Thursday, May 27th 2002
Cirrus Service Bulletin/Skydiving Fatality Reports

Cirrus Design Corporation, manufacturer of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, recently decided to replace all the cables that connect to the launch handle in its SR20 and SR22 airplanes. According to a recent report from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the company determined that even after aircraft owners complied with two service bulletins (one later became an airworthiness directive), “Cirrus said that it found too much variability in the force needed to deploy the parachute.” So by replacing the cables, the company says the force to deploy the emergency aircraft parachute will be reduced. The Cirrus parachute system “is a ballistic recovery device that will lower the entire airframe to the ground when all alternatives to land the aircraft have been exhausted,” according to the company’s web site. Last month a Cirrus SR20 made an emergency landing in a field in Lexington, Kentucky. According to reports from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the pilot attempted to activate the plane’s emergency parachute system after experiencing instrument failure in clouds and getting the plane in “an unusual attitude.” The pilot told controllers he was going to launch the emergency parachute, “but the chute didn’t fire until after the airplane landed in the field,” the AOPA reported. The company did report that the pilot had not complied with a recent service bulletin to reduce the pull force, but the company has changed its handbook to include warnings that pull forces of “up to 100 pounds force, or greater, may be required to activate the rocket.” It’s a good thing that doesn’t apply to the reserve activation of your skydiving gear. Yet that is what is expected of Cirrus pilots. As for skydivers and pilots with chutes on their backs, the maximum pull force is 22 pounds, which is a much more reasonable ripcord pull for the operator. We recommend sticking with standard parachutes until Cirrus works out the bugs.

Many outside of skydiving would think we have a morbid fascination with death as each month the United States Parachute Association publishes detailed articles in Parachutist on all the skydiving-related deaths. Each report details the cause of death, what actions preceded the accident, how the accident actually occurred and what actions could have prevented the fatality. Parachutist also publishes an end-of-the-year report, which breaks the deaths down into categories and compares the fatality accident to previous years. The writers usually are looking for trends in skydiving gear, actions under canopy, types of parachute or freefall disciplines involved, and types of gear or aircraft issues. Other sources, such as Skydiving Magazine, provide more of a human touch to the fatality reports. Skydiving Magazine usually publishes articles each month on fatalities and includes quotes from those at the accident site, names of those involved and any relevant information that may have contributed to the accident. And for those who looking for quicker reports with a bit more raw information, check out the newsgroup rec.skydiving, or even better, the web site www.skydivingfatalities.com. The web site includes fatalities outside of the U.S. as well. The web site’s author continuously updates the reports as information is sent to him. He also gives his theory on how the accident could have been prevented. And that is the real reason skydivers read up on fatality reports as much as possible. Some of us sometimes get a little complacent when nothing dangerous happens for a while and reading these reports reminds us all of the inherent dangers in our sport. By going through the different scenarios in our own mind we are able to work out the accidents with a better conclusion with either the correct procedures, better awareness or safer gear. Stay up on recent fatalities at www.skydivingfatalities.com.

Mike on 05.27.02 @ 03:24 PM EST

Thursday, May 20th 2002
Rigging Errors/Erik Johnson’s Book

“Damn, I’m glad I’m a rigger.” I hear that phrase uttered more and more these days from fellow rigger Adam Wheeler as well as from myself. It’s usually upon opening a reserve container packed by another rigger or inspecting old, worn gear that no other rigger has grounded or refused to pack until repaired or updated. As parachute riggers who have their “license” to do rigging work from the Federal Aviation Administration, we are hired by skydivers, manufacturers, drop zones and pilots to inspect, repair, modify and repack skydiving and emergency parachute gear. Still, some riggers either don’t care, are complacent or have insufficient training and see themselves as just packers or people who just keep other skydivers legal with repack dates written on a packing data card. Being a rigger has much more responsibilities than just making sure the reserve is “in date.” One of the simplest jobs of a rigger is following the manufacturer manuals for packing a reserve and closing the container. You would be surprised on how many riggers either can’t read or fail to follow the instructions on where the reserve bridle is stowed, where the excess reserve pilot chute material is placed, the order of flap closure or the placement of the pilot chute. Doing any of these items wrong can lead to an obstructed or delayed pilot chute launch. In addition, sometimes the container or parachute is either damaged or has outlived its useful, safe life. Some riggers will continue packing the reserve while turning a blind eye to the age or condition of the components. It is very important your rigger has a keen eye for inspection, knows how to test skydiving gear to determine if it’s airworthy and can either make the repairs or has the guts to ground the gear if it’s unsafe. We recently grounded a 20-year-old tandem reserve that miserably failed a 40-pound pull test. We have also found Cypres units routed incorrectly and reserves closed wrong. Know your rigger.

