First Paradactyl Jump

Quote

Just curious...what sort of malfunction rate did the dactyls have? If people were using them as reserves as well as mains it makes me think they had to have fewer mals than ParaCommanders. Is this guess borne out by experience?

I had 500 jumps on PC's and my malfunction rate was Zero. I learned how to pack by watching the Golden Knights pack. As much as they jump with the experience they have they have to be efficient, and know exactly what needs to be done and doesn't.

During their demo's having a mal and ending up trying to land their round reserve could be exciting.

Watched the knight pack his delta two but didn't know what I was looking at but did notice he took his time Wonder what his mal rate was, or if he got extra hazardous duty pay.

R.I.P.

Quote

Can't remember exactly but isn't there a phenonom related to the Paradactyl about the nose rolling under and causing a situation where steering becomes reversed?

Nope. That was the Irvin Delta II parawing that used to do that. I used to have one. I have still have my Dactyl though. I haven't jumped it in years, but it's probably still good to jump. Maybe I'll drag it out sometime and air it out.

I believe he was out this weekend, I could even swear that he was sitting in the plane with us.

Quote

Quote

Can't remember exactly but isn't there a phenonom related to the Paradactyl about the nose rolling under and causing a situation where steering becomes reversed?

Nope. That was the Irvin Delta II parawing that used to do that. I used to have one. I have still have my Dactyl though. I haven't jumped it in years, but it's probably still good to jump. Maybe I'll drag it out sometime and air it out.

Would you still jump a Delta 2 in it's origional configuration?

What was the mal rate on the Dactyl Compared to the Delta 2.?

R.I.P.

Quote

Would you still jump a Delta 2 in it's origional configuration?

What was the mal rate on the Dactyl Compared to the Delta 2.?

R.I.P.

I probably would if I'd had enough to drink I suppose. I actually had the wrap that went around all the lines cut down a lot to speed up the openings. It was really weird to look up at the thing streaming while the lines came free from the wrap. Actually, I'd jump it again if I packed it. They were pretty reliable in their own way if you packed them right. Mind you, if you placed just one line in the wrong part of the wrap, the thing would just never open. At the time, I had it in a crossbow container with 1 1/2 shots and a talisman reserve mounted on top at the back of my head. If you had a mal, you had quite a lot to do to get off the main and under that reserve.

As for the Dactyl, it never had a problem, mainly because it's just a bedsheet with short lines. The one I have was actually used as a reserve.

Hi Gjhdiver

Back in the day I finally got the gut's to jump a delta 2. Set it up with the owner who had a reaonsable mal rate for the next load but by the time I got to the guy he already had the rig on.

IMO It wasn't worth switching rigs (what the hell I could wait to try it until the next load). We got on the load The guy jumped his delta I jumped my crappy P.C. We opened next to each other and he was a small dot before he cut away the delta.

Thats the closest I came to having a mal on the delta. Never did jump one. The suspension lines were color coded, the strap was color coded for wrapping the correct lines etc. But for some reason sometimes it just refused to work. It did have some nice forward speed when it worked.

R.I.P.

Was at Elsinore in '78 and a Brit was going to let me jump his Paradactyl.  However, he broke a line before I could jump it.  He also said "No hook turns under 800 feet or it'll go in to the Dactyl Dance of Death."  What was he talking about or was he just trying to scare/warn me?  Would appreciate anyone explaining this to me.  Thanks.