tlshealy

180 pack jobs 11 saves Most were on the USAPT, I only pack for myself and my brother now.

Try rolling the nose up real tight, thats what made my Tri start opening soft and consistant. Tad

Linc, Don't try to impress anyone with all of your skills or stories. Skydive the way they want you to, and listen to coaching and debriefs. They can teach a monkey to diamond track, they are looking for polite, respectful, professional soldiers, the cream of the crop. Remember when you go out to dinner as a team, they're watching how you act. Don't burn any bridges if you get cut, many young soldiers they won't take until their 2nd try out. Tad 83-84 Black Team

I would suspect that what happened on the table or floor would be more difficult with the rig on a person, because that is the way it's designed to work. I'd be very careful about tacking the housings where they're not supposed to be tacked. Might want to call the manufacturer, maybe the housings are routed wrong or wrong length. Tad

Para-Commander,Strato-Star,Strato-Cloud,Titan,Back to Strato-Cloud, currently Triathlon 160. But at least I was smart enough to cut the ropes and rings off of my strato-star and put a slider on it. BSBD Tad

There are a couple of sites on-line that have good packing instructions with pictures that you can print. I know that aerodyne use to have good packing instructions and I think precision had some also. You might also check PD's site.

I've always use a chest strap alti, the only problem is that you have to look down to see it and thats a little harder with a full face helmet. Back when everyone used chest mounts, you could just look around the formation see someone elses. I still like it better than a wrist mount. Tad

James, I would contact Aerodyne and ask them about your slow openings and ask why they put a larger slider on it. If it really is taking over 1000 feet to open thats a problem and you should find some way to speed it up, like going back to a smaller slider or venting the one you have now. If your doing RW and find your self opening at 2500' what will you do when your sniveling through 1500? Tad

Is that what it looks like in the Photo, 12 locking stows on the bag? I think I'd be sticking with a stow pocket and 2 locking stows, I'd rather have line dump than a bag lock. Tad

Sprained a knee landing on second base in Comisky Park in Chicago, (still stood it up). Winds were real swirlly inside the old stadium. Plus it was a weak knee waiting to go. Tad

When I first started Jumping, ram air canopies were just becoming popular and we had to have a 100 jumps before we jumped one, no one told the DZO that he had to make that rule, these new canopies were more dangerous than rounds and we just accepted that it took some time and training to learn to fly one. Today the equipment and training is so far advanced from those days and the students learn so quickly, we just assume they'll be ok when they move up to HP canopies. I,m afraid that if we don't regulate ourselves, someone else will do it for us. Landing accidents and canopy collisions on highly loaded canopies are becoming our dirty little secret in skydiving and i'm afraid someday a lawyer is going to figure that out and convince a jury that a DZO or instructor or canopy manufacturer is negligent in court. Then it may be too late for self regulation. 1385 jumps 1.3 wingload, Regulation and education. Tad

1385 started in 1976 didn't jump for about 6 years after a stint in the army, wife will only allow 20 to 30 per year now. D-8142 Tad

You might want to measure your slider and contact PD to see if it's the correct size or if they recommend a larger one. I remember hearing that at one time certain size stilettos came with a smaller slider. Also have the line trim checked. How many jumps are on the canopy/ line set, and how many jumps do you have on this canopy? Tad

When I first got my tri 160, had a lot of different openings, hard, soft, on heading, off heading, I started rolling the nose and tail and leveling my shoulders through the opening and have had consistently smooth,soft, on heading openings ever since. Tad

Chris, When you turn it to the left it goes off when you reach current ground pressure. It just goes through a regular warning cycle (5-6 secs). Then turn it to the right to set alt. each dot is 1000 feet. Blue Skies Tad

I had my tri 160 relined last year with 4.0 mod, opens and flies fine, the main difference that I've noticed is lower toggle pressure and better flair. It's not that big of a difference though, I wouldn't get it done unless you needed a reline. Blue Skies Tad

