First Reserve Pull

[Tuna-Salad 0]

What was your first malfunction like? I have never had one and to be honest this is what scares me the most. I question how I will perform.. will it be the right choice, will i make the choice fast enough... ETC
I have had the same training as anyone and know the procedures, but how did YOU act on your first one? Panic? Complete calm?

Anyone else had these thoughts or feelings? Please express what your first cutaway was like

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[DSE 3]

Blog post about my first.

[iwasinkheson68 0]

my first chop was nasty nasty spinning line twists on my 134th jump. I'd been worried about how I would react, whether I'd do everything right, but when it happened emergency procedures were automatic and I was pretty chuffed with myself for being calm throughout. It was a relief to know that it was out of the way and I didn't need to worry about it anymore.

You'll probably feel a lot better if you can demo your reserve, already knowing how it flies would take heaps of pressure off.

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

I never really worried about it like some people seem to but it was my turn to cutaway on jump 38. It was just instinctive. I panicked for about a second then went straight to cutaway handle. peeled, pulled, dropped () by the time I had my hand on the reserve handle the reserve was already out and fully inflated (I know. I should have pulled it anyway. I got tons of shit for not pulling it.)

[HellFreak 0]

It happened to me on my 73 jump. At my pull altitude I toss the PC and waited, and waited. The delay was caused by my PC either coming uncocked or I didnt cock it in the first place. Either way I was burning up altitude, and then my training took over. With 'ah, shit' going through my head, it was LR, GR, LL, GL, peel/ punch, peel/punch. A few seconds later I was under the most beautiful yellow canopy...

I have had a total of 3 reserve rides. The first one made me the most nervous as it was something I'd never done. It wasnt panic for me, more of loathing. I wont say it gets easier to go to reserve after the first one, but I have learned to trust my equiptment.

Two words that get you in trouble, ALWAYS and NEVER

[hackish 8]

I almost quit after my first one. Jump number 18 I think. Was a big old boat of a student canopy parafab-280 with a dual breakfire and then tension knots on opening. The amount of opposite toggle needed to fly it straight started it fluttering at the stall point. I think I muttered "here goes nothing".

I think from discussion and research of the subject if you are questioning your ability to perform see if you can find someone with a suspended harness so you can get the feel of performing the actions. Under stress the familiarity of performing the actions may help. When your reserve it up for repack see if your rigger will allow you to pull it.

-Michael

[Andy9o8 0]

On my first reserve ride I didn't have time to think about it long enough to freeze: I had a total malfunction. I just had time enough to say "fuck!" and grab the reserve handle.

[likestojump 3]

WS jump. dumped at around 4K, went into serious linetwists (Cobalt). worked my way out of 1, just to get into 3 more and start spinning on my back. I have always practiced two handed cutaways, but I distinctly remember cutting away with one hand and deploying the reserve with the other. Afterward I realized I did not cutaway my wings, which would have possibly helped me to untwist and not cutaway. That was also my first save as a rigger.
as I was landing the main landed 100ft next to me and freebag 100ft the other way.

I have done a bunch of trashbag jumps (with cutaways) with a secondary harness under my sport rig PRIOR to this, and that has definitely helped my comfort level.

[speuci 0]

I'm curious ... for those of you with your first chop at a low number of jumps, do you attribute the mal to a shoddy pack job that you packed yourself?

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

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I'm curious ... for those of you with your first chop at a low number of jumps, do you attribute the mal to a shoddy pack job that you packed yourself?

Nope. I didn't pack mine. However I don't blame my packer either. I wont drop names but mine was the second canopy of its model to blow out in as many weeks. Then another one blew out the next week.

[firstime 0]

went unstable just when i tossed the hackey...hence lines wrapped around my right leg, upside down and spining. I can't chop until I use my hook knife to get the lines cut. Then comes the reserve ride. That was jump# 117, the whole process was instinct, but then again it was do or die

[fossg 0]

My first cutaway- I was jumping a jumbo para-comander and I had a classic line over with a LOT of garbage on the right side. I had opened high (still on student status and was doing a 5 second delay) I was with a bunch of up-jumpers and they put me out on the way up (around 5000) I poped my capewells and chopped that mess. I tried to pull the reserve but the stevens cord beat me to it. Since I had a chest mount reserve I had the view of watching the complete deployment. The canopy came out I poped the 4 line release turned and held into the wind and landed with out further incident. This happened in 1982 at the Helemano drop zone in Hawaii. I was jumping with the Tropic Lightening Sport Parachute Club, and our dropzone was inland a LOT bigger than Dillingham. Having gone through the first jump course in a military club the cut away procedures were drilled into our heads. The process was pretty much automatic for me. I was lucky- I had altitude, I had a slow malfunction. Yes I bought a case of beer (first reserve ride) and a quart of 151 rum for the rigger. (it is supposed to be a fifth but I couldn't find a fifth at the Class 6 store) The rigger did not complain. I was calm during the whole process. But you NEVER forget it.

[3331 108]

Early 1970 over Darbydale Ohio, I had 20+ jumps.

My 7TU had a line over, I immediately pulled the two pin silver handle on the chest mounted reserve container and the fluffy white 28 foot non steerable round canopy fell out before I had a chance to throw it.

The open reserve released tension on the main and the line over slipped off, I had two fully open canopy's slowly turning in the wind like a scene from "The Gypsy Moths." That was my only tree landing.

