mcordell

OOOOOHHHHHH ok. Thanks. I haven't ever seen those helmets before. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

That's me too. Gear sales isn't my only income. I wonder if they would even stop with my sheriff tahoe parked in the driveway... www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Just a wild guess here, but wouldn't this be better situated in the "Security and Scam Alerts" section? Indeed it would...can you post there? The button is greyed out for me so I can't post there. I assume it's locked for moderators to post only www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

What the hell is that helmet the student is wearing and what is it's purpose? www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Watch out for a buyer with the username Scoutwarren. He contacted me to custom order a wings container and wanted to send payment without customizing a container, selecting options, giving measurements, or doing anything on the order form. I have no doubt this is a scam. I didn't realize the scammer were starting to use paypal. Not sure how they do that since the money orders they send are fake. How are they making payment that's no good through paypal? Either way, hope this helps to keep someone from getting scammed www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

What kind of rig was it www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Any sport style sunglasses that fit close to the face. You don't have to have the rubber gasket thing to use them for skydiving. When I jump my open face helmet I use a pair of tinted safety glasses (they look like regular sunglasses) that I got free from work. The wind never bothers my eyes with those. If you were wearing those giant bug eye sunglasses that seem to be popular right now (god knows why) then you may have a problem. Otherwise just jump whatever. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Not really. Instead of dummy ripcord pulls they are practice pilot chute throws. Ball up some newspaper, wrap another piece around the ball and secure it with a rubber band so it forms a ball with a tail. Stuff the tail in the pilot chute pocket on the boc and have the student actually throw it. Piece of cake. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

They work like the reserve. There is a spring loaded pilot chute in the main tray and the container is closed with a ripcord. I can't think of any advantages. It's an antiquated method. The disadvantages are that spring loaded pilot chutes are likely to get caught in the student's burble. That would be especially true with AFF. Students can also lose the ripcord handle. It can also cause progression issues when switching from ripcord to throwout where students want to hold onto the PC handle of a throwout because they were trained to hold onto the ripcord handle. During this time the bridle dances around and looks for snags on equipment, body parts, fellow jumpers. I think starting students with ripcord mains makes no sense but that's my opinion. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

I think the first question is if someone is a suitable candidate for skydiving without consideration to the type of instruction. The "first question" you posed is more than one question. If someone isn't a suitable candidate in general then the method of training doesn't matter. That being said, not every drop zone offers AFF as an instructional method. Aside from the fact he isn't required to start over, I'm not sure why AFF would be a better option for someone with whom you have medical concerns. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

If you can afford new and would like new then who gives a shit what people think? I bought new gear while I was still on student status. I guess I'm willing to be "that guy" as long as "that guy" is the type of guy who buys reasonable and safe gear, customizes the colors to be what he wants, seeks advice from instructors before buying, and behaves in a responsible manner. If anyone has a problem with you buying new gear as an A licensed skydiver....well fuck them. (not literally....unless you both want to and then go for it I guess) www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Container manufacturers may say a particular AAD cannot be used in their rig. There is no requirement for them to authorize it. They are not TSO'd components. The authority for a manufacturer to ban a particular AAD if they deem it unsafe is that the reserve must be packed according to manufacturer instructions so if there is a specific instruction telling you not to install a particular AAD then you can't. Looking through the wings owners manual there is a brief section on how to install a Cypres but no reference to any other AAD although you can install other computer based AADs. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Not necessarily. If done by the same rigger that packed it then the container just needs to be re-closed. I wouldn't switch a handle for someone without a full inspection and re-pack on someone else's pack job though. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

It really did answer my question and changed my understanding. There's a lot more cost in manufacturing than I thought so I appreciate your response. I still think the cypres is overpriced but at least I understand the profit margin better. I feel like the cypres price is right on point for the initial release but the r&d is paid for long ago at this point and it's my opinion that they keep that price because they think their name is worth it. To some it obviously is. To me it's not. At this point if I were to buy aads I'd go with the mars and now I don't see them as being as overpriced as I did. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Not to mention, at no point did the DZO say in the letter that he had to get down to 230 and reverse in age to 45. He clearly told the guy he would let him jump if he got to a reasonable weight, however, the health concerns ARE compounded by the guy's age. That's just a fact. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

That's the thing though, I am not opposed to having an AAD but I don't see them as a necessity. I choose not to buy one and do without. If they were less expensive I would buy one. To answer your other question, no I don't often start a sentence saying I don't know what I'm talking about, but I also don't profess things as fact if I don't know them to be so. Because of that, I wanted to make sure I was clear that I'm not an expert at this, however it does appear to me they do not cost that much to manufacture. I have a general idea when it comes to electronics. Am I wrong? Do they cost $800 to make and the $1200 price is just a reasonable markup? I'm still curious about my question though. You didn't answer it and I really am curious. Can these be made and sold for $500-600 with a profit margin still built in that would be sustainable for a business? If I could buy 3 new AADs that were at least as good as the current AADs on the market for $1500 I would buy them. I will not buy them for $3000 to $3600. I would rather buy another rig. All I am saying, and I can only speak for myself here, is that they are too expensive. If the manufacturing cost really is that high then I will gladly change my mind. I'm not opposed to a manufacturer making a profit, but I personally won't buy $100 worth of materials for $1000-$1200. It's just not worth it to me. YMMV www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

