AggieDave 6 #1 January 7, 2003 How many of you touch all three of your handles before you get into the plane/in the plane before you leave? Not just to check that they are where they're supposed to be, but thinking about deploying, then cutting away and deploying your reserve. How many of you go through the motions when you do this with out actually pulling the handles? (This came up in Hooknswoop's thread about what would you do and I started thinking about all the muscle memory I've built in by doing this usually once a load).--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgoper 0 #2 January 7, 2003 always have, always will. it helps to build muscle memory, and when the actual event happens (and it will if you keep jumping) it will be second nature when you need to exercise emergency procedures. good post dave.--Richard-- "We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lizzieb 0 #3 January 7, 2003 i usually do this once right after i gear up, then again on the way to altitude. i want to be as ready as possible if i have to chop Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wlie 0 #4 January 7, 2003 All the time man! So much that I've developed a new Macarena My other ride is the relative wind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #5 January 7, 2003 It really depends on what I'm doing on the skydive (which probably isn't a good thing). If I'm training 4-way, I usually don't. Not because I'm too busy visualizing, but because I want to be as calm and unemotional as possible in the air. If I'm not visualizing the skydive, I'm visualizing my "calm place" and breathing. If I start thinking about malfunctions and EP's, my anxiety level will rise. If it rises even a small amount, I won't do as well on the skydive, guaranteed. Shit, I'd probably do better on the emergency if I am as calm as possible. If I'm just fu**ing around, freeflying, doing big-ways, or coaching, I usually go through it, mainly because I have more time to think about it.Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canopywhore 0 #6 January 7, 2003 Every jump and most of the time more than once. When I gear up, before I load the plane, and once or twice on jump run Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fool 0 #7 January 7, 2003 everytime, before I get on the plane, and just before I leave. Oh yeah, and I try to make sure I touch at least one of them after I leave too. If for nothing other than to check and make sure everything is where it should be...pilot chute hasn't slid in or out of BOC, cutaway hasn't flipped so it's under the harness, and silver is still seated properly. then focus and go. S.E.X. party #1 "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bhammond 0 #8 January 8, 2003 there is nothing wrong with muscle memory, but just make sure you are making good memories, try this next time you are out jumping first go ahead and deploy normally, no once you have checked that there is no traffic near you, close your eyes and place your hands where you think your handles are, dont fish around just place your hands if you dont find them open your eyes, look around check that there is still no traffic then look at your handles , then look straight ahead close your eyes and place your hands once again, .... you would be surprised how much the position of your handles can change due to sitting in the harness, it gets more dramatic under a spinning mal ... just a thought Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DZBone 0 #9 January 8, 2003 QuoteIf I start thinking about malfunctions and EP's, my anxiety level will rise. Heh, I'm just the opposite. Doing one run-through of any scenario puts me more at ease, so I can focus on the dive. _________________________________________________ If you hadn't read this, would it have made a sound? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #10 January 8, 2003 Having been spotted with a mis-routed chest strap during a rig check (manditory for students / or people using hire gear) on my 2nd consolidation jump. I now ask myself two questions before i get on the load and before i move to the door, Q1: Am i going to fall out of my kit ? Q2: Can i reach all of my handles ? these questions and other great advise came from a great guy called Freddy from Skydive St. Andrews in scotland. -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fool 0 #11 January 8, 2003 QuoteQuotethere is nothing wrong with muscle memory, but just make sure you are making good memories, try this next time you are out jumping first go ahead and deploy normally, no once you have checked that there is no traffic near you, close your eyes and place your hands where you think your handles are, dont fish around just place your hands if you dont find them open your eyes, look around check that there is still no traffic then look at your handles , then look straight ahead close your eyes and place your hands once again, .... you would be surprised how much the position of your handles can change due to sitting in the harness, it gets more dramatic under a spinning mal ... just a thought I think that's exactly why it's "LOOK, reach, pull." If you even do your practice touches trying to do it blind, you're just asking for trouble. You WILL do in the air as you do on the ground. If you're gonna go through the motions, you might as well go as far as you can with it...i.e. don't actually pull, but still do the motions. S.E.X. party #1 "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #12 January 8, 2003 Here's my 6 point check. Harness: 1) right legstrap hardware 2) left legstrap hardware 3) Chest strap Handles: (in order of use) 4) Main 5) Cutaway 6) Reserve Easy to teach...easy to do. I do that before boarding the plane and while I'm on it and I have the tendency to do it several times. Prior to exiting as I walk toward the door, I touch the main handle again to verify it's there. My students do the same thing. "Make A Great Day"My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #13 January 8, 2003 [repl] I think that's exactly why it's "LOOK, reach, pull. It is... but I've YET to see my handles prior