MontyPyhton

Bill, your point of view impresses me really. But why do you think that other manufacturers have another point of view? With other words: It is true: one accident caused by gear failure in one million reserve deploys is to much. But in this rare statistics it become difficult to blame a construction principle as a possible reason for a reserve total mal. Nowbody can say If the Vector flaps or the Mirage flaps (for example) will stay closed in a few million deploys. So I have to say that the only way to prevent this "flap locks" in a few million deploys is to put the reserve pc on the outside of the container, not covered by any flap. Bill, you are a ingeniously inventor and your inventions have saved countless jumpers arround the world. But in my opinion my theory sounds as logically as yours.

Sorry Bill & Rob, but I don't can agree. On the one hand the most of the modern rigs (for example Mirage, Javelin, Wings, Infinity, Atom, Voodoo, Talon FS) have pin covers which are tucked into another flap. They all are working great and they are all tested. On the other hand you should agree with the argument, that all Vector styled rigs have also a less security caused by the flap covered reserve pc's. So I think your theory is only a theory. The theory sounds logically - but the reality is another cup of tea. Bill, from your point of view you should built all new Vectors as pop-tops because in theory it's safer.

I have three ideas: http://www.fallschirmdepot.de One of the most famous german riggers. http://www.air-action.de Manufacturer of different helmets. http://www.my-skyworld.de German skydiving online store. Blue skies, MP

The most jumpers I asked agree with the statement that the reserve deployment from all major container manufacturers (Mirage, Vector, Javelin, Tear Drop, Atom, Infinity, Wings, Talon and all the others) are equal. But some manufacturers say that their reserve deployment is significant better. For example, Jump Shack says that their Racer deploys in the half of the time compared to other manufacturers. Mirage Systems say this about their products: "Billy Weber of Billy's Parachute Service in DeLand, one of the foremost riggers in the industry and a familiar face from videos like Pack Like A Pro, found that the overall reserve deployment system was "the fastest I've seen, and I've seen 'em all". As a result, he bought 2 Mirages for his personal use. " Is it truth oder advertisement??? And ist there a difference between Vector styled rigs and (semi) pop-tops? In my opinion a good reserve deployment is the most important argument for purchasing a rig.

Hey guys, once again: Thx 4 answers!

I also have a problem with reserve sizes: The container is built for reserves up to Tempo 170. I'm 230 out the door and the 170 is certificated arround 200 lbs exit weight. A PD 160 R or SMART 160 would fit. But I don't want to jump a 160! So what is the smartest decision: overload or jump a reserve which is to small?

In the gear reviews I read the following about pop-top containers: "i would never jump anything that has a reserve pin on the outer side of the container. I had a mid air collision with a friend who had a prem reseve opening. I passed through it and had his lines wrapped around the container and parted as i cleared." I recognized that other advantadges of the pop top are the better launch of the reserve pilot chute. But are there any disadvantages? What say the riggers about pop tops?

In my opinion there is only one reason for ripcords: The student has passed AFF and falls unstable on the back. When I made my AFF course I hated the ripcord systems: When I pulled the ripcord sometimes I had a few seconds to wait before i felt the opening shock. Sometimes 2-3 seconds sometimes only 1... I saw often student videos and often I saw pilot chutes which had problems to get into the airstream. You pull and you don't know what the PC does on your back. You can show on your back but in this case you may become unstable (horseshoe???). What happens if the HEAVY spring loades PC is on your back and you have no time to clear this situation and must shot your reserve in this PC? In this time of my career i felt often unsafe. After switch to the hand deploy system the fun side of the sport comes back. An other reason why I hated the ripcords was the ordeal of packing.

It's only for people taller than 5'10" ( 1,90 M). I absolutely agree, the Wings EXT looks great - but i'm only 5'4" tall. And I want to jump a PD 190 or PD 210 - you jump a Saber 135 - that means, it will look like a turtle on my back. IMHO the reason for this is the design of the Wings (smaller spread but thicker). I think the Wings is a really damn good rig. One of the best on the market. Rock solid, innovative and cheap. But the design of the "old" Wings is not my taste because it would look like a student gear with this canopies. Some words to the infinity: Here in germany we have the Paratec "Next" and the Performance Variable "Omega". In my opinion both are similar than Infinity but with a better look and bridle protection (Next). They are both cheap. Check it out: http://www.paratec.de/Englisch/Seiten/A_E.html http://www.performance-variable.com/EN

Also wenn you would have enough money for a fully loaded Mirage or Vector? BTW, what do you say about the Talon FS?? @ mikkey: Thank you very much 4 informations

Please tell me more. Which types of Talon FS are available from US and Australia? BTW, i think a FS would be a great choice. It seems to be really rock solid built and has better riser covers than the Mirage or Vector. A 170 container built for Zero-P will surely hold a 190 F111.

PD 190 or Falcon 195 and Speed 170 or Smart 160/175. @ mikkey: Of course, Talons are available here like all other rigs on the market. The FS looks pretty good. It's another Vector clone. Aerodyne brings with the Icon a really good Atom Legend clone. I'm not sure if this would be a good choice.

I want to buy a container that is freefly friendly, really rock solid built and has a great longevity. The container must also be very safe (especially flaps/covers and reserve deployment) and innovative in its features. My major decisions are: Mirage G3 Mirage G4 Vector 3 M - (worse built riser covers???) Voodoo Atom Legend Tear Drop Superfly I don't like the Wings because of its (in my eyes) ugly, FAT look. Imho the Javelin Odyssee has not a really a innovative design.

I really love my Barigo! It's a great altimeter and in my eyes it has the coolest design of all. He is really small. I think Altimaster and Barigo are equal in functionality. The design is an individual point in the eye of the jumper. Both are a great choice.

A very beautiful rig. What sizes are the canopies?

Old Sabers are often slammers because they have smaller sliders. Newer (since 1998 or so) Sabres are open softer. A great packing method is to roll the cells TIGHT and stuff them into thenter cell DEEP. That gives a lot of snivel. Rolling the tail tight brings nothing because the major reason of rolling the tail is to hold the slider in position. I have rolled the cells tight but the tail loose and have had long snivels with slow inflation (1000 ft. openings).

Which of theese canopies will bring the most problems when you have to kick the twists out of the lines (loaded 1.1-1.2)?? Is there a generally tendency that requieres a cutaway on one of these canopies? AND have one of the canopies a generally tendency to twist? I want to buy a Sabre 2 because I think, it offers the best flare of all these canopies (I am right???). But I don't want to buy a chute that i have to cut away when it has linetwists. My major decisions are: Sabre 2, Spectre or Tri

kool rig - but - on your back it looks really like a wedge. What for a main canopy / G3 size do you jump?

One question: Do you rolll the tail and tuck them into one center cell chamber or tuck you the left tail side in the left center cell chamber and the right in the right????

I thought the same when i saw the movie. IMHO the problem could be that the PC doesn't reach the airstream.

I absolutely agree: In therory tight line stows are the reason for a slightly slower POD (compared to the Jumper). But this would also mean, that the POD has a higher airspeed. And higher airspeed are a major reason for hard openings because the canopy will inflate earlier. I agree also. This theory means that the bigger PC would cause in a lower airspeed of the canopy. Hmhhh... tighter line stows are the reason for higher canopy airspeeds and a bigger PC's are the reason for slower canopy airspeed. That is not logically. Oh, i had forgotten another "skydiver rumor": The differences betwen dacron and micro lines...

If I had to choose, I would buy a G3!! The Odyssee has the same Bridle protection than the "old" Javelin. And this protection is surely worse than the bridle protection of the G3. Some guys told me that SOME Odyssees are bad processed compared to normal Javelins and other rigs. In my opinion i would save the money and buy a Wings or a Tear Drop SF. Both are great rigs, both have the same if not a better pin protection as the Mirages (G3/G4). Wings are Javelin clones but Sunrise mixed the best of both worlds: Semi pop top like Javelin, bridle protection like Mirage. Tear Drop Superfly's (SF) are also great. They're really cheap and safe (best reserve- /main-pin protection on the market, very safe reserve deployment) and looks imho great. The Tear Drop SF hold also TSO c23d.

TSE? Large choice of materials? They don't offer Tie-Dye. I think, a SuperFly in Tie-Dye would look really really great. Alcantara is a leather imitate - in my eyes absolutely ugly. Parapack is not as thick and tough as Cordura. **Some** parapack rigs looks like a sausage or like a REALLY cheap product. I think Cordura is the best choice of all. To get an impression of Alien Skin fabric, visit www.paratec.de and go onto the site about the next container. There is a picure of an Alien Skin next.

I have a question to the riggers out there. I've seen that there are connector links on the market in two different sizes. One type has the strenght of 400 lbs, the other type will brake at 620 lbs. In my opinion there is a very small range of redundancy if you have a hard reserve opening, maybe caused by head down cypresfire or high jumper weight. Lets calculate a little bit: A jumper weights 200 lbs (circa 90 KG). His terminal speed is above 150 mph (circa 240 km/h). And now we say, that the reserve deploys in one second (one second after the Freebag is away). The g-forces will reach a avaraged maximum (added with the vertical gravitation) of 7,84 g's - peaks not counted. That means, that the reserve connectors must be hold an averaged load of 1550 lbs. All connectors together hold 1600-2480 lbs. What is: * If the reserve deploys in unstable body position? * The jumper is heavier? * The terminal speed is higher? * The g's **peaks** at 10-15 g's or more? This type of connector links seems to be the weakest point of the system. We have fast opening and strong reserves today. But what we do to avoid those inadvertently cutaways??