riggerrob

I've seen footage from one DZ that incorporates both handicam and outside and when edited together the result is OUTSTANDING>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Golden Knights VIP Tandem Team has one of my hand-mounts for trials. Since they already use two outside videographers on most jumps, they plan to dub in the new footage (from hand-mounted camera). I suppose if you are jumping with rock stars, you can devote the extra time to dubbing.

Sixteen All-Time Biggest REAL Soldier Lies 17. "If you volunteer for this, we will give you compensatory time-off."

Enjoy skydiving while stationed in Germany. I did while stationed at Canadian Forces Base Baden-Solingen in 1995-97. I enjoyed it so much that I flew, rigged and instructed for the Black Forest Parachute Club on the base. Too bad that base closed a few years ago. Fortunately there are plenty of civilian DZs in that part of Germany. The Karlsruhe Parachute Club used to jump from a turbine 206 at Schweighoffen. Did I tell you about the time I missed the country? ... landed in a French swamp. .. heard about a civilian DZ near Rotweil. ... tried visiting the home town of the big dogs, but it rained too heavily that day. There are civilian skydiving clubs or centers near every major German city, and there even used to be a quasi-US military jump club near Stuttgart. ... attended some great boogies near Leutkirch ., Ampfing ... The key to enjoying European skydiving is recognising differences and ACCEPTING them. Sure European jump tickets are more expensive than North American jump tickets, but let's face it: North American up-jumpers have not paid fair market value for decades. It is equally important to learn some of the local language, first as a mark of respect for locals and secondly to fit in. The ultimate revenge is telling a French border guard - in French - how his own bureaucracy works! Hah! Hah! When I first arrived in Germany, I signed up for a night school class to learn German. Less than a year later I Skydive Kangaroo offered me a job dealing with German-speaking tandem students. European weather may not be perfect for skydiving, but fortunately there is always some sort of castle or museum or beer garden or volks march nearby to fill in the rainy days.

For the last 2,000 jumps I have worn racketball glasses or basketball glasses (slightly bigger). These heavy-duty sports specs provide exactly the same vision as my regular glasses and plenty of facial protection when my loving students slam my head into the door frame! I also find racketball glasses to be a decent compromise between wind protection and fogging up. The only time they allow enough wind in to make me cry is when I lean my head sideways out fo the Cessna to spot.

Quoteit`s a vector 1 or 2 not really sure >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Easy to tell: if it has Velcro in the reserve pin cover, then it is a Vector 1. Sewing a pillow into the main container is best done while the reserve container is empty, like when it is repacked.

Thanks for posting. Too bad no Vancouver radio stations play trance, etc.

When ordering a suit, ask for all the extra-fabric options including booties. after-burners, heavy weight fabric, swoop cords, etc. You might also want to consider buying a set of BirdMan pants.

The problem is that the Swiss make too much money and Swiss dropzones are trying to solve that problem. Which explains why so many Swiss jump in France or Spain or Florida, or ....

I wouldn't criticize the PAC 750XL,s horizontal tail location too loudly. We have seen tail strikes on DC-3s, King Airs and most of the Cessnas. Most of those problems were caused by human error (sloppy rigging, slamming rig against door frame or exiting before airplane was levelled off). On the other hand, we can fly the same airplane thousands of hours trouble-free, provided everyone does their job properly. So let's make a New Year's resolution to do our jobs properly.

I think I'd go and design a Twin Otter. Dropping jumpers WAS one of the original design aspects of that plane. They even designed a slick flolding door that was electrically actuated. It could be closed again inflight. Pretty slick. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The prototype Twin Otter may have had an electrically-operated door, but by the time it got into service with Canadian Armed Forces SAR Squadrons, the bi-fold aluminum door was strictly hand-draulic.

B) is an argument invented after the fact. I prefer Hank Asquito's explanation. The last time I jumped with Hank was 3 years ago in California City. Hank was doing video and I was doing a tandem. Hank is still advancing parachute design. Weekdays, Hank was working at the Lockheed Skunk Works, putting the finishing touches on the ejection seat in their Joint Strike Fighter prototype. Hint, Lockheed won that fly-off.

5 major points to any pack job 1. lines straight 2. brakes set 3. slider up 4. rubber bands tight around lines 5. bridle routed straight from pin to handle Everything else is a minor point. My pet peeve is people who devote a half hour to flaking the bottom skin (minor point), but lose control of the slider (major point) while bagging the canopy.

czechbase, Please post a clicky link to the Malayasian wind tunnel.

QuoteI don't, but I've been known to be proven wrong. I do look forward to when we have memory-chips big enough to hold digital video, then cameras will be able to get rid of their tape transport mechanism, and they'll get rediculously small. This is where i think video is going.... Tiny self contained cameras in one piece, bought off the shelf. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Memory chip cameras are already sold by MUSTEK and a few other manufacturers, Too bad their image Quality is not up to SONY standards. They are already ridiculously tiny and ridiculously cheap! At $300 I could not go wrong with the Mustek DV2000 and have been using it to video family etc. Even sewed up a hand-mount for the DV2000 and took it on a tandem dive. The biggest limitation on Musteks is the difficulty in attaching after-market lenses. I would buy a Mustek DV4000 if I could figure out how to attach one of Max Cohn's 0.3 Diamond wide-angle lenses. In conclusion, resolution on video cameras with memory-chips is not up to miniDV standards, but will be in another 2 or 3 years.

