After the Reserve Ride

[Hooknswoop 19]

After landing under your reserve, there are several things you can do to make your rigger's task/job easier.

First, place the toggles back on the Velcro. This will prevent the hook half of the Velcro from damaging the lines. Secondly, daisy chain the lines. Use the slider to keep the daisy chain from unraveling. This will keep the lines untangled.

Be very careful with the canopy. Get it out of the sunlight and into a large plastic garbage bag and then into your gear bag. Be careful when zipping the gear bag shut to not get any fabric caught in the zipper. As long as it is clean, put the reserve pilot chute and free-bag in the center of your rolled up reserve. This will protect the spring inside the pilot chute from damage.

Do not take the main canopy off of the risers to untangle it. It got tangled on the risers, it will come un-tangled on the risers. Taking the canopy of the risers, or worse, off the links, will only make the job of untangling the main more difficult.

Put the cut away cables and reserve ripcord back into their housings and the handles back in their pockets. This will prevent any dirt on the cables from getting on the reserve. If you lost one, or both handles, order them and have them shipped to your rigger. Also, if the free-bag and reserve pilot chute was lost, order a new one and have it shipped to the rigger. Make sure when ordering handles or free-bag to order the correct size for your harness/container.

In the gear bag, put a 3 X 5 card with your name, address, phone #'s, and any special instructions, such as remove/install soft links, remove/install RSL, "I need the rig by this weekend", etc.

If you have a Cypres, check your reserve data packing card to see when the scheduled maintenance and 2 year battery replacements are due. If the maintenance, make arrangements with your rigger to ship the unit or have your rigger remove it and ship it yourself (your rigger will need the original Cypres box to ship it). If your batteries are due, check with your rigger to see if they have new batteries or if they will need to be ordered. They batteries will have to be replaced if there is less than four months remaining in the two-year cycle. Your rigger can pack the reserve, but the reserve inspection and re-pack will be due when the battery replacement is due.

Taking care of your reserve will save you time and money. You don't want to discover Friday evening that your rig will be in the loft over the weekend, canceling your skydiving plans.

Hook

[PhreeZone 15]

Also if I might add one.. see if the rigger wants you to prepay or pay at the pick up. I know one that takes care of ordering any lost parts, but require prepayment for the parts and the repack to do it. Others have different policies.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[bps 0]

Hi Hook --
Nice post! If the weather doesn't turn south, hope to see you this weekend!
C-ya,
Bryan

[riggerrob 562]

Two key points will speed the process: one hang on to your handles.
Secondly, find your freebag and main before sunset.
After my last malfunction, I landed beside my freebag and had my main canopy in hand before the pilot landed!

[tombuch 0]

Quote

Two key points will speed the process: one hang on to your handles.
Secondly, find your freebag and main before sunset.

I disagree with the first (sort of) and agree with the second.

This forum is read by students and experienced jumpers alike, and students should NEVER hold onto their handles. I don't want my students thinking about keeping handles, and in fact teach that all handles should be pulled out of the housings and thrown away. The school is filthy rich (jk) and shouldn't be worried about the cost of handle replacements.

I'm not filthy rich, and have 17 reserve rides, so I've learned to hang onto my handles. Experienced people will do that, usually after the first time they have a cut a way on their own rig and need to buy replacement handles. Students and inexperienced jumpers, however, should just get rid of the handles.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor, etc.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[Void425 0]

I agree as a student...screw the handles...I don't have to pay for them.....If it was my own rig...then I'd like to save a bit for my next jump.

[Dumpster 0]

One other very importatn point- Make sure you buy the rigger who packed the reserve a case of beer!

Easy Does It

[Void425 0]

Quote

One other very importatn point- Make sure you buy the rigger who packed the reserve a case of beer!

Buy them a Bottle...not a Case o beer.

[rgoper 0]

Hook:

i guess i failed each one of these assignments miserably. hopefully, i won't have another reserve ride due to poor body position, but if i do, i know what condition to ship it from now on. this is a good post, and if you do stow your toggles on your reserve, it may costs you more money, if you stow your excess line as well, it did me. my main is velcroless, so actually when i had my reserve ride (jump # 475, 30th jump on my Cobalt) i hadn't seen velcro since student status, and consequently lost my reserve ripcord, while unstowing the left brake line because i had to pull on it so hard. that velco on the toggles seems to be stronger than the velcro on the rigs i jumped on student status at SDSL, or maybe because it's never been used before, except reserve re-pack cycles. anyway, great posts Sensai.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"