Hard pulls with freefly handle?

[NNault 0]

I recently bought a new rig--Voodoo--which I absolutely love. I had it made with a freefly deployment handle. My primarily reason for choosing this deployment handle is that I jump at a 182 dropzone. A good friend of mine had his hackey get caught under the lelever that controls the flaps causing his pilot chute to be extracted in the plane. Fortunately this was caught before the door was ever opened and it was dealt with accordingly. I also seem to think that with a brand new slippery ZP pilot chute it is more secure in the BOC---and let's face it---i looks badass. ;) So here is my question. I have heard a number of people talk about hard pulls with these handles. I personally know two people that have had to dump their reserve due to the fact that they could not extract their pilot chute. For what I hope are rather obvious reasons this has got me a bit concerned. This is my first rig with a freefly handle and frankly I would like 2 methods of saving my ass on my back as opposed to just one--not that I don't trust my rigger, but I just like to try out my main before I use my reserve. :) has anyone else had this issue with hard pulls? And if so what have you done to remedy the situation aside from just getting a new handle?[email]

Dude..what the hell is on your head?

[davelepka 4]

Both of the concerns you mentioned have nothing to do with the gear, and everything to do with the operator.

If get your hackey (or any part of your rig) stuck under the flap handle (or any part of anything), that's not a problem with the rig, that's a problem with the jumper and their awareness of their rig. The location of your pins, pin covers, and handles should all be on your mind 100% of the time your rig is on, and every move you make should be done with these things in mind.

When was the last time you got your dick stuck under a flap handle? I guessing never, and it's because not getting your dick stuck somewhere is important to you and you proceed accordingly, just act the same way with your gear.

Having a hard pull on a freefly handle is also operator error, be it improper packing or improper pull technique. The catch-22 with a 'secure' freefly handle is that it's 'secure'. It's deisgned to stay put unless it's packed and pulled in a specific and deliberate manner. Make it your business to learn the proper operation of the handle, and than use it that way. If you use a packer, remove the handle and re-seat it yourself before each jump to ensure that's in properly and that it will come out properly when the time comes.

That said, you need to make more careful choices when it comes to your equipment. 'Because it looks cool' is a shitty way to chose a main deployment system, one of the few systems you will use on every single jump (hopefully). The intent of the freefly handle was to provide a more secure handle for high speed freefall, not one that can better withstand careless jumpers moving around in the plane, but that's the reason you stated for choosing that handle. You then went on to explain that you knwo twice as many people who had total mals because of the freefly handle as opposed to the one who had the hackey under the flap handle.

I agree that a PC out in the plane is bad, but you have to see that situation as unusual in that the hackey and flap handle rarely come together. It's only a possible problem for the jumper in that one seat, and how many other times has it happened at your DZ? With that in mind, you chose the freefly handle, even though you know of two people who have had problems with the regular and intended operation of the handle. It just seems like an odd decision.

As it sits, neither problem is an actual 'problem', but an easily correctable user error, so the end result is that you'll be fine if you conduct yourself properly. Maybe take some better decision making as a sideline benefit to this situation, and think through your choices a little bit more beforehand, as opposed to reacting to one aspect of a situation, taking action in that regard, then worrying about related aspects after the fact.

[diablopilot 2]

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When was the last time you got your dick stuck under a flap handle? I guessing never, and it's because not getting your dick stuck somewhere is important to you and you proceed accordingly, just act the same way with your gear.

For the win.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Abedy 0]

Haven't had any issues with a freefly handle, at least not the one provided by Thomas Sports (for the Teardrop Viper)
Just read the manual, pack your PC thoroughly and train how to pull on the ground a few times. AFAIK hardpulls are due to packing errors.

BTW: The list you provided lacks BOOBIES and in this case that's an entertaining idea for something to "hold on", huh? Shame on you!

The sky is not the limit. The ground is.

The Society of Skydiving Ducks

[wildcard451 0]

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When was the last time you got your dick stuck under a flap handle? I guessing never, and it's because not getting your dick stuck somewhere is important to you and you proceed accordingly, just act the same way with your gear.

For the win.

This may be one of the best quotes I have read in a while.

[roostnureye 2]

Where its the option for chicken? Lol

Flock University FWC / ZFlock
B.A.S.E. 1580
Aussie BASE 121

[pchapman 262]

The problem is fairly obvious when one plays with a freefly handle on a packed rig: The tab on the handle restricts the handle from easily being pulled straight outwards -- both for accidental pulls (good), or intentional pulls. Therefore one may not want to pull straight outwards to the side like with a "regular" handle. A push away from the bottom of the rig, for example, will help pop the tab out, before one drags the pilot chute out of the BOC to the side.

Like with many things, to get an added feature, there is added complexity, that the user needs to manage properly. That's the tradeoff.

[jtfreefly 0]

I have never had a problem extracting mine. EVER.