Derrick Steed wrote:
In article ,
Todd Pattist wrote:
Derrick Steed wrote:


Nothing personally against the parachute folks you go to (I have no
idea about them specifically), but isn't this like asking
the monkeys how often you should feed them bananas?
I assume they're making money per repack, right?

Reminds me of an instructor who's given over 500 hours dual in
the past two years and gotten one student through license.
His answer to every student: "you need more training!"

I did once meet a power flying instructor like that. My reasoning is going to the parachute club was this:
5. Surprise at the exchange of money for work is a real surprise coming from the home of capitalism.

Easy now. At my house I am considered "Chief Tightwad." Anyone
telling me I should accept a 100% or even 50% cost increase
(1 extra repack per season, and the season lasts 6 months or 1 year)
for what may be negligible improvement in safety (or even
a decrease in safety) is gonna get a lot of questions.

Perhaps a better question is:
"There are a bunch of riggers in other countries, including
the US PIA as a whole (by a 3:1 margin), and they say 180 days
is fine. How are you more qualified than them, or what is
different about the UK, the riggers here, my chute, or me
to warrant the 120 days instead?"

Then I'd ask if there was a different chute I could get that
would give me a longer repack cycle.

For the extra $50 to $100 a year, I'd expect a good answer.
But keep in mind I'm a serious TIGHTWAD. :P

By the way,
http://www.pia.com/piapubs/pia_posit...day_repack.htm
seems to think Great Britain has a six month cycle.
Dunno where that came from...

Rgds,

Derrick.

Derrick,

keep in mind none of this has anything to do with a critique
of you or the parachute rigger you use. I have no idea
about the answers to any of those questions, I'm sure you've done
a fine job looking into it, and there are other reasons to
do 120 day cycles (maybe it gets you in for an "egress refresher
course") which have nothing to do with the chute itself.
This is just an interesting subject, again, nothing about
anyone personally...ok?