Love your picture at linestretch! I just mailed a SONY TRV19-sized hand-mount to Joe Webber.

4 to 6 inches of slack is normal with release cables.

Dailailama, Thanks for the slider dimensions. However we were hoping that you could give riggers a more practical dimension like: "pack with tail X number of inches above A line attachment points." Please?

The first argument has been around as long as Pop-Top reserves have been in production (about 30 years) and the second argument has been circulating since adjustable closing loops were introduced 20 years ago. Yada, yada ... However, we rarely hear of accidents attributed to Pop-Tops. This is largely an academic argument or justification after the decision has already been made. I suspect that most of the arguments/scare stories are invented by people who work for manufacturers other than Jump Shack, Fliteline and Thomas Sports Equipment. I CHALLENGE THE CRITICS TO FIND USPA ACCIDENT REPORTS WHERE POP-TOPS WERE A FACTOR. And no, we are not interested in third-hand: "my ex-girlfriend's whuffo brother-n-law knew a guy..."

A Canadian-born engineer named Domina Jalbert built the first ram-air canopies. Jalbert started building kites, then powered parachutes and finally ram-air parachutes. Much of Jalbert's research was funded by the Department of Defence and done at Notre Dame University under the supervision of Prof. Nicoladius (sp?). www.parafoils.com/jalbert/leo.htm www.pro-pro.com/carlos/ppcqod068.htm The first production ram-air parachutes were built - in the early 1970s - by Steve Snyder Enterprises (later Para-Flite) and North American Aerodynamics).

A book and a HAVOK helmet! Hee! Hee!

Most if not all Tandem Reserves are built on a 9 cell planform. But, why 9 cell reserves? What's the advantage of that, and why specifically for tandems (which I don't know all that much about)? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tandem reserves have 9-cells because of the width of the fabric when it is woven and because they are HUGE!. Also, most tandem reserve designs started out as main canopies. For example, I have 50 or so jumps on PD-360 mains and about 1500 on Strong 425 mains. As Precision learned - with their 9-cell Falcon series of reserves - customers value smaller pack volume (7-cell) over any improvement in performance (9-cell). Your average 7-cell has an aspect ratio of about 2.2/1 while your average 9-cell has an aspect ratio of about 2.6/1. Since glide ratio is directly related to aspect ratio, 9-cells normally glide and flare better. However, most skydivers are not willing to carry the bulk of two extra ribs and sets of lines in their reserve containers.

I agree that it has never happened, as far as I know. I don't agree that an exposed pop top makes for the fastest reserve system. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Agreed. Granted, the Racer pilotchute may be exposed, but the closing loops still have to slide past a dozen grommets and two Cypres cutters before the pilotchute can launch. This is largely an academic argument as the incidence of reserve pilotchute hesitations on Racers - or any other popular sport rig - is ridiculously low. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It is a liability that I am not willing to accept. There is no requirement to "properly" record pull forces. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CSPA requires riggers to write reserve ripcord pull force on both the packing data card and rigger's logbook every time they pack reserves. Screw the FAA regulations as there is nothing preventing you from recording "extra" data when you repack reserves. This fear of American lawyers drives riggers to some bizarre forms of paranoia, reference the cover story on a recent issue of NEWSWEEK magazine. At some point riggers have to say "the rig was airworthy when it left my loft and I cannot be held responsible 121 later or after ANY tampering." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What I don't think is fair is to call a rigger that won't pack pop tops "not well rounded" or "lazy". >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "not well rounded!" "Lazy!" Clint Eastwood was right when he said: "A man has got to know his limitations." On the other hand, my rigger apprentice is whining about whether she should have to pack Racers. I flatly refuse to write her a letter of recommendation until she can close a Racer reserve on her own.

What Brit? You don't like doing the "Mirage Slide" as you chase that wedge shape across the floor with one knee on the pilot chute, all the while wishing you'd weighted it down or placed it against the wall? Oh wait...that was me..... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Or was it me chasing the Mirage across the floor? Seriously, to prevent slippage, I start by packing on a carpet. Secondly, I put my right knee on the reserve pin cover. Finally I tie the pull-up cord to my over-the-shoulder strap so I am pushing against my self. My left knee goes on the closing plate, etc ..... Did I mention that rigging is a full body contact sport?

Yes, the release cables are just one long, continuous loop that is attached to a piece of tape or webbing inside the handle. A nicopress sleeve is squeezed around the cable to prevent it from slipping. The movement you see is just the fabric flexing and foam padding compressing.

2,000 feet on a demo jump in Halifax. Oh! Wait a minute, the Halifax commons are several hundred feet above sea level and apartment buildings around the commons are several hundred feet above the commons. 1,100 feet on a military static-line 600 feet off Kockertalle Bridge