Hard Deck Altitude

[Hooknswoop 19]

Hard Deck-

Your hard deck altitude is the lowest altitude you can still continue to attempt to deploy your main canopy or fix a problem with your main canopy. Once reaching that hard deck altitude, you must either give up trying to deploy the main and pull the reserve or give up trying to fix a deployed, but not fully functional main and cutaway and deploy the reserve.

Going to the reserve can be done higher than the hard deck, the hard deck is the absolute minimum altitude.

To determine this altitude, work backwards. Start with the lowest altitude you feel safe getting a fully deployed reserve. Add the altitude it takes for a reserve to deploy, 200-400 feet. Now add in some altitude as a safety margin for any unforeseen problems, reaction time, etc. The total is your hard deck. Higher is better.

Your main deployment altitude should be calculated in a similar manner, starting with your hard deck, add in enough altitude to identify and react to a high speed malfunction. Next add in how much altitude your canopy takes to open on a slow opening. Now add in a safety margin for any unforeseen circumstances. The total is your minimum deployment altitude.

If you are in free-fall and unable to deploy your main canopy, no later than, and preferably before your hard deck, deploy your reserve. If you have deployed your main, but it has a problem and you are attempting to fix the problem, maintain altitude awareness, and no lower than your hard deck, cutaway and pull your reserve if you haven't fixed the problem with your main. Do not attempt to fix one more line twist, getting a line over off one last cell, etc. If you do not have a fully functional main canopy by your hard deck, cutaway and pull your reserve, no exceptions. Once you are below your hard deck, you have committed yourself to landing your main canopy. That one last line twist you kick out of below your hard deck is no big deal, right? You then release the brakes and only one releases, now you are below your hard deck, with a malfunctioning main. If you have a broken line or lines, step through, tension knots, pilot chute over the nose, etc, you must decide before your hard deck if the canopy is land-able with a controllability check. You must be able to turn the canopy and flare it in order to land it safely. This must be determined prior to reaching your hard deck in order to have enough altitude to cutaway, deploy your reserve, and land safely.

If you are jumping at an unfamiliar DZ and will probably require more time to find and access a safe landing area, increase your hard deck altitude. If you are jumping at an unfamiliar DZ that has few outs, increase your hard deck altitude. If you are jumping a new or unfamiliar main or harness/container, increase your hard deck altitude. Any circumstances that that can affect how much altitude it will take you to cutaway and pull your reserve and land your reserve safely, require you to increase your hard deck. This is a continual process. Learn to recognize when you are increasing your risk level and increase your hard deck accordingly.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FULLY FUNCTIONAL MAIN CANOPY BY YOUR HARD DECK ALTITUDE, CUTAWAY AND PULL YOUR RESERVE.

Derek

[poohbeer 0]

Very nice post, but being just off AFF I have no real idea what I'm comfortable with. I changed my main deployement altitude from 5000 feet (AFF learned) to 4000 feet after an instructor told me it might be wise not to pull so high. He recommended 3500 btw.
Since I'm still renting gear I have no way of knowing how long it takes for that chute to open but keeping the hard deck altitude at 2000 as thaught in the AFF course seems good for now.

If any of the more experienced folks have any insights on this (why it's high/low, what else might be worth considering), feel free to enlighten me.

------- SIGNATURE BELOW -------
Complete newbie at skydiving, so be critical about what I say!!
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

[Hooknswoop 19]

Pulling at 4,000 ft and a hard deck of 2,000 ft is fine for now. Any changes to those altitudes should be well thought out and discussed w/ an Instructor.

Derek

[rhino 0]

I would recommend you go back to 5000 feet until you are damned well good and ready to move down. NOTHING is wrong with pulling higher. Half of my jumps to date are clear and pulls from 14k or higher.

I think the fact that you want to deploy higher shows that you have the type of common sense that can keep you alive and help you learn to fly a canopy better..

Keep it up. Don't go lower unless you want to.

Rhino

[jumpy 0]

Quote

I would recommend you go back to 5000 feet until you are damned well good and ready to move down. NOTHING is wrong with pulling higher. Half of my jumps to date are clear and pulls from 14k or higher.

I think the fact that you want to deploy higher shows that you have the type of common sense that can keep you alive and help you learn to fly a canopy better..

Keep it up. Don't go lower unless you want to.

Rhino

But also make it clear that you are pulling high to everyone else on the load if you are doing solo's so that you can be placed in an appropriate possition in the exit order.