The Skygod's back at the DZ criticized me for not pulling in the reserve after the line over came off so I could steer clear of trees.

By the end of the year I was jumping full time at Greene County Xenia Ohio. Had my second and third reserve rides there in 1971, both were cutaways.

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

[dynamicedge 0]

I've never had a chop but a buddy of mine had to chop on his very first jump on an IAD. He told me his canopy deployed and immediately whipped him into a violent spin. Thanks to the great instructors at Eden North who prepared him for anything he immediately performed his EP without even thinking. Needless to say he almost shit himself and he kissed the ground as soon as he landed. I don't think he'll be back in the sky anytime soon.

[FLJB 0]

Spinning line twists, on my back. good times, good times.

Something i heard about and was true for me - you know when it doesn't open correctly, right away. As soon as it opens you can tell if it can be worked out or not.

I also was trained two hands each handle and did a one hand on each handle cutaway...

it was so fast i didn't have time to think about it.

And i don't think i packed it, but i also don't think that matters any. It can happen on any jump.

[muff528 3]

First one was jump #16. I think it was a GP Maverone student canopy. During the requisite Hop-n-pop at 4000 ft. I had risers crossed in front of my face. After I determined that it wasn't twists I remembered my pack job earlier where something didn't look quite right and I remembered passing the packed d-bag and PC sideways through the risers before placing it into the container. (I was going to ask an instructor about it but they all looked busy and I was satisfied that I had it figured out.) I probably could have landed it ok but at 16 jumps all I saw was a problem. I decided that if I didn't have it sorted out by 2500 ft. then I would chop it. And I did. Found the main but lost the reserve FB & PC somewhere on McNasty's property. My 2nd one was a line-over at around jump #120 and the 3rd was a fast spinner, probably line-over, around jump 900.

Tony P

[muff528 3]

All 3 of my mals resulted from my crappy pack jobs.

TP

[fossg 0]

For me every malfunction that i've had was from sloppy packing. Especialy with that para-comander. It did not come with a sleeve instead it had a real funky deployment bag. When I went to Perris to go through the then new AFF program I sold the thing to Don Rumble who had a friend who was looking for one.

[I3uller 0]

Funny this is up because a guy on my load had a chop today. First one I had seen. Me and another guy were the first two out and pulled at 3k so I noticed something was wrong when I saw a tiny white chute about a thousand feet below me....then I saw the PC and the freebag floating down to earth. Apparently he had some pretty nasty line twists and since he was jumping a "handkerchief" as his wife said, he had to chop it. Everyone on the DZ went after his chopped equipment and by the time he was back underneath the packing shed they were already there handing him his main. Shows how good the folks at our DZ are. Glad everything worked out fine for him.

[ryan_d_sucks 0]

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Everyone on the DZ went after his chopped equipment and by the time he was back underneath the packing shed they were already there handing him his main. Shows how good the folks at our DZ are. Glad everything worked out fine for him.

Well relish that. I'm pretty sure all my shit got stolen after my cutaway. Main, reserve PC, and freebag all disappear... I guess that's what you get when you're a nobody and you chop at a boogie.

[ailithir 0]

In 1965 at Ft. Campbell I was doing a 5 second delay. I counted to 5, pulled the rip cord, counted, 6 thousand, 7 thousand 8 thousand 9 thousand 10 thousand I remember perfectly thinking "fuck it!" and pulled my chest mounted reserve only to have a perfect main open and two out. It was the closest I ever landed to the target with absolutely no control. The jumpmaster said I had a pilot chute hesitation because of my stable position and as soon as I bent over to pull the reserve. up it went. Not scared at all...from good training.

[dfairleigh11 0]

Jump 23, check out dive - pretty violent opening on a Skymaster 290, left side line over, started spinning me pretty good, popped the brakes to see if I could get it to clear, vividly remember saying aloud "nope" when the spin increased speed and grabbed the SOS handle and chopped it. Wasn't worried until the reserve spun up 3 times from the spin, but all said and done I was out of them by 1500'. I had prepared myself before by telling myself it's gonna happen sooner or later, so I need to be prepared mentally as well as knowing EP's... ...felt totally normal after standing up the landing but was having a bit of trouble talking straight afterwards. Still feel very much like it made me a better, more confident jumper. Instructor got a bit of the main ride on video, cool to watch, and it does happen REALLY fast. Plus it's a fun story to tell

"We'll start the ass kissing with you"

[gsxrjumper720 0]

Mine happened on jump number 12. it was my first stable free fall after a 10 second delay. I remember the packer saying that he had packed it different this time and he wanted me to know what I thought. The chute opened into a violent spin, and at that time I was on radio and the DZO was yelling "release the breaks" and me yelling "THEY'RE ALREADY RELEASED" thinking some how he might hear me from 3000 feet above. I was able to stop the spinning by pulling down really hard on the right risers, but the second I let loose I was out of control again. Finally chopped and saw that beautiful white canopy.

We never figured out exactly what the problem was, and the DZO called it a "Student Malfunction". has anyone ever heard of this? More or less it was tension knots in my steering lines is what we came up with. I haven't had to chop since but I have broken both steering lines and end cell canopy lines, but both were controllable so I rode them out.

Life is way too short not to enjoy every minute of it :)