masterrigger1

We have them. If the canopy has Spectra on it; it is almost guaranteed that it is out of trim. We install only Technora on these canopies now to help tame the hard openings. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Keith, It has been done. We have installed tuck tabs on Vector I's, II's, Racers, etc. Also, it is legal as the manufacturers have made these same changes themselves as a minor change to an existing TSO. This means no field approval is needed, just that a master rigger must do the work. What type of rig are you thinking of changing? MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

I should have posted this one earlier also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8zFf6SfOYw MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

I have not seen any signs of danger with the heat shrink getting hard enough to do any damage.In fact, this is something that I looked at about 3 months ago after Matt had replaced his lines in the shop. Since I was not in the shop when he actually changed them out, I pulled his old lines out of the trash and looked them over to basically get an idea of what type of wear Matt was getting and where. BTW,this is something that is always different between each user.Post analysis of the old lines should be done when the new line sets are installed. This will help identify problems such as dinged or damaged RDS rings, bad toggle guide rings, etc... MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Careful with installing plastic tubing! They can develop sharp edges and actually cut these thin lines and/or develop a condition known as fretting. fretting is where one component wears the other through movement between the two. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Gary, Vectran and Technora both are not heat sensitive like Spectra and the lines in question are made of Technora. If fact it would take a lot of heat to damage either Vectran or Technora. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Danny, They are actually 340lb lines, not 300lb...... When speaking line tensile strengths, it is important not to group the line strength; especially when the difference is about 1/5th stronger over the other. Matt has been putting heat shrink on his lines here at the shop for about 3 years now with no known ill effects. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Watch these two videos and then tell me that there is not much of a difference. OPT Reserve http://www.deepseed.com/d-spot/blog/liam/inside-no-pull-cypres-save-0 Scroll down to the second video and watch when his feet rotates which means the canopy is out of the bag. Now Watch this one and see how fast the opening is. PDR Reserve https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uclwbEnr6o4 There is plenty of other footage on YouTube of the same stuff. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CONSEW-339-339RB-2-NEEDLE-5-PC-GAUGE-SET-/390606461306?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af1f5997a A good machine with average wear will cost about $1600-$2200 used. That is a complete setup including table, motor, and stand. To change the gauge set, you will need some mechanical knowledge with some good tools, especially screwdrivers. Cheap, poor fitting screw drivers have made many a good machine in junk just because the previous guy did not use the right screwdrivers for the job and ruined the screws. Also, they do NOT have to be cranked down like you were bolting a tank together. Snug is good! Gently snug is better!!! Remember this when working on all sewing machines. The hook saddles will need to be moved in to make the proper needle to hook clearance. Take your time here as it will make or break the conversion. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

...of course! Still the same Terry I've always known................ Anyway, the first beer is on me. See you Thursday I guess. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Terry, When you say "many" (without documented proof of a tested study), it is an opinion. Also, "many " is a vague number/statement compared to some unknown comparison. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Terry, If you are going to post something as fact, please don't quote your opinions. ...i.e, "Many others don't agree and the word "believe" in the earlier sentence. I do not believe, but know that it damages the fabric. TS-108, as bad as it is, even states that earlier tests will effect permeability. What it does not mention is the fact that it can also weaken the fabric. On the other side of the coin is this. I will not pack canopies that have been pull tested more than 1-2 times from any other rigger or canopy manufacturer. Lucky for us, the new FAA person that is now overseeing skydiving is also a certified Non-Destructive Testing person like myself. Remind me to bring this up in the PIA meeting with him. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

