councilman24

I've lost track. One thread for who's going. I'll be there 1/21 through 2/1 for PIA business meeting and Symposium. On staff and speaking. See Ya I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Hmmmm, all I got was the sound track. Maybe I haven't figured out some of these files. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

When you buy a new cypres the batteries and service interval are measured from the Date Of Manufacture (DOM). So if you buy a new cypres made a year ago the batteries are good for one year and it needs service in 3. (Recently happened to someone on here.) So, if you get a fresh cypres, in 2 years it will need $75 batteries. Two years OR 500 JUMPS from the last battery install it will need new batteries. Don't forget the 500 jump rule! That's all I charge my customers, nothing for installation. At four years, and eight years it will have to go to Ohio. The service is $160 plus return shipping. With shipping there it will be a total bill of $180 to $190. If the batteries have less than 3 months left on them, SSK will replace them at $75. Note that some lofts mark up the cost of batteries or charge for battery installation, cypres installation and removal. I'm not making a statement about that, but you should ask your rigger what he charges. I chose not to charge addtitional but I also don't make my living rigging. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I got 392.81 value using $900 new, $75 batteries (what I charge), and $180 for service ($160 plus shipping two ways). The lowest price I had found was $849 but I think there up a little with the Euro. In theory offer the guy $390 and you not losing money over buying a new one. You might think to pay a little premium for not having to spend the whole amount now, but the seller's also off loading a future paper weight. If he's not using it, he's burning value as it sets. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I remember that from 1997. Allen and I rode over together to the Kennedy space center in 1993. He was still with the Red Devils then. We had an interesting discussion on BPA rigger ratings. The worst part was that for a master you had to build a rig. And even if there was nothing really wrong, the examiners always cut it up! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

She had to be reading about the Cypres. And, if you don't have one accept her offer to buy you the latest safety device. Hey, she was ready a Para-Gear catalog?Kewl! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Nope, doesn't count till you open it in the air! I've been doing this long enough that I can't imagine paying anyone to pack for me, but we have a lot of jumpers these days that don't pack much, if at all. BTW, way back when, after 10 years of rigging, 14 years of jumping, it took me 10 pack jobs on my first ZP canopy to get one I would jump. But I'm picky. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This http://www.vorpalware.com/paralog.htm is supposed to have a planning module but it's not out yet. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Think about the fact your going to die in 15 seconds if you don't open your parachute. This might cure you of reviewing your dive. Only slightly kidding. You got a lot to do before you have time to review the dive, at least at your level. This may be a hold over from wondering if you passed the AFF dive. As stated, on smaller dives try to find everybody else during tracking off. I look back under my arm on fourways and such and expect to know where everyone is at. Bigger stuff, that your area is clear. Then wonder "Is this going to be my first malfunction in 1600 jumps?" I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I'm hosting a seminar on DZ First Aid, subtitled "What not to do if someone gets hurt," at the PIA symposium. My intent is to talk about what non medical trained personnel can do to help, what kind of training individuals might choose to get, and what kind of equipment might be appropriate for the DZ. Having a manual is actually a pretty good idea. But it would have to be in a simple check list in order to be useful under stress. Perhaps more detailed for review BEFORE an incident. Liability, OHSA , and medical control authority issues may very well prevent DZ's from formally supporting emergency medical response by employees. There is a chapter on fatalities, what to do and how to investigate in the old S&TA manual. If no one has one around there, I could probably supply a copy. One lost art is tree rescue. We used to know how to do it because we did it routinely. It's kind of a lost "art" these days. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

I do what Rob does most of the time. Let's you precompress the bag. But when I used to use and still use a T bodkin I'd use a split ring in the end. Not a key ring but one of the softer ones used on a pin on a backpack. Always found it more convenient than a stow band. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

For about .50 cents you can accomplish the same thing. In 1997 Bill Booth and I had a discussion about them. He was playing with Teflon tape, plastic tubing squashed flat on one end, short hard housings, etc. I thought he was over engineering it. 1/4 " HDPE tubing available at any DIY home store (home depot etc.) works for me. I put some in a rig in about 1998 and it's never caused a problem. Cut it short enough that it goes in the cable keeper farther than the fold back of the tape. This will keep it in. It changes a twisted riser 1 g load from not being able to pull the cables at all to a normal cutaway. Normal disclaimer applies. I'll tell anybody but I won't do it to anybodies rig but my own. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

