erdnarob

Very interesting method to pack a parachute, certainly a very fast one. I am just concerned about the fact that this method probably makes the lines spread out when they should stay as much as possible in the middle of the pack. Just twisting the 2 parts of the tail along the entire length makes the lines getting spread. According PD people you should twist the 2 parts of the tail (set up around the canopy) for about 12-15 inches only otherwise you start speading the lines. You should twist the 2 parts of the tail by 180 degrees 3 times only for the same reason. I know time is money but canopies are expensive and we should find the right balance between packing time and keeping the canopies in good condition. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I know exactely where I have pulled my reserve. It was over the intersection of the runway and the main taxiway. The wind was calm (less than 5 miles per hour) and coming from 330 degrees on the ground. I have checked intensively with the help of few friends of mine at the South part of the airport, not too far first then a bit further on a wide area. Nothing. I have to say that there are many areas at the South of the airport covered with high grass. And guess what, my pilot chute ripstop color was grey. Not the most brighter color to spot. But since nobody saw what happened there is no clue for the search. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Don't worry about the way you do since I made almost 400 jumps on my Sabre 2 using the same method (without the little initial fold near the lines) actually I was doing it more or less at the very end by tucking the material near the lines slightly inside the folded canopy. But remember, comb the lines upward before closing the deployment bag to make sure the slider is still again the stoppers. Just a slight slip of the slider away from the stoppers will likely make you to have a hard opening. You can also do the 3 folds and bag the canopy in the deployment bag while laying on it. That keeps the canopy compressed and you have your 2 hands free to control the volume of the canopy and still able to bag one side then the other side without any frustration. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I got my 5th malfunction (in 2000+ jumps) 3 weeks ago but never I was expecting such a malfunction to happen. Sitting in the Cessna 182, a thousand feet before jumping altitude, I got on my knees to find out that the zipper of my jumpsuit was open by 3 inches near the crotch. I moved the zipper handle down completely and up with great difficulty (you all know how bad a zipper can be when undone). When the handle was up I noticed that the 2 sides of the jumpsuit were not even and I that the zipper was still slightly open at the crotch. I decide to go that way since we were arriving at jumping altitude. I was following a student making his first 30 second delay. Three seconds after exit, my jumpsuit zipper came open completely. So far no problem but my jumpsuit was quite inflated. When I saw the student pulling, I tracked away and reached for my BOC hackey. Nothing first then I tried a second time without any success then I pull my reserve handle. I looked over to see my PD reserve 160 fully open (what a soft opening) it was my first total malfunction. I flew nicely back at the landing area and had a soft landing. During my descent at 1500 I look at my pilot chute and freebag. Nothing at all. Since there were people watching I assumed that some of them would have seen my freebag. They didn't see anything at all. The fact that I was in the sun (after 7h:00 PM) and pulled my reserve at 3500 feet that contributed to make my reserve opening unseen. I have lost the freebag and the pilot chute. Not a single person have noticed at least the direction where the assembly went. Conclusion: When having a jumpsuit zipper problem, fix that immediately. Also, my rig is equiped with adjustable stabilizers connecting the botton of the container to the main lift web. Those stabilizers were not tacked. I suspect that they became slack in free fall due to the inflation of my jumpsuit and that had the effect to lift off from my back the main cointainer and therefore making the location of my BOC hackey higher than usual. A good lesson to learn and a 225 $ to get a new pilot chute assembly. I had a Skyhook installed and since I had a total my reserve was pulled by the pilot chute and the Skyhook had to disconnect from the SLR which it did as designed. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I understand your need to get a reserve ride. To do so, you should do it the proper way provided you have at least an A licence and under the supervision of an instructor: 1) First get a good training and review of your emergency procedures with an instructor and you being in a suspended harness and have an actual fall on a matress or gym mat. 2) that will be a shame to let go the opportunity of not doing a cut away since if you have to use a reserve it will likely happen because of a partial malfunction. Total malfunctions are rare. Then better to pratice a cut away. 3) Get a tertiary reserve connected to dettachable D rings on you rig or have a special rig equiped with such D rings for a tertiary reserve. Note: You always need one parachute more that the number of parachutes you have the intention to use : * A jump pilot wants to use 0 parachute, then he needs one parachute * A jumper wants to use his main parachute then he needs two parachutes * A jumper wants to make an intentional cut away using the main then his reserve then using in sequence two parachutes, he will have to wear three parachutes (main, reserve and a tertiary parachute). Doing an intentional cut way early will make you more confident in your capabilities to handle such a situation and more prepared and efficient for an actual malfunction. Get advice from an instructor. Note: If you really want to experience a reserve ride with no cut away, as some people mentioned it to you, contact PD and jump one of their reserves used as main parachutes. A bad canopy deployment can happen any time and without any warning. You really should be ready for a cut away and a reserve ride. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Provided your Time Out batteries are good look behind the device, put it upward (with the integrated plastic loop up). Now you have 2 push buttons, one up with an arrow, the other one down with an arrow. If you push and release immediately any button, the Time Out will beep (three times if first alarm set up at 3000 feet, 3 times then a short delay then another time for 3500 ft, 4 times for 4000 feet and so on. (3000 feet is the minimum altitude to set the first alarm, 12000 feet is the maximum altitude set up), the second alarm is at 2500 feet and is fixed and has the beep frequency doubled, the third alarm is at 1500 feet, is fixed and is a continuous beeeeeeeeeeeep. Exercice: Suppose your Time Out is set up at 6000 feet for the chosen alarm altitude, the first one. You want to set it up at 4500 ft for instance. Push continuously on the down button, you will hear in sequence the first alarm at 6000, then 5500, 5000 then finally 4500 and at that time relase the down button. Same to raise the first alarm altitude by using the up button. You always hear the first alarm altitude by increment of 500 feet and you stop right away when hearing the alarm altitude you want. Is that clear enough? Note: When having a Time Out, at about 500 ft after take off it will beep twice (short beeps) which means the batteries are OK. It will beep again at the alarm altitude (eg. it will beep 5 times at 5000 ft). If your Time Out does a long beeeeeep at 500 ft and stop, that means it is still OK for at least one jump but you need new batteries. I still have my Time Out and have used it for many years. I have also a Protrack in my helmet thefore having two beepers. But as far as the alarm beeps are cocerned, I still prefer my Time Out which is louder. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I would recommend you to buy a Vigil II which is more tested than the Argus and way more advanced than the Cypres and more user's friendly. I personnally had a Vigil I and got 2 firings when needed and can tell you that it worked as designed. I now have a Vigil II and I am very happy with it. Having the Vigil interface allowed me to download the data and see my jump graphs and determine that my former Sabre II-170 was opening on 340 feet vertical distance average. Now with my Vigil II download I can tell you that my Katana 170 uses 600 feet average to open. Isn't interesting to have a device you can download the data. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

