councilman24

The only variable is the shipping there and back. It's two weeks at SSK. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

We'll have plenty to play with in 2-3 years. I like the idea of watches made from the control units. Maybe I ought to talk to Helmet about buying old control units. Or new ones without guts. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

What, you want to pick up fish like a Pelican? Ram water inflated lungs. Or dirt at the end of the pond? Leading with your face probably isn't a good idea. In addition to the above comments, openings would be tough to take if not inline with the spine. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

IF you only mean the center A/B lines go for it. With 850lb. The crazies at our DZ got very good at Sabre / Stelleto CRW, including dragplanes and downplanes. The tried to do some last year with CRW lightnings and couldn't even run into each other. Or course I was up there to. If you mean a full non-cascaded line set, then there's no reason. PD designed the canopy with particular performance points. I don't believe non-cascaded lines have proved to be necessary and often are the source of additional malfuncitions. There are exceptions, but most aren't still on the market. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

They didn't need the wide angle lens. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Your got it a little wrong. The "first aid" kit I carry with me is the gloves and CPR shield I need to be able to help someone without putting myself at risk. I almost always have them with me. That way I don't have to decide whether I'm going to help without the protection and risk my health or let them die. Disinfection can wait, CPR or profuse bleeding can't. I have and will land out to help out. The mile walk is little inconvenience compared to opening someones airway. My presentation at PIA on DZ first aid (subtitled what not to do if someone gets hurt) went over pretty well. It's a power point presentation that I'll be glad to provide if I can get figure out how to get it small enough to email. I'll play around with zipping it tonight. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Hmmmm. Maybe they had a reason? I didn't go to the comittee meeting but some accelerated aging data on broad fabrics was presented at one of the PIA committee meetings before symposium. We should check with Performance Textiles and ask why. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I apprenticed in 1982. Paid a flat rate for all instruction necessary. I've helped two people get ready for courses. Included 10 to 15 pack jobs signed off. One claimed he learned more from me than the course. The second almost as much. (I didn't spend as much time with him.) Both claimed they were leaving the area. Both became competitors. Won't do that again. These were friends and I didn't charge them. But, I spent 20 or 30 hours with them (maybe more). I won't do that again for nothing. I haven't chosen to completely train anybody and probably won't. But if I did I'd certainly charge a rate comparable to some of the courses. It's a lot of time out of my life. And they're going to make money with the rating. Rigging is serious business and packing, well, is only part of it. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

None of the reserve packing demo's by manufacturers I've watched during 7 of the last 8 rigger conferences/International parachute symposia have used clamps. One key is not only having weights, but having heavy enough weights. My 1 lb weight are only useful while flaking rounds. I have a variety of 2, 3, and 5 pound weight. Get some shot, cordura, webbing and start sewing. One rigger I know using clean deburred lengths of chain for weights. Another had steel bar stock 2" thick welded together with a handle and padded. I actually do use a pair of clamps some times. But better technique can eliminate their use. I use them for bags with reserve bag flaps that don't cover the entire mouth of the bag. I actually use them to clamp the s folds together, close the bag, and then remove them. I watched BASE pack jobs using clamps. I don't do that stuff. I think one consideration is the BASE guys not wanting to lug weights around. And remember, count your tools! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

And which one are you volunteering to speak on? BTW, speaker presentations are not for selling new products. Booths are. As of right now I'll be doing the speaker schedule for the next symposium. If anyone would like to volunteer, or suggest a speaker we should approach, please contact me. It's never to early to collect ideas. Thanks, Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This isn't the first time soft RC handles have been tried. The newer versions with a metal handle wrapped in padded fabric are better. But, in the 80's everybody thought that for tubes, rodeo dives, Mr. Bill's and other "contact" dives soft handles would be safer. But they never caught on. While the consequences of an accidental pull at 200 mph may be worse, I'm not convenced of the need. Pulling a soft handle with gloves, cold hands, right hand, etc. may be tougher. The ability to hook the handle is advantage in many instances. Make sure that you practice alot with getting the soft handle out of the pocket and pulled. I recommend leaving a temporary pin in or reclosing the rig and practicing a full tension pull several times. Are soft handles solving a non-existant problem? at the cost of ease of function? I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

No, The Aerodyne was a modified three ring. The middle ring is elongated like an oval with a divider bar in the middle. The PIA server was down due to an auto accident that cut the AT&T fiber line. It was over 24 hours before they fixed it. In addition the worm that was going around the world took it out last weekend. PIA was trying around the clock to get it up. How do I know? I'm sitting in the Adam's Mark PIA office finishing up the continuing ed certificates. Next year Skymama, the symposium will be over the weekend, Jan14th through the 18th. See ya there. BTW the rumor is I will be coordinating the speakers. Anybody interested or have recommendations it's never to early to send me a note. Terry Urban I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

