20th cutaway

[Tonto 1]

Pretty routine.

Using a packer during training for Nationals in Canopy piloting. (along with about 4 others - and the packer was competing as well)

Jump was a 5 sec delay from 4500ft.

Main was an FX 93 loaded to 2.19 with 4kg of lead.
Harness Mirage G4 MT
Reserve PD126 R loaded to 1.61.

Slider was put on incorrectly and never came down past the cascades.
I tweaked the rears to try and get it down and the canopy put me on my back and spun violently. Chopped and pulled the reserve, deployment was on heading and fast, but not hard. Kept all the handles, floated above both freebag and main on my PD 126, and landed next to my freebag with a short swoop and a nice landing. Short walk to my main, all good.

No blame at all to the packer. I pay for a pack job - not an opening.

Other cutaways have been..

8 on Tandems
7 from wraps/entanglements (CF)
2 on borrowed sport gear
3 on my own gear including this one.

I have PD 126 R's in both my rigs. They really are great reserves. I've jumped enough reserves to know the difference.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

So you had a mis-rigged removeable slider? Did you put the slider back on or your packer. I always, and I do mean always, put my own RDS back together and set my own brakes, even when I do use a packer. You cannot expect a packer to know how to deal with this extraneous gear, even if he jumps one himself.

Chuck

[speedy 0]

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You cannot expect a packer to know how to deal with this extraneous gear, even if he jumps one himself.

If the packer is jumping an RDS himself I would expect him to know how to deal with it. Otherwise, I don't think he should be jumping it himself.

There again, if you don't set your own brakes and re-assemble the RDS system, the packer could expect a little more money for the pack job.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[Tonto 1]

Yeah, right on all counts.

I hate packing. I don't like to do stuff myself. I'd rather wash dishes.

But you're right. I'll try and motivate myself to stow the brakes and set the slider myself. I'm not using an RDS. Just removing the slider.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[skytash 0]

Quote

If the packer is jumping an RDS himself I would expect him to know how to deal with it. Otherwise, I don't think he should be jumping it himself.

I've seen at least two different set-ups, and if the packer has one, I have the other, I can't expect them to put mine together properly unless I've shown them how to. IMHO doesn't mean they shouldn't be jumping one.

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

And that's the point, Tash. I have seen at least four different removable slider setups and I have personally had at least three variations of "full" RDS setups. While the rigging might seen common-sense to me, I am not about to expect even a fellow competitor to have any of that (common sense that is).

FWIW, I reattach my slider from a standing position with my rig still on my shoulders. It's virtually impossible to cross your lines or attach the slider upside down that way.

Chuck

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

So you had a mis-rigged removeable slider? Did you put the slider back on or your packer. I always, and I do mean always, put my own RDS back together and set my own brakes, even when I do use a packer. You cannot expect a packer to know how to deal with this extraneous gear, even if he jumps one himself.

Chuck

I do to, and I've even misrigged it one and caused myself a mal.

It ads too much risk to not take care of it myself IMO.

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

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Et All...

If you pay a packer, you take your chances.

Now go write that 100 times on the black board!


......................

Anyway, Tonto... just think, under the old USPA rules, you could now apply for your RESERVE, A-LICENSE!

[LloydDobbler 2]

And though I love the bit about the reserve 'A' license , I just wanted to add something that probably needs to be said (though it's almost always said after a cutaway, I think it's deservedly so):

Tonto, congrats on saving your life...(again)

Signatures are the new black.

[Tonto 1]

Thank You. Many think that 20 would make it completely routine, but over 22 years, they still come not very often and get the adrenaline going.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[kaerodyne 0]

Quote

Thank You. Many think that 20 would make it completely routine, but over 22 years, they still come not very often and get the adrenaline going.

t

t

remember keep pulling handles till your goggles fill with blood

Congrats on the 20th .... I'm only 13 behind you .. LOL

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

Thank You. Many think that 20 would make it completely routine, but over 22 years, they still come not very often and get the adrenaline going.

t

Yup...no matter how many, you always get that momentary spark of a thought:







Skydiving...what the fuck was I thinking!?

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[RB_Hammer 0]

Quote

Thank You. Many think that 20 would make it completely routine, but over 22 years, they still come not very often and get the adrenaline going.

t

I had my first, and so far, only cutaway on jump 36. The reason I cutaway was a spinning canopy due to tension knots, we believe. There were none on the main when they got it, but a lot of people saw me spinning and both brakes were still stowed. This was rental gear that had some pretty old lines and I am sure my position at opening contributed.
Anyway, how many jumps before your first? How many from first to second, and last, do you think as you got more experience do you think you may have in any way contributed to having to cut any, other than a bad pack job?
Thanks

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley

[Tonto 1]

Congrats on surviving your 1st! Tension knots are no fun. I've had to chop them on Tandems several times, and have had one tension knot malfunction on a Tandem reserve that had me very worried till I got it sorted.

My 1st malfunction was at around 750 jumps. The canopies of the day were very similar to the big reserves of today, and were not really prone to malfunction. It was on a Pintail (Later nicknamed the Spintail) which was a 1st generation "performance" canopy and the malfunction was a bowtie type config caused by the bridle looping and choking off the canopy after a hop and pop. The gear was borrowed, and I think the reserve was a Hobbit - that worked just fine.

After that, things get a little blury, and in fairness, I've been jumping 22 years, so they happened a long, long time ago.

Blue Skies,

t

It's the year of the Pig.