Safety notes from the WFFC

[billvon 2,396]

Some notes on things I saw during my four days at the WFFC:

1. On one jump, during a practice count in the airplane, I noted that a jumper had a misrigged 3-ring. It had been inspected pretty carefully earlier that day. The jumper's best guess is that a packer had inadvertantly disconnected his main, thinking it was a demo that was meant to be returned, and then reconnected it incorrectly. It was a common mistake, and likely would have both held the riser on and allowed a cutaway if needed. It's still, of course, something that could cause a problem. Moral - check your 3-rings even when you think the canopy hasn't been disconnected.

2. On a later jump I gave a jumper a gear check, and included a thorough 3-ring check due to the first incident. It was assembled correctly, and the yellow cable was well past the white loop (as seen from the side of the type-8 riser.) After the jumper landed safely, one riser fell off. When I examined it, I saw that the yellow cable extended only about 1/2 inch out of the housing. When pulled, the yellow cable came at least 5 inches out of the housing; this is why (I assume) it looked OK when I inspected it before the jump. The cutaway cable was too short for the rig, and when tension came off the housing during a fairly hard landing, the cable retracted and allowed the riser to disconnect. Moral here, I think, is to make sure your cutaway cables are the correct length.

3. After one landing, an entire load landed one direction in light and variable winds except for one jumper who landed the opposite direction. When I talked to him about it, he became defensive and said that there was no reason he should have to land 'downwind' just because everyone else 'screwed up.' While that may be true, it is a very bad idea to land against traffic under _any_ wind conditions. If he felt it important to land a different direction, it would have been a better idea to land away from everyone else.

4. On a 30K jump, my goggles fogged over completely at about 6000 feet due to the low temp at exit (-39F) and the high humidity near the ground (near 100%.) I could not easily clear them since they were tight and quite bulky; they were part of the HALO system. I noted the 6000 foot altitude, then counted to 8 and pulled; this allowed me to be open near the 4500 foot target. Moral - check your altitude often. If you lose your altimeter or your ability to see it, you can just start counting, and know that you'll descend 1000 feet in about 5 seconds.

5. On one jump, a jumper set up for the corner of the main area, fairly far from where everyone else was landing, then realized he would overshoot the area. The problem was he would overshoot into the taxi/takeoff area. He landed straight ahead and intentionally bungled the landing so he wouldn't plane out into the path of an oncoming Otter. The Otter managed to stop anyway, and the jumper quickly removed himself from the edge of the taxiway. He injured his hand and damaged his rig somewhat from sliding on the concrete. Moral - setting up for the middle of an area can give you some margin if you misjudge an approach. Also, flat/flare turns can help you turn away from a potential hazard more safely if you find yourself too low to do a normal toggle turn.

[airtwardo 6]

The cutaway cable was too short for the rig

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This seems to be happening more and more lately.
Any ideas as to why?


And thanks Bill for the addition to the single jumper landing the wrong / right way...comment.

I too agree if you're going to do that, put yourself well away from the traffic...but I still maintain I'd land into the wind regardless of what everyone else is doing..as long as I could do so safely.

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

[dantzur 0]

hmm, out of ignorance, what is a flat/flare turn?

Thanks

Dan

[airtwardo 6]

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hmm, out of ignorance, what is a flat/flare turn?

Thanks

Dan

***

Read this

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

[Peej 0]

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3. After one landing, an entire load landed one direction in light and variable winds except for one jumper who landed the opposite direction.

This was a big problem last year, due mostly to the fact that there was one tiny windsock out in the main landing area.

Great post bill, thanks.

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[piisfish 135]

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This was a big problem last year, due mostly to the fact that there was one tiny windsock out in the main landing area.

Solved in places like Lapalisse or Vichy...
Ground staff have a huge red arrow they can orientate. Arrow gives the landing direction. For everyone...
People not respecting landing direction have to deal with the local Burke... Joel Cruciani, from Corsica...

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Brains 2]

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People not respecting landing direction have to deal with the local Burke... Joel Cruciani, from Corsica...

I'm sorry but i found that funny as hell. If you have ever been "Burked" then you know why.

