Canopy Pilots: What is your procedure right after main deployment?

[CrazyL 0]

Among the other things you do, for this poll i'm mostly concerned with the order which you deal with each component listed. If there is another order please list.

[morris 0]

I voted loosen chest strap, stow slider, release brakes and I guess no one is releasing the brakes first. But your overview is missing two possibilities!

[CrazyL 0]

what is your procedure? is it your vote? please list the other 2 possibilities.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Its a bit harder to stow slider after releasing breaks.

[CrazyL 0]

No doubt, did you vote? There are still those out there that do not stow their slider too.

[phoenixlpr 0]

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No doubt, did you vote? There are still those out there that do not stow their slider too.

Yeah. My A plan is #1, but if I have to release breaks... I have to deal with the slider than....

[drudchen 0]

most of the time I:
-grab the rear riser right after the opening and turn to fly perpendicular to jumprun immediately
-check for other canopies for a second or two
-collapse the slider, pull it below slinks/toggles, roll it up
-do a visual inspection of the canopy
-loosen up the cheststrap, let the canopy fly wider, but not undo it completely
-release the toggles, flight control check

i am not a huge fan of the idea of loosening the cheststrap before releasing toggles/controllability check in case it turns out to have to be cut away, but I'm trying to make up for it by doing a more detailed visual check before... I've tried loosening the cheststrap after releasing the toggles and it didn't seem too comfortable...

[CrazyL 0]

i'd bet you always release brakes at some point above decision altitude. don't worry about the other selections yet. Friday i'll have the big 'reason' why i created this poll. check in Friday night.

[CrazyL 0]

your procedure works for sure. each scenario listed works. Are you a little bit of a fan for releasing brakes prior to loosening the chest strap?

[drudchen 0]

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Are you a little bit of a fan for releasing brakes prior to loosening the chest strap?

Maybe. Although a few times I've tried that I felt it was tricky to do. My canopy is fairly sensitive to inputs, so while playing with the cheststrap with toggles in hand it's hard to keep it flying straight.
So, I prefer going with my established routine. I think it is possible to get a pretty good idea if there's something wrong with the canopy by a visual inspection, seeing how it responds to initial rear riser input, and wind noise (speed). And if the toggle is knotted and can't be released, I think I'd prefer to use a hookknife on it anyway instead of plan B. And if the canopy has to go, I imagine the cheststrap would have to be quickly tightened back up before cutting away.

..just my two cents and thoughts in mostly disorganized fashion

[CrazyL 0]

i'm not a fan of toggles in hand and dealing with chest strap for my gear , too awkward with inputs. I have modified my velcroless risers/toggles to old school velcro risers/toggles. One basic reason. When i want to release the toggles from my hands for any reason the velcro gives the toggles the ability to be in the same position as i left them when i want them back in my hands. velcro holds toggle in an open loop shape. velcroless toggles will blow around so easy anytime their are released from hands.

[ep11300 0]

I complete a controlability check before loosening the chest strap; i use harness turns if necessary with my right hand out of the toggle.

[AggieDave 6]

I clear traffic with the harness (or light rear input if needed), pull the RDS, wind that thing up and stow it. Pull the rings down past my toggles, loosen the chest strap then pop the toggles.

I can't think of any reason why you would want to release your toggles first. Sure, if you end up chopping due to a toggle problem your harness has been extended, but you're still not going anywhere (unless you're an idiot and take your chest strap off).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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I can't think of any reason why you would want to release your toggles first.

One can be a diving turn after opening. It can be stopped with riser on the beginning, but after that....

[AggieDave 6]

The only canopy I've ever jumped that would react like that was the Vengence. Even my heavily loaded Velo doesn't act like that on opening. Everything else with a nudge in the harness or even a gentle bump of a rear riser would fix any opening problems minus a full on malfunction.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[phoenixlpr 0]

I got that trick on a Cobalt, WL 1.7+. It can be stopped with a riser or breaks only after a revolution.

[AggieDave 6]

I never had that with the Cobalt that I jumped (1.7), but then again with their extremely bad quality control, you could have a "special" canopy.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[phoenixlpr 0]

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I never had that with the Cobalt that I jumped (1.7), but then again with their extremely bad quality control, you could have a "special" canopy.

Why do you think that has anything to do with quality control? Having a statement like to about a canopy you have not even jumped? ops...

I had about 400 jump on those specra lines e.g. ... they might not shrunk evenly... I don't blame the canopy for that. Its only my fault if I let things develop from bad to worst....

[morris 0]

As I said I take care about my chest strap first, reason is that I used to stow my rds under my shirt.

If you have three things you wanna give an order to, you have six possibilities to do so, not just 4...

[ianmdrennan 2]

1) Check airspace and altitude (rear riser heading control back to holding area)
2) Visual inspection of canopy
3) Check airspace and altitude and ground position
4) Remove and stow slider
5) Check airspace and altitude and ground position
6) Visual check of toggles to make sure there are no obvious issues before loosening cheststrap
7) Check airspace and altitude and ground position
8) Loosen chest strap
9) Check airspace and altitude and ground position
10) Release toggles

To those who release their toggles, let go of one or both of them, and then loosen cheststrap - be warned. It's possible for the toggle to wrap around the riser (I've seen it happen). If you REALLY want to do it this way stick the toggle to the velcro or restow it (not practical if you don't have velcro IMO).

