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Freeflysmiley

Low cut-away

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>Is there a fairly low chance then of a reserve actually entangling with
>your main mal if it does come out of the freebag at low speed?

There is a high chance! It's just that it's better than the alternative. Note that if the freebag, bridle or RPC entangles, there's a good chance it will clear, since it's not attached to anything. There are some entanglements (like the reserve deploying through some main line groups) where the reserve may open partially or fully, resulting in a survivable landing. There are some entanglements, like a spinning main that winds the reserve around itself, where it won't.

There's also the chance that the reserve will clear the main and open normally; this is the best case. You may not have too much control with the main still misbehaving, but it will probably slow you down alot.

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No one can say in what orientation you will be when thrown of a spinning mal.



Actually you can. You'll be thrown away from the canopy, feet into the relative wind. A perfect orientation for deploying a reserve canopy.It's kinda like cutting the string you're swinging a rock around on.....you know?



A good analogy. So just when you're starting to lose that initial stability, wouldn't it be great to get line stretch instead of going ass over teakettle and getting ground rush ?

It's worth pointing out that the single fatality at the 2003 WFFC was a jumper who cutaway from a spinning elliptical canopy below a grand. There was no RSL and witnesses think the victim was trying to get stable. Also worth mentioning that there was a Cypres on the rig, but the victim (I hate that word, but the guy's dead, so what else am I going to call him ?) was falling too slow for a quick activation. By the time he was falling fast enough to fire the Cypres - and it did fire - he was too low for the reserve to open. The USPA report in Parachutist concluded that an RSL might have saved the man's life.

Without an RSL and that low, it would seem wise to grip both handles for a one-two punch.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

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I have to say this, everyone else seems to have forgotten so soon. Several months ago Todd from airspeed was in this exact situation. At 600-800ft he had a canopy collision. The result was a violent spin. He immeadiately pulled silver. The reserve failed to inflate complelely and he hit the ground hard sideways at the same time as the canopy.

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I have to say this, everyone else seems to have forgotten so soon. Several months ago Todd from airspeed was in this exact situation. At 600-800ft he had a canopy collision. The result was a violent spin. He immeadiately pulled silver. The reserve failed to inflate complelely and he hit the ground hard sideways at the same time as the canopy.


Yes, but he is alive, and if not tet, will be jumping again. The same could be said for Clem Major, same situation, he lived, and is jumping again. Much better odds than getting rid of the main that low, and impacting at line stretch on the reserve.

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