Bill, thanks for the informative post.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[FrogNog 1]

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The cutaway cable was too short for the rig

This seems to be happening more and more lately.
Any ideas as to why?


I assume it's not a big trend, but a change in reporting, reader awareness, or just a coincidence.

I say that without any real statistical evidence to back it up. Of course, my claim is that nobody has any real statistical evidence to say this problem is happening more and more lately.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[jdfreefly 1]

I recently started looking for info on building a tetrahedron for Crosskeys, in the process, I found an old post I made to rec.skydiving in 99.

As it pertains to issue number 3, I find it both amusing and sad....still the same people preaching the same wisdom, I guess it has found a whole new generation of deaf ears to fall on. Damn, I'm really starting to feel old.

rec.skydiving discussion from 1999

Methane Freefly - got stink?

[piisfish 135]

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I'm sorry but i found that funny as hell. If you have ever been "Burked" then you know why..

I've never been Burked myself, but have seen people being Burked.
Joel also has his techniques... He films the landings and gets you... And has video if you won't admit what you did wrong. But it's mostly for YOUR OWN tuition and to make you better , safer and to have you living longer.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Elisha 1]

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The cutaway cable was too short for the rig

***

This seems to be happening more and more lately.
Any ideas as to why?


And thanks Bill for the addition to the single jumper landing the wrong / right way...comment.

I too agree if you're going to do that, put yourself well away from the traffic...but I still maintain I'd land into the wind regardless of what everyone else is doing..as long as I could do so safely.

This applies to my rig somewhat as well (Talon - Mfg Date 95). The left cutaway cable extends a good two inches or so into the housing, but I've seen it come out before after landing, although it is still a good two inches or so through the white loop (or whatever the cloth loop that goes through the first of the 3 rings is called). The packers keep saying it is fine, although a little short. Still makes me nervous at times.

[Frenchy68 0]

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I've never been Burked myself, but have seen people being Burked.

Wait until she reads this... You're in trouble my friend!

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[billvon 2,396]

>This seems to be happening more and more lately. (cutaway cable too short.)
>Any ideas as to why?

I suspect people are assembling rigs with random cutaway handle assemblies and are not measuring the cables correctly. "Looks long enough to me!" might be getting people.

[DJL 232]

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The packers keep saying it is fine, although a little short.

A packer is not a rigger .

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[billvon 2,396]

>The packers keep saying it is fine, although a little short.

I'd have a rigger check it. As a quick test you can do yourself, disconnect the riser, then take the housing (not the cable) and pull on it. The cable should not disappear inside the housing.

Also, make sure the cutaway handle is mated as far up on the velcro as is safe.

[Elisha 1]

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The packers keep saying it is fine, although a little short.

A packer is not a rigger .

Point taken - but considering my low experience and that I've only jumped my own pack job around a dozen times now, random joe/jane packer gets more credibility than my own judgment. I think I'll ask my rigger to look next repack or the next one I meet - whatever comes first. Since nothing about the rig has really changed since I bought it from the DZ (where I had jumped it 3x prior), I don't think it will kill me in the meantime.

[skycat 0]

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People not respecting landing direction have to deal with the local Burke... Joel Cruciani, from Corsica...

I'm sorry but i found that funny as hell. If you have ever been "Burked" then you know why.

Bill, thanks for the informative post.

Which is the reason I would jump at any boogie in Eloy or that Burke is running the show for the AZ fleet. People are always going to do something stupid, knowing that after being "Burked" they aren't going to do it again puts my mind at ease. It's boogies like WFFC where their aren't any consequences if you do something stupid, meaning they will do them again, are boogies that scare me.

Fly it like you stole it!

[RogerRamjet 0]

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The packers keep saying it is fine, although a little short.

A packer is not a rigger .

Point taken - but considering my low experience and that I've only jumped my own pack job around a dozen times now, random joe/jane packer gets more credibility than my own judgment. I think I'll ask my rigger to look next repack or the next one I meet - whatever comes first. Since nothing about the rig has really changed since I bought it from the DZ (where I had jumped it 3x prior), I don't think it will kill me in the meantime.

