During a routine pre-jump gear check for another jumper, a Federal Aviation Administration Senior Rigger discovered an error with the reserve seal on the container. On closer inspection, this rigger discovered that the person who had packed the reserve, also an FAA Senior Rigger, had used two passes of red 4.5-pound seal thread instead of the one pass specified by the rig manufacturer’s instructions. He further observed that the rigger who had packed the reserve had passed the seal thread through the reserve closing loop and not around the outside of it as the instructions called for. more »

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

This tandem pair experienced a line-over malfunction during main canopy deployment. Jumpers can avoid this type of malfunction by taking care that the suspension and steering lines remain centered while they are packing. During a PRO pack of any canopy—sport or tandem—the lines will tend to move away from the center and toward the sides and nose of the canopy when the packer wraps the tail. This increases the risk of the lines looping around part of the canopy. To prevent this from causing a line-over malfunction, the packer should feel inside the canopy after wrapping the tail to make sure the lines are still centered and move them back toward the center if necessary. more »

Coaches and instructors are responsible for supervising students throughout the entire training process, skydive and debrief. While USPA’s certification courses simulate and evaluate these skills pretty well, much of the focus is often on ground training and freefall skills. Of course, the courses can’t cover every possible scenario and can only place strong emphasis on so many items, but we shouldn’t forget that one of our most essential responsibilities as rating holders is to make sure our students remain out of harm’s way while on the ground. This can be a bigger challenge than you might think. more »