, the girl at Detroit at the boarding time didn't want me to take my rig as a carry on in the small Bombardier Regional Jet saying it was too big. I insisted that I didn't want my LIFE SAVING SUPPORT such a parachute equipment which costs 8000$ be tossed with other checked luggages since my life depends on it. She didn't insist and told me to take it with me and find an arrangement with the flight attendant. My rig finally was put in a large empty closet/box located near the front of the airplane. When I arrived at destination, my checked luggage has been opened since its 2 locks forced open. At LAX when I let go my checked luggage I had told the attendant there was skydiving equipment inside and invited him to check it. He told me he could see everything with the scan. Then I put the 2 little locks on it. I have to say that my AAD had fired at Perris and I had withdrawn it from the the reserve container to put it in my checked luggage with wires and the control box. No wonder they were suspicious. But I guess that my checked luggage could have been opened anywhere after. When I put skydiving stuff in my checked luggage I always wrote with a marker on a white sheet "Parachute accessories and tools". Hoping this can give some suggestions to travelling skydivers. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Airlocks are made of a piece of fabric sewn at the bottom of the intake (nose) and extending at 30-45 degrees or so inside the half cells for about 2-3 feet. They are as wide as the half cell and get flush with the top. It is made like a rackoon trap moving part. It lets the air get in but when the parachute is under pressure, the air inside the canopy pressurized that airlock which locks the air inside making that way a canopy less prone to a sudden deflation in case of turbulences. Vengeance, Jedi and Samourai canopies have them. It was designed by Brian Germain. The Icarus Crossfire 2 has the cell intake partially closed but they are not airlocks and do not work like airlocks. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

That looks better since when the cut away main will pull on the RSL it will peel off from the velcro under the riser and then will pull the pin. I have seen that kind of installation. But you can try it on the ground and see by yourself. Always think about the function. Will the RSL able to peel off from the velcro and pull the pin ? If the answer is YES then probably you are OK. But double check with a rigger. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Because the weight of the rig (16-25 pounds or more) can change the shape of the anti twist tubing located directly above the harness shoulders. If the tubing is made of telephone wire guide (slightly extensible), an applied weight keeps them under tension when hanged up by the shoulders and a permanent deformation can occur plus possibly pulling on the tacking of that tubing. With plastic ones, I guess they can get flat. Mine are made of metal. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

If you want to make a good investment, have a look at Bonehead helmets. They are compatible for any beeper installation, made of carbon fiber and therefore very shock resistant while being quite light. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I have to be more accurate maybe by saying that when I did the experiment I was using a 1/8" thick flat stainless steel hook knife. That hook knife was placed to cut the loop under the the reserve floor (between the reserve floor and the back pad). If you look on a Vector III under the yoke you can easily see that you have access to that space. That was certainly the way to use the closing loop at its maximum length. A pull cord was attached to the eyelet of the flat hook knife and going out by the access under the yoke. I was holding the container when I pulled swiftly on the pull cord. Therefore, the motion or the shaking of the container was zero or near zero and no significant move could help the reserve container to open. It was a Vector # 348 accepting a PD 160 reserve and a Sabre 2-170. The whole story has been published in Skydiving Magazine on 2 full pages in 2005 if I remember including a picture of the flat stainless steel hook knife and a sketch of the set up. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I am not knowledgeable about the Aerodyn rig and I am not sure of what you mean with "behind the reserve risers". But what I can tell you is, if the little shackle at the end of the RSL is attached to a ring located on the outside (sideway) of the (main) riser and if the RSL is passing under the reserve risers then you have a problem. Explanation. Suppose you cut away, the main parachute goes with its risers. The RSL riser pulls the RSL but if this RSL is caught under the reserve risers it can stay stuck there before having the chance to pull the reserve pin. The RSL has to able to peel off from its velcro without interference from reserve risers and/or AAD cable and has to go directly to the reserve pin. If equiped with a RSL including a Collins lanyard, in case of cut away, the RSL has first to release the non RSL riser then pull the reserve pin. In case of the Skyhook, the RSL has to release the non RSL riser first, then pull the reserve pin and keep on pulling the reserve bridle. That is why in all cases, the RSL has to be routed to avoid any interference. I recommend you strongly to consult a rigger and get some good explanation with hopefuly a demo. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Thanks for the details. BTW I know and jumped with both of them and I have attended their very interesting seminar at the last PIA symposium at Reno. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Lower than landing altitude!!! Like if digging your own grave??? Just a joke! Have a good afternoon. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Well said Scott Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