First of all, psycho pack is not a method recommended by Performance Designs for packing a parachute and I believe this is the same for all other canopies. A guy at my DZ used that method for hundred of jumps and when he had his parachute for relining PD told him they had to change a whole cell which was damaged. When they asked him about his packing method, PD attributed the damages to his method. For an extension of the bridle cord, see a rigger. The bridle has an original length which is generally tested with the canopy. A rigger will tell you if you can have an extension and if so, he can make one for you with appropriate tape. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

A rig can be a bit unconfortable but it has to fit. Where? At the leg straps and the chest strap which both have to be relatively thight since at the deployment of the canopy a lot of force are involved. We can compare that to a safety belt of a car in an accident, if you want it to protect you it has to fit you. Another important fit is at what we call the stabilizers on the sides of the container. Those are made of a strap attaching the container to the main lift web. Some are adjustable while others are fixed. If they are too long or not enough tight, the container is going to slide left and right on the back of the jumper while in freefall making the reach of the BOC handle possibly hard to get. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

A guy of my DZ once had dyed his container. The original color was white and since it was all dirty he decided to change it in black. I got an impression that it wasn't that simple since the dying process involves chemicals which are very often acidic. I told him that we should do an acid test at least on the harness. The rig was a Racer and I had consulted John Sherman about dying rigs. John wrote to me that his most concern was the harness since that part of the rig is subject to a lot of force at the deployment of the canopy. The bromothymol blue testing turned to green which indicated that the harness was slightly acidic. Therefore I would not recommend any dying on a rig unless it is made with an acidless process. I don't really know if that exists. Any chemists in this forum? Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

