Bob_Church 7 #26 February 3, 2018 tbrownI've heard that the Paradactyl (not sure by which manufacturer) was actually TSO'd for use as a reserve. There were a few people who jumped really tiny "double Dactyl" rigs. Mig Fernandez and his wife Cindy would tell us about a friend of theirs when they were in Arizona that had a double dactyl. One day he was in the back of the pickup truck and the wind caught his main, pulled it out of his hands and was dragging him out of the truck so he quickly cut it away. But old habits die hard, they say he instantly dumped his reserve and still got pulled out of the truck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,354 #27 February 3, 2018 Hi Tom, Quote(not sure by which manufacturer) Irvin; around 1967-68. Jerry Baumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33zulu 22 #28 February 3, 2018 Mig and Cindy! They around somewhere? Lost track after they left El Paso and went to Florida. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #29 February 7, 2018 A couple of Rogallo reserves were certified in former Warsaw Pact (communist Europe) Telka and PZ-81. I have both in my closet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadeland 5 #30 February 7, 2018 There's a Paradactyl-looking thing called a Beamer being used for paragliding reserves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Kf1Kv7mnU Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gowlerk 2,190 #31 February 7, 2018 Nevermind the reserve! Watching him deploy his gliding wing from the helicopter and then trying to fix the lineovers is pretty fun. That's a great video.Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob_Church 7 #32 February 8, 2018 33zulu Mig and Cindy! They around somewhere? Lost track after they left El Paso and went to Florida. I haven't heard from them for years. Last I heard they were living in Naples Florida with a couple of kids and a boat that they went lobster diving with. Good people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gb1 3 #33 February 13, 2018 I just received a Delta II wing from a lost friend. Anyone have a picture of one inflated? I remember in the day when they would put the colored lines in groups within the "OSI". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andrewhilton 1 #34 February 24, 2018 https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageparachutegear/sets/72157622741872232 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gb1 3 #35 February 26, 2018 That was wonderful. Thank you. I am tempted to jump the one I have. OSI scares me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtwiz 3 #36 November 29, 2019 On 2/2/2018 at 5:53 PM, Bob_Church said: Mig Fernandez and his wife Cindy would tell us about a friend of theirs when they were in Arizona that had a double dactyl. One day he was in the back of the pickup truck and the wind caught his main, pulled it out of his hands and was dragging him out of the truck so he quickly cut it away. But old habits die hard, they say he instantly dumped his reserve and still got pulled out of the truck. Here is my Paradactyl....I made about 200 to 300 jumps on it and had 3 malfunctions. I cut one away and rode the other 2 in since they were minor and I think I packed them into it. Would I use it for a reserve...absolutely not. Very inconsistant openings with it. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtwiz 3 #37 November 30, 2019 20 hours ago, dirtwiz said: Here is my Paradactyl....I made about 200 to 300 jumps on it and had 3 malfunctions. I cut one away and rode the other 2 in since they were minor and I think I packed them into it. Would I use it for a reserve...absolutely not. Very inconsistant openings with it. Just so you guys know...my first malfunction was caused by my packing for sure....I was having hard inconsistent openings so I added an extra rubber band stow to the nose slider....it helped so I added another stow....it helped so I added another...after like 4 stow wraps the canopy opened but the nose slider held the nose completely closed and never released. There were other canopies in the air with me and it didn't look like I was descending too fast so rode it in to kind of a hard landing. So I ditched that idea. Then I had an entanglement due to what I believed was lines not straight on packing and rode that in with no problem. My last one the canopy opened but the slider would not pump down and was stuck at the skirt band holding it closed....I pulled the toggles as hard as I could as a last try but the back of the canopy folded under and I went into a backwards spin at probly 35 mph rate of descent at least. Definitely cut that one away. The canopy was burned up somewhat so I sold it to a friend who had it repaired and jumped it for quite a while without a problem. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33zulu 22 #38 January 12, 2020 My first Dactyl, the black one. Came from Handbury in a shoebox. Note no slider, as I'd cut it off. About 100+ jumps on it back in the 70's, then another 200 on my white one. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 279 #39 January 12, 2020 No slider? Ouch. On the other hand, I do wonder just how much effect the slider does have, as the openings are rather hard in my very limited experience... (Single keel that is. Dual keel is nicer all around.) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCS422 27 #40 April 21, 2020 On 2/24/2018 at 9:35 AM, andrewhilton said: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageparachutegear/sets/72157622741872232 I had one of these things and would jump it every now and then depending on how brave I felt. Mine had a line on the rear panel that was used as a brake, I never knew if it worked or not. I remember Jerry Swovlen yelling at me "cut away" when I had packed it backwards one time at Perris. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites