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For all of you faithful readers out there, I hope you can excuse the recent two-week absence of a new Rigger “Rant and Rave.” Due to a absolutely dreadful week of sun, sand and frozen drinks in the Bahamas, it has taken me a week to get caught up in the rigging loft and now I finally have a little time to get the web site back up to speed. I can assure you I’m well rested and ready to rant, rave, research and speak my mind on a number of rigging, skydiving and aviation issues. Here are some of the topics I will be commenting about over the next couple of months:
I have had a number of requests from new jumpers for an article on pilot chute packing. Since there are so many different opinions on the subject, I’m trying to condense it down to a few tried and true methods.
A recent article in Parachutist stated that a tetrahedron was the answer to landing direction problems. I beg to differ and see it more as a drop zone management issue.
Changing the reserve closing loop should almost be a given on every reserve repack. I have seen way too many severely frayed loops during the inspection and repack process.
And along that same line, riggers need not be lazy on finding the correct closing loop length. We’ve recently had reserves come in with “floating” pop-tops and an almost zero-pound pressure reserve pull. The loop can be adjusted during the closing process.
Due to the number of Dolphins we service, I will give some tips on making the pop top seat correctly into the reserve container using the original closing sequence. Most of this is accomplished though a “Javelin-style” pack job, a fairly short closing loop, wide folds of the pilot chute and correct placement of the excess pilot chute.

Over the last few years, jump ticket prices have steadily risen due to fuel costs. A jump from 12,000 to 14,000 feet that used to be $16 a few years ago is now routinely $18, $19 or even $20. Most drop zones still have deals if you buy jumps in bulk, but a lower rate through an entire season was still hard to find over the last couple of years. Thanks to a slightly sluggish economy in the United States along with increased competition for the experienced jumper market, many drop zones are trying to draw experienced jumpers back to the drop zone with low jump rates to keep the planes full and flying. An article in the March issue of Parachutist reported a “nearly 30 percent” drop in student business “over recent years, with fewer jumps by experienced skydivers, as well.” That trend is bound to change this year as the experienced jumper market is being bombarded with lower jump rates, $99 all-you-can-jump boogies and free organizers. Drop zones such as Skydive Orange and Atlanta Skydiving Center are offering $15 lift tickets every Wednesday while Skydive Spaceland tops that with $14 Wednesday jumps. And not to be beaten, Skydive Crosskeys has set its Wednesday jumps at $13. For the July 4th weekend, jumps at Atlanta Skydiving Center will be $12.50. Skydive Space Center has its $15 jump prices on the first weekend of every month. Both Skydive Atlanta and Atlanta Skydiving Center recently held $99 all-you-can-jump boogies, which was common-place with Mike Mullins a few years ago but a rare find recently. Mike Mullins continues to offer $16 jumps out of his King Air every weekend while the Parachute Center in Lodi has $15 jumps every day. “Early Bird” jump tickets are also available at several drop zones this year where any skydive before 10 a.m. is at a discounted rate, such as $15 at Atlanta Skydiving Center. And most drop zones now offer free RW and freefly organizing. Go Jump!