There’s a new book on the market geared toward skydiving students as well as those who haven’t jumped or may never jump. I received a copy of “Understanding the Skydive” from the author, Erik Johnson, a few weeks ago and am almost finished reading it. More than anything else, I have found the book to give a thorough introduction into a sport not many people understand except those who actively partake in it. This is a perfect book for that friend or family member always asking “Why do you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” Johnson thoroughly and accurately describes all of the elements of sport skydiving that can easily be understood by any whuffo. Topics include levels of skydivers, operations of a drop zone, role of instructors, riggers and pilots, types of aircraft and how they are modified for skydiving use, training methods, types of competitions, the weather’s role in skydiving and basics on the equipment used. All of these topics will give your family or friends a better idea on why you skydive and what you get out of it. The book may further inspire those friends or family members to take the plunge themselves. On top of all of this information, Johnson also delves into the basics of emergency procedures, canopy control, risks of skydiving and the different types of skydiving disciplines available. While some of these topics may be too much information for your typical whuffo, this is what also makes the book an ideal reference for student skydivers. I know when I was a student skydiver, I was hungry for any book whatsoever on the sport. This book is a great supplement to Dan Poynter’s “The Skydiver’s Handbook.” Johnson is an AFF Instructor, Tandem Instructor, Parachute Rigger and Military Parachutist who made his first jump 14 years ago. He also walked me through my first reserve inspection and repack as well as taught me many skills as a student skydiver. Check out his book at this link.

Mike on 05.20.02 @ 03:23 PM EST

Thursday, May 13th 2002
Rig Choices/Skyventure Expansion

Skydivers in the market place for gear sometimes fail to consider the age or condition of gear and instead put all their faith in a brand name. Top-of-the-line gear manufacturers tout how freefly friendly their gear is today and some jumpers mistakenly believe that gear made by these manufacturers 5 or 10 years ago is just as safe for freeflying. There is no doubt that some of today’s better freefly friendly manufacturers of rigs include Mirage, Sun Path, Relative Workshop, Rigging Innovations and Velocity Sports Equipment. Still, rigs made by these same manufacturers 5 years ago do not have the same level of pin, bridle, handle, riser or pilot chute protection. Just because it has the same name, does not mean it is the same product. I hear some comments on how Altico, which manufactures the Dolphin, is no where near as freefly friendly as these other manufacturers. Students looking for an inexpensive rig are usually led in the wrong direction as jumpmasters, fellow skydivers and the like recommend their worn-out used gear instead of buying an inexpensive new rig such as the Dolphin. Without a doubt, a new Dolphin is a much better deal and has much better bridle, pin and pilot chute protection than nearly all rigs built 5 years ago. On top of all that, I observe many new and experienced jumpers who have spent $2,000 on a brand new freefly friendly container and they find numerous ways to make it dangerous in freefall. It doesn’t matter how great the bridle, pin and pilot chute protection is on a new rig if skydivers fail to use the protective flaps correctly or fail to follow the manufacturer instructions. I routinely observe closing loops that are too long, parachutes too big or small for containers, bridle not under protective flaps or secured with Velcro, riser flaps not completely secured and much more. Regardless of which rig you choose, make sure you know how the rig works, the condition of the gear and the required maintenance.

