Jump # 39 - First Cutaway

[RUN_FMX 7]

Nice to get one out of the way fairly early on in the game.

It was a coach jump just working on various freefall skills, fairly uneventful. After tracking I waved off and pulled at 4.5. Canopy snivelled for a good few seconds before violently snapping open with a harsh turn to the right, I was preparing myself to kick out of linetwists but then it stopped spinning and I realised I had a very messy lineover.

Ive seen pictures and watched countless videos with lineovers but this just looked ugly, the whole left side was a tangled mess. I made the decision to not even waste time releasing toggles as I was still turning to the right .Checked alti, around 3300. Grabbed both handles, pulled right pulled left.

Felt like forever until the reserve was above my head and when it did finally open i was in a thick layer of cloud and zero visibilty. Got on the rear risers before releasing toggles as I was afraid of a canopy collision in the clouds. Once free of the clouds I did my control checks. I floated for a while watching my canopy and freebag drift away in the wind to get an idea of where to find 'em - turns out everyone else in the air was doing the same thing. The reserve landing was uneventful, a nice stand up into wind landing with a bunch of people filming from the ground. I still had the cutaway pad in my hand but lost the reserve handle which im kinda annoyed at myself for.

As Murphys Law would have it, the freebag landed in the thickest heaviest thorniest part of the surrounding forrest - couple hours searching and a lotta scratches later had the canopy and freebag in hand.

And no, I hadnt packed it - another student had. The lineover was sitting in there waiting for someone.

End result - The only thing I would change is I would have tried releasing toggles and pumping a couple of times - but it was just so messy I decided to go straight to emergency procedures. Im really happy with the way everything else turned out. Im safe, canopy and freebag found, had one handle in hand, happy.

[skycamefalling 0]

Good job and congrats on making it back safely.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[petejones45 0]

Good Job!

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Felt like forever until the reserve was above my head and when it did finally open i was in a thick layer of cloud and zero visibilty. Got on the rear risers before releasing toggles as I was afraid of a canopy collision in the clouds. Once free of the clouds I did my control checks. I floated for a while watching my canopy and freebag drift away in the wind to get an idea of where to find 'em - turns out everyone else in the air was doing the same thing. The reserve landing was uneventful, a nice stand up into wind landing with a bunch of people filming from the ground. I still had the cutaway pad in my hand but lost the reserve handle which im kinda annoyed at myself for.

What is the rule for jumping through clouds in new zealend? Here it is illegial

Look out for the freefly team, Smelly Peppers. Once we get a couple years more experience we will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future! BLUES!

[RUN_FMX 7]

This was a weird situation, it was a clear blue day and there was literally just this one patch of cloud north of the dz in the oppostie direction from jump run. Being second group out, mixed with wind during ff, mixed with floating with the wind for a bit under the malfunctioned canopy just put me exactly in the middle of this cloud patch once reserve opened. I was out of the cloud within a few seconds - it was a 'patch' rather than a 'layer' - could have chosen my words better above

[trig78 0]

Congrats on a good save

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And no, I hadnt packed it - another student had. The lineover was sitting in there waiting for someone.

Are students allowed to pack for others? They probably shouldn't be.

[Hellis 0]

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Are students allowed to pack for others? They probably shouldn't be.

Why not?
Are you saying are allowd to pack to yourself in Bosnia, but not to others as student?
That does not make any sens, why would you pack differently in either case?

Either you are allowd to pack or not

[trig78 0]

I never jumped in Bosnia. Somebody mentioned in another thread recently that, in the States, student is not to pack rented gear for others to jump it. Pack job is calculated in rental price. In the states I only packed for myself as a student. For others i don't think I would want to, as a student. I'm not sure if it's an absolute rule in the States.
He is from NZ so i was wondering.

[davelepka 4]

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Are you saying are allowd to pack to yourself in Bosnia, but not to others as student?
That does not make any sens, why would you pack differently in either case?

Either you are allowd to pack or not

No, you may 'know' how to pack, but suck at it. In that case, you are the only one who realizes your shortcoming as you are the only one with your hands on the entire pack job.

In a technical sense, a main parachute needs to be packed by a rigger, under the supersvision of a rigger, or the person who is going to jump the parachute. Packers who are not riggers use the excuse that they are under the supervision of a rigger even if said rigger is just on the DZ somwhere, or even off-DZ but available to show up and supervise if need be. The reason they get away with this is they are comptent packers, and the issue of them being suopervised never comes up.

In the case of a sudent packing a rental rig, this would not be the case. Being new to packing, they would require actual, physical, one-on-one supervision to ensure that everything is done correctly.

The other angle is that when you pack a rental rig that is going to be hung up on the rack, you're packing that rig for the next paying customer who has a right to expect a properly packed parachute. I'm not saying they have the right to expect a successful opening, but a pack job that was done properly by a skilled professional. This is why DZ who rent rigs for the day generally allow the jumper to pack for themselves aside from the final pack job. When you're done jumping, and the rig is headed for the rack, a DZ packer has to do that pack job.

[Andy9o8 0]

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The other angle is that when you pack a rental rig that is going to be hung up on the rack, you're packing that rig for the next paying customer who has a right to expect a properly packed parachute. I'm not saying they have the right to expect a successful opening, but a pack job that was done properly by a skilled professional.

I remember a time, in a galaxy far away, when if you rented a DZ rig, the first thing you did was re-pack the main for yourself before jumping it. That way you knew who'd packed it and how; no guessin' about it. Just sayin'.

[heavydude 0]

At SQ1 Perris the mains are seperate from the containers. Mains are rigger rolled so you need to attach to container and propack. End of day you need to re-riggeroll the main correctly or you get a rigger to do so.
Sounds like a good way to do it as then you have personally checked the whole main system.

[billvon 2,379]

>the next paying customer who has a right to expect a properly
>packed parachute.

If he wants a parachute and wants to take his chances, he can jump it as-is. If he wants a "properly packed parachute" (however he defines that) he can repack it. Up to him.