P A R A C H U T I N G ' S N E W S M A G A Z I N E
Ask the Editor
Contents of Batch 23:
Where can I get a freefly tube?
Can an AAD be used by
paragliding pilots?
What qualifications and
training are required by DZ's for their pilots?
Can anyone join the Extreme
Canopy Pilots' Association?
Help, I'm an older jumper
and was terminated from AFF because of my age.
Which airlines do not allow
rigs as carry-on luggage?
Do parachute manufactures
sell their used demos or old stock canopies?
How can I get in touch with
Skydivers Over Sixty Society?
The following questions were submitted by visitors to our Web site and answered by the editor of Skydiving magazine. .
To ask a question of your own, click here.
Where can I get a freefly tube?
Q. Where can I buy a freefly tube?
A. Rigger Wayne Snyder makes them. He lives in Eloy, Ariz., and his telephone is (520) 466- 4737
Can an AAD be used by paragliding pilots?
Q. I’m a paraglider pilot who wants to know more about the automatic reserve parachutes worn by skydivers. Such a parachute might be a real asset to my sport.
A. The "automatic" reserves worn by many jumpers are simply standard, manually activated reserves that have been fitted with an automatic opener or "automatic activation device" or AAD.
An AAD is a small barometric device that opens the reserve-parachute container if the jumper falls below a certain altitude and exceeds a certain descent rate. Basically, it simply pulls the ripcord if the jumper doesn’t; it doesn’t help deploy the canopy.
Two companies, Airtec and FXC, make microprocessor-controlled AADs. Their products might be adaptable for use by pilots of paragliders and hang gliders.
We don’t know much about paragliding, but it seems one technical problem would be designing a parachute system that forcefully ejects the canopy from its container without the help of the user. The idea would be to help the parachute get into "clean air" to help prevent it from entangling with the paraglider. Unlike skydiving main canopies, paragliders are always deployed, and they’re never cut away in the air.
Some paraglider emergency parachutes, like the "tertiary" reserves worn by some skydivers, have long bridles and are packed in bags. The pilot deploys them by forcefully throwing the bagged canopy into the airstream.
Some modern ultralight parachutes use a rocket to deploy the canopy. Decades ago a company developed a chest-mounted reserve parachute that was deployed by compressed gas. No muscle power was needed.
Our point: It seems the technology already exists to create a paraglider emergency parachute that would probably work if the pilot was incapacitated or unaware of his altitude.
But the devil is in the details.
What qualifications and training are required by DZ's for their pilots?
Q. In nearly every issue there is an article about a skydivers’ plane crashing on takeoff due to engine failure. In open country where DZs are usually located, this is hard for me to understand. I would guess that one cause is complacency on the part of the pilot.
As a low-time pilot myself (135 hours), when I start my takeoff roll, I know where I’m going to set the plane down if the power fails below 1,000 feet.
Do the DZ pilots take periodic training in engine-out procedure in twins? They’re much more demanding than singles. I don’t believe the FAA requires anything more than the biennial flight review; that’s not enough. In almost every NTSB report it says the "pilot failed to maintain flying speed." In other words, he stalled the airplane.
What qualifications are required by the DZs for their pilots, other than the standard commercial license?
A. As you probably suspect, pilot qualification, training and proficiency requirements vary greatly from one DZ (or aircraft owner) to the next. The FARs serve as the legal minimums, and since most skydiving aircraft operate under FAR Part 91, those requirements aren’t very rigorous.
These days insurance companies have a significant role in saying who may fly a jump aircraft and what sort of initial and refresher training he or she receives. Their requirements often go far beyond those established by the FAA, and they usually include periodic training.
Some aircraft operators require that their pilots practice emergency procedures. But even when they do, the practice isn’t very realistic. Nor can it be: unexpectedly losing an engine down low is hazardous, especially at gross weight and with an aft CG (as jump aircraft often are). It would be like a skydiver training for a cutaway by rigging a baglock and then deploying at 2,000 feet at terminal — too risky.
We don’t know how often pilots are faced with dealing with a sudden loss of power; those instances where no one gets hurt or no metal gets bent don’t make it into the accident record. In other words, counting only accidents doesn’t give an accurate picture of how competent our pilots really are.
You’re of course right in saying a pilot should have a plan before every takeoff, just like a skydiver should mentally review his emergency procedures before every jump. But you also realize a plan doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome, especially when the situation is extra-critical.