FWIW I have a HARD DECK of 1500. No matter what, if I don't have a fully functional canopy by then I'm outta there. I've already had to use it once, and I'm really glad I set the limit since I kept telling myself I was almost there. If I didn't have a fixed, no negotiations altitude, I'm not sure what would have happened. I'd like to think I'd have done the safe/right thing, but I also saw how easy it'd be to get into a trap where you're doing 'mid-air rigging'.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[AggieDave 6]

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Why do you think that has anything to do with quality control? Having a statement like to about a canopy you have not even jumped? ops...

Its a statement about Cobalt canopies in general. PM me if you would like to further discuss all the reasons why I came to that conclusion. Including conversations I had with Dan over the phone.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CrazyL 0]

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2) Visual inspection of canopy
4) Remove and stow slider
6) Visual check of toggles to make sure there are no obvious issues before loosening cheststrap
8) Loosen chest strap
10) Release toggles

To those who release their toggles, let go of one or both of them, and then loosen cheststrap - be warned. It's possible for the toggle to wrap around the riser (I've seen it happen). If you REALLY want to do it this way stick the toggle to the velcro or restow it (not practical if you don't have velcro IMO).

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ditto. About letting go of VELCROLESS toggles in flight, bad idea. nothing is holding the toggle in place except brake line pressure pulling the toggle up to the guide ring. Forward speed of canopy will make the toggle blow around and very easily can get wrapped around a riser among other things like camera. And it's more difficult to get hands back into the velcroless toggles while there being blown around. VELCRO toggles on the other hand I have and do occasionally have the need to reattach my toggles to the velcro on the risers while in flight and take my hands out of them. When I want control of the canopy back, the toggles have a nice loop form and are predictably in the place where i left them making them easy to put my hands back in and very quick. I have 3 complete rigs on deck 2 with velcro risers which i jump alot, and 1 with velcroless toggles which will be changed if I jump it much which is doubtful.

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[CrazyL 0]

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I clear traffic with the harness (or light rear input if needed), pull the RDS, wind that thing up and stow it. Pull the rings down past my toggles, loosen the chest strap then pop the toggles.

I can't think of any reason why you would want to release your toggles first. Sure, if you end up chopping due to a toggle problem your harness has been extended, but you're still not going anywhere (unless you're an idiot and take your chest strap off).

Like the majority of swoopers , me included basically will stow slider, loosen chest strap, then lastly unstow the brakes. If you jump camera wings with detachable clips, you also will normally release the clips on the wings prior to releasing the brakes. Your getting where i'm going with this but don't know any reason why you'd unstow brakes first. other than bigways and /or pulling low here's a reason i'd like for you to assess and let me know if it's valid or a fluke and I should'nt worry so damn much. Even for those who can visually inspect there brake stowage as the main is open and flying prior to releasing the brakes. It is easy enough to have the brake line stowed in a manner that the toggle 'had' been accidentaly routed above the guidering between the steering line and the rear riser causing a sort of half hitch around the guidering. There are other ways too that can cause a control issue. Here's my crazy scenario. Open at 4,000 do the checks and the 3 things : 1.stow slider 2. loosen chest strap 3. release brakes. oh shit! right toggle is f'd up ahh pull left toggle correcting turn issue,sweet, flying flat and level caught it quick li'l hot rod likes to take off in a spiral if i let up,damn. gonna chop it , gonna fix it, i'll chop at 2grand if i don't have it fixed by then ,damn , cypres was sent out for service, rsl, ya right. no biggie, i got this, take me to the pond li'l hotrod with an f'd up steering might land you and me in the pond where it's soft just in case we're landing hard. here comes 2 grand it's not fixed, shit . decide decide decide chop'n this bitch flying flat and level oh ya the toggle in my left hand it'll easily slip from my hand if i just cutaway with my right and let go of the toggle, gotta light grip on it so i don't dare trail the main when I chop. Chop chop. (and possibly, ouch that jacked my left arm)beep beep beep 1500ft. soft pillow reserve handle, li'l terd where are you? li'l f..r, damn wings flop'n all over my sh..t, harness is swimming around over my shoulder down my arm i can fix it to get that handle, shrug , tug , gotta get that handle dammit,go'n for it with either hand c'mon baby, shit, the harness, shit, the wing, f'n handle, got it sort of, c'mon ,c'mon, pull you f'r. oops. Is it just a bad dream or could this scenario be for real? Dave?

[AggieDave 6]

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Is it just a bad dream or could this scenario be for real? Dave?

Sure. Remember your FJC? Look grab, Look grab...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CrazyL 0]

Oh ya, the FJC saved me once. seems simple to look grab peel pull, look grab peel pull. add loose upper harness with a swooper extra long chest strap, and flopping wing material and clip in your visual trying to see the handle. would you fumble around or easily look grab peel pull?