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(Published in September 2005 issue of Skydiving Magazine.)

By Mike Gruwell

A new reserve pilot chute with a “concave top” should help riggers with the final appearance of “post-mod” Mirage reserve containers.

Mirage Service Bulletin 12-04 moved the automatic opener cutter position to above the metal pilot chute cap, adding an extra quarter-inch of bulk to the reserve container. Pre-mod Mirage containers had the automatic opener cutter on top of the freebag, which allowed the cutter to sink in to the canopy without any extra bulk.

Modifying the Mirage cutter location fixes an issue the company had with a reserve container that failed to open immediately following the firing of an automatic opener cutter. Sloppy rigging issues were also a contributing factor, according to Mirage. Nevertheless, the cutter move can make the final appearance of smaller Mirage containers less than desirable even with proper rigging practices.

The concaved-top on the new Mirage reserve pilot chute allows the automatic opener cutter to sit level in relation to the outside edge of the cap. This eliminates the quarter-inch of extra bulk with a flat reserve pilot chute cap.

When Mirage issued Product Service Bulletin 12-04, Chuting Star Rigging Loft was inundated with rigs of different container and reserve size combinations. While it took a few weeks to figure out the bulk management change, we were eventually able to make most of the Mirage containers look just as good as before; but not all.

We quickly discovered that the smaller G3 containers (MXS, MX, MT and MO) with the maximum size reserve ended up with a bubbled-up reserve pin cover flap no matter how the bulk was placed or how long/short the reserve closing loop was made. The margin of error on bulk management and reserve loop length was practically zero on these small Mirage containers. Some containers we have yet to make look good “post-mod.” This was not acceptable.

Conversations with Mirage designer Jeff Johnston revealed that the company was aware of the issue and that a new pilot chute was in the works. We received a test pilot chute in May and it immediately made a difference on a G4 MX container. We’ve since started stocking the new pilot chutes to use on the smaller containers so it is possible to retain the original Mirage look.

I definitely disagree with a recent e-mail from Mirage stating that “it is entirely possible to make the pack job look normal without using the new pilot chute cap. The concave pilot chute is simply an aid designed to make the riggers job of making your container look as good as possible much easier. The new pilot chute cap is not absolutely necessary to achieve a pleasing appearance but we think it will help riggers in the field that are having difficulty doing so.”

This may be true for most of the larger Mirage containers, but the concave reserve pilot chute is a necessity for the smaller containers. Mirage is offering its new reserve pilot chute to customers who purchased a Mirage in 2005 for $100 plus shipping (a 20% discount). With this new reserve pilot chute, decent bulk management and a correctly-sized loop, it is very easy to retain that “original Mirage look” on even the smallest Mirages.

Chuting Star Rigging Loft is the U.S. Authorized Service Center for Mirage.