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thrillisgone25

Vigil

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The other problem was a model tested by the Swedish PA which repeatedly misfired in a situation were it shouldn't. (simulation of descent below a preset landing zone in an aircraft) This was due to poorly written software, do not know if it has been rectified.



From the Vigil manual:
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It is recommended to shut down the Vigil when the user decides to ride down with the aircraft in lieu of jumping. (this is especially important for Vigils programmed in student mode.) Pilot must be aware of the status of your Vigil to limit his descent rate. The Vigil must be switched on again before the next use.



from the CYPRES manual:
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Never descend below the airfield takeoff elevation.



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Not below take off level, below preset landing zone. Which would be higher than take off level.

The fact that you have to shut off the unit in a controlled descent is a bit silly when you don't have to worry about this with the cypres (I haven't checked with the student cypres).

Student mode is fine to shut off in descent, I still feel you could write software that could handle these situations...

Just proves to me that they have cut corners when they designed the software.
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The fact that you have to shut off the unit in a controlled descent is a bit silly when you don't have to worry about this with the cypres (I haven't checked with the student cypres).



This appears to be more of a documentation issue than a feature difference between the two, driven by the concern that a vigil might be in student mode without the user knowing it. (the downside of multiple modes).

The one student jump I rode down, the instructor turned off my cypres.

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The fact that you have to shut off the unit in a controlled descent is a bit silly when you don't have to worry about this with the cypres.



From an e-mail conversation with Kim last year, this has to do with the data logging function rather than any danger of firing. A Cypres doesn't have any published data logging functions.

Mark

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Not below take off level, below preset landing zone. Which would be higher than take off level.



From CYPRES manual:
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If CYPRES has been adjusted to a dropzone elevation above airfield takeoff elevation and the aircraft has climbed above the intended dropzone elevation, it must not descend below the intended dropzone elevation again.
If CYPRES has been adjusted to a drop zone elevation altitude below the airfield takeoff elevation, the aircraft must not descend below the intended drop zone elevation.



From Vigil manual:
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The plane may not fly more than 100 sec in a zone of 150Ft/46mabove or under takeoff level! (With or without altitude correction in all modes).
This is the only flight restriction.



That seems slightly less restrictive than Airtec's parameters to me.

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The fact that you have to shut off the unit in a controlled descent is a bit silly when you don't have to worry about this with the cypres (I haven't checked with the student cypres).



You may not be aware that some jump planes descend at freefall speeds or higher. A CYPRES can fire under such conditions, as well.

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Just proves to me that they have cut corners when they designed the software.



If you believe Advanced Aerospace Designs has cut corners on the Vigil, you are misinformed. However, there is always room for improvement in most any design, and skydivers are always looking for better equipment. If you feel you can write a superior algorithm, I'm sure you will have no trouble finding a market.

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I'm consitering buying a vigil... i read the whole thread and all of the posts seem older. I was wondering how everyone felt about vigil now that a few years have passed. have there been any recent recallings or major problems? are vigils used more now then they have in the past? also its not mandatory to have them checked but you can make that decision on your own and send it in right? has any one done this? what were the results?
Thanks

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDUPAkuWP4Y


that couldn't have been due to vertical speed, he was hardly going very fast and it was too low to be the activation height, if he jumped it while there was an error reading on the screen then he was a fool!
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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Please see the letter below (translated to English). This letter was written by the owner of the Vigil who apears in this video. I have included the original in Portuguese as well.

Dear skydivers,

I am the skydiver who appears on the video. Before the controversy begins, the reason I spoke English on the video is because I wanted my comments to be understood by the manufacturer of the Vigil. The emotion and frustration at the time of the incident are obvious.

Regarding the reply from the manufacturer, please read the article on the Airpress magazine, issue n. 158, May/2008.
My incident occurred due to a welding problem on the altitude sensor.

The flaws reported by the article are accurate, and in some cases like mine, had the influence of the end user ( I insisted in turning my Vigil on even with the message “Ctrl Err”).

Statistics show that AADs save more lives than they cause problems. Refusing to use them would be the same as saying that cars should not have airbags, since there have been cases of deaths caused by airbag activation.

I received a new Vigil form the manufacturer and have already installed it in my container. Even after the incident, I still integrally trust the manufacturer and my unit.

Let us be cautious on our statements. Remember that the development of devices like AADs requires highly qualified workmanship and several tests. Also remember, that the main end user is in fact the USA, a country known for having a very strict and rigorous law system in cases of negligence. If DAAs were considered dangerous and unreliable, the manufacturers would be already bankrupt due to law suits imposed by the American law system.

Regards,

Frederico Parreira


Subject: [pqdsmo_br] VIGIL 2. videodisparo

PQDs,

Eu sou o pára-quedista que aparece no vídeo. Antes que a polêmica se inicie, falei em Inglês porque queria que o meu comentário fosse entendido pelo fabricante to Vigil. A emoção e inconformismo na hora do evento são óbvios.

Quanto à resposta do fabricante, leiam a reportagem na Airpress, edição de maio/2008, n. 158. O meu caso ocorreu devido a um problema na solda do sensor de altitude.

As falhas reportadas na revista são pontuais, isoladas e, em alguns casos, como no meu, tiveram a participação dos usuários (insisti em ligar o Vigil mesmo com a mensagem de "Ctrl Err").

As estatísticas provam que os DAA salvam vidas muito mais do que causam problemas.
Renegá-los seria o mesmo absurdo que dizer que os carros não devem ter airbags, já que houve relatos de mortes causadas pela bolsa no seu acionamento.

Recebi um novo Vigil do fabricante e já o instalei no container. Mesmo com o evento, continuo confiando integralmente no fabricante e na minha unidade.

Vamos ter moderação nas colocações. Pensem que o desenvolvimento de aparelhos como os DAAs requer gente altamente qualificada e muitos testes. Pensem, ainda, que o principal consumidor é justamento os EUA, país conhecido por ter um sistema judiciário rígido e implacável nos casos de negligência. Se os DAAs fossem perigosos e não confiáveis, os fabricantes já estaria falidos devido a indenizações que lhes seriam impostas por Juízes americanos.

Abraços a todos,

Frederico Parreira

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