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sdub2221

Pilot Chute "hesitation"

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The first time this happened I pulled and was ready for deployment, but nothing happened. The actual deployment was way longer than normal, so I quickly moved my hand toward my reserve handle and out comes my main. I guess I disrupted the burble when I moved my arms? Im not sure, but I have noticed that this has happened about 3 or 4 times in my last 20 jumps or so. Honestly it scares the shit out of me.. Im going to let one of the experienced instructors or riggers look at my pilot chute, but I was wondering has anyone had this problem. Is it time for a new PC?

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On a related note, does anyone know a good place to get a pilotchute? Does it come with a bridle too?
My friend is having some slight hesitations on his mirage rig, and i think he'd benefit from a new and bigger zp pilotchute and a longer bridle.



Talk to a rigger before changing the size and/or material of a pilotchute. It may be that it's best to stay with what size/material he has and just replace it with something new. Not only that, but the slight hesitation may be the normal hesitation of the deployment sequence. How long is the hestiation?

and yes, PCs (at least kill-line collapsibles) come with the bridle.

Talk to the manufacturer of his container or talk to Cazer if a replacement is needed.

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reply]I guess I disrupted the burble when I moved my arms? Im not sure, but I have noticed that this has happened about 3 or 4 times in my last 20 jumps or so. Honestly it scares the shit out of me.. Im going to let one of the experienced instructors or riggers look at my pilot chute, but I was wondering has anyone had this problem. Is it time for a new PC?



It SHOULD scare the shit out of you!

There are a few things that could contribute to this. 1st, make sure you're giving a good throw. If you're just kind of flopping the PC out of the pocket vs. throwing it, there is an increased risk that it could get caught in the burble. 2nd, how old is the PC, and what fabric? PC's do wear out, and F-111 ones wear out faster (although the fact that they are larger sometimes offsets that). If it's got 500+ jumps on it, you might consider replacing it even if it appears in good condition (I recently had to replace my PC that had about 500 jumps on it because it started hesitating a LOT no matter how hard I threw it... it's condition looked great). Another question is how large is the PC? A common Para-gear size is 27" diameter... the smaller you go, the more likley that it can get stuck in your burble, especially as it wears (part of my problem was I had a 22" PC... worked great at first but not so much later. I replaced it with a 27").

People here are correct to refer you to a rigger before replacing, however please go to him asap! preferably before your next jump. Unless you are jumping a canopy that tends to open very fast, there really isn't much reason to get any smaller than a 27" ZP PC, which you can buy from Para-gear for about $125 (Monkey-fist Kill-line PC is a great choice and should arrive within a week). If you look around you can probably find a better price, just make sure you know what you're getting (size, material, handle type).
"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

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If you have a collapsible kill-line PC, make sure the kill line is long enough that you're able to cock it fully. Don't go by the color in the window, but by the PC itself. I'd bet the above reference to Bill Booth's discussion covers this. If you're not sure how to determine kill line length on your own, ask a rigger.

Kill lines shrink over time. If this is the case with your gear, getting it replaced should be quick and will cost $20 - $30 or so vs. the cost of a whole new PC.

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check your kill line lenght.when you fully cock the PC,then have a look inside the PC itself, the kill line inside it should be slightly longer than the set limiter tapes.normally small white1/2 in tape that stops you over cocking a PC.
make sure you have the right size PC in regards to your canopy.if my memory is correct it should be 3% of your main size.
have you any holes in the PC? especially check around the handle or hackey sack,thats where normal wear and tear occures.
another option,get a camera guy to film your deployment,just pull a bit higher thatn normal,maybe that will indicate the problem.
but your best bet is to get it checked out before your next jump by your rigger.he or she shouldb be able to spot any normal problems

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