There is now Aerodyne International, which is a holding company. They wholly own Aerodyne Research in the US, Aerodyne Systems (if I remember the name right) that is PISA renamed, and Aerodyne Technology which is French. 3 separate companies all part of Aerodyne International. All according to Ian Bellis of Aerodyne, previously employee of PD. Live from the PIA business meeting in Jacksonville. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It can be a safety issue and a performance issue. The container may shift if and put your main PC handle in a different place, different enough that you may not find it. In extreme case you may not be able to reach your toggles, let alone your slider if you want. Don't buy it with out trying it on in the presence of someone experienced enough to know what to look for. You should hang in it and see what's up. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I don't much care if people pencil pack. They should remember that they and the pilot can be fined up to $1000 for each jump. Never actually happened that I know of. But I get really pissed when someone forges my name. At that point they are no longer a customer. I don't want to have to prove I didn't pack it last week. One guy who used to jump on my DZ claimed he could sign my signature better than I could. I now number all my pack jobs, on the card and in my log. That way I can say "No, pack job XXXX was this other rig." I also had a stamp made of my seal code and use red ink to stamp the card. I know one rigger/DZO who had his signature and seal made into a stamp, and left it on the packing table in the clubhouse for anyone to use! No pencil needed. Sure rigs will work after 120 days, 180 days, even 20 years. But somebody better look at them once in a while. I inspected a rig last year that took 35 lbs of force to pull the free bag off the reserve, after the lines and locking stows were out. The coated interior of the bag had "stuck" to the canopy. The owner had left it in his car all summer. It was only a couple of weeks out of date when I saw it. Our signature implies that the rig was airworthy on that day! Anything can happen the day after. There are some rigs and some customers that I would recommend 2 or 3 month inspections, even if the US goes to 180 days. Not that they'd do it. The limit is a max not a minimum. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I'd like to see a page/forum/site/ ? geared to sharing technical information. Your right, the PIA rigger forum is undersubscribed, as well as not timely do to the review by the moderator of each message. I'll discuss this problem at the PIA business meeting in the next couple days. If you have specific comments or ideas and aren't going to be here for the business meeting send me a private message and I'll pass them on. I'll talk to George and Carol about what we can do on PIA.com. See private message. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

As much as Dan doesn't need any help promoting himself see Parachuting, A skydivers handbook for a discussion. Best way to learn, JUMP A ROUND! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

There was a discussion of this at the Sept PIA meeting and I assume there will be another discussion this week. The real issue is that time is not the limiting factor, or the only factor. Use, storage, packing history, as well a old design enters into the lifetime of a reserve. All of the manufacturers WILL supply a drop dead lifetime when required to meet a government contract (mainly foreign). But there was such a revolt when PIA tried to recommend a gear lifetime a few years ago don't look for many in the US civilian market. There are some reserves I won't pack, not because they are too old, but because they are to out of date in design. With 4 or 5 generations of reliability improvement it's hard for me to put my name on some older designs, even though they may be airworthy. I do as many rounds as I do squares, because I do as many pilot rigs as I do skydiver rigs. They're actually easier to do. Except for the one with a free sleeve, fabric tubes for the lines (like a Navy back), several break tapes and tacks, and a center "cutter" dereefing line. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Check out the grommets also. In addition my impression has been that brass gromments wear the lines more than stainless. Don't know which you have. 150 jumps my not be a lot but I've probably seen some canopies needing new lowers my then, but usually with velcro toggles. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

The poster listed there isn't the set pictures that used to be available. They were minorly dated but came at a set of 11x14 prints or slides for using above students in a hanging harness. They were from the jumper perspective. Here is a description. Not sure if the photos are still available, but they should be.http://pia.com/piapubs/tb/tb-230.htm I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

See discussion here. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=348069;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I use an instrument repairman's briefcase. http://www.jensentools.com/product/group.asp?parent_id=5150 I got it years ago. Carrys everthing except weights. Zippered pockets for seal etc. Couldn't find the price on line but it used to be $75. Mine was salvaged, unused for 10 years, from work. Another topic I was going to cover at the Part Time Riggers forum. I'll have mine there. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Actually Rob, the response is based on level, not 1st, 2nd, or third error. see http://www.pia.com/piapubs/TS%20Documents/ts-116.pdf It's pdf so I couldn't quote it. Some level one may very well be diferences of opinion, recent changes in manuals, or different interpretations of manuals. These things are really just dicussions with the other rigger. Maybe you are wrong. Level II is bad work, possible airworthiness problems, ignoring manuals and FAR's, or repeated errors. Wider discussions necessary/recommended. Level III, some one would have likely died. Call the Fed's, etc. Do the best you can to document. I've already included this topic in the Part Time Riggers forum at PIA. The document refers to the need for evidence, not heresay. Do the best to protect yourself. See document for reporting form and recommendations. Also, PIA and the Rigging Committee are willing to get involved if necessary. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

btt I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Could be a wanna be or a one jump student. Bumper stickers like that are usually given out to first jump students. Most experienced jumpers would put one on. Go pack your rig on the lawn. They'll come out. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE