New to sport!! AAD question

[pchapman 279]

Quote

the reserve didn't have a TSO on it - no warning label, nothing.

As an aside, what kind of reserve was it? Earlier canopies' labels were often different than the modern ones.

[marcantonio152 0]

The packing data on the reserve card listed it as a Firelite, but with a different manufacturer's name... not Glidepath. I believe that it was Glidepath but under an earlier name.

I'm now required to quit skydiving by the US Navy

[NovaTTT 2]

It would be Django or Flight Concepts.

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

[riggerrob 643]

Django built a few Firefly mains before they were sued out of business (patent infringement) circa 1984. Fireflies were really only intended for petite ladies. I made a half dozen jumps on a Firelfy. Even at my 1985 weight (180 pounds) stand-up landings in the pea gravel bowl made my feet sting!
I am not clear if Django ever sold any Firefly reserves.

When the company re-opened (circa 1985) as Glide Path, they added mini-flares to their line attachments, to avoid a repeat of that lawsuit, so the biggest difference between a Firefly and a Firelite is the mini-flares. Firelite reserves lack stabilizers.

Quoting Poynter: "in 1985 Glide Path began drop testing its canopies so they could be certified as reserves. The seven cell Firelite ... were the first."

After Glide Path got sued out of business (too many deaths under Nova ZP mains), they changed owners and re-opened as Flight Concepts, which still makes Firelite reserves today.

[marcantonio152 0]

It was a Glide Path and it had mini flares, but it didn't have a warning label or any TSO information. It didn't even say "Glide Path" or have a serial number on it

I'm now required to quit skydiving by the US Navy