You just got some pretty sound advice to have a rigger take a look at it, why would you take any chances at all?? One of the things Bill Booth has always said of the 3-Ring system is that it's primary function is to NOT release unless called upon. The scenarios where one riser releases when you don't want it to are all bad.... Have it checked out.

-----------------------
Roger "Ramjet" Clark
FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

[Elisha 1]

And I will! But I don't think my rig is a deathtrap and that I shouldn't jump it because of something that looks uncomfortable to me, who has low experience vs someone with more experience thinks it isn't as much of a concern, but something I've at least been paying attention to.

I didn't buy this rig from shady people anyways. My former home DZO (they closed up recently) is one of the safest skydivers I've met, his wife is a rigger that has come highly recommended and she recently repacked my reserve. Granted, I didn't specifically ask them about the one cable when she repacked it, but I never paid attention to it before when I was renting it from them.

But I appreciate then concern anyways.

[billvon 2,396]

>Which is the reason I would jump at any boogie in Eloy or that Burke is running the show for the AZ fleet.
>It's boogies like WFFC where their aren't any consequences if you do something stupid . . .

Bryan Burke was running things for the AZ fleet at Rantoul.

[chuckbrown 0]

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And I will! But I don't think my rig is a deathtrap and that I shouldn't jump it because of something that looks uncomfortable to me, who has low experience vs someone with more experience thinks it isn't as much of a concern, but something I've at least been paying attention to.

I didn't buy this rig from shady people anyways. My former home DZO (they closed up recently) is one of the safest skydivers I've met, his wife is a rigger that has come highly recommended and she recently repacked my reserve. Granted, I didn't specifically ask them about the one cable when she repacked it, but I never paid attention to it before when I was renting it from them.

But I appreciate then concern anyways.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but your lack of concern over a potentially fatal gear problem is troubling. I've had the exact same issue as you and I immediately removed that cutaway. I've seen cutaway (and reserve) handles accidently dislodged before. The extra inches in a properly sized cutaway cable could mean your life. This has nothing to do with who you bought the gear from or where you rented it. It's about respecting your gear & properly maintaining it.

If something goes wrong, its your life, not the packer who doesn't think its a big deal.

[FrenchyDiver 0]

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..Please don't take this the wrong way, but your lack of concern over a potentially fatal gear problem is troubling. I've had the exact same issue as you and I immediately removed that cutaway. I've seen cutaway (and reserve) handles accidently dislodged before. The extra inches in a properly sized cutaway cable could mean your life. This has nothing to do with who you bought the gear from or where you rented it. It's about respecting your gear & properly maintaining it.

If something goes wrong, its your life, not the packer who doesn't think its a big deal.

I second that, get it inspected. Better be safe than sorry. I am sure that your packer gave you his/her honest opinion, but a rigger will be abke to correct this if it is necessary. After all, if needed, it's a quick and cheap fix.

Be safe and have fun

Hispas Brothers President
HISPA #2,

[Elisha 1]

Frenchy/Chuck/Billvon,
If I was unconcerned, I wouldn've have bothered posting this and I thank you for your concern. Still, I fail to see how me posting something on an internet message, probably describing it inadequately as well, suddenly makes my rig unflyable until a rigger asses my concern.

[FrenchyDiver 0]

Elisha,

I am sure that if you were unconcerned you wouldn't have posted it hereBut since you have, we might as well give you our opinion. Fair enough? You are right, without having seen it, we cannot tell whether your rig is airworthy or not. But wrong cable lenghts have caused problems more than once in the past. So I still recommend to ask a rigger to look at it. Just a friendly advise, no more no less
JM

Hispas Brothers President
HISPA #2,

[AndyMan 7]

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I suspect people are assembling rigs with random cutaway handle assemblies and are not measuring the cables correctly.

It can be more than that. My Icon shipped with cuttaway cables that are a bit short - presumably because of my 'non-standard' size was putting more flex in the chest ring than expected. It took Aerodyne over 4 monthes to ship me a longer one. During that time I never had a riser fall off, but did have the cables slip out of the housing after landing.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.