Skyventure, the Florida wind tunnel that has been a boon to skydivers (especially students and 4-way teams) has announced plans for several more tunnels across the country. In a press release dated May 4, 2002, Skyventure announced plans for a second wind tunnel in Florida along with new wind tunnels in Southern California, New Jersey, Chicago and Texas. For civilians, the Skyventure tunnel built in Orlando in 1997 by inventor Bill Kitchen was the first wind tunnel to come close to real freefall training. For 4-way teams it has become a necessary part of yearly training and many drop zones and teams have run freefall skills camps at the tunnel. As a 4-way competitor, my team uses the tunnel several times every year. The company further announced that Alan Metni, a former member of Arizona Airspeed, has joined Skyventure as CEO and has brought TunnelCamp.com underneath Skyventure. Already under construction is Skyventure Arizona, which will be located 45 minutes from Skydive Arizona in Eloy. The company reported this new wind tunnel will produce 45 percent more power than the Orlando tunnel and be faster, smoother and quieter. Upgrades to the Orlando tunnel are also in the works, the company said. And for the cold weather climates, Skyventure announced it has plans for recirculating the air. Skyventure has also begun franchise operations in Malaysia and is building a tunnel in the UK for the military. What this means for skydivers worldwide is more skydiving, better skills and more formation skydiving teams. The one “good” tunnel in the U.S. made it difficult for most of the skydiving public to make the trip on a regular basis. But with tunnels going up scattered across the country, many more skydivers will make trips to the tunnel a regular occurrence. For the full text of the press release and other recent news items from Skyventure, check out their web site at this link.

Mike on 05.13.02 @ 03:23 PM EST

Thursday, May 6th 2002
Canopy Materials/Coaching Programs

Raven Dash-M manufacturer Precision, under scrutiny by Skydiving Magazine for recent reserve failures, took another hit when fellow canopy manufacturer Performance Designs sent a letter to dealers comparing its reserves to Precision’s reserves. In the letter dated March 22, 2002, PD states, “While we don’t wish to second guess the logic of other manufacturers’ design approach, we are very willing to discuss the logic and reasoning behind our product development.” Still, the company does in a way leave a dealer or jumper “second-guessing” Precision’s reserves because of the format in which PD presents its information. PD has a two-page chart in its letter that details the difference in materials, construction and stitching between the Precision Raven Dash M reserves and PD reserves. PD of course explains the reasoning behind each of its design parameters but there is no reasoning given for Precision’s design decisions. PD also was unable to verify its information on Precision’s materials. According to PD, “We have listed our best estimate of materials used in the Precision product based on knowledge of materials and our brief inspection, but cannot verify that the information is correct.” That in itself is irresponsible reporting by PD. In its chart, PD claims a higher strength line tab, line tab bartack thread, load rib leading edge and stabilizer line attachment. PD also discusses its reasoning behind a slider with a vent, using only uncoated fabric and using untreated line. At the end of its letter, PD does give reason to believe highly in its product with detailed information on its testing. PD indicates the new PR-113 and PR-106 reserves were drop tested at 300 pounds and 180 knots, while the PR-281 was tested at 360 pounds and 180 knots. Precision has issued a service bulletin for its reserves that may fail due to the lack of a second bartack on some line attachment points. The bulletin is available at this link.

Young jumpers are progressing at a high rate these days as numerous teams have arrangements with drop zones to offer free or discounted coaching. These 1-on-1 or small group coaching dives help young jumpers progress tremendously after graduating from a student freefall program. Most team members are well versed in their particular field of skydiving and are able to pass along tips, techniques and advice that enable young jumpers to bypass many of the trial and errors teams went through to get to where they are today. In Georgia, two 4-way teams have helped out start-up teams score on a competitive level from their first competition. Nemesis, along with Mr. Pink, have helped the members of the new Georgia Tech skydiving team, GT Inviscid, in their first year of competitive 4-way skydiving. In Mr. Pink’s first year of competitive skydiving in 1997, the team had to travel to Florida or bring in coaches from out of state. Start-up teams or young jumpers in Georgia now have coaching resources at their home drop zone. Mr. Pink also has helped coach the new team Delusional as well as second-year team 5 Minute Call. And 4-way teams are not the only ones benefiting from the coaching from Mr. Pink and Nemesis. The two teams regularly coach young jumpers interested in 2-ways or 3-ways or the like. At Atlanta Skydiving Center, Mr. Pink offers free coaching 7 days a week to jumpers interested in honing their relative work skills. Freefly jumpers are also getting a bit of coaching from Team Method. The freefly team based out of Atlanta Skydiving Center for the summer offers free organizing 7 days a week. For a fee, coaching with video also is available from the team. For more information on Team Method’s program, visit the team’s web site at www.team-method.com. Mr. Pink’s web site is at www.mrpink.tv. Contact Mr. Pink for more information on the coaching schedule.

Mike on 05.06.02 @ 03:22 PM EST