riggersam
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Everything posted by riggersam
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Where there's a volume of air moving up, there must be a volume of air moving down somewhere. That's not exactly the place I'd want to be descending under a parachute, round or not. Perhaps if the inlet side of the tunnel was ducted far away from where the jumper would ever be...
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My Sisters Apartment was Absolutly Destroyed...
riggersam replied to Unstable's topic in The Bonfire
I lived less than a mile from that tower for 2 years (1997-1999) and drove past that tower daily. I'm glad nobody was hurt. (And, No, I never made any jumps on that block..) Mark -
I had my FOX 265 vented (and valved) over the winter. I made one hop-and-pop skydive on it to determine new brake setting positions. Naturally, my next eight jumps were from a tower affording terminal delays. I used a small hole mesh slider and rolled the nose a bit and the openings were fine - even with a rather heavy top-mounted video camera. Mark
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I cocoon the tail around itself only. I figure the tail is less likely to go near the nose during opening if I never put it there during packing. The cocooned tail and spread-open nose should encourage a nose-first opening. Mark
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That depends on what type of camera you have and what type of shot(s) you are trying to get...
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You might as well post a photo of the bottom skin now...
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Perhaps a local could provide more information..
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To make it a bit easier to find, I'm posting the link: http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1147.xml There are two "printer friendly version" links on the page. One goes to a web version, the other goes to a PDF file. Mark
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I typically squeeze two BASE rigs into a piece of roll-on luggage that is designed to fit in an overhead bin. They have only once opened it and that was in U.S. customs after returning from Mexico. The guy asked, "What do you have in here, sir?" I just replied, "A couple parachutes." He acted like I had said a magic word.. He said, "Parachutes?? We don't open parachutes!" and he zipped my bag back shut.
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Very nice!!! I hate to overlook the girl, but I'm curious what type of rig she's wearing. The canopy attachment ring and adjustable main lift web look unique.. Is there a website for this rig? Mark
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I believe that a layer of silicone is calendered into the material.
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Changing the dimensions of the slider can have unpredictable results. As Tom said, you're a test jumper again. The real problem you are trying to solve here is opening speed. Have you tried leaving the slider alone and just rolling the nose some? I have a FOX 265 (un-vented until this winter) and have been using a standard "large hole" mesh slider and 5 rolls on each side for terminal jumps - and I jump a relatively heavy top-mounted video camera on most slider-up jumps. Edited for my poor spelling. Mark
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(And I thought MY beer was going down smoothly...) I have volunteered to simply GC on a couple of occasions, simply because I just didn't feel like climbing that night. Just hearing that slider-down whack in the calm, pitch-black sky is pretty damn cool, too. That and seeing the looks on some newbie's faces makes it worth it... Mark
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Video??
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There is a rule of thumb that says you should avoid metal-to-metal contact and avoid nylon-to-nylon contact where possible, especially where motion is required. That rule is certainly not a "hard" rule. There are many examples in which the rule-of-thumb is broken. ie. larkshead bridle connections to PCs and Slinks are good examples. Climbers use slings between carabiners on protection, but still use carabiner-to-anchor connections, too. I think it primarily comes down to a wear issue. Smugglers can probably afford to have a new rig built for every jump. How many skydivers (let alone BASE jumpers) can say that? Mark
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I moved the setting for slider up and slider removed jumps back when I started BASE. I quit doing it maybe 7 years ago and went to the cleaner finger-trapped and sewn attachment method. I think the canopy "feels" different enough with the slider removed and lines outside the keepers that its almost like jumping a different canopy. To be honest, I don't even notice the different flare position anymore. Tom has a good point for those shorter arms. Mine are pretty long, so stroke length isn't a concern. Mark
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(Actually, it says you have to have 3 years of experience as a rigger. There are people who have gotten their 3 years experience and performed the required 200 packjobs all while under supervision of another certificated rigger. They still have to pass the written exam, but then they are eligible to bypass the Senior Rigger level and go straight to their Master Rigger Oral and Practical.) See you in May! Mark
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With tapes on the outside, the fabric of an inflated pilot chute is pushed against the tapes. In this case, the load is transmitted directly from the fabric to the tapes and the stitching is simply there to bind the tapes to the fabric and keep the tapes from "sliding around". If you put the tapes on the inside, the load received by the fabric can only be transmitted to the tapes by the thread. In this case, 1) the thread is the weak link, 2) the PC material is not designed to load against the smaller thread holes and will begin to stretch and eventually tear. By posing such a question, I'm guessing you don't have a copy of Poynter's Parachute Manual around. If you find a rigger who has one, take a look at Vol 1. Figure 9.3.1.8.8 "Strains". Look at the fabric just outside the seam... This is effectively what you would see from the outside of the PC if the tapes were on the inside. Edit: And, yes... It looks cool. Mark
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Interesting... I've had personal experience with a canopy opening in stall on a slider-up BASE jump. The slider stayed at the base of the canopy until I released the brakes and started pumping. It's not an experience that I look forward to repeating. That said, I use the factory setting for all slider up jumps. I have 3 deep brake settings available for slider down/off jumps. The deepest was set 3-4 inches below the stall point I found on a skydive, with a known exit weight, around 3000ft above sea level. The two additional settings are each 3-4 inches shallower than the prior DBS and are used at higher elevations and/or higher exit weights due to cameras or other gear. Edit: I just had my standard FOX retrofitted with vents, valves and the 5th steering line over the winter, so I'll be experimenting once again... My .02 Mark
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The Comfort Inn is right at the intersection of the roads that lead to the top and bottom. There's a Holiday Inn Express right next to it. I think those are the closest. Mark
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Here's a link: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=971332
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Thanks for the reply. Mark
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I was recently brought a rig for the first time. The CYPRES had to be sent back for an inspection. When I got it back, they indicated that the rigger that had installed the battery had pinched the wire under one of the battery cells, rather than keeping it in the channel between the cells. How many people open the CYPRES battery door to verify proper battery installation as part of their standard inspection process?
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There are a number of threads in the gear and rigging forum. Here's one: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=434583 Mark