You really should do more research on both sides rather than just research that supports your own position. People HAVE died as a result of the AAD firing. This was noted above by other posters. I have had an AAD. I sold it. I own and jump 3 rigs. I make a conscious decision not to jump with an AAD for my own reasons. I do think there is a risk having one. I also know there is a risk not having one. I own and jump 3 rigs so I would have to buy 3 of them. I have no interest in spending that much money on AADs. I don't believe them to be that necessary. They are nice to have, but not necessary. One of my rigs doesn't have an RSL either. It seems based on your logic I died back in 2008 when I started. I guess I just haven't realized it yet. Like I said, you are entitled to your opinion but please realize that it is just that. It's an opinion. I have a different one and that's ok too. I'm entitled to my opinion and since I jump at a DZ where AADs are not required, I get to exercise my own judgment on what is best for me. Thanks for wishing me luck. It seems you believe I need it. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

There's no discrimination suit here. He is physically unfit to engage in a sport that can be dangerous. it's no different than telling someone with a heart condition they can't go on an amusement park ride. Physically strenuous activities are not suitable for someone with health issues and especially someone with health issues who also happens to be elderly. Business owners have the right to determine what risks they are and are not willing to take and mitigating risk is not discrimination. If he said he couldn't jump because of his sexual orientation, race, gender, etc, then yes, I would agree with you. Telling someone they cannot jump out of concern for their safety is absolutely reasonable. What I find more interesting is, this guy has already expressed his appreciation for their concern about his safety. There's really nothing else to debate about it. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

No I didn't mean dropping the price by a small margin to be the cheapest. I meant dropping the price to where it was a significant difference. I'm not an expert in these electronics but it seems to my untrained brain that these units don't cost that much to manufacture beyond the initial R&D. Real question because I legitimately don't know, but could these be manufactured and sold for $500-$600 and still turn a reasonable profit? I understand the profit margin would be significantly less than selling them for $1000 or more but would volume make up for that? www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

And you are entitled to your opinion of my attitude. My response isn't intended as an attack against you. I don't think requiring people to spend over $1000 on an AAD to allow them to jump is a very adult attitude so I suppose we will have to agree to disagree. Your believe that AADs are infallible (or apparent belief) is definitely where we are not going to see eye to eye. Can I die through my own inaction or mistakes? Yes. Can I die through a malfunction of an AAD? Yes. I would rather live with the risks of making a mistake that kills me than being forced to live with the risk of my gear killing me without my input. I realize the risk of an AAD malfunctioning and killing me is very low, but it is there. I don't and won't agree with any government mandating that risk because they believe it's in my best interest. I'm not a child. Glad to know you don't have fatalities there since AADs are mandated, at least not low pull fatalities right? How many more fatalities did the US have last year that you didn't due to this "problem" that you guys have realized and mitigated? www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

Affordability. When you look at the manufacturing cost of the equipment and the components that are included, there is no reason for the price to be as high as it is. I think a manufacturer who could put out a reliable, competitive AAD at a much lower price would take over the AAD market almost entirely. That or it would change the AAD market and drive down the prices of the other AADs. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

I absolutely disagree with your position. I don't have an AAD in any of my rigs. I wouldn't mind having one but it's not my priority. I am not afraid to jump without one just like I am not afraid to jump without my helmet and audible. I personally like partaking in a sport with adults that can make their own decisions and live with the consequences. Do you really want to dumb the gear down (smarten it up) to the point where no action is required on your part? If you want that then I fully support you paying to get your own gear to that point. I don't agree with it being mandated for me and my gear. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

I absolutely disagree with. He is endangering himself, potentially people on the ground, and every jumper who patronizes that business. Having this guy go out and kill himself at the dropzone will undoubtedly cause bad press for the DZ which in turn can have an effect on business. There are also liability concerns. Waivers have historically only mattered a little in Kansas. In cases of neglect on the part of the business owner, the waiver doesn't mean a whole lot. One could argue that if the DZO knew he was unfit for the sport and likely to be injured that there is some degree of neglect in letting him jump. We aren't talking about a major 7 day a week dropzone. This is a good little DZ with one plane and a tight knit group of jumpers and the business owner has to make decisions he feels are best for the business as a whole. The only other DZ in the area is currently not able to run due to an airport conflict and the jumpers here will have no real options if the airport owner shuts them down because an old obese man goes in. For what it's worth I think it's the right call. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

I'd be mostly interested in someone producing a product at least as good as those on the market for a substantially lower price. I don't have a problem with current AADs but I don't own one anymore. I thought about buying one but there are so many other things I would rather spend my money on right now in this sport. I will get there eventually but then I will have to buy 3 and that gets expensive. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

The reserve bag is called a free bag for this very reason. The majority of reserve canopies don't even have the ring in the center of the top skin that mains do. That ring is how the main pilot chute and deployment bag attach. The only one I can think of on the market that puts the ring on their canopy is the raven and that is to allow you to pack it as a main for a familiarity jump on the canopy. They don't believe the first time you fly your reserve should be in an emergency. www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging