johnny1488

A major repair is one that effects the airworthyness of a canopy. ie small patch, canopy will still fly. Large patch with ribs and seams involved, it might not fly the same. Replacing lines or a line was explained to me as a major repair. Now there is no paper trail with mains, but that is "allegedly" master rigger territory. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

And just to be clear, it was not a flaw in the skyhook that killed the tandem pair, first and foremost it was instructor error. Any changes that have been or will be made bacause of this are to cover up user error. That being said I'm sure is just letting UPT do their r + d for them. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

it's the slack in the stabilizer so it loads the line, not the fabric. Most pd's are .5,1,1.5 inches b-d Icarus mostly are 1,2,3 cm b-d It's the only measuresble part of putting on a pre-made lineset, aside from setting the toggles. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

No stabilizer slack info either Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Don't know what your time frame is, but I dont think the bigger optimums are available yet. I think its just a paperwork hold up, but a hold up none the less. Check with your dealer. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Excellent point. What was with the bear hug before exit and during the flips. Is flying not popular? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

That could very well be the case, but I think that has to do with people going for their TI rating, not the I/E rating. Needing someone to have some experience coaching before going to tandem, absolutely. But needing a TI to have 100 freefall coach or AFF jumps to teach someone to do tandems seems to have missed the mark. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Jyro from nz aerosports started Icarus and designed the first canopies. He went into business with CIMSA in spain and Precision in the US. Precision is no longer involved with Icarus. CIMSA has designed all the recent canopies in the Icarus line, Safire2 Crossfire2, Omni, Neos, and the reserve. They were also working on the 11 cell nersion of the Neos, but have no idea what happened to that project. Jyro appears to be focusing his efforts on the JVX and deadalus canopies. He still makes canopies for Icarus, but Spain handles most of the production for the world (US and Europe) Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I have spoken with a lot of people about doing away with the TI rating and going to a seperate rating, maybe tandem master and tandem maaster examiner. No matter how hard we try, tandems will never be the same as the others. Tandem is not a student progression. Its a student beginning, a very good one, but no one will ever get their license through it alone. I think TI have too many rights with other students. If I want to work with students in that capacity, maybe I should get another rating. I don't know what the answer is, but I think USPA isblowing tandem up to a lot more than what it is. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I have no problem with tough standards, but standards that pertain to tandems. Not 50 jump courses and 100 student freefall jumps. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I don't know a whole lot about the old system, but I found out about the new one they just implemented. I was interested in getting my UPT examiner rating this winter and have been in contact with UPT and Kip Lohmiller about it. Apparently the requirements for the tandem I/E include such things as teaching 50 first jump courses, doing 100 freefall student jumps and doing 50 examination rides on the front of a tandem. The UPT requirements include 2 ratings, 500 tandems and 3-5 jumps in the course if I remember correctly. This seems pretty far away from each other. It was explained to me that because a USPA TI can jump with students when they are cleared for solos, they need to do ground preps and jumps in the TI course, so I would need tons of requirements. But those same TI candidates did that in the coach course (which they need to get a TI. So why do I need to have these requirements that have nothing to do with tandems. I did about 1000 tandems this year, and probably 5 coach jumps. I had no time to do jump courses. I would not know when I would be able to do 50 jump courses. I don't know how long I would have to follow a current Tandem examiner around to do 50 rides. I think USPA has tried to wrap all 4 of their ratings up in a nice little bow to try and neaten things up, but tandem has never, nor will it ever fit with the others. 3 you are teaching freefall and canopy to a jumper with a parachute on their back. 1 You are mocking freefall, but can teach canopy control better than the other 3 together (if you do it right). All to a student who is not wearing a parachute and is not going to be in full control of the system at any time. I love the tandem progresion at my DZ, but tandem is a different animal. I love doing tandems and want to help people do them better. Tandems is what I do the most, and its what I want to continue doing. I dont want to force other things in there that I can'y in reality afford to try and get a rating that USPA has trumped up to be more than it should be. Anyone else consider getting their examiner rating and troubled by this? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Don't forget to mention throwing the drouge instead of the limp wristed extract and let go move. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Thank Sonic for that. They started using magnets on the BaseR and looks like they liked it. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I jump fulltime at the ranch. Our listed limit is 225, but we go over at the discretion of the TI. I go up to 500lbs, depending on what I weigh, thats usually 235lbs. I have no height limit, my examiner was 6'7". We do not get any extra for overweight tandems, but never lose a jump if we refuse within reason. Some guys don't jump up to the limit, and the DZO is fine with that as long as they are consistent. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

