Cutaway

[climber71 0]

Some background, did a Static Line Jump, last year, when going for the risers noticed the right did not come down like the left, noticed the line over. Released the brakes all the way, then pumped twice. Am a student, so should of cutaway sooner. But I wanted to fix the issue, looked at the altimeter, thought I had time, hindsight may of been some what hesitant. Repeated the third S/L today, got knocked on my back, the lines were twisted, the slider stuck. I cutaway on instinct this time. Even I have to repeat it, the hesitation to do a cutaway is gone, so in a way the jump had some positive aspects.

[popsjumper 2]

I would suggest doing more work on knowing your EPs.
What you've written indicates that you really don't know how to handle EPs properly as yet.

Second, I'd suggest getting away from that idea of "time" when dealing with emergencies. Altitude is what counts. You said you looked at the alto, but then mentioned time.
Time is relative, altitude is not. You probably experienced time distortion.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[climber71 0]

Thanks. Had some lines twists before and was able to correct them. On that jump things looked too messed up. Felt it was better to cut away. But will work on things.

[climber71 0]

Would like your opinion, was in a process of a Static Line program, I could not get the arch even though I felt I was doing it. Think maybe going to a DZ that has a AFF program, which really has more hands on training, would be a better course?

[nigel99 143]

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Would like your opinion, was in a process of a Static Line program, I could not get the arch even though I felt I was doing it. Think maybe going to a DZ that has a AFF program, which really has more hands on training, would be a better course?

So did you cutaway the line over? Just curious.

Getting the arch on static line is difficult, simply because you've got a couple of seconds at the most to get it right. With static line you leave the door and you are under canopy almost instantly, so there isn't much time to get feedback and make corrections before the jump is over. AFF gives you a whole lot more time to focus on the arch. For what my opinion is worth if you can afford AFF and you are struggling with SL it is worth switching.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[potatoman 0]

Couple of things, and this is just opinion.

3rd static line since your first, being last year. That is a long time stretch.

Why do you jump with alti on S/L? Isn't there a 5sec rule in place. Check your canopy, if you cannot sort out the problem then chop? Maybe sit in on another S/L course.

I would raise 1 thing here. Speak, learn more about mals. You can get to quick into just pulling a reserve, but on the other hand, you can also be too slow. Read more, learn more, talk more, and above all, know your gear, so you know when something goes wrong.

Be safe.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[dthames 0]

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Would like your opinion, was in a process of a Static Line program, I could not get the arch even though I felt I was doing it. Think maybe going to a DZ that has a AFF program, which really has more hands on training, would be a better course?

There have been a lot of people learn on SL. The students and the instructors will make or break any program. I did some tethers SL jumps while working on AFF and they taught me a lot about exit form and getting into an arch quickly.

Being in poor form after only 3 jumps is not a sign something is wrong (my 2 cents).

Tighten up your butt musles really hard will help that initial arch.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[faulk04 0]

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Why do you jump with alti on S/L? Isn't there a 5sec rule in place. Check your canopy, if you cannot sort out the problem then chop?

Why wouldn't you jump with altimeter?? Seems important to me at least. From my experiences as a student and watching other students go through the SL program most can't count. They have so much other stuff going through the head when you tell them to count to 5, they maybe count to 2 or you say 5 and they count to 10. You give them a hard deck and without an altimeter that would be extremely challenging to a student. Sure you go XX amount of feet per sec but do you think they would be calculating that?

Just my opinion though

[popsjumper 2]

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Why do you jump with alti on S/L? Isn't there a 5sec rule in place. Check your canopy, if you cannot sort out the problem then chop?

Why wouldn't you jump with altimeter?? Seems important to me at least. From my experiences as a student and watching other students go through the SL program most can't count. They have so much other stuff going through the head when you tell them to count to 5, they maybe count to 2 or you say 5 and they count to 10. You give them a hard deck and without an altimeter that would be extremely challenging to a student. Sure you go XX amount of feet per sec but do you think they would be calculating that?

Just my opinion though

Your opinion is good. Students suffer time distortion and telling them to count anything is not the way to go....ever.. Yet some schools still do things that way and it works...mostly.

But, in all fairness, Potatoman may be and old timer. Back in the day, it was not uncommon for S/L students to have no altimeter.. I learned at one of those places that didn't. They had me counting 5 seconds, then ten, then 15.

On all jumps I counted alright:

1......2.......3-4-5 Arrrrrrrgh!!!!!!!!!


oh...and the EPs were:
If anything goes wrong, do this (capewells).

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[obelixtim 100]

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Why do you jump with alti on S/L? Isn't there a 5sec rule in place.

Back in 1987 when I switched my student mains to squares, I gave all my students an alti. They didn't really use it on FF till they were doing 10 second delays or more. They still had to count on those early FF delays.

