jonathan.newman

How does your packing method relate to your bridle length? Why are you thinking about extending your bridle?

I just saw in the ParaGear catalog(ue) that the max weight for the Icarus 330 is 439 pounds. We have been overloading them.

We seem to blow up our three sigmas a lot. Cells tear open from nose to tail. They are old, discolored, and faded. We've had pretty good luck getting them repaired at a rigging loft and back in service.

I've had one tandem (and like 7 AFF) refuse to jump. The tandem told me before we even boarded that she probably wouldn't jump. There was nothing I could do when the door opened. She tensed up and got really panicky. It was scary. As for the AFF, I've never been able to talk them into jumping after they refuse. The go-arounds never worked. Rock Paper Scissors decides which instructor jumps and which one rides down with the student.

Being that they were the newest canopies on the rack, they were usually grabbed first, so they could be at 600 jumps As for the weight range, until the first line broke, we would normally take anyone up to the weight limit of the harness. After the line broke, we got more conservative and started putting the bigguns on the 365s or the 400 with the big drogue. Haven't had a line break since. What's your indication/criteria for needing a new line set?

I mentioned this in another thread, but think it's worth its own thread. We had two Icarus 330 (bought new about April this year) that both broke a center A-line just where the cascade fingertrap ends. It looked the the cascade was property trimmed and not hot-knifed. Just wondering if anyone else has seen similar. I estimate 400-600 on the canopy and line-set.

The more you rig, the more you'll see. Some manufacturers do consider double-sided repairs with ripstop tape to be a permanent fix; some don't. I didn't see anything about repairs to the pilot chute in the sunpath manual, however it does a good job addressing wear to the harness webbing. Worth reading the appendix just for that. My DZ probably does about 500 tandems a week on 15 rigs. One of our newest canopies broke a center A-line just below the fingertrap cascade. The same day, one of our packers found an identical spot fraying on an identical canopy. (Icarus 330, BTW, in case anyone else is seeing the same issue). We didn't have the proper material to replace the line, so I took two lengths from the old brake line that was recently replaced, and did a fingertrap splice above and below the cascade, then re-installed the cascade. That was done around 7 weeks ago, and both are still holding up. I'm OK with leaving the splice as a permanent repair. My esteemed colleague RayDutch does not consider it permanent and will probably replace the line whenever he gets a chance to breathe. But in the meantime, we're still jumping the crap out of it.

I teach all my AFF students the "relaxed arch" on their backs. It actually simulates freefall in that all muscles can be relaxed except the quads, which are needed to keep positive pressure on the legs. We have creepers that are about 3 ft high that make this easy. I do put them on their bellies to teach the "recovery arch" that they should use if they are ever on their backs. In the military, we say to "train like you fight". And teaching the arch on their backs is the closest to freefall without a wind tunnel.

There is a knot that is often used to tie dacron lines to the reserve toggles without a fingertrap. I will try to describe it, but also point you to the manual for your container, as it is probably in there. It is simple and secure, but leaves the running end of the line sticking out of the grommet. Pass the free end of the steering line through the grommet from back to front. Bring the free end around the right side of the toggle and again pass it through the grommet from back to front. Now bring it around the left side of the toggle and pass it a third time through the grommet from back to front. Tie a surgeon's knot (double overhand) in the free end and snug it against the grommet to anchor everything in place. Then tie an overhand knot and snug it against the surgeon's knot. Simple, huh? Read your manual, ask a rigger. To answer your original question, I have not had good luck hand-tacking a fingertrap. I tried to do this on a replacement loop for a packing power tool. I used a backstitch and it eventually unravelled. You don't need a bartack sewing machine, but you do need some kind of sewing machine. You can make four passes with a straight stitch machine or a couple passes with a zig-zag machine. You're looking for three-ply bonded nylon thread, T69. Coats and Clark brand sells extra-heavy duty upholstery thread that fits the bill. Why don't you ask a local rigger to help you out? I can't see it costing more than $5. The riggers I know wouldn't even charge that. The no-sew fingertrap works well on thin hollow-braids like spectra.

I voted that two hours of tunnel coaching could substitute two of the six required. Here's why: I got my AFFI with just barely 6 hours of freefall at around 400 jumps. I had been doing coach jumps for over a year at a busy DZ. After making over 100 AFF jumps, I finally knew what I needed to work on. After 20 minutes in the tunnel with a Canadian PFF I/E, he was impressed enough to ask when I was planning to get a CSPA rating. Then, I spent another 45 mins at Paraclete getting more AFF-specific training. I think that 15-30 mins of dedicated AFF tunnel coaching would be the most helpful prep for a ratings course. Any jumper can spend 6 hours in the air doing rodeo jumps and never get half as good as he should be. It takes dedicated practice to build the skills needed of an AFFI. The discussion here seems to be forgetting that the progression card exists for a reason. Before anyone attends a course, they need to demonstrate that they can radio-control a student, that they have participated in a number of student briefs, etc. I'd like to see the USPA build on the progression card to include a skills grid for AFFI candidates. How about calculating jump run and exit point using winds aloft? Demonstrating exits from inside and outside (or not, as each I/E, aircraft, and DZ can be substantially different.) Spin stops and roll-overs are usually pre-course material. And every instructor, I don't care how many thousands of jumps, should take a canopy course or prove that they have the ability to demonstrate or teach proper canopy flight. How about swoop and docks? Techniques for fast and slow fall? The skills of an AFFI should be conscientiously built, not assumed to appear at 6 hours of freefall. A few years back there was a waiver request for two of my fellow instructors to take the AFF course with less than 6 hours of FF. Both had fathers who were instructors. Both made their first jumps when they were "barely legal". Both had competed in 4-way. Both had all the skills, but not all of the FF time, if you excluded tunnel. By the time the BOD considered and rejected the waiver, they had accumulated the time needed. The point was moot, but their instructional abilities were more than adequate. I only wish that one of them would take a canopy course. Flame away...

