As a student, your instructor taught you (or should have taught you) how to perform a proper gear inspection, as well as basic rig maintenance such as replacing a closing loop and maintaining the 3-ring release system. Remember that training? If a recent Safety Day seminar gives any indication, the answer is probably not! During the seminar, a USPA Safety and Training Advisor had participants examine an intentionally fouled-up rig to try to find 17 different rigging errors. A surprising number of participants missed basic items such as leg straps that were improperly routed through the friction adapters, a misrouted main bridle and an incorrectly assembled 3-ring system. Surprisingly, the newly licensed jumpers scored better than the more experienced skydivers! more »

During normal use, a slider will repeatedly rub against the washers that are inside the slider stops and create friction. Over time, this friction can wear the stabilizer fabric, eventually creating holes that can expose the metal washers inside. These washers then wear on the slider grommets, which can create burrs on the grommets that will damage the canopy’s suspension lines during every deployment. In a worst-case scenario, the washer could fall out and allow the slider to trap part of the stabilizer in one of its grommets. This would likely cause a streamer malfunction, as the slider would be stuck all the way at the top of the lines. more »

Brought to you by AXIS Flight School Instructors Brianne Thompson and Niklas Daniel at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. Photos by Travis Mills. For more information visit axisflightschool.com or search “Axis Flight School” on Facebook. more »

While visiting a drop zone that was not his home DZ, a jumper gave his equipment to a rigger for a routine inspection and repack. When performing the inspection, the rigger noticed some problems with the reserve pin. The pin, which should be straight, had a noticeable bend, as well as numerous abrasions along its shaft and on its eye. It was also difficult to move, even side to side. The investigating rigger suspected that the bend was from the previous rigger using a positive-leverage device that allowed him to use an excessive amount of force when tightening the closing loop. The scratches on the eye were likely due to the previous rigger using pliers in order to get a better grip on the pin for insertion. The scratches along the shaft may have been due to the use of pliers or from the pin rubbing against the grommet on which it sat. more »