My attitude about how I do my work is not the same as how I get compensated for it. Someone who thinks they can tell me what my ime is worth is the problem I have, and yes I say fuck it, if another rigger does the same job I do, then go pay less for it. I think I do the best job possible, so I have no problem charging for it. I am also posting on a subject hypotheticly here, not telling a customer "fuck you". Kind of a fishbowl here. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Basicly I would say these are my prices and I dont have to justify why I charge what I charge, go somewhere else if you dont like it. I rig in a loft and people come there pretty much regardless of price ( we recently raised our prices.) If people want to save a buck, they will. We turn plenty of people away during the year because of sheer volume. Maybe now we will be able to fit everyone. Maybe this new cycle means more repacks for us. Anyway, riggers, charge what you want, charge what you think it's worth, and raise your prices as high as you want and fuck'em if they dont like it. Tell them to save themselves. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

That's funny. "But I just did the batteries" I do see a problem with the grandfathering. I will pack a rig if the 120 days of the repack dont go past the battery due date, now one of my pack jobs could be legally in date with out of date batteries, and it's my seal on it, not the jumpers. Im not really concerned, cause I havent done any batteries lately, just hypotheticly. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

like he feels with most skydiving innovations, the better the gear, the more chances people take. He wants to force people to do the harness properly. I think. The only people to fall out so far have been harnessing errors, not design faults, so why change the design to now give bad harnessers more leway. Again, I think. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

What needs to be done is laid out clearly in the UPT harness adjustment guide. Harnessing people is not hard. There is one right way to do it. Too many instructors take personal liberties in harnessing their students, most likely to make themselves feel better, not their students. When in doubt, consult the manufacturer. Also why they need to be in charge of the ratings, to reference another post. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I know what you are saying, but if nothing posotive is gained from over tightening a student, why do it? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Obviously the possibility is there that someone can fall out of a harness. And yes I am paranoid when I do this, but I would rather be paranoid and on top of my game. I want to control when the leg straps come down my students leg a bit for the canopy ride, not the opening making the straps slide. And I dont think its a contradiction if I have never had anyone close to falling out because I harness properly and prevent their legs from coming up on opening. i think it is being one step ahead. Because I o those things, I lessen the chances of it ever hapening. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

On taller students I tighten the diagonals a bit to, but only on taller students. On smaller girls, it brings them too high on me. I am talking about student who when unhooked after the jump cant stand upright or breathe. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

I have heard a lot of complaints from the harness and it relates to bad impressions of our sport and lower return rates. UPT stated that one of their reasons for designing the sigma harness was the overwhelming discomfort of the harness from the tandem students. Why use a better harness if you are just going to do it wrong? Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

Thats why I show them its tight while they are standing and then have them sit or hunch before we board to show them it loosens up. I also show them my rig hanging of my shoulders when I sit. I also tell them there is one right way and many wrong ways to do the harness, which do they want. Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome

A quesion for Sigma instructors. How do you do your harnesses? Do you follow the UPT adjustment guide, or do you change the way it is adjusted. I see way too many instructors taking liberties in the way they harness their students. Not unsafe, but surely uncomfortable. I follow the guied to the letter, and found it to be not only extremely comfortable (I have jumped it myself numerous time) but also the easiest for the student to arch and lift their legs for landing. Do your students look like the guides pictures? Do you continue to tighten students in the plane? (My biggest pet peeve) Do you feel you know something that UPT does not about their harnesses? Just a question about the liberties Instructors take given the current talk of Y straps (garbage) Johnny --"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!" Mike Rome