Altitude awareness from deployment to inflation (or malfunction).

[sammielu 3]

How do you maintain altitude awareness during deployment?

I've started counting to 10 when I reach. My thinking is if I can't find a handle or can't pull it, move on to the next handle. I'm training myself to start "look, reach, look, pull, pull" at 5 seconds if I don't have canopy deployment (like in a combination of two tries to find/pull the handle, then I finally deploy and have a pilot chute in tow). I've done some hanging harness practice to skip handles if I can't find or pull them (since the only one I HAVE to pull is reserve). After 5 sec, if I am working out line twists or any other issue, the count tells me where I'm at on the way to my decision altitude.

Just in case you care:
I'm a full time static line instructor, jumping 20+ jumps per week, plenty of experience with students counting for their altitude awareness during 5 and 10 second delays and the static line jumps leading up to it (with me in the plane, counting along with them, I count ALL DAY LONG). I deploy above 3k and my personal decision altitude is 2k - I figure a 5 sec takes me from 3k to 2.5k, if I don't have a deployed canopy it's time to get one, and the full 10 sec gets me to 2k, when I would be finishing the "look reach look pull pull" part of my EPs and be pulling my reserve handle. I discuss altitude awareness all day and student EPs... I want make sure to think through my personal processes while I jump my butt off too - so thanks any feedback and your own methods of keeping track!!

[Remster 24]

Quote

I figure a 5 sec takes me from 3k to 2.5k

While at belly to earth freefall speed?

Remster

[mistercwood 287]

Remster

Quote

I figure a 5 sec takes me from 3k to 2.5k

While at belly to earth freefall speed?

My thoughts also (as a noob). I weigh very little and float like a mofo but I still cover 1k in about 6 seconds...?

You are playing chicken with a planet - you can't dodge and planets don't blink. Act accordingly.

[Rossco_DJ 0]

Keeping in mind i've only got 12 jumps, this is my thought process:

2 attempts to pull PC then straight to reserve.

Once i've thrown my PC, i'm counting 1000, 2000, 3000, and if i haven't felt the tug and started to slow down with the chute coming out over my head (which for me the tug happens usually somewhere around the 2000), i twist my shoulders to look up at the 4000 count incase its a PC hesitation, etc. then go back to arch to give the PC time to get off my back, and if i haven't got a canopy inflating - cutaway and reserve, or if when i twist to look and there's nothing out / bag lock, etc. its straight to emergency. - by this point i'm already through about 1000 - 1200 feet from the pc throw anyway. Time to get shit sorted.

If i DO feel the canopy out, I'm slowing down, and i can hear it opening, its get ready to grab the rear risers, look for other canopies in front of me that i might need to avoid, and then look up and do a canopy check. I can twist my left arm and check my alti at the same time, so if something is wrong i already have an idea of where i'm at. If there's something majorly wrong with the canopy i'm guessing i'll know by the time i'm ready to look up anyway because i'll probably be spinning or it will sound like its flapping like crazy but i can still have a glance at my alti when I'm looking at my handles to grab them.

Fingers crossed i'll have my head clear when this happens to me!

[AfghanVet 0]

sammielu

HI figure a 5 sec takes me from 3k to 2.5k, if I don't have a deployed canopy it's time to get one, and the full 10 sec gets me to 2k

With 750 jumps you should not have this misconception.

Unless you're flying a wing suit, you lose about 1,000 feet every 5.5 seconds.

Since your pull habits are based upon incorrect math, you need to re-calculate everything and re-think your procedures.

5 seconds takes you from 3k to 2.1 k.
A full 10 seconds gets you to 1,250 feet! Don't do that.

[chuckakers 370]

sammielu

I've started counting to 10 when I reach.

So what happens if you have a mal and count too slowly?

I suppose counting is one way of maintaining temporal awareness but I wonder if it might also serve to slow down your reaction time since counting is a conscious process requiring at least a small part of your brain power while under extreme stress in the case of a mal.

I tend to use pattern recognition. I know what normal is, so when things go down differently it stands out like a sore thumb. Things like a weak pilot chute launch, a longer than normal snivel, and the onset of a turn all grab my attention during deployment and cause me to go into "get ready" mode.

Given the short amount of time between deployment and the need to chop a mal, I personally think just having that time frame stamped into your brain is the best bet.

You can also use the "three oh shit" rule. After the "normal" amount of time passes and you still don't have a good canopy, try to clear it for no more than the time it takes to yell "OH SHIT" 3 times and then go to EP's. It's kind of the same thing as counting but much more entertaining.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[IJskonijn 38]

AfghanVet

5 seconds takes you from 3k to 2.1 k.
A full 10 seconds gets you to 1,250 feet! Don't do that.

Are you assuming terminal velocity or exit-at-3000ft velocity? If he's dropping static liners it could very well be the latter, after hauling in the bags and thanking the pilot.

At my home DZ we train a lot of static line students (not me personally, I'm not an instructor), but they are taught that 10 seconds takes you the first 1000ft, and after that it's 1000ft per 5 seconds.

[sammielu 3]

Crap am I over thinking this! Look, reach, look, pull, pull is faster that 5 sec, and my entire count is faster as well - it might take a whole second for that first reach, but the rest of the steps are faster. I'm going to keep counting because it's a good reminder to keep the process moving and not get stuck on one handle if I can't find it.

Thanks for bearing with me! I deleted a whole book of a reply trying to work out scenarios with seconds and altitudes before I realized that either my count was off or all of you trying to help me (and my altimeter's record of opening altitudes for all my jumps and my one malfunction) were off.
:)

[lyosha 46]

Pull, count to one, should feel force from risers on shoulders. If that's not there, I have a problem.

[JohnMitchell 14]

When the trees get to be a certain size, I know it's time for the reserve.

This advice does not work at Eloy, Perris, etc.