to using them. (cept when My head was pinned down). I NEVER teach students to look at the Main handle or at any other handle during the main deployment sequence. If you do, you're kindly asking the student to do this.... Arch-look-Reach-barrel roll-pull. When "Arch-Look-Reach-pull" was taught standard, it used to get Real Exciting at pull time.TimMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropdeded 0 #14 January 8, 2003 I thought I did it religiusly until my 7th solo.Ripcord rig,pull,nothing,check alti.,check right,nothing,check alti,check left,nothing,check alti,go for silver,realize I gotta cutaway first.When I moved towards the cutaway pillow,the pc that I could not see at all caught air and stood me up.New situation having nothing at all out(I thought). Ever since then I do it over and over.Right,right left.NOT right left. dropdeded------------------------------------------ The Dude Abides. - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cornholio 0 #15 January 8, 2003 Always on every jump - 3 times Once on the ground before boarding Again on the plane after sitting down Once more while walking/crawling to the door Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast! Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool! bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyerno 0 #16 January 8, 2003 QuoteHow many of you touch all three of your handles before you get into the plane/in the plane before you leave? It's part of "the three threes, three times"--- Unanswered questions are far less dangerous than unquestioned answers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #17 January 8, 2003 All the time, at least a couple of times on the ground, and a couple of times in the plane, as well as reaching round and making sure my main flap is in place (I jump a teardrop Superfly so my reserve pin is against my back).____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #18 January 8, 2003 Every single time. I also will occasionally do it under canopy and I've done it in freefall a few times as well. KrisSky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropdeded 0 #19 January 8, 2003 Also on the legstraps and chest strap I make sure its Metal Im touching,metal metal metal.Dont know how exactly to explain what Im talking about but I imagine most if not all of you know what Im sayingdropdeded ------------------------------------------ The Dude Abides. - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fool 0 #20 January 8, 2003 Quote[repl] I think that's exactly why it's "LOOK, reach, pull. It is... but I've YET to see my handles prior to using them. (cept when My head was pinned down). QuoteI NEVER teach students to look at the Main handle or at any other handle during the main deployment sequence. I wasn't meaning during the main deployment. You were making reference to finding your cutaway and reserve handles after you were under a perfectly functional main to see how much they moved. I was refering to the reserve deployment procedures. I haven't seen my hackey before I pull it, and to be quite honest the one time I had a reserve ride I didn't look at first either, but that's one of the reasons I practice it they way I do now. At first I didn't find the handles, and it cost me maybe an extra second or so, but that's an extra second I may or may not be able to afford. So now for me, reserve procedure is always look reach pull. In practice, and god willing, in the case of an actual emergency. S.E.X. party #1 "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fudd 0 #21 January 8, 2003 I never leave the plane without having checked my gear. Usually I check my leg and chest strap first, adjusting them if they feel a little bit off. Then i think to myself: Ok I have my rig on, that's a good startI religiously touch my main handle all the time, checking it's there whenever I got my rig on. Practice my emergency routine before I enter the plane, and usually once or twice mentally on the ride up. Now that it's winter and I havent jumped in a while I practise my emergency routine regulary. Getting some strange looks from my coworkers when I do this in my office chair. -"What the fuck are you doing???" -"Saving my life" -"huh???" There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #22 January 8, 2003 Probably every 6 or 7 skydives, which would be about once a day. I've had 16 reserves rides. 7 from wraps or entanglements (did a lot of crew once) 7 from Tandems (Bag log thru to broken brake line) 1 spinning mal 1 prem deployment in the door, but felt it and left without further incident - apart from asking a team member nicely not to take a grip on that handle and getting a puff. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #23 January 8, 2003 Quote So now for me, reserve procedure is always look reach pull. In practice, and god willing, in the case of an actual emergency. You have a good method.. (I know it had nothing to do with the main. I have a tendancy to go off on a tangent, so just read it and be entertained ) Yeah, I practice looking, and not looking also. I definately haven't seen my handles when I needed em.. they were just there. You're teaching yourself very well. C-yaMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #24 January 8, 2003 Hey here's another good idea, teach yourself how to check your own main pin while the rig is on your back. Its really easy. Just learn what a good pin feels like, and what a bad pin feels like, because sooner or later you will be in a position where there is no-one on the plane qualified / trustworthy enough to check it for you. BTW Dave yes, when I put the rig on, just before I get in the plane, and just before I get out the plane...-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Genn 0 #25 January 8, 2003 I always do a quick gear check before putting on my rig...only takes a few seconds after you've been doing it for a while. Always do a handle check in the plane to make sure they are still in place and didn't come out or are loose. I love this quote: "Nobody ever died from a pin check" - unknown Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
