rigging service question

[VTskydiver 0]

I need some advice here:

I dropped my gear off to a rigger 6 weeks ago to have my Cypres sent off for the 8-year check and a reserve repack. It was my first time using this rigger since I recently moved, but he's also a DZO so I had no doubt I could trust dropping my rig off to him.

After 5 weeks of not hearing anything back from him, I e-mailed to ask the status of my gear. This is the response I got "Sorry about the delay. Cypres services are estimated to take two weeks but definitely take longer during the busy time of the year. I will find out the status and let you know what is going on. "

After hearing nothing more for a couple days I decided to contact SSK myself. They have amazing customer service and responded to me within an hour with details about when they received my Cypres, service time (2 weeks exactly!) and a tracking number for the return shipping! The package had been delivered back and "left at door" meaning nobody was there and no signature was required (DZOs choice??)

I forwarded this information on to the DZO to find out what was going on, have e-mailed several more times, called his home number, and the dropzone number but I have received no response. The manifest girl says "he just went to the plane" ... right.

My only guess is the Cypres was left at the door and was picked up (stolen?) by somebody. Since I'm getting no response, what can I do? At this point I just want my gear back and we can work out what happened with my missing Cypres. I'd drive to the DZ but I don't even know if that's where my gear is since I dropped it off at the DZOs house. Maybe I should show up at the DZOs door to get my gear back, but he'd probably not answer just like he's not answering my e-mails and phone calls.

[stratostar 5]

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I need some advice here:

Get your riggers ticket, problem solved, after you get your rig back or if you get your rig back. Yes I would show up to not only the dz but his home as well and get in his face till you get answers or your gear back, if the AAD was taken the dzo owes you a replacement or cash to replace it.

Make sure you have he SSK info in hand, if need be call the cop's and file a theft report if you keep getting blown off and not get your gear back.

Also go to the county court house and file a lien on his house for the value of your rig & AAD, you might also look into filing a lien on the DZ aircraft.

That will keep um from closing up shop and leaving town.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[BIGUN 1,297]

Push yourself away from the computer; climb in the car and go to the DZ and/or his/her house.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Samurai136 0]

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Cypres services are estimated to take two weeks but definitely take longer during the busy time of the year I'm too busy jumping to do any rigging... I have a DZ to run. I will find out the status and let you know what is going on.My DZ is more important than your rig; I'll pack it when I have free time.

Sometimes people wear 1 too many hats... I bet he mows the lawn, does plumbing and general buildings and ground and aircraft maintenance when he's not jumping 14 hours a day in the summer.

I would get your gear and take it to another rigger.

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[VTskydiver 0]

I just got my gear back, I think it was Stratostar's reply that scared the rigger into submission .... though I still haven't thoroughly looked it over to make sure it's still airworthy. Since his dogs were running all around my gear when I picked it up I'd like to make sure my nice white reserve hasn't been yellowed. Turns out he's not even a rigger, but I guess since all he did is take my rig apart that doesn't matter.

He didn't even have the decency to speak to me about my gear, when I finally got a response it was from the manifest girl, who requested I pick it up from the DZOs house before 4:30, when only his wife would be home.

[VTskydiver 0]

I was semi-joking in the previous post about my gear perhaps not being airworthy after sitting with the dogs at the DZOs house, but it turns out it did get screwed up while it was out of my hands. Check out the pictures attached showing burn marks and a large hole in my reserve bridle!!! ohh this situation just makes me more and more angry. I know for a fact it was not like that when I dropped it off.

[NickDG 23]

HOLY SHIT !!!!

NickD

[karlm 0]

Check the packing card for the person ho packed the reserve, yo did mention that the DZO was not a rigger, get all the info you can and then take the needed steps you think will resolve this issue.

I also see that there is no AAD in your rig, so we can assume it has gone missing. Report it stolen to SSK, if any one tries to service it they will pick up the serial number.

Sorry you have to deal with these kind of characters in our sport.

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[stratostar 5]

DUDE, WTF! I bet the idea of getting your rigging ticket is seeming a lot better now. You know it never should piss off any real rigger if you ask to see their ticket before leaving your gear. Sorry to see your getting screwed over.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[NickDG 23]

Wait a minute - I assumed he got the rig back with the reserve unpacked? If not, that's a double HOLY SHIT!!!!

NickD

[VTskydiver 0]

The Cypres is back --- they had it but didn't know it. I chose to pick up my gear without them putting the Cypres back in or packing the reserve. Glad I did, I wouldn't want to jump with a burn hole in my reserve bridle.

[masterrig 1]

Did this person ever say to you that he was in fact, a rigger? Or, did someone tell you this guy was a rigger and could do an I&R? I'd file charges with the FAA. I'd also, get the bridle replaced and send him the bill and if, he won't make it good... turn him in. If, he holds a pilots license, it could be in jeopardy. You might do a little more checking around, next time you ned an I&R. I'm sorry, this happened to you. You just have to be careful. By the way, that's a good looking rig.


Chuck

[billeisele 130]

sometimes you read this stuff and just hope it isn't true, makes you wonder about other rigs that have been touched by this "rigger"

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[skyjumpsteve 0]

Is this a USPA DZ? If so I would call or e-mail the Regional Director....

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Is this a USPA DZ? If so I would call or e-mail the Regional Director....

LOL, you mean the owner of the competing DZ? What for?

