Lessons from this weekend

[billvon 2,467]

Some lessons learned this weekend at Perris:
1. Beware of soft reserve handles, and don't take that RSL off unless you're positive you don't want it. Recently an experienced jumper (1000+ jumps, 4 way team) cut away at a normal altitude and could not find her soft reserve handle. She tried all the way to 750 feet, where her cypres fired. It's likely that a hard handle would have helped, and it's almost certain that an RSL would have had her open by 1500 feet.
2. If you tie off your reserve handle so it doesn't fall out during travel, untie it before you jump again.
3. Be aware of the currency of people you are jumping with. Trina, a somewhat low time friend of mine, found herself on a team with a guy with 200 jumps. Well, that's not so bad, she told herself. Unfortunately it was 200 jumps over 20 years. He tumbled in freefall until someone docked on him and got him stable. He pulled at about 1000 feet and had a cypres firing. He was fortunate that a) he lived and b) he didn't take anyone else out.
-bill von

[R00tj00se 0]

Just out of curiosity - why couldn't she find her soft reserve handle? Had it been folded back on itself? Did she not check before exit or did it happen in freefall?

[Aviatrr 0]

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Beware of soft reserve handles, and don't take that RSL off unless you're positive you don't want it. Recently an experienced jumper (1000+ jumps, 4 way team) cut away at a normal altitude and could not find her soft reserve handle. She tried all the way to 750 feet, where her cypres fired. It's likely that a hard handle would have helped

What were the specifics here, Bill? What kind of wing loading and malfunction? Did she check her handles before exit to make sure they were NOT twisted under? I can't tell you how many times my cutaway handle has been twisted under my harness while donning the rig, but I always catch it immediately after putting the rig on when I check my handles.. I have never had the reserve handle fold under..
What kind of rig was she jumping, and how was the fit?
Mike

[billvon 2,467]

As I heard about it secondhand, I won't try to answer those questions, as I am not sure of anything beyond cutaway - could not find reserve handle - cypres fired - no RSL on her rig. (She has one now, BTW.) For more info I would recommend you contact the S+TA at Elsinore, Laurent Lobjoit ([email protected].)
-bill von

[prost 0]

Ok Bill,
This post just convinced me to keep using a hard reserve handle. Before i could not think of a good reson to keep it as I was thinking along th lines of pull forces. But if things got wild, it would be a lot easier to find that silver handle.
William

[fonz 0]

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This post just convinced me to keep using a hard reserve handle.

Rumour has is there's a third type of handle (although I've never seen that one yet).
Alphons
http://www.liacs.nl/~avwerven/skydive

[riggerrob 561]

fonz,
There are a variety of semi-soft ripcord handles.
There are a few soft ripcord handles with plastic stiffeners that prevent the handle from folding along the edge of the MLW.
Javelins and Vector 3s have various metal lumps in their semi soft handles. Javelins have a "mini-race track" shaped piece of steel tubing sewn into their semi-soft ripcord handles.
Vector 3s have a 1" diameter steel tube sewn in.
Vector 3 is the only style of semi-soft ripcord I will jump.
Much of my decision is based upon too many years of frost bite damage to my hands, and my grip strength just isn't as strong as it used to be.

[PhreeZone 15]

If I HAD to get rid of my hard handle, I'd get a soft loop. Just as easy to grab as a metal loop, and it does'nt dig into you when you bend over. Unfortunatlly.... not many companies still offer Soft loops.
I want to touch the sky, I want to fly so high ~ Sonique

[fonz 0]

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There are a variety of semi-soft ripcord handles.

Should I be thinking of, like, a steering toggle, but then stiffer?
If that's the case, isn't there still the danger of snagging something?
Alphons
http://www.liacs.nl/~avwerven/skydive

[freeflir29 0]

"Should I be thinking of, like, a steering toggle, but then stiffer?"
I have seen some that I think were made from steering toggles but with a length of "cut-away" cable sewn to it to keep the loop open....
"I got some beers....Let's Drink em!!!"
Clay