And it’s always easy to criticize another aviator from the comfort of one’s armchair. It’s another thing to be up there wrestling with a monster.
Can anyone join the Extreme Canopy Pilots' Association?
Q. Is the Extreme Canopy Pilots’ Association open to anyone, or just those who compete at certain meets?
A. "We are open to everyone," reports director Lyle Presse. "Although we are involved with high-speed competitions, we are here to participate in and improve canopy control throughout the sport. We are a non-profit group; the $25 membership fees will be used for the benefit of all."
Help, I'm an older jumper and was terminated from AFF because of my age.
Q. The new manager at a nearby DZ recently terminated me from the AFF program for vague reasons. I’m an older man, but I can give a doctor’s certificate if needed.
He explained that a doctor’s certificate wasn’t the problem. He said his DZ turns people away for any reason that might become an issue if that person was injured and went to court and didn’t fit the profile of a typical skydiver. My problem was my age.
This amounts to rejecting anyone, anytime, if the chief instructor has a bad feeling about that person.
If I can find a DZ to continue jumping I can qualify as the oldest active freefall skydiver in the world. Any suggestions?
A. If I were you, I’d look for another place to jump.
Most DZs these days are businesses, and no business likes to turn away a customer.
But skydiving, like some other active sports, involves considerable risk and requires that the participant display a capable set of skills as well as the ability to cope with the demands of the sport. Deciding who may jump and who may not at any particular DZ at any particular time is a judgment call, one usually made by an instructor in concert with the DZ management.
From what you’ve written, the DZ management has apparently decided that it’s not in anyone’s best interest if you jump there. Although I’m certain it doesn’t like turning away a customer, it will do so if, in its judgment, safety is being unacceptably compromised.
But a different DZ might feel otherwise.
Which airlines do not allow rigs as carry-on luggage?
Q. I remember your magazine once named one airline in the U.S. that does not allow rigs as cabin luggage. What is that airline? I plan to go to the U.S. to jump a little bit and I would like to avoid surprises.
A. Although only a very few U.S. airlines have formal policies against carrying skydiving parachutes in the cabins of their aircraft, skydivers encounter problems while traveling on many different carriers.
The problem is often the security personnel at the X-ray stations, on the way to the gate. When there are problems, these people are often the ones that cause them. (They don’t work for the airlines.)
Rather than carry your parachute on board, the best solution might be to check it as baggage and insure it.
Recently several airlines have clarified their "parachutes are okay" policies, and this has helped some.
Cypres automatic openers can also be a problem at the X-ray stations. They apparently resemble bombs when X-rayed, and the fact that they contain lithium batteries and a very small explosive charge bothers some officials. The FAA has said Cypreses are okay, but the word hasn’t reached everyone.
Do parachute manufactures sell their used demos or old stock canopies?
Q. Here in New Zealand it is very hard to get good second-hand gear; there just isn’t a lot of it around. It is even harder if you are just looking at buying canopies alone. I like to buy new ones, but cannot afford to, what with the exchange rate working against us at the moment. What happens to demo or older stock canopies, and is it possible to buy these from the manufacturers or dealers? I’m not looking for the newest and best just something that is in good condition and safe.
A. Many U.S. dealers and manufacturers sell used canopies. Some are sold "as is," while others are "refurbished" (inspected, repaired if necessary, and often retrimmed and relined). You might contact some of them and let us know what you find out.
A few weeks later the jumper reported in:
I wrote all of the manufacturers and got replies from only some. (This was a little disappointing: I would have thought they all would have liked the chance to have new customers.) A few had used canopies for sale but I found Aerodyne Research to be the most helpful. By far it had the best prices; I was more than happy with its service. I was also looking for a reserve and went to the trouble of writing to the manufacturers, with the same result. This time I found Parachutes Australia to be the most helpful, and I got a good deal on one of its reserves. It’s worth the trouble of writing to the manufacturers if you’re looking for used gear — but don’t expect help from them all.
How can I get in touch with Skydivers Over Sixty Society?
Q. How do I contact SOS, the Skydivers Over Sixty society?
A. Contact Pat Moorehead, 3350 E. St. Francis Place, Long Beach, CA 90805.
SKYDIVING welcomes questions from its readers. All will get a prompt answer, and some will be published. Mail, fax or email them to sue@skydivingmagazine.com.
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