round reserves

[Yossarian 0]

is it true that the old belly mounted reserves didnt have a pilot chute and you actually had to grab the thing and throw it out? sounds like id take my chances with a linover...

[skydiverek 55]

Yes.

[norman8791 0]

Some of them had Pilot Chutes, and some did not. Back when we had the two shot capewells, we didn't do cutaways. So, we used chest mounts with no pilot chute, we hand deployed the reserve with the malfunctioned main still out. I am glad those days are gone. Norm

[Yossarian 0]

what about a total mal? you could get tangled up in it really easy couldnt you?

[wmw999 2,123]

The problem with having a pilot chute was that it took control of where the reserve was going away from the jumper. When there wasn't a good way to separate quickly from the main, that mattered.

But yes, cutaways (with reserve static lines for students particularly) are better. Way better.

I don't remember hearing about anyone getting tangled in their reserve on a total (the procedure was to put your feet and knees together, and bring your legs forward a little so that you'd go back to earth), but that doesn't mean much. I started after most dropzones started teaching cutaways.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Taylor610 0]

Arch, Look, Reach, Pull, PUNCH!

And if it doesn't open, pull it back in and throw it again!!

Edited to add, man, did I just date myself...

[stratostar 5]

I know of a first jump student that cutaway and grabed the pilot chute and held it till impact.
And I remember a few bellywart intanglements/horseshoes.
I know someone who had the reserve PC snag on a pack opening band "hook" on the main container and they went in on a main total and reserve horseshoe.
So it did happen a time or two.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[wmw999 2,123]

But he was asking about the greater likelihood of a hand-deployed reserve.

I agree completely that the reserve coming off the back, with no bungees or hooks, and a 3-ring is infinitely superior.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Taylor610 0]

I agree completely that the reserve coming off the back, with no bungees or hooks, and a 3-ring is infinitely superior.
***
Yeah, even our training back then was that the "Reach" part was done with only the right hand so that (in theory) you would roll over onto your back so the reserve would deploy cleanly. The "Punch" portion was to push some part of the reserve fabric into the airstream for deployment.

Technology...wow!

[jonstark 8]

I've got two reserve rides. Neither of which had a pilot chute. It's true, many didn't have PCs.

[nitrochute 2]

ironically, steve snyders drop zone (the inventor of the sentinel series of aad's and the altimaster altimeter,para flite ,etc) did not use pilot chutes in the reserve .that is untill their first student fatality.jumper did not execute a proper exit and ended up on her back.the deploying main started coming up between her legs and she closed her legs on it.(first jump student) she continued falling on her back with the main trapped btween her legs until about 800 feet when the aad fired.because she was on her back the reserve stayed there pretty much until impact.after this steve felt it was appropriate to install pilot chutes on all his student reserves in case of an aad fire.it was thought that students could control the pilotchute enough if they were aware of the malfunction. only other student fatality at his dz ,jumper was making his last drcp(dummy rip cord pull) and the main pilotchute snagged the top left pack opening band,resulting in a horseshoe. student exercised his emergency procedures and the reserve made it to nearly full deployment,but the main was whipping around pretty good and wrapped itself into a perfect half hitch 3 feet from the skirtof the reserve.impacted in some guys yard while the homeowner was outsidemowing his grass.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

what about a total mal? you could get tangled up in it really easy couldnt you?

This is what one looked like deploying.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[niu 0]

[ripcord4 0]

Quote

I've got two reserve rides. Neither of which had a pilot chute. It's true, many didn't have PCs.

I also have two reserve deployments on the old T-7A chest mount. I had no problems either time without a pilot chute. The first time the main never came out of the sleeve, so I threw the reserve and it opened IMMEDIATELY - so hard it hurt. The second time was a Mae West (line-over for you newbies) and I threw the reserve as a precaution. It fell down in front, then slowly inflated and swung up in front of the main. Both landings were uneventful.

[skr 1]

> This is what one looked like deploying.

Hey, I remember that picture!

That was Ken Rounds at Lancaster.

Lyle Cameron printed it in Skydiver
and made some comment about reserve
pilot chutes.


I used Bob Sinclair's idea of a reserve
pilot chute with a slip knot so that if you
had a total you could pull your reserve
and get a pilot chute deployment, but if
you had a partial you could release the
slip knot and then pull your reserve and
do the normal down and out and into the
spin.

Skr

[poppenhager 1]

In the Airborne we had pilot chutes (umbrella type)on chest reserves.I started free falling in 1956 and always had a pilot chute (ma-1) in my chest reserve.Of 32 chest reserve deployments I had no problems.BTW in 1961 I was reprimanded by PCA for teaching and using the cut-a-way method for reserve deployment!!! Unbelievable was'nt it....POP

[sprtdth 0]

Boy, slip knot on the bridle, now that stirs up the brain cell. I was a young rigger in training the first time I saw that. The Master saw me looking at it and said "Bob has it figured out. Just pack it." We didn't worry about TSO's so much back then.

CRW Skies
Frank
CRW Diva #58

[jbrasher 0]

My firstr reserve ride was a total (I packed it) on a 5-10 second delay.
I rolled over on my back and pulled the ripcord and nothing happened.
I then pushed the side of the container just liked been instructed and the non-pilot chute canopy deployed.
I think my heels hit the back of my head
Then I got really scared.
The occillations were so bad I thought I was going to die.
I grabbed the rear risers (this was an unmodified 24' twill) and tried to dampen them but it only got worse.
When I got to the ground I 'oscilled' just right (through no fault of my own) and had one of the softest landings (or maybe it was the adrenaline) of any round landing.

Red, White and Blue Skies,

John T. Brasher D-5166

[howardwhite 5]

Quote

This is what one looked like deploying.

Sparky

This is what one looked like after deploying.

HW

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Quote

This is what one looked like deploying.

Sparky

This is what one looked like after deploying.

HW

One good thing, they won't go into a down plane.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[steve1 5]

Quote

I know someone who had the reserve PC snag on a pack opening band "hook" on the main container and they went in on a main total and reserve horseshoe.
~

I used to really worry about that, for some reason, back in the early 70's. I used to take a pair of pliers and bend the hooks enough to where they were somewhat hard to unhook. This was also a pain when packing, because you still had to unhook all of them, to get your canopy in there, but maybe it was a little safer.

I also had a friend burn in when he accidentally hooked a pack opening band over his reserve handle. When he cut away his malfunctioning main, he couldn't pull the handle on his belly reserve. A good rigger check could have saved his life.

In the army part of the rigger check (on a belly wart) was for the jumpmaster to check the butterfly snaps on the D-rings, run his hand behind the reserve handle, then poke a finger inside the pocket, then open the front flap and check the pins and cones. It only took a very few seconds to do all this. By doing this check exactly the same, each time, you could do it very quickly without ever missing a thing. It probably saved many lives....Steve1

[niu 0]

[stratostar 5]

I used to take a pair of pliers and bend the hooks enough to where they were somewhat hard to unhook. This was also a pain when packing,(quote)

Yea I do the same thing still even today when jumping all the rounds at my home dz, and I tell the younger kids who care to learn that kind of stuff.

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[wartload 0]

It must have been fun jumping when you started, Pop ... seeing as how God didn't invent clouds until several years later.

[Trae 1]

in reply to " it`s pretty strange that anyone lived through it. "
.............................

Agreed. Those old rigs were amazing and the people who jumped them with smiles on their faces even more so.

We're all so lucky to have such great gear today .

My guess is most modern skydivers wouldn't even consider going skydiving if the old rigs were still the only option.