DV

[VTskydiver 0]

I was trying to be mature about this and keep names out of it but it's now obvious that I'll be doing a favor to skydivers in the area by letting them know to not take your business or gear to Bob Pierotti of Skydive the Rockies. Also, maybe having his name on here will motivate him to tell his side -- I'd sure like to know it. Yesterday I showed up at his house to talk about it. His truck was in the driveway, windows open, and music on inside but he would not come to the door. I guess I'm more intimidating than I know

I'm guessing for a couple hundred dollars I can get a new free bag and bridle and have the rigging work done to reassemble it, so I should just cut my losses, I'm just not good at getting screwed over without even the chance to find out what happened.... how do you burn a hole in a customer's gear on top of having it for 6 weeks not even knowing the Cypres was back and not at least speak to them about what happened?

[peregrinerose 0]

Picturing you scaring the shit out of a DZO just made me giggle a little bit
You have really bad luck with other people touching your gear, the mental image of that picture of your screwed up main pack job still sticks in my head. Maybe you should get your riggers' ticket. Better yet, have Kevin get the ticket

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[councilman24 37]

I've never seen damage like that in 30 years. Has anybody else?

You actually don't know if it was damaged by the guy that had it or by the previous rigger. Also, the only way I can envison damage like that is by a line getting caught under the cap, burning the bridle and then clearing. Have any really funky openings? Check the PC and container for matching burns.

In spite of all of the other problems I can't come up with a way for that to happen laying around the house.

edit: Looking at the photos again, are they burns or tears? Can't quite tell if they have hard edges.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[peregrinerose 0]

Didn't she say it wasn't like that when she dropped it off? Dropping a hot knife on the bridle could do that, or some similar mishap in the loft.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[councilman24 37]

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Turns out he's not even a rigger, but I guess since all he did is take my rig apart that doesn't matter.

I take that to mean it was closed when she dropped it off. Lots of marks in lots of places to be a hot knife, but could be. But was it ever in a loft? Still wonder about line damage.

A newbie rigger dropped my hot knife on my packing mat a year or so ago. Canopies within feet.

A very old time rigger out of the business once told me he dropped a hot knife through a folded canopy. He said he patched every hole and packed it up. The kind of thing he'd do.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[peregrinerose 0]

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Check out the pictures attached showing burn marks and a large hole in my reserve bridle!!! ohh this situation just makes me more and more angry. I know for a fact it was not like that when I dropped it off.

The above was what she wrote in the post with the pics, which is why I thought she had seen the bridle prior to leaving it with him (maybe pulled handles before dropping it off with him? I usually have the people I pack for pull handles before I take the rig).

I dropped my hot knife once, scared the crap out of me and made me very glad I keep it well away from anything gear related when in use!

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[MakeItHappen 15]

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I was semi-joking in the previous post about my gear perhaps not being airworthy after sitting with the dogs at the DZOs house, but it turns out it did get screwed up while it was out of my hands. Check out the pictures attached showing burn marks and a large hole in my reserve bridle!!! ohh this situation just makes me more and more angry. I know for a fact it was not like that when I dropped it off.

emphasis added.

I don't follow how you 'knew' the reserve damage was done after you dropped off the rig.
Your pics show the main still connected to the harness.
The pics also 'suggest' that the reserve was still 'kinda-sorta' in the reserve tray.
It looks like the rigger just opened the reserve enough to pull the AAD out and then left it sitting till you came knocking.

Most jumpers will execute simulated EPs on the ground before they hand a rig off to the rigger.
(This is recommended by USPA too.)

To me...those pics suggest that you did not deploy the reserve prior to dropping it off with the rigger.
So how would you know 'who, what, where, when, why and how' the damaged occurred?

I don't see any evidence to determine whether the damage was done before or after you dropped off the rig.

.

.
Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[VTskydiver 0]

I am in the habit of popping it when I drop it off, and did so in this case. With it on I make the motion of pulling the cutaway handle but don't actually do it, then actually pull the reserve handle. I got into this habit as soon as I had my own gear.

I admit I didn't sit and inspect the bridle after popping it but I feel like the hole and black marks would have stood out to me. Even if I didn't pop it, I trust my old rigger very much and know his attention to detail which is also enough for me to "know" he didn't put it in like that.

Again, if the "rigger" would return a phone call or answer the door I'd be able to ask him these questions. The combination of not knowing he had my Cypres back from SSK then not returning my calls -- I've only been able to talk to the manifest girl and pick up my gear from his wife, the fact that my rig was sitting on the floor with his 2 dogs running all around it (I'm a dog lover, but not when mixed with my open skydiving container), then finding the burn in the bridle are all factors to me.

Also, I know that somebody playing the part of DZO/instructor/whatever else can't talk in the middle of a jumping day, but should be able to talk after or on a closed weekday.

I really started this thread to find out what I could do about my missing Cypres and my situation escalated from there.

Also thanks to the people who sent me PMs with info about good riggers in my area. And Peregrinrose, I will try to talk Kevin into getting his riggers ticket, that'd be sweet!

[masterrig 1]

From what I could see in the photographs, it appears to me, by the severe fraying in the hole area, that the bridle was hooked or snagged on something then just jerked to free it. If, a hot-knife went through, I can't imagine fraying in the area. From the sounds of things, I doubt, the owner will ever know.


Chuck

[VTskydiver 0]

It's actually not frayed, it had melted and hardened around the hole --- kind of like if you burn the end of a shoe lace the way that hardens.