Poll

[kmcguffee 0]

On my first delay (5 sec) I flipped on my back when I reached back to pull. I pulled anyway and tried to roll back over while throwing the pilot chute. I don't know if I successfully rolled back over or the chute opening rolled me over, but I was underneath a full canopy. Now that I can control myself in freefall I definitely would do it different next time.
Just FYI.

[diverdriver 5]

I agree with the "An accident is the result of links in a chain of events. Break any one link and the accident would not have happened." Yes, things led up to the AAD firing at proper altitude. And his tumbling is what induced the horseshoe malfunction. But the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up when people say that the extra wide bridle on the reserve is going to pull the stows if the pilot chute doesn't.
How do I feel about the Catapult on the Reflex? I own one. Since 1997.
Chris

[schroedera 0]

On my first H&P, I went into a roll as I went for the hackey, I knew this, and knew that I was already pretty low (being an H&P). I actually remember the words "Pull, Pull Stable, Pull at altitude" And I went through with it. I released it as I was reaching back-to-earth, and the pilot came up between my legs. I thank god that the pin held, because I've heard some BAD stories of upside-down deployments (ie. seperated pelvis, etc.) I reached around the back of my leg once, couldn't get my fingers under the bridle, reached twice, got a hold of it, and whipped it back out to the side. By this time I was at about 60 degrees headdown (for all my struggling) and it whipped me around quite violently before I found myself under a full canopy with a bunch of line twists. I sorted them out and the rest is history. I talked with my JM, and he suggested that I go straight to a 15 sec delay, so that I could have time this time to get a grasp of how the relative wind responds to body position. I did, deployed at altitude and stable as a rock. I'm so glad that he let me do that, otherwise I don't know how many 1-3 second incriment attempts it would've taken to get the same understanding. Made ALL the difference. I tell you, being a student at 8 jumps, around 3500' falling on your back staring at a PC flapping between your legs counting the seconds to compare how long you have vs. how long you've taken is an incredible thing. Oddly though, it didn't really scare me, it only made me focus incredibly.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

To answer the original post: only if there was some freak deal keeping me off my belly. That being said, the situation that Bill Von wrote might be one of those circumstances. To answer Bill's question: if I were at 4k I would deploy my main. I would ensure that I deployed my pilot chute straight out to the side, on the "clean" side so as not to entangle myself. I definitely would not fire my reserve at 4k if I was "only" on my back.
A similar situation here is the dreaded tandem side-spin phenomenon. While not technically on your back, there is the possibility that one might get stuck on his side. If you cannot track out of the spin (my technique), then I would throw the drogue if I were clean side up.
Chuck
My webpage HERE

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

if I were at 4k I would deploy my main.

That's what I'm saying. If I'm not so low that there's a risk of two out due to cypress fire, I'm going for my main. Why use your backup/last chance unless it is your last chance?
cielos azules y cerveza fría
-Kevin

[R00tj00se 0]

>
Freebag.... the entire point of the freebag design is even in the case of a Reserve Horseshoe it will cleanly deploy the reserve. The theory behind the wide bridle is that it can catch air and liftthe freebag too. There is not much keeping the lines stowed to the freebag. Easy to pop them with just a shake of the freebag.
>_____________________________________________
Er, they may be designed this way but I can personally attest to the fact that you cannot rely on it. I had reserve pilot chute on one side of my leg, freebag on the other and bridle both underneath my leg and flapping round my arm. Nothing was going to come out of that freebag until my body position changed and the pilot chute caught air and pulled the bridal free.
For the full story with all the gory details do a search on one of these forums.
Stay safe & pull stable!

[quade 3]

Quote

Why use your backup/last chance unless it is your last chance?

Just to follow-up on a point I made earlier that nobody seems to have picked up on.
Have you ever been hit by anything in freefall?
Follow me on this one.
I was camera flying for a coach dive and one of the students whacked the coach in the head pretty hard. Nothing broke, but it was a good solid hit. The coach was dazed, just like you would be on the ground if somebody hit you really hard.
This is a fantastic coach, an open class competitor, been around for a zillion years and I respect him very much, but in the maybe 10 seconds following the hit, he was not altitude aware. As a matter of fact, I'm not certain at that point he was even aware he was skydiving. He was falling belly to earth and stable, but his hands were on his head and he was obviously just trying to get his act together.
I was already on my way down to him so that I could pull for him, but then he snapped out of it.
My guess is that in an accident like the one described by Bill Von (hit resulting in a broken leg), that you're probably not going to be too aware of what else is going on around you.
To me -- that says reserve ride.
quade
http://futurecam.com

[lummy 4]

chuck,
what do you mean by "clean side"?
Make up your own ending,let me know just how you feel....

[billvon 2,400]

>what do you mean by "clean side"?
If you have a "normal" BOC mount and you are spinning on your left side, your right side is facing up so it's an easy throw to clear your PC - you throw it straight up. If you are spinning on your right side you have to pull it _down_ and throw it somewhere else, and the bridle is almost guaranteed to wind up across your body or rig for a few moments. This can make for a very messy deployment, especially if the PC has to pull the bag from behind you, under you, then around the side of you and into the air again.
Tandems have a similar problem, and trying to deploy the drouge while drouge-side-down can cause a drouge entanglement, which is especially nasty. Deploying while drouge-side-up (i.e. the "clean side") is much preferable, although you don't always have a choice.
-bill von

[jbrasher 0]

About 15 years ago a friend of mine was exiting about mid-way on a 30 way. One of the last people out was in a dive (eyes closed) and impacted his thigh.
Result, he had a broken femur and she had a broken neck.
He managed to stay belly to earth holding his leg while waiting for the formation to break off above him before he deployed.
Deployment was very painful almost as painful as the landing.
He's still jumping.
Oh, by the way he had a round reserve. :-)
Think about it. :-)
Red, White and Blue Skies,
John T. Brasher D-5166

[DZDale 0]

[qoute]Someone has just deployed beneath you and slammed into you. You have a compound break in your femur, and your leg is now in front of you. You can't roll onto your belly because the new position of your leg makes you pretty stable on your back. You're at 4000 feet. Would you open your main or your reserve?
I think I would open my main first to get better position and then cut away and fire the reserve. Id rather land a slower 7cell reserve than a smaller semi elliptical with a broken leg.
Dale

[lummy 4]

Thank Bill for the explanation.
a couple more questions since I'm having a hard time picturing this in my head. Are we still talking about being on our backs or on our sides?
I think I understand... SO if I am spinning on my right side, there would be NO clean side?

Make up your own ending,let me know just how you feel....