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When I first got into skydiving about 8 years ago, one of the things that caught me by surprise was the cash discount or surcharge added to credit card transactions by some drop zones and gear dealerships. I originally thought it was just another way for the business to make more money, but now being on the other side of the transactions I understand the dilemma facing the small business owner. It wasn’t a problem my first year as a part-time rigger to require payment in cash, check or some sort of trade-out in services. All my customers were friends I saw and jumped with at the drop zone every weekend. But as the drop zone grew, so did the rigging business. More skydivers began passing through on vacation, and invoice amounts started getting higher as parts, repairs or extra services were required. Many skydivers wanted or needed to pay with a credit card. A couple of years ago it became necessary to add a credit card machine. The credit card machine itself is several hundred dollars. To run the transactions, Chuting Star Rigging Loft also had to add a land phone line on top of the main business line, which was a mobile phone. Monthly fees with the company handling the transactions vary, but most small businesses are hit with minimum transaction fees along with statement fees. And then that company also takes a cut off the top of every transaction. At first Chuting Star Rigging Loft tried to recoup some of those costs through a cash discount/credit card surcharge, but it was soon evident it was a losing battle. We’ve since moved to one set price for cash, check or credit in an attempt to increase our credit card transactions and avoid getting hit with minimum fees. Don’t fault a skydiving biz for trying to charge extra for credit card transactions. Last year Chuting Star Rigging Loft spent nearly $1,000 in phone, statement, minimum and transaction fees for the credit card service. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but all part of a growing business.

If I had just taken a hint from the several skydivers who recently had me replace their BOC pouches maybe I could have avoided my first reserve ride in more than 3 years. On Sunday I made a jump out of an Allouette helicopter from 4500 feet at Atlanta Skydiving Center. When I pulled my hackey at 3000 feet, it came out about 6 inches and wouldn’t budge after about 4 hard tugs. I immediately went to my reserve and was open by about 2000 feet. Upon inspection on the ground, my pilot chute had bunched up behind the elastic at the BOC opening. An extra bartack on the upper side of the BOC opening, along with a slightly stretched out pouch behind the elastic and some experimenting with my pilot chute pack job contributed to the hard pull. I’ll have to replace my BOC pouch as well as go back to a more traditional way of packing my pilot chute. So what’s to be learned from all of this? Well there are several places on your BOC that can get damaged, stretched or worn, which can lead to either premature deployments or impossible main pulls. Several customers recently had their spandex BOC pouches replaced due to excessive wear and stretching of the pouch or elastic opening. Most concerns center around too loose of a pouch, which can lead to a premature deployment. Also keep an eye for irregular wear or damage to the pouch that may hinder the deployment of the pilot chute. Some manufacturers add bartacks on spandex BOC pouches slightly in on both sides of the trim tape. When the pouch is in good condition, this adds to the security of the pilot chute in freefall. If the pouch stretches out too much behind the elastic opening, the bartacks can work against you for a hard or impossible pull. We’ve also had customers who have snagged or cut open their pouch inside the aircraft. Inspect your gear regularly. Chuting Star Rigging Loft replaces a spandex BOC pouch for $45.