What no pin check?

[Slink2 0]

I'm always amazed at the relatively few jumpers who get a pin check before exit. I always want to know my pins are in place before exit. Doing mostly solos I ask someone behind me to give me a pin check. Sometimes I go with the flow and just exit hoping everything is fine. I've jumped at four DZ's so far and it's mostly the same everywhere. Sometimes when asking for that gear check you get that "you pussy" glance. Yeah like I want a horseshoe today! Safety is preached constantly but sometimes don't you feel no one is practicing it! Like that cool one who rides to altitude with his legs straps off. Plane emergency, if he's in the way he's going out the door ready or not!

[PhreeZone 15]

I can check my own pin with just reaching so I don't need to ask for one. Also If I think I might have snagged anything I'll check it then and there. With a pin check before I put the rig on, and a personal check in the plane thats enough to make me happy. I'll ask if I am unsure, but at the same time I'm more then willing to check anyone elses main pin only. If you want more then that, you better specify EXACTLY what you want looked over.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[skybytch 259]

This has been discussed here recently, but anyway. I'll get a pin check in the plane from someone I know and trust, but I can pretty much tell if my bridle is routed correctly by feel so if there's no one near me that I feel is qualified to be touching my rig, I'd rather not get a pin check in the plane.

[Jimbo 0]

I check my reserve pin in the morning and my main pin before every jump. Like Phreezone I can reach around and tell if everything is OK. I'll ask for a pin check if I think I've done something that might dislodge it, but usually I'm pretty comfortable knowing that I was the last person to touch it.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Craig 0]

I'm with Phree on this. In the plane I do my best not to lean against anything with my pin covers and protect my hackey when moving in the plane or there are jumpers moving around me. If I am unsure about the condition of my pin(s) I will ask someone who I feel is knowledgeable with the rig I have. As a side note to the discussion don't be afraid to tell someone who requests a gear check with unfirmilar gear/flaps that you don't feel comfortable with checking them, I have had to do this once myself. Also if I find something that needs fixing I will tell the jumper what I want to do, i.e. seat pin fully...fix bridle, close riser cover etc. so they know what prodding is going on back there.

[Slink2 0]

Ok I didn't realize that most jumpers are checking themselves...no wonder the "you pussy" look. Duh.

[rgoper 0]

i get one after my gear is on, and i'm waiting to get on the plane. i constantly check my three handles, at least 15 times on the way to the plane. (in sequence) i check my own reserve pin, and i let someone i know and trust, check my main pin before we get on final jump run, i know most everybody i jump with, so i'm comfortable, however, i try to make it a point to ask someone who wears the same kind of container i do, because i know there familiar with it. i wouldn't get a main pin check, but i can't see the "green" in the window, i know my pc's cocked, i do it myself, but it beats the shit out of a pc in tow! i always ask politely to whoever is checking my equipment that they NOT slap the shit out of my container, just 2 taps on it lightly, this did cause me at one time to stop getting pin checks. all better now!

p.s.

just so ya'll know, i did not turn on my AAD, and i dissconnected my RSL for the balloon jump. safe, or not, what is your opinion? we jumped out at 4500 AGL

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[Jimbo 0]

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just so ya'll know, i did not turn on my AAD, and i dissconnected my RSL for the balloon jump. safe, or not, what is your opinion? we jumped out at 4500 AGL

Why not? Why?

(This probably deserves its own thread, but what the hell)
-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[ramon 0]

I have seen one of those ('you are a pussy' types) main flap open, bridle come out and get a slammer while head down and a canopy open at 13000. He was jumping a mirage with a sabre in it.

when I don't get a pin check I scold myself.

keep on doing what your doing.

ramon

"Revolution is an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.", Ambrose Bierce.

[billvon 2,396]

>I'm always amazed at the relatively few jumpers who get a pin check
> before exit. I always want to know my pins are in place before exit.

I do, too. I can feel my main pin, and I know my reserve pin is pretty well protected since it is inaccessible when the rig is on (it's against my back.)

>Safety is preached constantly but sometimes don't you feel no one
> is practicing it!

You have to get a gear check before you exit, but you can do it yourself in most cases. The important thing is to get one.

>Like that cool one who rides to altitude with his legs straps off.

Different issue, that's sort of dumb. (Bailouts can happen at any time.)

[billvon 2,396]

>just so ya'll know, i did not turn on my AAD, and i dissconnected my
> RSL for the balloon jump. safe, or not, what is your opinion? we
> jumped out at 4500 AGL

No increase or decrease in safety, really. Neither one is more or less likely to cause you grief on a balloon jump, but at those exit altitudes, forgetting to pull is pretty unlikely. Just don't plan to do any RW!

[Craig 0]

Quote

p.s.

just so ya'll know, i did not turn on my AAD, and i dissconnected my RSL for the balloon jump. safe, or not, what is your opinion? we jumped out at 4500 AGL

In my opinion it should be no different than any other ascent and jump except for the mode of transportation and the "dead" air on exit...care to say why you decided to do so?

