TETRAHEDRON WANTED

Tetrahedrons are recommended for all skydiving Landing Zones. Everyone just lands the same way as the tetrahedron is pointing. If anyone wants to do something weird, like out-of-the-pattern swoops or downwind landings, they need to get out on a low pass, or open and lurk high so they are unquestionably out of everyone else's way both in the air and landing.

Please email me if you have one for sale or know where we can get a tetrahedron wind indicator. The only tetrahedron manufacturer I found does not seem to answer emails or phone calls. Fortunately, they are easy and cheap to make if you are good with tools.

Various companies have emailed me saying they plan to manufacture one, but none actually make them so far, and there is TetraDirect who did not return emails nor phone calls and whose website seems not to have been updated in about 6 years- some correct me if I am wrong about them.

EMAIL ME skydive@cfw.com

2002 -

Stewart made one out of PVC 2" & 1" pipe and Cordura fabric, a little plywood and lazy susan bearing, and a couple telescoping pipes with a cap on one mounted in the ground. Thanks to Stewart Dube's efforts, ours is a safer place to skydive.

January, 2003- a potential supplier of such a wind indicator emailed me. Here is his information:

Came across your request for a tetrahedron on the internet.

Are you still looking for one?

We are in the process of building a so called “T” wind indicator for a customer here in Florida .

The one we will be building, will have LED’s for lights.

We have been in business for over 25 years and have our own fabrication department, along with

powder paint capabilities.

If we can be of service, please e-mail or call.

Thanks

Lyle Hasty

laser@tcstraffic.com

Transportation Control Systems

1030 86^th street south

Tampa , FL 33619

Phone 813-630-2800

Fax 813-630-2801.

I could not find one myself, so we made one from 2" PVC plastic pipe, I think it is three 10' pieces and I don't know how long the equilateral triangle on the big end is, probably 5'on each side. There is a 22 pound weight in the tip. After it is built, we put a pipe under it to find the center of gravity then mounted a steel pipe flange* and pipe to the bottom. We buried a slightly bigger (in diameter) pipe with a cap on the buried end in the ground for the pipe with the tetrahedron to slide down into so it can spin free. It is covered with Orange Cordura, which you can order from Para Gear.

*steel pipe flange like on the photo:

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/10133137/Pipe_Flange.summ.jpg

PVC Pipe, PVC glue , Steel Pipe flange, Pipe cap, and pipe should be in stock at most Lowes or home depot, just make sure one pipe fits inside the other, and I think we poured a half quart of oil inside the bigger (buried) one so it will turn free. I think 1-1/4" and 1-1/2", or 1-1/2" and 2" galvanized steel pipe should work together.