The altimeter was more for canopy control, so they knew where to be at certain altitudes to get their landing patterns established.

Plus when it was time to read the alti in FF they were well used to where it was and what it looked like.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[potatoman 0]

Old timer...hehe
I find not giving the alti is good for these reasons, specially on 1st couple of jumps:
Less distraction from what to do.
Gets an "eye" view of what height they are

They normally count faster than what they should, so 5 sec becomes 3sec. So what, as long as they know they don't have 3 min to make a decision to chop.
Also, with the gear they are jumping, with a spiral or line twists, they do have more than 30sec odd to resolve the problem.

Your views are good though, and I cannot see a definitive better way, probably the instructors way that suits im best in this case.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[faulk04 0]

Yet some schools still do things that way and it works...mostly.

[dthames 0]

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But, in all fairness, Potatoman may be and old timer. Back in the day, it was not uncommon for S/L students to have no altimeter.. I learned at one of those places that didn't. They had me counting 5 seconds, then ten, then 15.

On all jumps I counted alright:

1......2.......3-4-5 Arrrrrrrgh!!!!!!!!!

I finished my 5 and 10 second SL freefalls just 2 and 3 weeks ago, and was counting for them. I may not be able to fall worth a hoot but I can count. I told the instructor, I count pretty slow so don't get worried. He had me count for him and he said, Okay. My instructions were, "Reach on 9, Pull on 10. This is where a lot of students go back to the tether, if you can't pull on time." On my first 10 second I was trying to figure out what my legs were doing and why I was wobbling around. For whatever reason on 8, I reached. Then though, too early...wait....pull. He said he saw fabic right on 10. Yea, I can count!

If you think about it, a student with 5 or 6 jumps may not have his wits yet in free fall. If you keep that student on a 5 second free fall until he/she can be stable AND count to 5 with some accuracy, then this method could be very useful to get the student to calm down and relax.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[climber71 0]

Hi Nigel, yes cutaway the line over. Am switching from a static line course to a AFF. Taking a calmer, relax approach to learning skydiving this time. The S?l felt rushed.

[climber71 0]

Thanks for the advice potatoman, am taking a more relaed approach, what to learn, get comfortable with the equipment. The DZ uses the lti on every jump, to make sure become used to looking at it and for the flight pattern.

[climber71 0]

Popsjumper, am just starting out so your opinion and advice are helpful.

[dthames 0]

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Hi Nigel, yes cutaway the line over. Am switching from a static line course to a AFF. Taking a calmer, relax approach to learning skydiving this time. The S?l felt rushed.

If you want to jump, never give up!

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[climber71 0]

Dthames, thanks did a tandem from 10,000 feet today, it went better, arched, watched the altimi pulled at 5500 feet. Am going to switch to the AFF program.

[popsjumper 2]

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Dthames, thanks did a tandem from 10,000 feet today, it went better, arched, watched the altimi pulled at 5500 feet. Am going to switch to the AFF program.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Keep us posted on how it goes, eh?

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[climber71 0]

Will do popsjumper. Relaxing, taking a clearer approach, with an understanding about safety. Think this AFF program will be better for me.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Once again, pay close attention during emergency procedures. When you have line twists, the slider will be "hung up" every time because the line twists block it from coming all the way down. Once you kick out of the line twists, the slider should come down normally, or maybe with a few pumps of the steering toggles.

For the type of canopies you jump as a student, line twists are not malfunctions.

[climber71 0]

To Popsjumper and the others, switched over to an AFF program as some suggested. Another DZ was suggested, have gone there. Completed a successful Cat B AFF Skydive from 13,500 feet AGL on 07/21/2012. The videos help so I can make adjustments. Much more relaxed, more comfortable in my jumps. As always the jump would not of been successful with the Great Skydiving Instructors. Just a guy going for his A License, maybe someday can call myself a skydiver. Blue Skies

[nigel99 143]

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To Popsjumper and the others, switched over to an AFF program as some suggested. Another DZ was suggested, have gone there. Completed a successful Cat B AFF Skydive from 13,500 feet AGL on 07/21/2012. The videos help so I can make adjustments. Much more relaxed, more comfortable in my jumps. As always the jump would not of been successful with the Great Skydiving Instructors. Just a guy going for his A License, maybe someday can call myself a skydiver. Blue Skies

Congratulations. You are going to have fun when you get to do your hop and pop under AFF. All the other AFF students are going to freak about how low it is!

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[climber71 0]

Thanks Nigel,
Have done some S/L jumps from 3,500 feet so will keep it in mind. Altitude awareness is key to everything.

[climber71 0]

Had a bad weather day at the DZ no jumps, just practice for next though. Guess not everyday will be good for skydiving.