24390 Aviation Ave., Davis, CA, 95616 - (530) 753-2650 - sales@actionair.com


Course Overview
February, 2003

To all perspective Senior Rigger's Course Candidates:

Thank you for your
interest in Action Air Parachutes, Inc. Senior Rigger's Course.
This course was designed, from the onset, to teach skydivers already
familiar with parachute equipment about rigging. We have graduated
over 25 Candidates in the past two years alone, all with back ratings, but
other type ratings are available. Here's some additional information
about our Senior Rigger's Course. As you are aware, the cost of the
course for a skydiver is currently $900 plus testing fees and texts
(approximately $265 in testing fees and $155.00 (plus CA tax) for texts).
Additional days of instruction, if needed for individuals who have taken
the AAP Course, are billed at $100/day. (Rigging Instruction for non-
course participants is generally $150/day). The enclosed syllabus and
tentative schedule shows you how the course is run. We do require a
minimum of 3 participants. Our maximum class size is seven.

Additionally, Action Air Parachutes offers one-on-one rigger training,
including specialized training, for $1800 per week, per person - not
including tests or texts. All classes are overseen by certified Master
Riggers, and assisted by senior riggers. In this way, you glean
information from a variety of sources all during one week of instruction.
I am including a schedule, but as an overview, the plan is to do a show
and tell on packing reserve parachutes, as done here at Action Air
Parachutes, on Friday beginning at 5:00PM. Following that, you will
have Saturday through Tuesday to get most of your required pack jobs
out of the way. If necessary, you can also do some packing later in the
week, but you must have your 20 pack jobs completed before you
take the written test. Four candidates can easily pack in the loft (one on
the table, three on the floor), while one or two more work with the sewing
machines for familiarity and practice in patching. We also have work
stations available for computer based study for the written test. I would
suggest you plan to use your own skydiving equipment for many of the
pack jobs, however rigs by other manufacturers will be available for
variety. Plan for about 15 ram-air and 5 round canopy pack jobs.

We tentatively plan to have you take the written test in Sacramento on
Thursday of the course week at Sky Walk, Inc. at the Sacramento
Executive Airport, across from the Main Terminal. You must take the letter
we give you to certify your pack jobs, 8610-A forms, your rigger's log
book as well as two forms of picture ID. The fee is $65 for the written test.

To aid you in study, we suggest you purchase Dan Poynter's The
Parachute Rigging Course. It contains both written and oral practice
sections, and is available from Action Air Parachutes. You may also want
to purchase Dan Poynter's Parachute Manual, Volume I & 2 (The
Parachute Rigging Course assumes you have these reference books).
One other essential manual is the Sewing Machine Maintenance Guide,
also available from AAP. Of course, we have these books plus many
other rigging related supplies in stock. See 'Texts' section below.

You may want to carpool to the site of the written test (about a half-hour's
ride). Sky Walk can only test two people at a time, but it is a short 50
question, computer administered and graded test.
You receive your score immediately.
Once you have your pack jobs and written test out of the
way, we can schedule you for your oral and practical tests with
Ray Ferrell, President of Action Air Parachutes, Inc. and an FAA
Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner. The tests begin with the oral
examination, which you should be well prepared for by the studying you
did for the written test as well as from the questions presented in the oral
section of your study guide. Ray commonly asks about industry
materials, rigger privileges, and FARS (if you don't know what these
are, get studying!). Next you will be given a practical test concerning both
parachute packing and sewing machine operation (including adjustment
and tension settings). The test usually takes between three and four
hours. Ray's fee for the test is $200 for the first 3 hours plus an hourly rate
of $50/hr thereafter. We are tentatively scheduling test periods beginning
Friday of your course week. We do have camping facilities available, but a
more comfortable place to stay near the DZ would be the Valley Oaks Inn
in Woodland (7 miles), and they offer a skydiver's discount (530-666-5511).
Let us know if we can help with any other logistics.