It only counts if the water is streaming up your goggles. And everybody get fined for busting visual flight rules. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Got dosed with Tc 99m this morning for a bone scan to diagnose recent non skydiving related back pain. Came back to work and the gieger counter goes wild! Anybody want a hug? I'm only hot for another day or two. Unofficially the nothing showed up in the back. But my 16 year old busted up ankle lit up pretty good. Even with the gieger counter I can tell the difference. Glowingly, Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Purple!? Purple didn't exist back then! It was earth tones ... bounce and blend. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This isn't an old Mirage! An old mirage is mid 1980's with a two pin reserve. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

TSA has a web site answering these questions. http://www.tsa.gov/public/theme_home1.jsp In theory you can be arrested on the spot just for presenting yourself at security with a prohibited item! Usually they take it. They may let you take it back to your car, give it to a non flying friend, or arrange to check it. No, rules for check baggage haven't changed much. Including allowing firearms and ammunition. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This nothing on the 26th except registration. But, the exhibits are open till 8:00 pm Tue thru Thursday. Also the technical and rigging committees of PIA meet on sat the 25. See schedule http://www.pia.com/meetingnotices/mtg20030124.pdf If your only 20 minutes away you might find them interesting. Usually a lively discussion between the manufacturers with us part timers throwing our 2 cents worth in. Anybodies welcome to set in on any of the PIA business meeting Friday, Sat, and Sun before the symposium. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

If all of your jumps had been at 1:1 non ZP I wouldn't have wanted you to jump your stilleto either. I assume they weren't. Lots of jumpers want to go fast and look cool, but we're killing and maiming too many of them. And nobody has figured out how to prevent it. It's too frustrating. At my DZ the DZO hasn't put any hard rules in place. And no offense intended but it seems the guys that do BASE routinely are the one pushing the envelope. Skydiving itself used to be scary enough. Oh, well. I guess I'm just an old fart. And its why I'm doing a First Aid for the DZ "What not to do if someone gets hurt." seminar at PIA. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

This will be my 6th Symposium, only missing 1995. Third on staff, second as a speaker. As a part time rigger and instructor I've found these invaluable over the years. Some of the talks are repetitive when you go to them all, but there's always something to learn. Look me up at registration, the syposium headquarters room, or the bar. Also remember, the PIA business meetings Thursday to Sunday are open to all. Come visit and watch you favorite gear manufacturers "discuss" the issues. Some of the stuff is boring meeting stuff, but the rigging and technical committees are pretty good discussions. I'll have my new lap top and digital camera there. I'll try to post some pics during the week. Terry Urban P.S. I'm going to be down there the weekend before (the 18th.). Anything going on then at the local DZ's? I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Investigating and learning the envelope of a particular canopy can take dozens if not hundreds of jumps, especially for a new person with out much experience. Remember after 100 jumps on a canopy you've flown your parachute maybe 300 minutes. 5 hours sounds like alot but how good were you in a car or airplane after 5 hours? And I submit a parachute might be considered harder being 3D, varying weather conditions, low "power", no go arounds. And this includes only 50 minutes in the approach and landing phase. That's part of the problem. It takes a while to learn all conditions. Too long to be supervised that whole time. And there is something hard in the way.... the ground. One jump won't prove anything. Now, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to educate jumpers moving to other canopies on their characteristics. But there really is no substitute for time and landings under the canopy. That's why many of us recommend 100 or 200 jumps before moving on to something new. Were not Nazis, we just don't like picking you up off the ground. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Have to be back in frigid MI by Feb 4. Bring weights? Damn, I can barely survive the landings now. You guys are nuts. Terry I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

Your Sabre is opening like a real parachute. The Spectre was a malfunction that cleared. Seriously I didn't buy a Spectre because it took 700 ft to open, whether at terminal or hop and pop. At at 2000' BSR minimum PACK opening for a C or D license, that's too long. Not that I open there routinely but I want to be able to. If you haven't tried, roll the nose from both sides to the middle (do NOT stuff in center cell). Then roll the tail well both half way down where you nomally do and up at the lines. This make my Sabre 170 acceptable. Then try the other things posted if that doesn't work. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

OK. I'd be hard pressed to interpret "substitute ... components" as including sewn in features. Bring it up at the Rigger Forum in Jacksonville. It out to be good for about an hour. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE

After looking at all these fancy things for 3 or 4 years I still jump my protect when I want a harder hat and a frap hat when I don't care. See the following link for a liner upgrade. http://www.oregonaero.com/p81_2001.html I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE