illusioneer 0 #1 July 30, 2007 I am planning to return to jumping after a 12 year layoff... I will jump with student gear and an AFFI until cleared by the instructor. My rig is an RTS with a Safety Star reserve both made in 1982, the main is an Xl-cloud. The Xl-cloud is 260sqft but I want to know what the sqft of a Safety Star is. Is there anything I need to do, before i jump it, other than give it to a rigger for a I&P? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #2 July 30, 2007 QuoteI am planning to return to jumping after a 12 year layoff... I will jump with student gear and an AFFI until cleared by the instructor. Is there anything I need to do, before i jump it, other than give it to a rigger for a I&P? Nope, handing it over to a rigger and to take counsel from your instructors is what you need to do. Seems like you are on the correct path.Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illusioneer 0 #3 July 30, 2007 anyone know whas size a safety star is? I guess about 240-250...flew it once it looked smaller than the xl-cloud. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark 107 #4 July 30, 2007 Quotewhat size a safety star is? 180 square feet. Five cells. Get video. Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illusioneer 0 #5 July 30, 2007 Cool!! I knew it looked weird the one time i used it (my 20th jump) but now I know why. I did like the way it flew, it was faster than my xl-cloud. I don't think I'll jump it until i lose some weight...i'd put about 1.77 wing load on it nowAny how thanks for the info Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #6 July 30, 2007 Quote My rig is an RTS with a Safety Star reserve both made in 1982, the main is an Xl-cloud. The Xl-cloud is 260sqft but I want to know what the sqft of a Safety Star is. Is there anything I need to do, before i jump it, other than give it to a rigger for a I&P? I bet it has a blast handle too, Yea give it to a museum before you hurt yourself you old fart! And if you do jump it, like mark said, GET VIDEO!Oh yea I know a really good museum if you need to find one...... you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #7 July 30, 2007 Man, I wouldn't of jumped this twelve years ago (1995) let alone now. Nothing wrong with the XL Cloud if it's in good shape other than it packs up the size of an elephant. But the RTS and especially the safety star I would chose not to pack as a rigger. Too old, both in age and in design. The safety star has the lift of a brick compared to even old "newer" canopies. Doesn't matter what the sq. ft. is. It doesn't come close to comparing to newer canopies of the same square footage. Five sheets of plywood have a square footage of 160 sq. ft. but don't fly like it! I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illusioneer 0 #8 July 31, 2007 Thanks c-24 for the infoI am quite sure I am getting a new rig as soon as i can. It is just that I'm a fat s.o.b. right now, I don't want to get new gear until I have reached my fighting weightThat may mean I don't jump for a while but I am down 17lbs in three weeksI may just jump rental gear until I am ready to get a new rig. BTW- What is a blast handle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #9 July 31, 2007 QuoteBTW- What is a blast handle If you don't know, you don't have one! But maybe your old rig still has a plastic martin baker? (Here is the short version of your history lession) Blast handle is an "anti wind blast" (so the wind blow away your handle) handle that was first used (if memory serves me correct) on ejection seats and bail out rig in the military. They have a clip that clips to the lip of the end of the ripcord housing and were very tough to pull if not pulled in the correct direction, down. Then after a few people bounced pulling on them at 90 degrees the center were drilled out to make for an easier pull, before being banned outright. They were still put to good use for many years on a lot of dropzones and use for "safety meetings". Oh can you please post some good photos and at good size of your rig for me please?you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illusioneer 0 #10 July 31, 2007 Quote Oh can you please post some good photos and at good size of your rig for me please? Sure thing stratostarHope these are what you wanted...Damn do these pictures make me look fat? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #11 July 31, 2007 that old thing is in pretty good shape, but yeah, I would look for some newer gear. But that is just me, I have seen peop[le jump older gear than that! My first rig was really old and outdated too (Old wonderhog with a swift 5 cell reserve with trailing brakelines)- the guy who sold it to me said "I gaurntee it will get you to the ground"! I put around 80 jumps on it till I found something better that I could afford. Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illusioneer 0 #12 July 31, 2007 lol...I think it might be the same guy i bought this from Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #13 July 31, 2007 It is in pretty good shape. I have a brand new 81 RTS that has never been packed, I'm about 99% sure it was made to hold a dactyl or a piglet. If you main is in good shape you could find a big modern rig to put into. Are you a POPS member yet? If not you need to join and then you could jump your XL in the hit and rock and acc. But that safety flyer needs to find it's way to a museum or car cover. Thanks, ys that is what I was wanting to see, oh yea, you don't even have a plastic martin baker on that. you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bwilling 0 #14 July 31, 2007 Quote 180 square feet. Five cells. Get video. I had a ride on a Safety Star back in the early eighties... at probably about 240 out the door. It wasn't that bad. I trained on round canopies though, and we all knew how to do PLF's back then... I dusted myself off, and walked away from it unhurt. Uh.. NO, I wouldn't want to jump one again. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #15 July 31, 2007 Safety Star was the reserve version of the Strato Star main (5-cells, 180 square feet). I traded in my Strato Star main in 1982. The Safety Star was superseded in 1981, by the 5-cell Swift reserve. Now most riggers consider the odd steering lines on Swifts too much of a hassle to repack. Ergo, most modern riggers will not repack Swifts. For the record, Swift Plus reserves have modern steering lines, 7-cells and pack about the same as other modern reserves like Ravens and PDs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
