billbooth

Yes, I am familiar with that ripcord/RSL setup. What I was asking was why the requirement for that setup? The old standard ripcord-cable-through-a-ring RSL is totally unsatisfactory for a Skyhook type system. I won't tell you exactly why because I don't want to help the competition. However, I will give you a hint. Such systems damage the reserve ripcord cable every time they are used. There are several other reasons that rule out such an RSL in this application.

If you didn't previously have one of my RSL's, you'll need a pinless, marine eye ripcord, and the full size housing to fit it. Skyhook conversion is easy if you have a pre-existing RWS/UPT RSL. (This is beginning to look like a text message.)

Yes, but the Collins lanyard could probably be retrofitted to most existing rigs that cannot have a Skyhook retrofitted. I can't see too many people replacing perfectly good rigs just to get a Skyhook. Actually, the Integrated Collins' Lanyard can be a harder retrofit than the Skyhook itself. It requires the RSL be moved to the right side, split breakaway housings be installed, with a new ripcord and ripcord cable housing installation. For rigs without the open yoke design of the Vector, this can be very difficult. I quess the old, external retrofit that we did on our tandem rigs could be done, but that was a rather ugly patch-job that most sport jumpers wouldn't want on the sleek new rigs.

Although I am not sure it was on this jump, Norm duct taped a 16mm movie camera to my right arm, at my request, so that I could get a good slow motion view of how the opening shock was spread between the two harnesses. So this very well could be a frame from the first Handi-Cam tandem. This footage ended up as part of a movie Norm made for me, to convince the USPA board (as well as the rest of the world) that tandem wasn't insane after all.

That's a good question. Two reasons: 1. I won't license anything until it is throughly proven on my product. Usually that take about five years, or a million jumps or so. (I remember only too well how some other manufacturers almost ruined the three ring by making "improvements") 2. Once it was proven, I incorporated the Collins' into the Skyhook, and the test period started all over again. And now that the Skyhook is a proven item, (over seven thousand in use, with millions of jumps, and thousands of actual uses) I can't believe anyone would want to jump with an RSL without a Skyhook. It simply doesn't make any sense. So I decided to license them both, as a unit, last year. As you can see, I went about introducing the Skyhook very methodically, because I knew that because it was such a radial idea, if even one serious problem happened within the first 5 years / 1 million jumps, that the whole idea would be dead. Luckily everything has gone well, and the Skyhook/ Collins' Lanyard seems to be the most technically perfect device I have yet developed.

The Collins' Lanyard is nearly invisible, takes up no space, and weighs virtually nothing. It has been in use now for 12 years, with millions of jumps, and thousands of actual breakaways on it...all without even a hint of a problem. While nothing is perfect, it is such a simple device, that if you simply hook it up, I can't even imagine how it could ever not function as designed. Saying you don't need it because accidental riser releases are rare, is exactly like saying that you shouldn't jump with an AAD, because you'll probably never need it either. That kind of thinking has killed many people. Whether you die from a rare malfunction, or a common one, you're still dead. I have personally seen videos of several jumps where one riser failed, and the Collins' Lanyard prevented a main-reserve entanglement, probably saving the jumper's lives. Accidental riser releases, not just broken risers, have happened dozens of times in the past, and will continue to happen in the future. The Collins' Lanyard has been available for license to all sport manufacturers, as part of the Skyhook system, for over a year now. It is available on UPT and Sun Path rigs right now. Aerodyne and Mars have done the required test jumps, and should be putting it on their rigs soon. I can't imagine why anyone would not want it on their rig.

The Sigma Tandem System has been out there for a long time, (probably millions of jumps by now) and I don't remember a single out-of-sequence deployment that has been reported to me. Nothing is perfect, but so far so good. On old school tandem systems, with 3-ring drogue release systems (mine included), out-of-sequence deployments were more or less a common occurrence.

My prediction still stands.

We did 20 on ONE DC-3 pass at the freak brothers convention about 15 years ago. I was first out, and I opened before the last tandem exited the AC.

I agree. Unless you jump a tiny canopy that absolutely needs Spectra for flight performance reasons, jump Dacron. Your body will thank you.

Magnetic riser covers are the only way to go. They answer all the problems that are inherent in tuck-tab covers. In a few years, I predict, tuck-tab riser covers won't even be made anymore. If you can't get magnetics, choose velcro.

I just saw the pictures. The loop was sewn correctly. It was simply ripped in half at the confluence wrap. The yellow cable was deeply scarred. It was a simply a case of mis-rigging, or riser "flip down".

Nothing works when it's frozen...except maybe an ice cube. However, it takes time, at least 15-20 minutes, before even extreme cold will "soak" through to anything critical in a packjob, like rubber bands and AAD batteries. So just make sure your gear is above 40 degrees or so just before the jump, and you'll be OK. Extreme cold after exit is not a problem. The exception would be if anything, especially the 3-ring closing loop, was wet when you jumped. It takes only seconds in freefall to freeze a white loop, and therefore render your 3-ring useless.

If you will be in Deland, try Skydive Deland and see what kind of a deal they will give you. The factory is there too, so any problems could be fixed on the spot.

