jurgencamps

Hey Holger, In Belgium (with Belgian insurance) your reserve is not airworthy anymore after 20 years. In the Netherlands it was 25 years, but I do not know if they have changed this. I do not know the German rules if you have a german insurance.

Not only Strong, Relative Workshop/UPT said that to.

Well, this "if I understand it correct" is the problem. I would also guess that this is the case, but I'm looking for information. It is correct. No need to doubt about it. The cypres is "ready to go" once you climb above the "arming" altitude. Even if you drop below this altitude, it will stay "armed" and will fire once the firingparameters are reached. It will not fire once you get below 40 m.

Apparently a large multitude of H/C manufacturers, dropzones, and nations have all independently concluded Argus cutters to be a flawed design based on its track record of inabilities to perform up to par and have also concluded that this is a danger to dropzone aircraft and other jumpers. I don't disagree. When you buy "El Cheapo" brand you take a serious risk. When the "El Cheapo" brand company goes belly up because it is plagued with reports of terrible performance, the educated purchaser with a paper weight has nobody to blame but them-self. Not directed at you, but it's really silly to read about all these people who want to blame the rest of the world for their poor purchasing decisions. I remember that mirage had issued a SB because 4 cypres had fired and no reserve was activated. They forced me and a lot of other people to install the cutter on a place where other problems could occur. Well, a new problem did occur, a steel ball in the cutter that can trap the loop. So the solution is to put back the cutter where it belonged (below the reserve, where the loop can go straight trough the cutter) and @#^{} (self censoring) the people who cram to big reserves in their container and riggers who do not do their work. Am I happy with the response of Argus? No I am not, but I am not happy neither with the (re)action of a lot other people. You refer to other incidents, but do we know for sure that the Argus cutter was to blame or that other issues caused the problem (to big reserves ...) The cheapo brand? Have you ever looked at the cypres 1 box? The toys of a child are of a better quality? Cheap plastic, be careful not to crack the cables when you (de)install it or break the box when you drop your gear at the ground. BTW The scenario you describe can happen even with the plastic inserts.

If you got above the arming altitude, you just have to take care when you get lower again. The cypres is active and it will fire once the firing parameters are reached (altitude and vertical speed). So with a tandemcypres you get in "cypresland" at +2200 ft (1900 ft + a few 100 ft to compensate the burble on your back) If the plane does not descends fast enough, the cypres will not fire.

Rules are clear. The pilot is called Pilot In Command for some reason. If he says during an emergency that you have to leave the plane, you go. When he says to stay, you have to stay. If you jump when he's says to stay in the plane ...

Strange. Can you show us that picture?

Argus automatic switches off due to an activated cutter.

I have to admit that my info was wrong. I believed the one who told me this, grrrrrrr.

A pin check encompasses way more than "just" checking the reserve pin. It definitely includes checking the AAD (although that may have to be done by the jumper himself in case of a back-mounted display). So, in my view, a pin check would show a AAD problem like that, yes. Lot's of people say pin check when they mean gear check.

Who says that the loop damaged the cutter and not a rigger who repacked the reserve? Man, a cutterblade capable of cutting trough a steel cable (as demonstrated more than once) was damaged by a soft loop? Maybe you just proofed something different. That there exist riggers who are negligent and try to hide there ignorance. Please do a test, find a arguscutter (not to difficult these days) and try to damage the cuttingblade with a reserveloop. Please post your findings. Be a cypresfan, but please stay correct.

If you read the Vector 2 tandem manual, it is the way how to route the drogue briddle with this tandem.

Canopies are made from fabric. The price for this fabric is more than probably going up, because of the rise in petroleumprices. So other canopy factories will folow.

Not so silly, when you consider that, in case of Polish fatality with Argus, the blade got damaged just by hitting the soft reserve closing loop... You can also find some video's with an arguscutter cutting steel cables.

8 Packing error (wrong routing of the briddle) Completely preventable, but as history shows ...

The Airtec cutter is made by Dynamic-Nobel (Germany). Argus is using the Nobel Energetics Metron, from Scotland. As for AAD Vigil, I believe, their cutter comes from Richard Stresau Laboratory, Inc. I never said something about being identical.

The cutters for the cypres and the argus are made by the same manufacturer. So maybe we can blame that company.

To give you something to think about: 1. During opening a velocity can spin so hard and so fast that you can black-out. It has happened, okay, WL plays a role too in this game. But an old worn out Velo can give you interesting openings. 2. I did a hop and pop at 13000 ft with my Velo. I was the first to leave the plane and I landed before the tandems and some solojumpers. When I flew next to a light jumper on a 150. Me full flight, she spiralling, I was getting down faster. Do not underestimate the power of those high performance canopies.

some manufacturers will build these rigs, for example Sunrise Rigging (wings). Certainly some others will too. Mirage makes them too. I have a mirage G3, made for a Vengence 120 and a Tempo 150. WL reserve: 1,46, WL main (now) Velo 90: 2,35 and storm 120: 1,76

I am not sure, never had one, but I think that you cannot switch off the first pro dytters. Only the second version had that option. Know that several jumpers never switch over the never versions neither.

Euhm, yes. You will not go to jail.

Belgium at least 4 DZ's: Moorsele, Schaffen, Zwartberg and Spa. I am not sure about Cerfontaine.

+ 2200 jumps, vengeance 120 (WL 1,65), 0 chops.

www.parachutecase.nl e-mail: [email protected]

21 - 31 July, Moorsele. 2 or 3 Cessna Grand Caravan and 1 Porter Pilatus.