First Cutaway

[riggerrob 558]

Bad habit.
I have more than XXXX cutaways, but always look, look, peel, peel, peel. pull, pull.
Most of the time, I feel the reserve lift off my back before I get the reserve handle more than an inch (2 cm) off the harness.
Sure I have had to repack a few reserves with kinked reserve cables, but my habits have kept me alive this long and I am too old, to stubborn and too grumpy to change my cutaway habits this late in life.

[chuckakers 370]

JohnMitchell

***..Also when we get taught we locate and grab both handles....which makes more sense in a real cutaway unlike people with an rsl only grabing the cutaway pulling it and relying on there rsl

At our DZ we teach "grab both handles" to our students. Seems to work well. Most hard pulls are caused by poor technique, IMO.

I agree, John. Things like failing to peel a cutaway pillow before pulling it cab cause the sensation of a hard pull. I have never peeled a pillow in 10 chops but did have a hard pull on one. That could have been the issue.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[JohnMitchell 14]

chuckakers

Things like failing to peel a cutaway pillow before pulling it cab cause the sensation of a hard pull. I have never peeled a pillow in 10 chops but did have a hard pull on one. That could have been the issue.

I have to say that in 10 chops I've never even FELT the velcro. Too much adrenaline.

But, yes, that has been known to cause hard pulls.

Also, pulling straight DOWN, the direction the cable housings run, is important to have an easy pull. I've talked to people who have had hard pulls and they typically mime "punching" the handles straight out from their bodies, at a 90 degree angle to the ripcord housing. That is wrong and will ALWAYS make it harder to pull any handle.

[Alfasatwi 0]

Glad you made it safe mate.

It was three days after doing my first AFF jump. The first time jumping alone, so excited about graduating. The jump went perfect, I pulled at 1,600meters (5,200feet) and everything looked normal in beginning, except for that weird line going over my big 280 Navigator canopy (Line-over). Things got a little bit serious and the first thing I thought about was "SHIT, I WANT TO GO HOME" I kept hearing my instructor on the radio screaming "AHMED PDS PDS PDS". ("PDS Procedure de Secure, French for Cutaway."), I managed to cutaway and land walking with a reserve ride. Best adrenaline rush I have ever had, wouldn't want to try it again though.

Dreaming for 6 years of skydiving, and after getting my AFF, I regretted waiting for so long!
To everyone over there, stop dreaming and start doing.
Blue Skies!!!