firstime 0 #26 February 23, 2009 search for "lucky & stupid" in the incidents thread. That was me looking for a flapping hackey that nearly killed me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodhisattva420 0 #27 February 24, 2009 I read your post "Lucky & Stupid" . . . SCARY SHIT! I too saw my pilot chute fly past me . . . thank god I didn't end up with a horseshoe like you because I don't carry a hook knife! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #28 February 24, 2009 right!!!.. it took over 20 posts, which incorrectly dealt with LOOKING,,, before we got the proper answer.... 5 second delays are the worst... The student has lost the usable relative wind from the exit propwash,,, has now fallen into that slow and sluggish airspeed which is inherent, at the 3, 4 ,5 second stage, and has not yet Accelerated up to freefall speeds which begin to approach terminal velocity... take the plane UP another 500 feet or a grand,, and FREEFALL... Lock out a nice relaxed arch... and just about the time that the wind starts to whistle in your ears... Deploy! A friend who now has thousands of jumps often tells me about the time he was" stuck on 5 seconds",,,and I jumpmastered him out of the cessna.. I asked the pilot for 4 -FIVE , told my friend,, "we NOW have given you , a nice altitude cushion,,, do a good exit, get squared away,,WATCH the aircraft as you leave,,,RESIST the initial "urge to pull", THEN, do a controlled wave offf and deploy". The plane was going to a higher exit altitude ANyway,, so WHY??? dump the student out at 3,200, or 3,500??.... do one more turn , and get the poor novice some AIR...My friend claims that THAT approach absolutely helped to "get over that stage", in into terminal freefall....so... that seems to work..But AS mentioned here earlier... review and discuss, with YOUR instructor, always maintain altitude awareness, and press through that 5 second "void".. as for the quote,,," I'll put you Back on the SL" didn't that sort of "threat" get phased OUT, about 20 years ago.jmy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,421 #29 February 24, 2009 >The plane was going to a higher exit altitude ANyway,, so WHY? dump >the student out at 3,200, or 3,500? Careful there! Extend that logic any further and you're at AFF. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #30 February 24, 2009 QuoteI read your post "Lucky & Stupid" . . . SCARY SHIT! I too saw my pilot chute fly past me . . . thank god I didn't end up with a horseshoe like you because I don't carry a hook knife! You've just told yourself one good reason why you should get one. Now. (There are other good reasons, too, like a reserve mal...) In some countries, it's mandatory to have a hook knife on you when you jump. Not the US, but it still illustrates that many in the sport view that piece of gear not as a luxury, but as essential to maximizing your chances of staying alive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanflite 0 #31 February 25, 2009 QuoteQuoteI read your post "Lucky & Stupid" . . . SCARY SHIT! I too saw my pilot chute fly past me . . . thank god I didn't end up with a horseshoe like you because I don't carry a hook knife! You've just told yourself one good reason why you should get one. Now. (There are other good reasons, too, like a reserve mal...) In some countries, it's mandatory to have a hook knife on you when you jump. Not the US, but it still illustrates that many in the sport view that piece of gear not as a luxury, but as essential to maximizing your chances of staying alive. Good point! It is mandatory to carry a hook knife in the Uk for A certificate holders and upwards (not students though for obvious reasons) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #32 February 25, 2009 I don't carry a hook knife! ???? The same day that I had this (not a mal... but F%ck up) mikey G sold every hook knife he had in stock from the 10 jump ppl to the 1000's of jump ppl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bodhisattva420 0 #33 February 25, 2009 I was just wondering where I should place a hook knife when jumping student gear with a student jumpsuit. I currently don't own any gear and I think a hook knife will be my first purchase. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanG 1 #34 February 25, 2009 Talk to your instructors. If they want you to have a hook knife, they'll lend you one. It's unlikely they'll want you to have a hook knife. - Dan G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #35 February 25, 2009 I defer to your credentials. In countries where hook knives are not mandatory, at what minimum experience/capability level would you recommend newer jumpers carry one? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanG 1 #36 February 25, 2009 My credentials suck. Thanks for the deference, though. I don't know if there are any guidelines out there for USPA, but I find it unlikely that anyone would want a student with 10 jumps carrying a hook knife. In reality hook knives are very, very rarely the answer. I would think most people would rather their students spend time drilling standard EP's. I'd hate to see a student whip out the hook knife to fix a main toggle stow issue and go in with a perfectly good reserve on their back. I personally carry a hook knife, but know that if it ever comes out of the pocket I've run out of all other options. As a disclaimer, I'm not an Instructor, just a Coach. At my DZ we do not outfit students with hook knives, but once they get their license, they're free to buy one and put it on the rental gear. And to the poster to whom I first replied, I personally would not encourage you to make a hook knide your first bit of skydiving gear. Most people buy a helmet, altimeter, gloves, or goggles first. If you do buy a hook knife, spend a bunch of time talking to your instructors about when it is or isn't appropriate to use it. And if they decide that you should wear one, you'll need to practice with it. Not actually cutting anything, but getting it out without dropping it, and figuring out where and how to make different cuts to solve different problems. Again, talk to your instructors and don't believe anything you read on the Internet. Especially from idiots like me. - Dan G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ufk22 32 #37 March 5, 2009 QuoteOn my last two five second delays I went unstable at pull time. I'm jumping a student rig with a spring loaded pilot chute. My instructor said that I move my head too much when i look for my ripcord and that's probably messing up my arch causing me to go unstable. Should i change my count from arch - arch - look - reach - pull to arch - arch - ARCH - reach - pull? Any advice would be appreciated! First of all, listen to your instructor. If the procedure he's teaching is "look, reach, pull", follow the procedure. The fact that other dz's with other equipment teach something different dowsn't mean what you're taught is wrong, just that it's different, so do what you're told. With the old handle system, not looking might mean you grab harness or altimeter rather than your handle. The trick is to move your arms and your head without moving your torso. Practice this. Stand in your X-arch and try moving your arms and lowering your head without moving your shoulders or breaking your arch. It's not natural, but it can be easily done. It's a mind over mind thing. You're used to dropping your shoulder when you reach down. You're used to bending at the waist when you lower your head to look down. But.... You don't have to drop a shoulder to reach in with your arm. You don't have to bend at the waist to lower your head. Practice, practice, practice. Have someone watch you, or better yet, lightly rest their hands on your shoulders while you practice. You'll feel the pressure when you don't do it right, and no pressure when you do.This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2shay 0 #38 March 5, 2009 STOP looking for your deployment handle!!!don't try your bullshit with me!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darrenspooner 0 #39 March 17, 2009 Get yourself down the tunnel lad. You'll only bang the wall if you twist of go asymmetrical when you pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #40 March 18, 2009 I understand your problem. I was myself stuck there at 5 seconds for a while. Making the delay longer can solve the problem but also can generate more unstability (more speed, more force) especially if you start spinning. It is a hard time to spend but I am sure you will overcome that situation. Make sure when you reach for your main ripcord that you have the proper extension of the left arm to counter balance the right arm grabbing the ripcord. Repeat that on the ground extensively. Remember also to always have a good arch and a mental relaxation. After pull, resume your normal freefall position and look at the horizon. Very often when somebody turns his head in freefall he has the tendency to lower the opposite shoulder which will not help for stability. Tell us when being successful. As an instructor I am really concerned by this issue. Note: Maybe for a while stop taking coffee and/or smoking cigarette (if you are a smoker) before jumping. Have them after jumping instead. Doing so help me a lot when I was a student pilot.Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