A tension knot is likely to happen when lines (steering or suspension lines) are slack during deployment. The line get a wip effect and can make a knot, simple or more complicated. The best way to avoid it is to have the right size of rubber band tight enough or double those rubber bands. The tension knot on a steering line makes it shorter then a spin occurs. Recently at the Summerfest I got for the first time a knot in my steering line but with my toggle involved. I have the VECTOR III trulock brake system which is quite good to protect you from that kind of problem. But what I remember is that after opening I release the brakes and let them go probably too fast in order to collapse my slider. What I think which happened was that the right toggle went thru the loop made by the extra of steering line and made a knot around the upper channel keeper located behind the right rear riser. Since the toggle was near the top, no spin occured but when I came to pull the right toggle I was pulling at the steering line and on the rear right riser as well and I had to apply a lot of force. Since my Katana wasn't turning I decided to land it that way. I managed to do the best possible flare I could and landed slipping in the grass softly. Conclusion: When releasing the brakes, take one second to put your hands at the right place making sure the extra of steering line is out of the way and do not let go the toggle to fast before collapsing the slider. A good lesson for me. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Hi, back from the Summerfest 2008. For AAD, they are all OK but go for the most advanced and user friendly, ie. the Vigil II. For the RSL go for the most tested, ie. the Skyhook. Get a video from UPT showing actual use of the Skyhook and you should be convinced. A friend of mine got two malfunctions (very bad line twists) and in both case when he came to pull the silver handle, the reserve was already fully deployed. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Don't worry too much, we all felt the same way when we were roocky at packing new ZP canopies. Here is my advise: When the flacking of the canopy is done and after I have wrapped it with the tail I lay it on the the ground preferably on a carpet then: I milk the air out while laying on it and stay on it until it is in the deployment bag. How I do that: 1) Laying on the canopy allowed the air to get out but the canopy is still like a V shape pointing toward the lines. In order to get it like a "sausage" fold at once one side after bleeding the air out with your hands then tilting your body you do the other side (you are still laying completely on the canopy). 2) Back up a bit while still laying on the canopy and slide toward the lines and fold one third of the canopy (bridle line side) UNDER. To do so place your hands under the "sausage" where the fold will be done and hold the opposite side of the "sausage" in order to avoid spreading the canopy. 3) All the time with hands and fingers keep the folds thight and narrow since they want to spread out. 4) Back up towards the lines again (still laying on the "sausage") and fold UPWARD another third of the canopy including the first one which was UNDER and which is now coming on the top when doing the second fold. 5) you have now a 3 fold "sausage" canopy ready for the D bag. Since you are still laying on it you can relax your arms, the folds will not spread and when ready get the D-bag under the 3 folds and put one side in by pulling on the flap under and on the rubber bands attachments while pushing the folded canopy inside de bag. 6) tilt you body to squeeze down the side already made and proceed the same way the other side always applying pressure with your chest on the bag at this moment. Remember, at all time keep the folds narrow with hand and fingers. 7) make sure the folded canopy is as much as possible in the D bag, apply pressure with a hand on the top and the line side of the D bag and get on your knees. 8) get the D bag up with lines on top and while holding the closing flap do the little S fold with the canopy part near the lines and push it in the D bag. All the time have a hand on the line side of the D bag to keep the fabric squeezed in the D bag. Then apply pressure on the flap and thread the first rubber band then the second It takes a minimum of practice but the advantage of this method is that you get a very good fabric and fold control, your two hands are free, you can stop to relax without having the fabric bulging out and you will get less frustrated. It is not the fastest method but a relaxing one and it works. Trying my best to explain how I do it. Good luck. (that method was demonstrated at the WFFC at Rantoul by a load organizer named Winsor) Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

In commercial airplanes maintenance there is a thing named the Progressive program which allow the airplane owner to have the maintenance done withing 10 hours of flying. EG. A Cessna 172 has to be inspected every 50 hours. As the owner, you can go before the 50 hours like at 45 hours or after at 57 hours. Those time allowances are however not cumulative. I believe that such a margin of time and jumps should exist for the AADs. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

