darthur2000

I jumped Safire 2s from 189 (1.1 w/l) down to 149 (1.4 w/l) and found the slider/closed end cells happened more often at the lighter wing loading end of the spectrum. As for the line twists, most likely body position or packing is what I found to be the cause most often when I've had them.

Yes that would be beer. And don't forget the rigger, you owe him/her something too.

That's not about superstition, it's about thanking someone for saving you from cratering. Hence the reason it's called a save for the rigger. As for the cutaway, my first was a bag lock. Was in the base of a 9-way and pulled about 2.8k. Then there was that weird moment when you think, he where the hell is my canopy. Checked that I didn't miss the pull and that the container was empty. Looked over my shoulder and couldn't see anything so the muscle memory kicked in from all those practice EP's and "look peel look pull pull arch" and whap, I was sitting in at 1,400 under a good reserve. The most confusing thing was that I tried to collapse the slider on my reserve and it took me a second to realize that they don't collapse ;-) One of the best parts was it was a demo rig so after landing I brought it back to the rep gave him the gear back, got the riggers name so I could send her a bottle of vodka, then grabbed my rig and got on the next load.

Yep, I get tired of saying "No tandem ass-slides, big boys and girls land on their feet" to people that started off with tandems.

Went straight to AFF and after being in the sport a few years and seeing enough tandems I'm glad I did.

I've seen a couple of groundings for low pulls and met someone who was grounded at the time for hurrying a pack job to make a load. Problem was he left his power tool in the closing loop but luckily someone saw it as he tried getting on the plane.

Just wondering what other's take is on this: http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/News/Part%2065%20FR.PDF So from first reading it appears to say that only riggers can perform maintenance. Is changing a closing loop considered maintenance? What about replacing a broken band on the d-bag?

Packing. Stop by the DZ and ask to talk to one of the riggers and see when they're doing a packing class. Might cost a few bucks (or some beer) but you'll learn all about the gear. If you can get signed off you might find some work at the DZ as a packer to help scrap up the $$$ for AFF (plus you'll need to learn how to pack to get your A-license anyways so it's not like the experience will go to waste). After that if you still have the bug to learn more about the gear, take a riggers course (Rigger's are the people certificated by the FAA to repack reserves, repair gear and make modifications (minor repairs are done by Senior Parachute Riggers and major repairs and modifications are done by Master Parachute Riggers)).

Don't forget the packers. Packing is covered under FAR part 105 and clearly states that either the person jumping the parachute, an FAA certificated rigger or someone under the "Direct Supervision" of a certificated rigger is allowed to pack it. How many DZ's let that one slide and don't have a rigger on the ground supervising the packers (and yes that includes sport packers who are required to be supervised).

Wingloading, not so much, design, packing etc., yes. I think you'd have to work very hard to consistantly have your main open as fast or faster then your reserve would. (Your reserve is designed, tested and packed to consistently open in 300' or less.) And although I only have one terminal velocity opening on a reserve (took 200'), yeah somthing opening that fast will spank your ass hard and you will know it (but when you're blowing through 2k with a bag lock, you'll be happy for the spanking).

Your best bet if you don't have a rigger around to inspect it and give a detailed list of the damage is to send it back to the manufacturer.

Feeling bad just means you have a conscience (and there's nothing wrong with that). Paying for lost gear??? Nope, I'd quit packing if I was expected to pay for any lost or damaged gear from a cut away on one of my pack jobs. Here's the economics: pack job = $6 cost of replacement: main (approx $2,000) risers (approx. $150) D-bag and PC (approx. $175) freebag and reserve PC (approx $250) rigger cost to rebuild and repack (approx. $75) total replacement cost = $2650 That means it would take about 442 pack jobs to pay for the gear (and if the going rate at your DZ is $5 per pack job then it would be 530 pack jobs to cover the cost). So one cut away means the packer makes basically nothing for a month or more. If people start expecting the packers to pay for gear lost on a cut away there won't be anyone willing to pack (or packers would have to start charging a lot more for pack jobs to cover the costs, I wonder how many jumpers are willing to pay $25+ for a pack job?).

The answer is none. So if you did a tandem in March 1995 you are considered by the USPA to now have 15-years in the sport (and yes they do count towards things like getting your Tandem Instructor rating).

Don't worry Dave, I'll bring that down a bit. 137313+495=137808 230+2=232 137808/232=594

hmmm, they have the Freefly Training Center, West Hartford, CT listed but there's no contact information for it? Oh wait, that's right, there's no such thing (kinda funny since there's not even an airport in West Hartford, let alone a dropzone).