reserve closing loop reflex

[Adamkrum 0]

http://www.tridenthc.com/closingloop.htm website is down for where i usually get the instructions for making these

anyone have the instructions saved? i really wish we had a central location with all know manuals for the systems out there

[pchapman 279]

Here's what I have scanned from some Reflex document
... with my notes trying to clarify it all for myself ... no guarantees of accuracy!

[riggermick 7]

pchapman

Here's what I have scanned from some Reflex document
... with my notes trying to clarify it all for myself ... no guarantees of accuracy!

Yup. They're real, that's the sheet I published back in rhe 90's. Knock yourself out.

Mick.

[koppel 4]

slightly different version of the Reflex document with the Tear Drop document for comparison

I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.

[Unstable 9]

Quote

Yup. They're real, that's the sheet I published back in rhe 90's. Knock yourself out.

While we have your attention RiggerMick - any chance the Reflex will come back? They still have a core following (at least around here!)

=========Shaun ==========

[mark 107]

The larks-head at the Cypres washer is a nice touch. If you lock the larks-head fingertrap using the "no-sew fingertrap" method, it is very secure.

Mark

[Quagmirian 40]

Why do Americans love Reflexes but hate Teardrops?

[gowlerk 2,191]

Quagmirian

Why do Americans love Reflexes but hate Teardrops?

They don't love Reflexes as a rule. Only a small faction in a limited area do. Teardrops were not marketed in North America. No one here cares enough to hate them.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Unstable 9]

Quote

Why do Americans love Reflexes but hate Teardrops?

I was just wondering why everybody in Canada jumps a Sidewinder! What is it with Canadians and their Sidewinders?

I don't know - I have about 3 Reflex customers who love their rigs. The construction and quality control seem excellent, I have no complaints with them or problems packing them.

=========Shaun ==========

[gowlerk 2,191]

Unstable

Quote

Why do Americans love Reflexes but hate Teardrops?

I was just wondering why everybody in Canada jumps a Sidewinder! What is it with Canadians and their Sidewinders?

I don't know - I have about 3 Reflex customers who love their rigs. The construction and quality control seem excellent, I have no complaints with them or problems packing them.

Sidewinders were made in Canada, and more importantly sold in Canadian dollars. That made them fairly popular, especially in the west. I have 10 of them as student rigs. I have one Reflex here, it's a rental rig and I also have no problem packing it. Everyone loves their own rig, that's not a good measure of the popularity of a design. The Reflex failed in the marketplace, probably for a combination of reasons. I'm not dissing them in any way.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[riggermick 7]

Unstable

Quote

Yup. They're real, that's the sheet I published back in rhe 90's. Knock yourself out.

While we have your attention RiggerMick - any chance the Reflex will come back? They still have a core following (at least around here!)

My rig designing/ building days are behind me, im over it. Do miss the creative part though. Dont miss all the BS that comes with being in a small community with too many gear manufacturers competing. Im glad theyre still holding up for you, I built them to last. To address the speculators; The reason we and several others went out of business around that time was due to the downturn in the industry around the turn of the century, pure and simple. The skydiving industry business climate back then just sucked. I think a lot of people got out of the sport around that time. Not sure if Trident is still building them or not.


Mick.

[linestretch 0]

Mick, I have a couple of questions about the rig as well...hopefully you don't mind answering;

- did the fatality surrounding the grommet impact the business and decision to wrap it up?

- and the extra pilot chute (catapult)...to me it seemed like a good idea but I've heard people bad talk it and if I recall correctly there's a SB that allowed it to be removed (I'm going off of memory on that last part...). Can you shed some light on that as well? I always thought of it similar to the 'pockets' on some of the rigging innovation rigs.


I never had a problem with the rig, in fact I liked packing them. But half assed rigging really made the rig look so much worse and didn't help the attitude towards pop-top rigs.

my pics & stuff!

[riggerrob 643]

Aah yes!
"Grommet Mania 2000!"
A loose grommet - on a Reflex - may have caused the first fatality, but the scariest part was a jumper "going in" with a Javelin a few months later. Seems that the second jumper ignored a known snag point on Javelins.
Reflex, Dolphin, Javelin and Vector all issued Service Bulletins to beat down grommets and add bits of fabric to reduce the risk of skinny new lines snagging poorly set grommets.
Even properly set grommets can loosen over time.
Before the fatality, jumpers whined about me charging a dollar to beat down their grommets. After that, they quietly paid extra for re-smooshed grommets.

[riggermick 7]

linestretch

Mick, I have a couple of questions about the rig as well...hopefully you don't mind answering;

- did the fatality surrounding the grommet impact the business and decision to wrap it up?

- and the extra pilot chute (catapult)...to me it seemed like a good idea but I've heard people bad talk it and if I recall correctly there's a SB that allowed it to be removed (I'm going off of memory on that last part...). Can you shed some light on that as well? I always thought of it similar to the 'pockets' on some of the rigging innovation rigs.


I never had a problem with the rig, in fact I liked packing them. But half assed rigging really made the rig look so much worse and didn't help the attitude towards pop-top rigs.

Two questions, two answers. 1. No, it was not the defining reason why we stopped building rigs anymore. It did however take some of the wind out of our sails, as it was a close personal friend of ours. Remember, the industry had been in the doldrums for a couple years and as a relatively new business with a high debt load it was very tough to stay afloat under those conditions. ask anyone who starts any new venture how tough a business cycle can be. 2. Understanding that not everyone would be onboard with the Catapult system at the outset, we decided to double drop test the Reflex both with and without the Catapult. Two separate sets of drop tests using the same H/C system, both using the exact same testing criteria. The reason for the Catapult versus pockets is very straightforward, pockets dont produce enough drag to lift off a 5 to 7 pound packed parachute in the event of a horseshoe type malfunction. Thats all there is to it, pure and simple. like all businessmen, we approached it as a sound business model. Hope this clears up any ambiguity you may have.

Mick.

[councilman24 37]

Hey Mick,

Still a fan and currently assembling a new old stock reflex for my second.

Terry

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

[JerryBaumchen 1,363]

Hi Terry,

Quote

a new old stock reflex

And Ralph Hatley has a bunch of them.

Jerry Baumchen

[riggermick 7]

councilman24

Hey Mick,

Still a fan and currently assembling a new old stock reflex for my second.

Terry

Good to see theyre still out there going strong in places.

Mick.

[linestretch 0]

Quote

Hope this clears up any ambiguity you may have.

Thanks for the info....all makes sense to me.

my pics & stuff!