[rgoper 0]

**Why not? Why?**

jumping out of a balloon at 4500 AGL, the cypress wouldn't have done me any good anyway, and if it would've fired, i would have had a mess, the RSL dissconnection because in the event of a mal at such low altitude, if i had to ct-away, i didn't want a possible entanglement. if ya'll remember in the past, i have stated that on certain dives, i will dissconnect my auxillary safety gear.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[Jimbo 0]

Quote

jumping out of a balloon at 4500 AGL, the cypress wouldn't have done me any good anyway,

WHAT? You need to talk with the people at your DZ. The Cypres activates at 750ft at roughly 78MPH. The Cypres would have done you a hell of a lot good if you had lost track of altitude or were somehow rendered unable to pull.

As far as the RSL, I don't understand that decision either.

4500 is long way up. There is no reason to disconnect your RSL and turn off your Cypres for a skydive from that altitude. Hell, we put students out with an RSL and Cypres from that altitude, even a bit lower on occasion.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but you might want to (a) learn a bit more about the gear you're jumping, (b) reconsider why you use it. and (c) reconsider exactly what you expect it to do.

Stay safe....

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[fred 0]

I'm curious. Does anybody who jumps a 182 get a pin check in the plane? While this is a pretty easy thing to do in an otter, if you're last out on a cessna and you want to get that check before you leave, it seems like you need to be pretty flexible.

I check my gear before I manifest. I check it again right before I put it on. And I have somebody else check everything before I board the plane. And I visually check everybody I jump with for anything major on the ride to altitude (misrouted chest-strap maybe?), and notice them doing the same (or maybe they're checking out my figure, but I doubt it).

There's just not room to move around in a plane that small. If I was to have somebody check my pins while the plane was full, I think odds are they'd make it worse.

Maybe I'll get flamed here. But I feel comfortable with my 3 checks on the ground, when 1 would probably suffice. If my gear is in bad enough shape that a little jostling around is going to make a difference, my mistake has already been made.

[dayle 0]

You should be getting a pin check in ANY plane if you want one. You can get a pin check on any plane in any position by getting the person behind you or beside you to check and vica versa, the JM position in either the 182 or 185 can be checked by leaniing forward and putting your head down while the other person checks over your back.

You should always check because chances are your are not going to dislodge your pin on the ground, it's going to be when you are in the airplane and are being jostled around.

just my 2 cents.

• Quote

[Slink2 0]

See your from Toronto. Ever get Geddy Lee to do a tandem? Rush 2112.

[billvon 2,396]

>jumping out of a balloon at 4500 AGL, the cypress wouldn't have
> done me any good anyway . . .

It would do the same good it normally does i.e. would fire if you didn't pull. That's less of an issue on what is essentially a short-delay (10-15 sec) jump.

>the RSL dissconnection because in the event of a mal at such low
>altitude, if i had to ct-away, i didn't want a possible entanglement.

Well, the RSL is designed for that exact scenario - a low cutaway. It is more, rather than less, appropriate if you're concerned about that scenario.

>if ya'll remember in the past, i have stated that on certain dives,
>i will dissconnect my auxillary safety gear.

There's no problem with doing that, but in this case, it doesn't really buy you anything. If you are concerned about a low altitude mal, then it might actually behoove you to keep the RSL connected.

[AggieDave 6]

Personally, I don't want anyone near my pins or flaps unless I specifcally ask! I set my shit a certain way to keep everything in place for FF with my old ass rig. When people start messing with it, it gets messed up. If I think I need a pin check, I'll ask for it, usually no, though. I'll gladly give anyone a pin check if they ask for it, though, and if I think I need one, I'll ask in a heartbeat for one too. Otherwise, I don't want you near my flaps.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

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Just don't plan to do any RW!

Why not?
We did a 2 way this weekend out of a helicopter @ 5000 ft, 3 points, and usually when we follow tandems (this is only with the guy that I do RW 2's with all the time) we usually go for 1 more point after the tandem has opened.
As long as you can track away at let's say 4000 ft, what's the problem?

"Don't make me come down there" - God.

My site:http://www.skystudio.nl/video.html
Some of my vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomSkyStudio

[Remster 24]

I think Bill was refering to altitude awarness loss since we didnt have his AAD on...

still dont understand removing the RSL andswitching off the AAD ... if you have desided that these accecories are beneficial for you, they would do the same job from a ballon at 4,500, or even a h&P at 2,500

Remster

[weid14 0]

not hard at all to do a pin check in a 182, for jump run everyone is looking forward so the three (or 4 depending on configuration) are easy access, the one in the back, either turns sideways a bit, or leans over, not hard at all really, just protect your handles on climb out, much more to snag on in a 182.

[hobbes4star 0]

i check everything after i pack and once again before i suit up. that way i know on the plane that everything is in order as it should be.

if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right?

[eml 0]

its just a matter of choice. if you want a check in the plane, its a good thing to get one. personally I check my own before I gear up and my flaps are tight enough I don't want anyone touching them once its closed. I just check my hackey to make sure its still where it belongs before I leave the plane.

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

still dont understand removing the RSL andswitching off the AAD ... if you have desided that these accecories are beneficial for you, they would do the same job from a ballon at 4,500, or even a h&P at 2,500

Yeah, I'm unclear why this would make a difference. It may not necessarily be quite as likely to need them doing a solo jump and pulling high (if that's what you were doing). But I don't see what the downside of having them active during that jump vs. any other jump would be.