Skyhook malfunction

[lilchief 0]

I've had the same expereince, twice. I packed according to the manual both times and after the last one I had a Master Rigger doublechek if I did anything wrong, with the manual present. We both couldn't find anything wrong with my pakcing compared to the manual.

I then called UPT to ask why my $260 option and great innovation didn't work. I spoke with their rigger and was told about the potential race between the RPC and main canopy where the RPC could win. I was told that I could do two things to imporve the statistics:

1) make sure that the skyhook lanyard is thight and no slack is present from the skyhook and to the skyhook lanyard puch

2) tack the skyhook lanyard to the RPC bridle with riggers seal thread like on skyhook v1.

I was told that these two steps, especially the last one would give a 99% chance for the skyhook to work at all times.

I thought I red that they specified in their manual some time after I called that the skyhook lanyard need to be super thight from the pouch to the skyhook. Just to be sure I downloaded the latest manual from UPT and saw that the picutre illustrating how to route the skyhook is the same as I did before(see attached picture).

I'm a little confused now as to why I was told to not do as shown after having my skyhook fail upon me twice, and now they say this is how it's done?

Anyway, I think that having the skyhook lanyard thight prevents the RPC to race the main canopy and disconnect the Skyhook.

I've packed all skyhook rigs after my last cutaway with this configuration, though I've not sewn the skyhook lanyard to the RPC bridle.

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci
www.lilchief.no

[Skyper 0]

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Thanks everyone by the comments, Im quite happy with my decision to don't pull the reserve handle, I didn't assume that skyhook deploy my reserve, I could see it did it! I would go for the reserve handle after get stable facing the ground... My point is: skyhook didn't perform as advertised, it only worked as normal RSL what I wouldn't use anyway.. did someone experience that?

After reading this I'm really not surprised there are so many fatalities in this sport. When you're about to get killed please let us know. I guess you'd have enought time to notice it, connect to internet and post the message prior the impact.

[Slurp56 0]

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Thanks everyone by the comments, Im quite happy with my decision to don't pull the reserve handle, I didn't assume that skyhook deploy my reserve, I could see it did it! I would go for the reserve handle after get stable facing the ground... My point is: skyhook didn't perform as advertised, it only worked as normal RSL what I wouldn't use anyway.. did someone experience that?

After reading this I'm really not surprised there are so many fatalities in this sport. When you're about to get killed please let us know. I guess you'd have enought time to notice it, connect to internet and post the message prior the impact.

Unless I missed it, I dont believe he states what altitude that he cut away. How do you know he was flirting with death? Perhaps he cut away at 4,500 feet, would you still have a problem with him then?

Everybody is so quick to chastise everybody else, even when all the facts aren't known. I'm entertained that Alex didn't pull his ripcord, it sounds like something I would do, given the altitude.


Alex:

From what I understand you are not the first. In fact, I think you are one of the many and I'm certain that UPT knows it too. I'm not sold on today's marketing machine: MARD-mania. There are too many compromises with what is currently available on the market. I do believe that the skyhook (and similar devices) will help reduce the number of low-pull fatalities and I believe they will accomplish that, not by being a MARD, but by getting more people to jump with a standard RSL.

________________________________________
I have proof-read this post 500 times, but I guarantee you'll still manage to find a flaw.

[Skyper 0]

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Thanks everyone by the comments, Im quite happy with my decision to don't pull the reserve handle, I didn't assume that skyhook deploy my reserve, I could see it did it! I would go for the reserve handle after get stable facing the ground... My point is: skyhook didn't perform as advertised, it only worked as normal RSL what I wouldn't use anyway.. did someone experience that?

After reading this I'm really not surprised there are so many fatalities in this sport. When you're about to get killed please let us know. I guess you'd have enought time to notice it, connect to internet and post the message prior the impact.

Unless I missed it, I dont believe he states what altitude that he cut away. How do you know he was flirting with death? Perhaps he cut away at 4,500 feet, would you still have a problem with him then?

You have a point here. I did made some assumptions.
I assumed he's an experienced skydiver and I also assumed that this kind of skydivers does not pull higher than 3000. In that case, this is playing with death.

[firemedic 7]

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Thanks everyone by the comments, Im quite happy with my decision to don't pull the reserve handle, I didn't assume that skyhook deploy my reserve, I could see it did it! I would go for the reserve handle after get stable facing the ground... My point is: skyhook didn't perform as advertised, it only worked as normal RSL what I wouldn't use anyway.. did someone experience that?

After reading this I'm really not surprised there are so many fatalities in this sport. When you're about to get killed please let us know. I guess you'd have enought time to notice it, connect to internet and post the message prior the impact.

Unless I missed it, I dont believe he states what altitude that he cut away. How do you know he was flirting with death? Perhaps he cut away at 4,500 feet, would you still have a problem with him then?

Everybody is so quick to chastise everybody else, even when all the facts aren't known. I'm entertained that Alex didn't pull his ripcord, it sounds like something I would do, given the altitude.


Alex:

From what I understand you are not the first. In fact, I think you are one of the many and I'm certain that UPT knows it too. I'm not sold on today's marketing machine: MARD-mania. There are too many compromises with what is currently available on the market. I do believe that the skyhook (and similar devices) will help reduce the number of low-pull fatalities and I believe they will accomplish that, not by being a MARD, but by getting more people to jump with a standard RSL.

I have to agree that a lot of the comments I've read are chastisement without all the facts. I have 7 cutaways with a skyhook system. 1 was on an intentional cutaway rig from UPT to demo the system. I cutaway at 2800 feet with the intentional system and did not pull the ripcord so I could watch the system in action. I also had 2 cutaways on my Javelin with Skyhook at 2000 from a main with a broken steering line. I did have my hand on the ripcord in all three instances and was ready to pull it had I not seen the reserve deploying. I also have 4 skyhook cutaways on Sigma Tandems. In those instances I did pull the reserve rigcord approximately 1-2 seconds after the cutaway regardless of what I saw. I was trained to execute specific emergency precedures by the UPT/ USPA I/E and I followed them. I was trained to not rely on the SkyHook system to activate the reserve. Someone might argue I was relying on the Skyhook tto activate my reserve in the first 3 instances. I say I was not. I was relying on what I could visually vvarify. I watched the entire deployment sequence. Pilot chute extracting the freebag, lines depolying, bag opening, canopy out, canopy inflated. It is my opinion that the term "relying" on a system, such as sky hook, rsl, AAD, etc. means making an assumption that it is going to work. I visually varified the reserve depolyment was taking place within 1 second of cutaway. Had I not seen it occuring I would have activated it with the ripcord within 1-2 seconds. Emergency preceedures are standardized so that we leave nothing to chance. I submit that seeing the reserve deploying after a cutaway but before pulling the reserve ripcord is not leaving anything to chance.