NvyZero 0 #1 December 27, 2012 Does anyone else practice high speed emergency procedures while in free fall? I find my self doing this during a solo for the muscle memory. Do you think that this should be a part of aff or possibly coaching? Say its drilled on the ground with hand signals for each high speed mal, then the instructor or coach while in free fall gives the signal for the mal and the student does the correct EP for the situation. Im bringing this up because ive been with friends just joking around in the Loading area and i throw out a random mal to them such as a pc in tow, cant find your handle, your low, etc... and they hesitate on what to do or completely do the wrong thing! Im just worried we may lose jumpers due to lack of drilling highspeed mals. What is y'alls input? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SEREJumper 1 #2 December 27, 2012 I've done them in the air, but the wind tunnel is also a good place to practice them. You can only help your buddies until pull time, hopefully they studied.We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #3 December 27, 2012 QuoteI've done them in the air, but the wind tunnel is also a good place to practice them. +1 A round or two of EP practice in the wind tunnel is a great investment.Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DocPop 1 #4 December 27, 2012 Another thing to do is practice finding your handles under canopy as they will have moved from when you practiced EPs on the ground."The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #5 December 27, 2012 Quote Another thing to do is practice finding your handles under canopy as they will have moved from when you practiced EPs on the ground. Very good idea. As far as practicing in freefall, I don't know if that's necessary or not. Ground practice and mental rehearsal have been all I've needed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #6 December 27, 2012 Quote ive been with friends just joking around in the Loading area and i throw out a random mal to them such as a pc in tow, cant find your handle, your low, etc... and they hesitate on what to do or completely do the wrong thing! Shit, what are they doing getting on the plane? Your EP's need to be practiced until they are reflexive and correct. Quote Im just worried we may lose jumpers due to lack of drilling highspeed mals. What is y'alls input? Not just high speed, but low speed, incorrectly handled 2-outs, bad canopy control, etc. People, run thru your EP's in your head. If you're fuzzy or unsure on any of them, get to an instructor for a review and practice. There's nothing quite as satisfying as getting your reserve out in time. AAD's have saved a lot of people in high speed mals who would have died back when I started jumping. In fact, I have a too long list of people I've known who would have been saved by an AAD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #7 December 27, 2012 Quote As far as practicing in freefall, I don't know if that's necessary or not. Ground practice and mental rehearsal have been all I've needed. Personally, I would be reluctant to have an AFF student practice pulling handles in freefall. I think the odds of an accidental deployment would be high for them. Looking for them, yes by all means....touching them in freefall is kinda iffy.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #8 December 28, 2012 Quote ... Im bringing this up because ive been with friends just joking around in the Loading area and i throw out a random mal to them such as a pc in tow, cant find your handle, your low, etc... and they hesitate on what to do or completely do the wrong thing! My all-time, highest-priority, most beguiling pet peeve E V E R. Do them a favor by MAKING them drill EPs. For the life of me (no puns intended) I cannot fathom the idea of putting your ass on the line without knowing how to recover it when the shit hits the fan Un-freakin-believable. Question for the old-timers...how much stupidity are we supposed to put up with before we just throw up our hands in disgust and say, "Have at it,idiots"? ,My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #9 December 28, 2012 Quote Question for the old-timers...how much stupidity are we supposed to put up with before we just throw up our hands in disgust and say, "Have at it,idiots"? Perfect. But hey, they all have AAD's and GoPros to document it all, so don't worry, be happy. I can't imagine climbing on the plane not knowing my EP's COLD. I hope those guys don't keep that care free attitude when/if they get instructional ratings someday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #10 December 28, 2012 Quote I hope those guys don't keep that care free attitude when/if they get instructional ratings someday. Unfortunately....Did I tell you about one of my FJCs teaching his Level 1 AFFI how to read the winds aloft charts? True. Another that taught, well, tried to teach, his Level 3 AFFI how to calculate exit point? True A guy in a class running concurrent with the class I was in that taught his JM the proper way to do PLFs? TrueMy reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #11 December 28, 2012 The right answer though is ....N E V E R give up. Keep plugging away at the insanity. Knock 'em down one at a time. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pottesur 0 #12 December 28, 2012 I'll admit, I don't practice them in freefall, but I practice EP's on the ground and in the plane. I've had a highspeed mal though, and I got the reserve out without any issue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #13 December 28, 2012 Quote I'll admit, I don't practice them in freefall, but I practice EP's on the ground and in the plane. I've had a highspeed mal though, and I got the reserve out without any issue. Nice job. I think you're doing just fine. I have to admit ground practice and LOTS of mental rehearsal have been sufficient for me, along with the occasional hanging harness. During the week, when we all want to daydream about skydiving? That's a perfect time to mentally rehearse all of your emergency procedures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devildog 0 #14 December 28, 2012 QuoteI'll admit, I don't practice them in freefall, but I practice EP's on the ground and in the plane. I've had a highspeed mal though, and I got the reserve out without any issue. Same. My only thought was, "Well, here we go" and out came the reserve.You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 262 #15 December 28, 2012 It's not a bad idea to practice EP's in freefall. An anal DZO I know has junior or non-current jumpers do a 'survival skills' jump at the start of the season, to practice grabbing handles in freefall, and then under canopy right after deployment (when handles have shifted). I've been around when a couple jumpers had main canopy deployment issues and had to go to their emergency handles in freefall. One novice (50 j.?) and one moderately experienced jumper (500 j.?) went forward over onto their backs from dearching and/or bringing their arms in abruptly. That didn't help either jumper's composure or altitude awareness, nor is it an ideal body position for firing off your reserve. So even the simple act of staying belly-stable while reaching in for chest handles isn't something that can be assumed to happen automatically. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuteless 1 #16 January 4, 2013 The thing you can use the most....the best ally you can have in doing high speed ( or any speed) procedures, is DON'T PANIC...take your time, and remember you still have lots of room to perform that which is necessary to stay alive. Not panicing is the best thing you can do as you take control of the situation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilivan 0 #17 January 4, 2013 Quote Another thing to do is practice finding your handles under canopy as they will have moved from when you practiced EPs on the ground. This I would highly recommend too, especially this time of year with additional (or "non-standard") clothing and thicker gloves etc. I have been unpleasantly surprised in the past as to where those handles can disappear to... Or how hard it is to get a grip on them with my winter gloves (that one I recommend finding out on the ground of course "If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation." David Brent Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #18 January 4, 2013 Your handles will most likely not be in the exact same position in freefall or under canopy as they are while standing on the ground. Your harness can/will shift around. One method that always works is to start with your hand at your three ring or chest strap. Slide your hand down following the harness. You will find your handle quickly even if the harness is shifted far off to one side or is blocked from your view. I teach this method as part of my wingsuit FFC.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