When I start showing a beginner how to pack, I use a packing hook. It is easier for the beginner since he/she is hand free. gathering the set of lines and clean the folds from the front while using a hook is easier. When the beginner starts to understand what is going on he/she will eventually do the transfer using his shoulder. For packing a reserve I use the hook. But the most important is to keep the lines at the center of the pack job as much as possible. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Well, it took Bill Booth 20 years to get his SKYHOOK design to be what it is now (originally designed for tandem) then people who are copying the idea of the SKYHOOK functions (3 functions) will have to complete a series of testing. Some other manufacturers have adopted the SKYHOOK like Sunpath Javelin and soon Icon. When the 3 ring release (from Bill Booth as well) came up in late 70s, several manufacturers tried their own type of release but after few years the 3 ring became the world standard and still is. I am for the innovation and the use of these new releases will tell us who has the best design but in some case some people can be tempted to reinvent the wheel. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

> I just would like to remind you all that if the rig owner is Vigil equiped, the rigger can read the total of jumps made on INFO TJ = Total of Jumps) on the Vigil menu and register it until the next repack then compare with the new figure. I read most of you, and again I say the rigger's job is not praised enough. We riggers are not special packers, we are much more than that, we are knowledgeable about the rigging, material used, stitching, construction method, technical or service bulletin published, we know the way to inspect: a canopy, a harness and container and we are able to do repair at the level of our expertise and we are able to make a preventative inspection and spot the part of the rig to be replaced soon...etc When you see a doctor for a check up, healthy or not you pay the full price. A 180 or 120 days repack shouldn't make a difference. But again I come back with the responsibilities. We are not paid enough because of that. It takes two hours to inspect and repack a reserve. An experienced packer at 6$ /pack can make 15 packings in two hours = 90$. Should we ask 90$ for a reserve packing plus a fee to cover a rigger's insurance cost...? And a tandem master can make 4 jumps in two hours and get 25-35$ per jump which makes 100-140$ in two hours!!! Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

In case of emergency, generally, follow the pilot instructions. He can decide to land the airplane with everybody aboard and this happens if the altitude is low like say below 1500 feet. Above that altutude, the pilot can ask for a bail out for few jumpers or all the jumpers. It depends on the airplane conditions and how the pilot can handle that. If you have to bail out relatively low, pull your reserve handle. As somebody mention it , in order to have the SKYHOOK working you need the main canopy out since this main canopy when cut away will do 3 functions really fast: 1) release the left cable to make sure your cut away is clean both sides 2) pull the pin 3) pull the reserve bridle allowing your reserve to inflate faster than with you pilot chute since the main is gone already when you cut away. It is important to understand your equipment and its functions. Note: When pulling the reserve handle the reserve pilot chute will take charge of getting your reserve out and the SKYHOOK will unhook Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

On a rigger course recently canditates were going to remove an Argus from a Javelin reserve pocket (see DECI recent post) and they broke the Argus cable. As I mentioned it, a parachute system is subject to forces up to 2000 lbs at the opening. That force is spread out into the whole system and a reserve container is not a rigid thing either. Yes strong cables are very welcome. Everything in a parachute system has to be rugged and strong and what is inside of a reserve container is no exception. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Hackish, you have to be careful since at Lodi California the cost for a high jump is 15$. Anyway I always have considered that the rigger's job is not really appreciated as it should be. Riggers have more responsibilities than a doctor and in case of a fatal accident, the jumper who will bounce will not be able anymore to sue the rigger but be sure his family will. When doctors make mistake it will be very difficult to prove it and if you do so expect to have a lot of trouble with the doctors lawyers. Price for a reserve repack should reflect no only the job done but the responsibility involved. After all, this is the rigger's signature and seal which are on the rig. As a jumper it is your last chance when the main fails. Changing from 120 days to 180 days is a 50% increase and since the rig will be more used (potentially 50% more) the price should be 50% more. With a car when you missed a check up and maintenance then another one and so on, you finish by suddenly paying the big price...We have to remind the jumpers that a reserve repack includes an inspection of the reserve but also an inspection of the whole rig. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