Sincerely,
Ray Ferrell
FAA Master Rigger
President, Action Air Parachutes

_____________________

Tentative Course Schedule

Friday 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM -- Course Overview
Friday 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM -- Reserve Packjob Explanation
Saturday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM -- Supervised pack jobs Staff
Sunday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM -- Supervised pack jobs Staff
Monday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM -- Supervised pack jobs Staff
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM -- Sewing & packing practice Staff
Wednesday 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM -- Supervised pack jobs Staff
Thursday (By Appointment) Written Test Day
Friday (By Appointment) Written Test Day (if needed)
Friday 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Prac. Test #1 (one candidate only) Ray Ferrell
Saturday 8:00 AM - Noon Prac. Test #2 (one candidate only) Ray Ferrell
Saturday 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM Prac. Test #3 (one candidate only) Ray Ferrell
Sunday 8:00 AM - Noon Prac. Test #4 (one candidate only) Ray Ferrell
___________________

Recommended Senior Rigger's Course Texts

Parachute Rigger's Course Poynter and Schlatter,
Para Publishing, Santa Barbara, CA 1994 - $19.95

The Parachute Matrial Sample Book Strong Ent.,
Orlando FL, 1996 - $25.00

The Parachute Manual: A Tech.l Treatise on Aerodynamic Decelerators:
Vol. I (Round parachutes and equipment up to 1984).
Poynter Publishing, 1994 - $49.95

The Parachute Manual: A Tech. Treatise on Aerodynamic Decelerator:
Vol. II (Ram-air canopies and equipment from 1984 to present).
Poynter Publishing, 1998 - $49.95

Action Air Parachutes Sewing Machine Manual - $10.00
_____________________

Additional Loft Library Items

The Rigger's Source Book Deborah Blackmon,
Lake Elsinore CA, - $495.00
______________________


All Texts are available from Action Air Parachutes and can be shipped
anywhere in the world. Prices subject to change without notice based
on industry standards.Action Air Parachutes, Inc. Course Offering (As
paraphrased from Oct, 1997 Parachutist Magazine publication) Senior
Rigger Practical Test Preparation (back rating). $900 (plus approximately
$225 in testing fees - see below). This class is designed for the skydiver*
who is interested in passing the FAA requirements to allow basic
inspection and packing of an auxillary (reserve) parachute. It is not
intended to provide a broad base of rigging knowledge, but rather for
the jumper* who simply wants to provide inspection and re-certification
of the skydiver's main or reserve parachute. The class emphasizes the
basic knowledge and skills necessary to pass the practical test (FAR 65
paragraphs (a) and (c)) and assumes that the candidate already has
familiarity with packing a ram air canopy, some sewing skills, and the
written references available for rigging. The first four days of the class
are somewhat structured with the majority of the supervised repacks
occuring during this period. The remainder of the course is mainly self
paced with the written test tentatively scheduled for Thursday and
practical testing beginning Friday of the course week.

*While designed for a skydiver of at least "A" license level, the course is
available to someone with less experience for an additional fee to
compensate for the additional instruction required.Instruction and
supervision will be presented by the staff at Action Air Parachutes,
(which includes a Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner, Master
Riggers, and Senior Riggers) and will include the following information:

· The privileges and limitations of the Senior Rigger Rating.
· Discussion of scope of the oral portion of the practical test,
the practical test, and the written test.
· Inspection of a TSO'd Harness and Container system.*
· Inspection of a common reserve parachute - both circular and ram air.*
· Fabric testing.
· Inspection of a main parachute system.*
· Points to be aware of in packing emergency parachutes.
· Servicing of the common Automatic Activation Devices.
· Minor repairs.
· Information sources for the rigger.
· Suggestions for tools and facilities.
· Current industry problems as well as FAA ADs.
· Opportunity to practice reserve repacks and patching under supervision. Facilities will be made available, as necessary, to practice packing
both a round and square reserve parachute.**

**The skydiver's own equipment is recommended for this, but Action Air Parachutes will have equipment available ias necessary.Study for the
written tests (65 (b)) is expected to be done independently of this course,
but some of the modules above will supplement that knowledge. Both
the written test and the practical test required under FAR 65 (b)(c) can be
arranged to be taken during the course period for an additional fee of
approximately $65 and $160 respectively.


Call 1-888-77-ACTION to see when our next course is running!