SWS Fire container - need your opinion

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Mike,

Quote

We billed them in excess of $100,000.

Both your number & my number, I am sure, are based on something NOT going kablooey during testing.

When that happens, start all over again from GO.



JerryBaumchen

[skydiverek 63]

For sure SWS Fire has a better launching reserve PC than Wings!:

Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrbYWt_QqE

[Deimian 43]

Without more data (containers and canopy sizes) and without seeing the packing I wouldn't give this too much credit.

Disclaimer: I have a wings. Last year I pulled my reserve for repack and the RPC came out barely a meter. This year I did the same and it hit the wall that was like 2 meters away. I think how stuffed is your container and how you fold your bridle can affect the RPC launching.

[riggerrob 643]

"$800 per drop" said Sandy Reid.

I helped with all the heavy-weight and high-speed drop tests out of a WW2-surplus B-25 bomber. Then I did five live jumps and wrote the manual. I also test-packed most of the Aviator prototypes.

... but that was back in 1994 when Rigging Innovations was drop-testing the Aviator Pilot Emergency Parachute to FAA TSO C23D(?) standards.

I suspect that the cost of drop tests has inflated since then. Newer TSO standards also require more drop-test now.

[skyrioca 0]

I own 2 SWS Fire containers and there is nothing than good thing to say about it. Very well constructed, the design and finishing are incredible and the price is half of any other container. What makes me confused about this entire TSO certificate, is what make the container perfect fine to be used in US when the skydiver that worn it is a foreign skydiver. What is the difference?
I guess will be legal to use the SWS Fire container if the owner can get also a foreign skydive license ;-)

USPA link:
http://sim.uspa.org/#1=1|2=10|3=42|4=46|page=394

Sec. 105.49 Foreign parachutists and equipment

(a) No person may conduct a parachute operation, and no pilot in command of an aircraft may allow a parachute operation to be conducted from that aircraft with an unapproved foreign parachute system unless--

(1) The parachute system is worn by a foreign parachutist who is the owner of that system.

(2) The parachute system is of a single-harness dual parachute type.

(3) The parachute system meets the civil aviation authority requirements of the foreign parachutist's country.

(4) All foreign non-approved parachutes deployed
by a foreign parachutist during a parachute operation conducted under this section shall be packed as follows--
(i) The main parachute must be packed by the foreign parachutist making the next parachute jump with that parachute, a certificated parachute rigger, or any other person acceptable to the Administrator.

(ii) The reserve parachute must be packed in accordance with the foreign parachutist's civil aviation authority requirements, by a certificated parachute rigger, or any other person acceptable to the Administrator.

[ParaSEXas 0]

leadgenx

I am trying to get owner opinions about this rig. If you are using one - please post here what you think of it.

best container i ever owed. before that i had icon, javelin, paratec next, PdF atom. best decision i ever made to buy new one from SWS. i also pack reserves and can tell that spring is killer, deffo better than anything else around (used reserve once)
so far done about 1000 jumps on it and its wearing beautiful, i recon i will squeeze 3000 jumps out of it. considering i paid less than half price of new javelin or vector. i dont really look after it, its my work horse and if after 3k jumps i have to buy new- its fine cause ill use the other half of money that i didnt spent on jav or micron or what ever and will have brand new gear istead of 3000 jumps old expensive one i cant aford to replace.

only down side is, it dont have TSO23d! so if you planing on working or even holiday in australia you wont be aloud to jump it. with USA if you are a visitor i believe u can, but locals are not aloud too (i might be wrong on that one tho)

if you only jump around europe its best quality to buck ratio and deffo superb container

Ot padara...

[thewishkah 4]

ParaSEXas

only down side is, it dont have TSO23d! so if you planing on working or even holiday in australia you wont be aloud to jump it.

I know a few people who jump these containers in Australia without issue

[thewishkah 4]

thewishkah

I know a few people who jump these containers in Australia without issue

Disregard this, i am an idiot

[LavaLady 0]

On 1/6/2019 at 3:23 PM, ParaSEXas said:

 

best container i ever owed. before that i had icon, javelin, paratec next, PdF atom. best decision i ever made to buy new one from SWS. i also pack reserves and can tell that spring is killer, deffo better than anything else around (used reserve once)
so far done about 1000 jumps on it and its wearing beautiful, i recon i will squeeze 3000 jumps out of it. considering i paid less than half price of new javelin or vector. i dont really look after it, its my work horse and if after 3k jumps i have to buy new- its fine cause ill use the other half of money that i didnt spent on jav or micron or what ever and will have brand new gear istead of 3000 jumps old expensive one i cant aford to replace.

only down side is, it dont have TSO23d! so if you planing on working or even holiday in australia you wont be aloud to jump it. with USA if you are a visitor i believe u can, but locals are not aloud too (i might be wrong on that one tho)

if you only jump around europe its best quality to buck ratio and deffo superb container

 

 

Ot padara...

 

Whilst it is true that in Australia, SWS do not meet APF Equipment Standard 081014, visiting foreign parachutists (just like in the USA), can jump them under specific conditions detailed in APF Equipment Standard 010901.

APF ES 080114

APF ES 010901

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

13 hours ago, LavaLady said:

Whilst it is true that in Australia, SWS do not meet APF Equipment Standard 081014, visiting foreign parachutists (just like in the USA), can jump them under specific conditions detailed in APF Equipment Standard 010901.

APF ES 080114

APF ES 010901

Hi LL,

Just wondering; what authority do those standards have since they are by the APF & not CASA?

Jerry Baumchen

[LavaLady 0]

On 1/24/2019 at 4:34 AM, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi LL,

Just wondering; what authority do those standards have since they are by the APF & not CASA?

Jerry Baumchen

Hi Jerry.
The APF is a very different beast than the USPA. It is a CASA Approved Self-Administering Aviation Organisation.

The APF Operational Regulations and the subsidiary Regulatory Schedules are the Australian Parachute Federation’s controlling reference documents for governing the safe and efficient conduct of parachuting activities.

The Operational Regulations (OR) are approved by CASA as APF’s primary regulatory document. 

OR 2.1 details obligations of members of the APF. It includes that members are not only bound by the ORs and RS, but also: "mandatory standards published as equipment standards, service bulletins and rigging advisory standards, and technical directives;..." 

Unlike in the USA, all bar one civilian skydiving centre in Oz is a member club of the APF, as are all individuals. 

Kim Hardwick