When you say "get your feet up", is it lifting your knees and curling into a ball or is it extending both legs in front like a pike position?

Hi Michael, For the inspection part, I couldn't see charging more than $10 to $15. (That's $9.89 to $14.76 CDN). It's opening and closing a rig. As long as it isn't a pop-top -- those cost more to close. For the toggle repair, consider that a free replacement is available. You could remove the toggle without twisting the line and take it to your machine. For the cat-eye, it takes maybe 10 mins to unpick a bartack and restich it in a different place. I'd remove as much line from the freebag as needed and triple- or quadruple-wrap rubber bands to keep them from slipping. I'd definitely try to save the pack job. Use rubber bands and hemostats to keep things neat. Don't take the brake line out of the guide ring, etc. If there is any question that something got twisted, I'd do a line check and repack. Long answer short, $10 to 15 for the closing, $10 for the toggle, $10 to 15 for the bartack. $30 to 40 bucks, tops, with maybe a repack. Unless it's just the inspection, moot point if you can't get a master rigger to sign off on it. Jonathan

I took one totally blind passenger. Describe everything that is going on. Let them touch and feel you as you demonstrate proper body position. Guide their hands over the different parts of the rig and harness. Sit near the door so they can put a hand or foot out into the breeze. Expect it to take a little longer to prepare them for it. I like the idea of giving them an audible. I signaled by grabbing his wrists and waving his arms. Then he pulled. Have fun.

+1 on using a size 21 needle. The larger needle makes a world of difference going through thick or stiff stuff.

Check out http://www.velocityrigs.com/support.php?link=ownersManual

Bring your rig up to StartSkydiving in Middletown. Since the same people run the FBO as the DZ, there is always someone in the office during business hours.

Samadhi, I became a coach for reasons similar to yours. I liked jumping with (and teaching) low timers, and being a coach would expand the people I could jump with. Take a look at the coach proficiency card and you'll see that the coach course is more about being able to teach the exits and skills that you will teach in Category F, G, H jumps. (It goes without saying that you should be able to perform those skills, yourself. Chances are you learned these as a student.) The in-air flying skills that you need are awareness (so you can provide good feedback), fall rate, stability, backward movement, and turn-and-track. Don't sell yourself short. Make a practice jump with a coach or instructor, or even another jumper. If you can perform a Cat H skydive with good control, then you probably have the flying skills you need. Again, good luck getting your rating.

Not everyone in the world needs an *FAA* exam to do tandems. The Brits have their own form than any doctor with appropriate experience can sign. The doctor can be a CAA medical examiner, or a skydiving instructor, or hold a "Dip. Aviat. Med/Cert. Aviat Med." (whatever that is, they ran out of letters), or do aviation medicine in the military. Specifically, it is said to be equivalent to a CAA class III. It doesn't say that it MUST BE a CAA class III. Take a look at their form, also attached.

The container manufacturer should tell you in the manual. (You did read the manual, right?) Like Andy said, go over everything you did with your rigger. I'd hate to see a problem down the road caused by overtightening the barrel on the slinks. Good on ya for getting involved in your rig.

If the guy was 200lbs or less, I'd drop the rig and use the old fireman's carry to get him back to the hangar. I can always tell the packers there's a rig in the grass, and I'm turning hot. (They always appreciate an excuse to leave the hangar)

I showed up at one of my rating courses with a few unsigned jumps. It wasn't a problem. The unsigned jumps were spread out in my logbook, not all jambed in at the end, so it looked like a "normal" logbook. I have also seen examiners take coach/instructor candidates through the course who did not have the required number of jumps... yet. If they were good enough to pass each part of the course, it got signed off. Once they had the required number of jumps, the paperwork was complete, and sent in. I think in each case, the examiner had a good knowledge of the candidate before letting them into the course. Reading other posts, it seems that even a jumper who has properly faked a logbook and has a DZO endorsement can be sent packing if his skills are not good enough. You can always hang out at the DZ with a 12-pack and offer free refreshments in exchange for 5 signatures. Seriously, though, you can ask other local jumpers to help fill in your blanks. Have jun and do good things with that coach rating.

@Phreezone and @Skyjumpinfool -- What is the brand of that red/brown spool?

...non-certified, like sewing a patch or tacking a line on a main. Anything I'd use on a reserve, I'd like to come with a certificate of conformity.

I found another source for #69 thread. Coats and Clark sells #69 as "Heavy Duty Upholstery" thread. It does not say this on the spool or website, but I got the info directly from the manufacturer. Many local fabric stores sell this brand. I found it at Fabricland in Canada. The spools are only 150yds, but if you really don't need 3500yds of pink, it's another option.

From what I've seen with my students, guiding their hand is effective and helps them build muscle memory. Typical first attempt is a total miss. Typical second attempt has the instructor guiding/slapping/wrapping the student's hand to the PC. Typical third attempt is a good solo practice pull. If the student doesn't get it, I signal for another attempt until they get at least one good solo practice. Once the instructor has guided the student's hand once, the subsequent attempts are all done well. To answer your question, the instructor's help positively effects the desired behavior in the student . Funniest I ever saw was a student do three good solo practices, and then at pull time reach back with the left hand