Intentional Cutaway???

[ladyhawke 0]

You have given me a lot to think about. I do practice touching my handles before I get on the plane & then usually at least 2x before I exit. BUT I have not practiced touching them in freefall or under canopy. I will practice that.

Also, I will think more about demoing a PD reserve. Maybe that is what I need to do to get the experience I'm searching for.

I trust my rigger implicitly and ask him questions when ever I can. I want to know how my gear works and I have learned a lot.

Thank You so so much! I truly appreciate the information you and everyone else has graciously shared.

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." - A. Dumbledore

[peregrinerose 0]

Keep up the good work with the handle touching... it really does make a difference.

My first chop was a month ago, a line over. Since I do my own reserve repacks, I knew that it was done well (though it was my first save!). It amazed me how chopping was instinctive, I didn't have to think, just started pulling handles. My only coherent thought was 'shit I owe a lot of beer for this'

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[rave4funn 0]

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BUT I have not practiced touching them in freefall or under canopy. I will practice that.

It wasn't until recently that I tried touching my handles in freefall. I had done it under canopy before but never in freefall. I was actually kind of dissappointed in myself that I had not thought to do it sooner. I have sinced practiced a few times. It seems like this should be something that is stressed early on. We practice e.p.'s over and over but always on the ground.

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http://www.myspace.com/rave4funn

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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For starters, reserve canopies are F111 and also mostly all 7-cells (edit... to add "mostly all" before someone jumps in and says there's still some 5-cell reserves out there in service still).

And don't forget the 9cell reserves out there Seem to be quite a few Predators around here lately, for some reason

I knew someone was going to say that!




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Prose said:
Keep up the good work with the handle touching... it really does make a difference.

My first chop was a month ago, a line over. Since I do my own reserve repacks, I knew that it was done well (though it was my first save!). It amazed me how chopping was instinctive, I didn't have to think, just started pulling handles. My only coherent thought was 'shit I owe a lot of beer for this'

Lets see...

"My first chop was a month ago..." = 1 case of beer

"...it was my first save." = 1 case of beer

+ a bottle for your rigger (still counts even though its yourself).

So... 2 Cases of Beer + 1 bottle for yourself...

[Rookie120 0]

I did an intentional cutaway at Skyfest when the RW rep was there. There gear, extra belly mount reserve to jump the skyhook. it was a ride. My first and only cutaway but that sold me on the skyhook. I will look at one for the next rig I buy. Use there rig though. Dont do it on your own.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Anyway, ladyhawke, to summarize, if you're really really wanting to do this, IMO, your options:

1) Find someone with a terch-rig that knows what their doing and get trained up on it... its not just another jump.

2) Call up PD and get a Reserve - Demo, maybe 1 size larger then what you have now, pack it up in your rig in place of your main & go jump it to see how a reserve style canopy flies / lands.

3) Wait, and in time, you'll have a reserve ride... I can recommend some packers if you'd like to up the chances of that being sooner then later...

[AggieDave 6]

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I trust my rigger implicitly and ask him questions when ever I can. I want to know how my gear works and I have learned a lot.

A few things that you can do to help yourself learn:

1. Get on the web, download the manuals for your gear and read them,
2. Talk to your rigger and ask to sit around and watch while he/she does rigging work, especially on your gear,
3. Do the same with other rigs, once you start to get an understanding of your own gear.

Those things will help you a lot, I know that it helped me a lot when I was first starting out. As for your rigger, if he/she is really busy then they may not want you hanging around the loft, BUT a nice bottle or a case of beer goes a long way in this regard.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ladyhawke 0]

I concur that practicing touching your handles in freefall should be stressed upon early on. I'm thinking during the coaching levels. I also think canopy piloting and landing should be stressed upon early on (during AFF/Coaching levels)! Oh no, don't get me started on that!!

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." - A. Dumbledore

[ladyhawke 0]

#1: I plan to do at some point
#2: I plan to do as soon as possible
#3: I'll pass on this one

Yes, I really do want to do this. I love this quote -"Chance favors only those minds which are prepared"- Louis Pasteur. I believe that.

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." - A. Dumbledore

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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#3: I'll pass on this one

Jump long enough... and sooner or later you'll have a cutaway & reserve ride.

"Pack fast, pull low and date your rigger's wife."

[peregrinerose 0]

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Lets see...

"My first chop was a month ago..." = 1 case of beer

"...it was my first save." = 1 case of beer

+ a bottle for your rigger (still counts even though its yourself).

So... 2 Cases of Beer + 1 bottle for yourself...

Two cases of Guiness and a bottle of Bailey's later, I'm a happy girl A little poorer, but at least I had good beer to drink at the DZ for a while! Not the normal horse piss Coors Light and related crap that most people buy.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Broke 0]

Why don't you call PD and ask them to send you a PDR160 that you can demo as a main

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[RogerRamjet 0]

I agree with many of the responses here, especially Terry's.

Here is another bit of food for thought. Look through these forums and find the many posts on "My first cutaway" or "My first malfunction" or "My first chop." Read the posts and you will have a hard time finding any posts about the reserve at all. They talk of the mal and how the cutaway went, but for the most part, the reserve ride and landing are simply not mentioned. I believe this is because they were not an issue. If you can fly your main, you can fly your reserve.

I did two intentional cutaways at around 200 jumps. Both on rigs that allowed a front mounted reserve (in those days, the reserves were round, so a front mounted reserve with no pilot chute was used for intentionals). I didn't even consider (and would never consider) doing an intentional cutaway with just my regular gear. You are betting your life that your reserve won't mal.

As other posters have said here, if you just want to see how your reserve flys, get a demo and jump it as your main.

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

[ladyhawke 0]

Thank you everyone who posted responses and messaged me. My immediate plan is to contact PD and demo a 160 reserve so I can jump it (as a main). Then after I have more jumps I plan to do the intentional cutaway only with the proper equpment (not my gear). This weekend I will talk to Eric and Voodew (even though I already know what they're going to say) about this.

I just want to say, I understand it's not possible to predict how I will react in the moment of an actual cutaway situation (with the exception of implementing my ep training) but I want to at least get a good idea of what's going to happen by experiencing a simulated one.

Thanks again all and Blue Skies!

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." - A. Dumbledore