How to store your rig: If you don't use it for several months: Open main and reserve If you don't use it for several weeks: open just your main If you don't use it during the week keep it packed or if the main is unpacked, pack it few days before resuming jumping If your risers are equiped with anti-twist tubing (metal or plastic) don't hang it up using harness shoulders. At all time, keep your rig preferably in a cool, dark and not humid place (65 degrees F at 72% of relative humidity). Avoid absolutely direct fluorescent lighting because of the UV. Put everything in a cotton bag to let the humidity go and to be protected against the dust. I understand it's not always easy to comply with those figures. More generally, I would say that you keep your parachute system at about the same confort zone than a human body (temperature between 65 F and 75 F (or 18 C and 23 C), relative humidity between 65% and 75%). Take care of your parachute system and it will take care of you. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I have been a direct witness of such an occurrence when the AAD fired in an airplane on the ground and a friend of mine didn't get the pilot chute extraction. That rig has the AAD cutter located below the reserve bag on the reserve container floor giving the loop the maximum length. I have sent a letter to the manufacturer, to the rigger and to the chairman of the safety committe to let everybody know what was going on. The rigger said it was a bad design while the manufacturer blamed the rigger. Earlier, I have been concerned with the problem when 3 Russian guys pulled low to find out on the ground that their rig equiped with an AAD (with cutter located below the pilot chute) hadn't been able to extract the pilot chute. That prompted the manufacturer to relocate the cutter on the top of the pilot chute. Using my Vector III M # 348 , I and a friend of mine set up an experiment. I put a flat hook knife with a pull cord behind the wall of the reserve floor in order to cut the loop at its very maximum length. A fast camera (5 frames per second) was used to record the result. When I pulled the cord attached to the hook knife I had a perfect extraction with the pilot chute jumping vertically at 5 feet. (see the 2 pictures). I tested the Vector III pilot chute strength with a bathroom scale. Compressed at about 2 inches the strength was 40-45 pounds. The chairman of my committe told me that seemingly all small rigs have the possibilty of such a problem (no extraction of the PC when AAD firing). The use of smaller pilot chute cap, stronger spring and relocation of the cutter is maybe the solution for small rigs. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I recommend you to have your Vector equiped with a Skyhook. See the demo from UPT Vector, it is quite convincing. In the case you get a pilot chute in tow, well that kind of malfunction is a total therefore you have nothing to release since it's locked in the container. You just pull your reserve handle. That way the reserve pilot chute will pull your reserve and the Skyhook will disconnect immediately from the RSL(reserve static line). It happened to me (a total mal but not with a PC in tow) a month and half ago and got my reserve inflated fast and soft (see my post on this forum on rigging and equipment about Skyhook stories). In case of pilot chute in tow, well, Skyhook or not, you hope for the best for not having an entanglement between your reserve and the pilot chute in tow. I discussed that with a friend of mine and we came to the conclusion that if you change slightly your body position in order to get faster it seems to me that the pilot chute will catch the air faster and get your reserve deployed with less problem. Just an idea. I would like comments to know what the people would do in case of a pilot chute in tow. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I would rather use black thread. By contrast that will make your purple brighter. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Vigil is likely to show up with something new and quite in advance with respect to its competitors products. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I have been waiting for it and was disappointed when I couldn't get one with my Vector 3 last March. Don't forget to mention that this new rip cord has a bungee shock cord in it and makes a floating handle impossible. I said to UPT Vector that I wanted one as soon as it will be approved by the FAA. As Bill mentioned it, the reserve rip cord with steel cable is a 70+ years old design. Nothing wrong with the old stuff but now with new materials there is no excuse. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