I'm not sure if the Diablo is any different, but I had my Tri relined with the 4.0 mod and it was just moving the steering line attachments 1/2 cell to the inside. Not sure if there were any other trim adjustments, didn't notice a big difference but it flys fine. Blue Ones Tad

I really don't understand why bungie collapsibles are not used more, especially on larger or lower performance canopies, the ones I've jumped collapsed at about 40~50 mph so unless your doing a base jump exit speed or hop and pops are not a factor, and if they do get worn out or fail, they just don't collapse. I think they would be ideal for student canopies, or lower wing loadings. But I have a kill-line and agree that with correct gear checks and inspections you should never have a problem with one. Blue Skies Tad

I've always had some doubts about RSLs and stability issues, but after reading about Bill Booth's new skyhook, I think he may have erased some of those doubts for me. I would still like to get some feed back on that system after there are a lot of them in use, but if it's like any of Bill's other innovations, 3 rings, hand deploys, and skyhooks, may soon be on every rig. Blue Skies Tad

In a really high profile demo you always want to go, I,m sure they had a ground crew telling them the ground winds, and while a bit high, were probably with-in their limits when they exited. Hind sight being 20-20, of course no publicity would have been better than bad publicity. Hope the guys are OK, Tad No sky too high, no show too low

Emmie, If you've got rapide links, the easiest way to do it is to lay both canopies out like your flat packing, disconnect the links from your old canopy move your container over to your new canopy and hook them up the same. Make sure there are no twisted line groups and check right front nose to rt frt riser,left frt nose to lft frt riser and same for the tail. Don't over tighten the links and mark them with finger nail polish or something to check if they are loosening up. Have someone else check it out before you jump, to be sure, and if you have s-links make sure you know how to re-install them or get help from someone who does. Good luck and good rigging Tad

I think the D-bag you use in that vector will have more effect on fit than anything else, if you get a larger bag, it will fill the container better and you can still control the closing force with your loop length. I've got a tri-160 in a V-5 container and it fits fine with room to go bigger or smaller. Blue Skies Tad

I,m an older Jumper, I've made about 1380 jumps since 1976, I used to jump every weekend until I joined the army in 1980 spent a couple of years on the parachute team, got married, got out , didn't really care if I jumped or not . Even went 5 or 6 years without jumping(which my wife liked) Then kind of got back into it. Now I make about 30 Jumps per year. I really enjoy every jump I make, but I am always very safety conscious, because I don't jump a lot. I always check my gear before I go and run over emergency procedures. I'm a rigger so I can even pop my reserve check it out and reclose it. But I don't try to do stuff thats over my head and currency, sure I try to surf a little but thats on a 160 Tri loaded at 1.3. Thats all the excitement me and my banged up old knees can take. After 4 or 5 jumps I feel my currency coming back quickly, but I don't get on any big free fly loads or grovel my way on to any top 16 way sequential loads. I keep it simple and fun but still try to learn something on every jump. I don't think that I am a danger to myself or anyone else and I try to recognize my own limitations. I've seen very current hot swoopers appear to be almost overconfident in the air and on landing almost to the point of scaring me a little. I think safety is a state of mind no matter what your jump numbers are, although you still need to develop and sharpen skills. Just my $.02 Blue Skies Tad

I use a T-bodkin, with just a pull up cord threaded though it. But I think I'll try your method with a pin to lock it in place, maybe easier to bag the canopy. Thanks Hook Tad

Steve, Keep your day job, it's perfect, if you are self employed, you can plan your work schedule around jumping. Get some experience, work on your ratings, but keep it a hobby, you'll enjoy it more. I was on the Army Parachute team for 2 years 83~84, jumping every day for a job, after I got out I didn't really care if I jumped or not. I went for about 5 years without jumping at all. But now that I've started again and go a couple times a month, I can't wait to get to the DZ and get in the plane. Just my $.02 Blue Skies Tad