Here's a guess...about 75 pounds at 120 miles per hour. It depends on how far the apex is pulled.

Back in 1983, I drop tested my (Relative Workshop...now UPT) 360 tandem reserve canopy (and rig) at 650 lbs. and 250 mph. (Tandem terminal is 170-180 mph.) After 25 years, we still use the same reserve canopy. I did a couple of hundred drogueless terminal deployments back then, but wouldn't do one again, unless I had to. I'm older and smarter than that now. Even going to tandem terminal, and then using the drogue to slow down before deployment is not a good idea, because it "tears" up the drogue pretty quickly.Quote

The Spectra "safety ripcord" is a patent pending device. In about a month it will be available only on UPT products. It is rigid enough to manually feed through standard (3/8") ripcord housings.

This is one problem that I don't have to worry about anymore. My reserve ripcord "cable" is 1,000 lb. Spectra line. The "slack" is automatically taken up by a small piece of bungee cord which is sewn into the center section of this "Spectra Ripcord". The bungee also pulls the handle back up against its housing if it is accidentally knocked out of the pocket. So, no more floating ripcord handles. Did I mention that pull forces are less, because Spectra is so slippery?

I'll always remember folks running out onto the runway after this incident, and coming back into the airport bar with pockets overflowing with cocaine (something about it finally "snowing in florida". The next morning DEA agents scooped up all that cocaine (while we all watched...and sighed) with SNOW SHOVELS. I always wondered exactly where they got those snow shovels in Florida so quickly.

Fun With Statistics Everyone says the world is over populated. Yet, according to figures from Wikipedia: The population of Paris, France is 2,153,600. The area of Paris is 33.56 square miles. Therefore, the population density in Paris is 64,171 people per square mile. Most people would agree that Paris is a nice place to live. There are 6,600,000,000 people on the entire earth. The area of Texas is 261,797 square miles. Therefore, if everybody in the world lived in Texas, the population density would be 25,210 people per square mile, or less than half of the population density of Paris, and the rest of the world could be a park. Of course, this totally ignores land for food production, but what the hell, I'm just having fun anyway.

While there is some logic in grabbing ahold of your reserve handle before breaking away, there are also some problems with this approach. This decision should be based on the altitude of the breakaway, and whether or not you have an RSL. 1. If you don't have an RSL, and are under a bad spinner, how are you going to get reasonably stable after breakaway before pulling your reserve with one arm in? While getting stable is the last thing you should worry about if you breakaway below 1,000 feet, it is probably the first thing you should think about if you breakaway above 2,500 feet. 2. If you do have an RSL, grabbing the reserve handle before breaking away will cost you time and altitude, (but not a much as if you try to find that reserve handle after you breakaway without an RSL). However, because your reserve will be opened immediately after breakaway, there is little you can do about stability anyway. This potential lack of stability after a spinning breakaway was one reason I never really liked old fashioned RSL's, and the main reason I developed the Skyhook. With the Skyhook, the reserve is always at line stretch so fast, stability is no longer a concern. 3. If you have ahold of your reserve handle and have a hard (slow pull) breakaway which results in one side going first, there is some chance that you will accidentally pull your reserve handle at first riser release, before the other side goes, resulting in a main reserve entanglement. Although we can't know for sure how many time this has actually happened, it is suspected in several fatalities. This is one of the scenarios differential cutaway cable lengths, coupled with the Collins' Lanyard (part of the Skyhook system) was designed to combat. I know all this might be confusing to a new jumper, and I certainly do not advocate re-thinking your primary emergency instruction in the middle of an emergency. I bring this up simply to make the point that the Skyhook system has already done all this thinking for you before you pull that breakaway handle. The only (very rare) problem you face is an accidental release of the snap shackle that connects your RSL to the main riser. This is why I advocate always planning to follow through with a reserve ripcord pull if your don't feel line stretch in 1/2 second after a Skyhook breakaway.

Years ago, I heard that this "law" was an attempt by a state senator to break up a relationship between his daughter and skydiver. He was simply scared to death about his daughter hanging out with the "undesirable types" at the DZ every weekend. As a father of two girls, I can sort of see his point.

The legal risk to his company remains the same. Bill, how do ski resorts and scuba outfits deal with this issue? Are they just big enough industries to handle the insurance costs, or do they have legislative remedies? Ski resorts do have legislative relief. I don't know how SCUBA handles the problem, but in both cases, the industries are much larger, and therefore, insurance is available. There is NO insurance available for skydiving manufacturers. It's a shame that the US legal system is out of control, but it's a fact we have to deal with. I've been sued for millions of dollars six times. In each case, it was the waiver that save my company. With anyone under 18, there is no binding waiver, no matter how many relatives sign it. It's that simple.

What makes you think you have the right to risk the livelihood of the manufacturers of the tandem equipment by taking a 12 year old? The tandem Instructor, pilot, and DZ owner might all agree to take the risk, but I can assure you, the manufacturers, who will also be sued if something happens, will not.

Thanks Jeff. I'll take you up on that...and you can join us...but only if you put on some clothes. Bill