It is always amazing to see that people jumped to conclusion based on a single event or case. I have also to point out the general reluctance of well established persons for something new. Example: In the 70s I was in Montreal at the CSPA Annual General meeting and has been flabbergasted by the demo of the brand new and never seen 3 ring release. It was just two #7 webbings connected by the 3 ring release and locked by a drinking straw. A guy and myself were pulling at both ends and when the straw was pulled away came the release, smooth and easy. That was for me LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT and I knew right away that this 3 rings release was what we needed. It was sad to hear my rigger course director made fun of the 3 rings as "another gimmick". People however tried suddenly to invent their own release system but the 3 ring release became the standard of the world. Even the Russian and Bulgarian made rigs have the 3 rings. In April 1978 I got and started jumping my first WONDERHOG including the 3 ring release. [people who ignore history are condemned to repeat its mistakes] I personnaly followed the evolution of the Skyhook and it was at the last Reno PIA symposium that I was really convinced that we had in the Skyhook something really improving the safety after seeing the demo and the seminar from Bill Booth. Since March 2008 I have my Vector 3 including Skyhook and magnet risers covers. Some people might be good technicians but not able to spot what is a good invention. My background: I am a mechanical engineering technician, has worked as a draftman designer for mechanical devices, I worked for Bombardier as a quality control technician, I am also a physics-mathematics specialized teacher, a pilot, a rigger and a jumper but before all I am a very curious person trying to keep his mind open. That background helps me to see what is a good design or not as long as mechanics is involved. Jumping to conclusion based on a single event is not scientifically acceptable. The occidental modern world is there because science and mathematics were permitted to evolve. It has been a resistance or even direct attack against them due to believers of all kind or statu quo afficionados . The Skyhook will not solve all skydiving problems but its use by thousand jumpers shows us it is a good design. I even have a skyhook demo which I have shown several times at different DZs I have visited this year and people can see in front of their eyes how it really works. Better yet, in late August I had a total mal when my jumpsuit zipper gave up in freefall. I couldn't locate my hackey after trying twice then I pulled my reserve handle. My reserve was pulled by the pilot chute and needed to have the Skyhook disconnects which it did smoothly. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I always come back to that point but let me say it again. Look for the FUNCTION. If you know how it works then you will have a better judgement if something is alright or wrong. When I show people how to pack I really insist on the FUNCTION. For the 3 ring release for instance. Not only I tell them but I make also the system operate in front of their eyes. Too many jumpers are packing their rig without knowing what they do and why. They just repeat what they have been shown almost like a parrot repeating his master's favorite swearword. Riggers or/and instructors are not always taking the time to explain the HOW and the WHY. I recently put on purpose for a test 7 mistakes on a rig in order to get a student finding them. He found 6 of them which is not bad. The one he missed was the main bridle cord coming from the pilot chute, tucked below the right flap but going under it and getting out at the top to allow the pin to lock the closing loop. It looks almost normal but jumping that rig would have ended with a pilot chute in tow. The student was pissed off for not finding that serious mistake but I told him that he will remember it for the rest of his life. Coming back to the specific problem illustrated in this thread, the 2 first cases were quite harmless, just a manufacturer's design issue not really interfering with the FUNCTION of the RSL but the one with the RSL going under the reserve risers is a pity since the RSL is caught and tighted between the container and the reserve risers. If you think about the FUNCTION, in case of cut away, the main parachute has to pull the RSL and its pin from below the reserve riser and possibly the result will be not extraction of the reserve pin. A special attention is about routing the RSL above the AAD cable going to the display window (if placed under the yoke). Otherwise, in case of cut away the RSL will rip off that AAD cable and will likely damage it. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Is one has thought about the type of canopy used and/or the packing method used as well ?? Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

The best for you to be sure of your shoulder state is to get a MRI or magnetic resonance imagery scan. That kind of imagery will tell the specialists if you have a problem or not. If you have a problem (ligaments or else) you will need a surgery. Doctors are making miracles even with a bad shoulder. After the surgery, you will have to do physiotherapy for a while. According what you say, you should have a problem, probably a stretched or torn ligament. Never take the advice of somebody who tells you that you have to live that way. Have another advice. I got 3 torn ligaments plus one out of its groove. After a 2 hours surgery and a cast for 3 weeks and 6 month physiotherapy I was back to the sport. I can tell you than my wounded shoulder (the right one) is now working better than the left one. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.