[rhino 0]

Quote

But also make it clear that you are pulling high to everyone else on the load if you are doing solo's so that you can be placed in an appropriate possition in the exit order.

Yep.. That should be the obvious part but thanks for mentioning it..

Rhino

[skyjames 2]

Don't fool yourself.
You do know what you are "comfortable" with.

5000 ft.

I assume you will buy gear in the near future and not rent, or borrow for 200+ jumps as I did. Try dropping your pull altitude by 500 foot at a time, until you are comfortable pulling lower. Granted this will cause you to miss a 2 or 3 way for the time being, but there is plenty of time for "ways" later.

Just remember it's YOU that has to be in your comfort zone.
Do not let anyone tell you pulling lower than you feel good about is unsafe. Exit last, give a good count for the ppl/tandems/etc that left just before you exit. As already mentioned, tell jumpers/load organizer what you plan to do and do only that.

Besides, pulling higher will prolly get you back to the DZ, being last out.

Some of my most memorable jumps have been hop-n-pops from a bit higher than 5K ;)

"exit fast, fly smooth, dock soft and smile"
'nother james

[jsaxton 0]

The hard deck is 2500' for students and A license holders according to the SIM.

[billvon 2,435]

>Do not let anyone tell you pulling lower than you feel good about is unsafe.

This is usually valid; however, in some cases (busy multi-plane DZ, boogie) opening high can put you at risk for collisions with the next load. As others have mentioned, discuss this with manifest/the S+TA if it might be an issue at your DZ.

[Scrumpot 1]

Quote

This is usually valid; however, in some cases (busy multi-plane DZ, boogie) opening high can put you at risk for collisions with the next load. As others have mentioned, discuss this with manifest/the S+TA if it might be an issue at your DZ.

And then if it is still an issue (with comfortability) with YOU, you always have the option of simply NOT getting in the airplane under those circumstances yourself personally, in the first place.

Otherwise (presumably) you have a long life in front of you yet (and another day) to come out 'n jump!

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[rhino 0]

If I am at a dz or a boogie that doesn't permit me to pull a bit higher under SOME circumstance I simply won't go there..


At the wffc I pulled between 4-6k on all jumps.. excluding 2-2.5k hop-n-pops.

Of course with the permission of the pilot and tracking out of the opening lane of the planes 3 minutes behind me.

Where I opened and where others behind me opened was about half a mile of space.

Rhino

[Michele 1]

My hard deck is still 2200. If I am under an uncontrolled main, I will cut away at that point.

Because of this, and because I jump a Spectre which habitually opens slow (from throw-out to checking alti +/- 1000 feet), and because I choose to pad the deployment altitude (body corrections, slipped hand, whatever...) by about 500 feet, I regularly pull at 4000.

That allows me to check "there, square and controllable", and assess the issue should there be one present; take corrective action should there be one, or decide to cut-away. It doesn't allow me to participate on 20-ways, but I'm not ready for that, anyway.

I have always - always - had my pull alti respected by those who I jumped with. On a 6 way (my largest to date), not one person had any issue with it. Had there been an issue, I would have backed out of the jump, and done a 2way or solo.

Pulling high is a separate issue, but a great topic of discussion. I have done it several times, and will continue to do so. I always inform manifest, and also generally remind the pilot of my pull alti if it's higher than "normal".

Stay within your comfort level, and gradually start bringing it lower when YOU are ready. It's your bottom under that canopy, so do what you need to do to handle potential difficulties.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[skyjames 2]

Quote

>Do not let anyone tell you pulling lower than you feel good about is unsafe.

This is usually valid; however, in some cases (busy multi-plane DZ, boogie) opening high can put you at risk for collisions with the next load. As others have mentioned, discuss this with manifest/the S+TA if it might be an issue at your DZ.

Fair enough, and true.

The consideration I gave to his remarks were based on the fact he had been opening at 5K. Eventually his normal opening altitude will get lower as his confort zone and time in sport matures.

For anyone not to tell: manifest/load organizer/other jumpers, that you are pulling high is a no-no, and bill just mentioned one good reason.

.

"exit fast, fly smooth, dock soft and smile"
'nother james

[billvon 2,435]

>Of course with the permission of the pilot and tracking out of the
>opening lane of the planes 3 minutes behind me.

How did you ensure you were always in the northernmost jump run? That became a big issue for wingsuits.

[jumpgod 0]

2,000'....if it doesn't fly....bye, bye. hope my rigger did a good reserve repack.

why do all the extra math and risk it all? there's never a guarantee that your reserve will just "POP" open, is there?