rastapara

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Everything posted by rastapara

  1. "The green light’s technical meaning is that he or she has completed all of the responsibilities of a jump pilot" - not always, not everywhere, meaning of lights installed in a plane (by a DZ) are not set in stone. Check with the pilot and or staff (and/or locals) for procedures. Also, keep in mind that you starting a knitting club in the door or whatever can f* up the spot (and safe return to the dz) for the rest (or last) of the load. If the local policy is green = go, check for traffic (!always important!) and GO!
  2. Check this: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=travel%20rig&sb=score&mh=25 Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  3. So did my rig or reserve mfr come up with that cycle of maintenance? Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  4. Well seeing that cypres requires the cutters to be inspected every 4 years I do not trust that a cypres cutter will fire. Again, the sample size might be to small to determin that vigil cutters age badly and are inherently unreliable because of that. But I dont think that is the case. Since 2003 vigil has entered the market, that means that there are cutters in the field over 12 years old. I nor you have any statistics to prove or disprove that these vigil cutters are more or less reliable accept a talk a PIA that I guess was held by someone representing cypres or representing a party selling cypres (assumption on my part but you state it like he had some pretty good inside info on cypres, so I assume it was not a guy selling vigils or argus or fxcs ) And yes, I've paid the Belgiums a lot of money (yeah not really an argument, you can pay a lot of money to a nigerian prince and get away broke), they have been making safety equipment since 86, so Im happy to trust their 20 year old cutters if they say they are reliable. (didnt cypres shorten its lifespan at some point?) Edited to add: Do you replace or let the mfr test the airbags in your car every 4 years? its also a electronic life saving devide Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  5. Well maybe I am a fanboy, because I do admit to have lots of vigil tshirts and keycords and patches But yeah, if that was my first hand experience with them I'd consider not buying from them. Yet I have had more positive experiences with the particular unit (accept a cutter replacement and a dead battery, but that comes with the game right). However, the point I was trying to make is, I dont think that the lack of service routine makes the vigil inherently less reliable (in cutting the loop at met parameters) then any other aad. I was talking with my dad about this today, and he compared an aad (tech wise) with airbags. You do send your car out for maintenance for the parts you actually use (brakes, tires, gears, whatever) but a safety feature like the airbag usually never really gets tested. But in functionality it is comparable (ie measure parameters, send a shock to a canister and blow up a bag of air) He told me a story that took place preforum dates and pre vigil days (1996 ish) where he had a tandem cypres go off at 2 grand when returning on a cessna 206. When emailing with airtec about it they said the pilot was probably flying with the meters in the red (knowing the pilot I, nor He thinks this was the case), and the cypres could not be at fault. Yeah, thats what I would say in a world where I was the only electronic aad manufacturer. Point in case, no aad is perfect, but as long as it saves my life when I fail to, and sort of works like almost all the time, its all the same to me. Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  6. Well "If" there were heaps of bodies and heaps of data to support the claim that the aad that requires more service has a far far greater likely hood of doing what its designed to do, well then the safety factor would outweigh the cost factor. So either the sample size is to small or that is just not the case, I tend to think the latter. Yes they do. Technology and quality of components on the other hand improves. Remember that the vigil entered the market 12 years after the cypress did. When the first cypres came out the company existed shorter then the life time of the product. So... (oh and fyi the company that is behind the vigil has been around since 1986, not that that makes any device more or less reliable, but just a fun fact) Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  7. If it cuts the loop when I fail to slow down, its all the same to me. And, then yes, I prefer the one that does not require more service. Amazing right? Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  8. I would expect people who work security at an international airport to speak one language other then their native language, unless its some really 3rd world country or when they are french, then all bets are off... Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  9. I'd go for a protec and 12 jump tickets