It's about time. They talk about it for many years. But a bit late for me since I go at Skydive Chicago Summerfest next week and have to repack my reserve which is not due in Canada but over 120 days for the US. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Good choice of harness/container since I too have a Vector III but with a Vigil II inside. I was just saying as an illustration that if a team like Arizona Airspeed wants to train a lot and participate to the highest level world competition without having any problem with an AAD they certainly consider the Vigil as a good product even if it is free for them. I hope you don't believe that there is no free Cypres somewhere. Ask Éric Fradet. Canadian 4 way Team Evolution is sponsored by Argus. I guess they got them for free. Would you use a free "lemon" despite the fact you know it will give you a lot of trouble? Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I made an experiment this afternoon: TESTING the breaking strenght of a Cypres single braid. Here are the testing description and results: Type of lever: point A (pivot), at 7 cm from A is the point B (where the load is applied or one end of the single braid is) and at 86.5 cm from A is the point C (where the scale is applied) I used a 50 lbs rated scale equiped with an index staying at the maximun tension applied. Both ends of the single Cypres braid were secured by a Cypres washer and knots made and placed according the manufacturer info (Cypres manual). Ratio of the leverage system is 86,5 cm/7 cm = 12.36 The Cypres braid broke when 15 lbs (read from the max index) was applied on the lever at point C Breaking force of the Cypres cord is therefore: 15 lbs x 12.36 = 185.4 lbs which is different that what was written on the Cypres spool (185 Kp) and in the manual of the Cypres I (180 Kp) I have to admit that I never saw the unit Kp before but somebody in the forum said the meaning was kilogramme pond or Kilogram force. I took it that way first (1 kilogram force = 2.2 lbs) in my precedent posts on the question. If you double the loop (fingertrap) you get theoretically 185.4 lbs x 2 = 370.8 lbs (on the Cypres II manual I was told that the strenght was indicated at 350 lbs which seems to relate to the already made closing loop. Only Cypres can tell us what they mean by 185 Kp). (single loop or double (fingertraped) loop). Note 1: There is a confusion on the Cypres spool and in the Cypres I manual as well. it is written 185 Kp and 180 kp while the Cypres loop break at 185.4 lbs in my today's experiment. Note 2: The break of the single Cypres braid was located exactly flush with the center hole of the Cypres washer placed at the top. The single Cypres braid was more or less vertical while the lever was horizontal at about 90 degrees with resect to the braid. Due to the lab closing early I will have to return for testing the Vigil Dyneema braid and testing the already made closing loops from the 2 manufacturers Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Since I am into physics I will explain; When the pilot pressurized the DC9 at Rantoul: 1) an increase in the cabin of pressure means for the AAD getting lower. It does not take too much of pressure increase to get the equivalent of 150 feet alright! Note from the Vigil manual page 20: >. Now from the Cypres manual page 32: >. It seems both manufacturers do not recommend that the airplane get below the take off altitude or pressurized the airplane to make believe to the AAD there is a descent. Fear of recalibration or firing ??? In Thailand with the World Team problems of that kind happened. The Vigils fired while the Cypres got jammed (see Skydiving magazine few years ago). 2) the rate (with respect to the time) at which the pressure increases is translated as the downward vertical speed. If the pressurization is fast enough, it will be interpreted by the AAD as a speed (going down) at 35 m/s or higher and therefore meeting the firing conditions if the 1) item is met. Note: It seems that if you fall from the bridge (base jump) equiped with a Vigil you will get it firing (speculation). Note: In the DC9, AAD firing happened after somebody asked for the air conditionning. Was the pressure first decreased then increased. I have no idea. Sorry but the only thing I remembered when my Vigil fired was that my altimeter was below MINUS 1000 ft when I had it set up at zero before boarding. I hope this will satisfy you. Nothing to hide here. Keep in mind that ARIZONA AIRSPEED which is considered as one of the best 4 way team in the world at the moment is using the VIGIL. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Billvon, in the Vigil II manual page 20 you can read : > Note: 5 hPa or 5 hecto Pascal is equivalent to about a change of altitude of 150 feet. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.