It is the face plate of the bobbin assembly. Part #103005 is a complete bobbin assembly number. The rest of the parts on that template make up that assembly. It has nothing to do with your current machine issue BTW. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Hazy, It looks like the positioning finger has been modified. In other words some one has ground the opening bigger on the backside of the slot. The purpose of the positioning finger it to keep the bobbin case from rotating with the hook. it also has to allow clearance for the thread to pass when the top thread pulls the bobbin thread up. The clearance needed is dictated by the size of thread being used. In this case, someone most have been trying to sew with rope! If you replace just the position finger, I think all will be good. The center of the slot for the needle needs to be set at 11:30 to allow for needle bend from thread tension. The needle always bends toward the direction of the feed and never to the front. This also could be the reason for the modification in the first place. If the person before you had to much thread tension, the needle could have been striking the back of the slot. Just a guess though. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Peter, Good summary overall, but a couple of clarifications. I am not "laying down the law", merely pointing it out to those that don't know it, reinforcing it to those that defy it, and educating those that wish to learn. Most of this is towards the "30 Day Senior Rigger". That is my term for the senior rigger that just got his ticket less than 30 days ago, knows everything, can do anything (just ask him), and you can't tell him the sky is blue anymore. With regards to your last paragraph, ignorance of the regulations or law is no excuse in any circumstance. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Negative. I would say you guys did not read the text in the 65.111 interpretation that I posted earlier. ....Which is BTW the LEGAL interpretation by the FAA and not my opinion. From the posted 65.111 Interp: Only certificated riggers, or persons under their supervision, have the requisite knowledge and skill to safely perform maintenance and alteration. The FAA does not intend that the regulation be interpreted to authorize maintenance and alteration by those not qualified, nor otherwise appropriately supervised. The FAA’s intention is clearly supported in other parachuterelated regulations (see 14 CFR 91.307, 105.43(a), and 105.45(b)(1)). All of those regulations support the FAA’s position that in all but ‘‘next jumper’’ situations, parachute packing must be accomplished by or overseen by an appropriate current certificated parachute rigger. Further, none of those sections authorize maintenance or alteration of parachutes by noncertificated persons There is more there if you guys care to read it. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Spotty, I am good with the over engineering on my end. While I am not a fan of the TNT system, I do like the older DHT. Yes,it needs some updates, but at least I do not have to worry about having baglocks on the main which is a big issue on other systems. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Yep. you are just muddying the waters further. No matter because an alteration of any degree is only permitted by a Master rigger or someone under his supervision by the regulations. You are offering opinions; I am am directing you to official definitions and regulations. Your opinion and the FAA's definition differ greatly. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

If you read the definitions i just posted, you might have a different view. Maybe. But over the years some of them were the worst at specifying who could do the work. One manufacturer for instance, quoted that a senior rigger could modify a freebag and install loops for rubber bands. I think that has since been rectified or changed, but not totally sure. The same applied to the aircraft industry, so if you will read AC 43-210 (in it's entirety), you will see that the ASI is the person that determines what the repair or modification is to be classified as. ASI is Aviation Safety Inspector BTW... And if you read further, you will see that the ASI may ask the manufacturer for help in this case. But the ASI is the responsible party for that task. Note: For Jerry as well MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

But it is not MY interpretation; it is the FAA's by their own definiton. That is the whole point. Here's their definition of a major repair: z. Major Repair. A repair that, if improperly done, might affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other qualities affecting airworthiness, or is not done by accepted practices or cannot be done by elementary operations. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that that procedure that I referenced is not elementary... The clencher is the alteration part; The FAA's own definition: B. Any change to the configuration, method of operation, or method of packing the main parachute, up to and including the main canopy attachment links or the male end of the quick release fittings, is a main pack alteration. Any main parachute alteration that affects the strength or operation of the auxiliary parachute, including the harness, must be regarded as an alteration of the auxiliary parachute and handled accordingly I think we can all agree that it is a change to the original configuration. So by the FAA's definition, (not my opinion) the listed procedure is a alteration. So what I was saying is that the manufacturer cannot grant higher certificate privileges to a senior rigger to accomplish this task. To be fair, the manufacturer or the person that wrote the procedure, probably did not know the regs well enough when it was written. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Anyone know this guy? ...Supposedly in NC from what I am told. If you know him, please email me. Someone is trying to get their Cypres that she bought from him. Thanks, MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

I thought I covered that. We are already on it. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Really? Alot of senior riggers will do work that is considered outside of their certificate privileges, at least from what I see. A master rigger will not have that worry. If the documents hold the same weight yes, you are correct. But in this case the regs outweigh the other stuff everytime. Ask your lawyers about that. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Lawyers have opinions like anyone else. I am not a lawyer, but I do understand how they are pieced together in a legal manner though. Mostly through dealing with AFS-100 which is the FAA Legal department. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com

Yep and it also the format used for parachutes (appliances). I just used that approval method about two weeks ago. 8300.16 is the old AC 43-210 and old 8300.10 combined. http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac43-210.pdf They both still reference the 337 form, but you do not have to use it 99% of the time. Yep I left some stuff out of there. I can't find it right now as I am in the shop and not at home were I was this AM. Again, This is also the format that is used for parachute alteration approvals now. In paragraph 13A and B of Chapter 13 (8030.10 - Approval of Parachute Alterations), there is some info for you there. MEL Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com