  10. Couldn't you just use one of those autopilot chips, set up a waypoint grid and put the gopro on picture mode. Then get some stitch software and make a highres map.I think it would be easier to look for the canopy on a highres map then in real time with fpv goggles. (admitted, that wil make it a little bit more expensive, but compared to the cost of losing a canopy and only needing one set up per dz its negligible) Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  11. I always think a cheap (100 dollarish) rc plane with a gopro attached to it should be able to relocate most canopies that are too hard to find/not immediately recovered. You can just chip in for the price with some other folks at the dz and keep the cost low. Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  12. My boss orderd a pressure sensor for an arduino board for me to play with Thats a start... Initially the plan is to build a dyter/tracker sort of thingy, but who knows what the future will bring Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  13. Seeing you jump out of a plane that says Teuge on the bottom I assume that you are looking for the dutch rules. That was some thick industrial haze that day Quickly skimming the Dutch bsr's (http://www.parachute.nl/fileadmin/knvvlpa_upload/pdf/BVR_2014.pdf) I* cant find anything about cloud cover, however, you are jumping under dutch law "Regeling valschermspringen 2010" (http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0027968/geldigheidsdatum_30-07-2015) that states you can only jump when you meet VFR (visual flight rules) conditions (you can easily read what the means here https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_flight_rules **) * Im lacking coffee atm ** to lazy to google the exact wording/law, but wikipedia gives you a general idea Bonus tip: be more carefull jumping through "thick industrial haze" when jumping a dz surrounded by a shitload of trees, water, or other stuff that you dont want to land on/in Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFtCwvZaDB4 Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  15. Wow, seems like a situation I would not like to be in. Lots of factors beyond your control, especially for skydiver 1. Nice to know that it played out like it did, seems like it could've ended a lot worse for both parties involved. How ever: you pay your dues and you take your chances * * Disclaimer, I was using the search function to find these examples, cherrypicking if you will. I might be wrong, and in some situations/scenarios lifetimes and or universes you might be better of with a low cutaway then the more nylon option. And admitted, better to make any decision when low then none at all...(re: thinking/acting/time) but then again low cutaways do have a bad rep IMO... Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  16. Your decision, but that leaves little margin for the unexpected IMO... (altimeters can be off by a 100 ft for example, your rigger had a bad day, you know, the unexpected. Results in the past are never a guarantee for the future.) At that altitude I'd prefer landing with more nylon then Id bargained for rather then an opening reserve still at line stretch... but hey,you pay your dues and you take your chances... Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  17. Im like the dude, I just listen to the sound of a succesfull bowling match... thats whats gonna get you to the finals man... far out Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  18. knvvl, but by dutch law you only need a notam and permission of the land owner and the municipality where you are going to land. (persuming Im not mistaken, and that the laws are the same over there as they are here). Good luck! Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  19. If someone is willing to pay me I could build something Will program for beers Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  20. in his defense, he did not forget to attach the 4 hooks Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  21. Also, is it a good idea to attach the seatbelt to your cheststrap? Its not designed to be loadbearing right? Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  22. Agreed. But if the highest scoring answer is a simple "you dont" it kind of limits the evaluation of the analytically thought process. At least IMO. To rephrase: whats the merit of a question like that with the correct answer being "you dont"... I will refrain from venting my frustrations any more before this becomes a threat hijack. I want to end on a note, something my grandpa always said: If you are going to dangerous stuff, you better do it really carefully Cheers Parachute gear garage sale at :http://www.usedparachutes.eu
  23. since its just me, that wont do anyone any good. Im al for common sense and letting experienced people make their own decisions. Let the DZO´s do their "crater management" (you go bowling, you are oke on that tiny parachute), they have a far bigger stake then any committee ever will have. Hey, if you wanna do crazy proxy jumps in a wingsuit without a reserve, combined with brooms and mr bills, go right ahead. But dont tell me (as a committee) I should not even consider jumping with a broom when you condone and seem to promote the latter... To me this seems really basic and simple stuff, even someone who would write the rules for a pissing contest in a brewery could understand. I dont want to live in a sad reality where I would have to join a committee to point this super evident stuff out. Besides that, IMO to many people have a horse in the race or are stuck up in their own "im right, your wrong" mentality (exhibit A the exam question posted by the OP). Whats the merit of a question and answer like that? Really? You tell me? Whats the merit of emailing me proxy jumps without a reserve when the same organization states that this is completely against their rules? (btw in the same email was an annual report explicitly saying "we should do more research on the conditions to safely jump with wingsuits", does that include using reserves?) Whats the merit of that stuff mr Baksteen? Please enlighten me... (since its just me you can surely explain these situations, right?) Oh for all the other readers, skydiving in the Netherlands is pretty great (pretty flat = lots of outs ) besides the bureaucrats, Im not bitter or angry just very disappointed