Did you ever make a helmet cutaway

[skybobette 0]

Did you ever make a helmet cutaway (holding a camera) that saved your life ?

I'm looking for statistics on the number of people who actually made a helmet cutaway while having a camera on it (non fatal incident or ... fatal) ! If not available, did you do it once ?

___________________________
"L'équilibre n'est pas l'immobilité; c'est le mouvement réussi."
pas ourson du tout.

[Deuce 1]

Great question, maybe do it as a poll?

I have about 500 camera jumps, and never even came close to chopping my helmet. Never even had a riser strike. (Spectre)

[velo90 0]

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I have about 500 camera jumps, and never even came close to chopping my helmet. Never even had a riser strike. (Spectre)

I guess you have a top mounted camera. I use a side mounted and occasionally the risers manage to switch the camera record mode to off on opening.
Never even come close to a helmet cutaway. Perhaps as well as my helmet has no cutaway method I could always use the hook knife to cut the chin strap.
My main concern about snagging is not the camera but the ring sight.

[Spizzzarko 0]

I have an older Flat top pro. My Air Force rig is a Vector and the high yoke on it managed to unlatch the bone in the back of the helmet once in freefall. It was a little disconcerning to feel every thing loosen up around my head. I reached back and re-latched it tough, and held on to it through out the opening just to make sure. I would have been a little miffed to loose my camera's.

Another problem we had with our shop flat tops was them coming undone on opening. We had the newer flat tops, but they still didn't have the cut away system, and the latch was on the left hand side of the helmet. Bone Head still hadn't made the raised protective cover over there latch yet. We where jumping Talon's with Wide risers, and finding that the three ring would rotate up and hit the release just right causing it to open up. One helmet went in and landed about 300' from me. We managed to get the tape out of the camera and play it on another camera. It was kind of comical to see the video dude trying to reach down for the helmet as it fell away from him, then it started to spin up, and got going so fast that it lifted the tape off the heads, so we never saw what it was like to go in.

[Deuce 1]

No, both sidemounts. I think it's about body position and a Spectre.

[velo90 0]

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No, both sidemounts. I think it's about body position and a Spectre.

Me thinks it is probably 99% body position and 1% spectre.
I have jumped camera with many different canopies and always the dominating factor is body position.

If that two side mounts on one helmet? Maybe t´hat balances your head a bit more and stops it tilting to one side.

[Deuce 1]

No I have an Aviator and an Bat-rack, both with left-hand sidemounts. Top mounted stills and flash.

[StefB 0]

Yes, i did.
Stefan

[skybobette 0]

Hi, Sorry for my english but i’m a frenchy.

Thank you guys for your reply. The fact is than the cutaway system on camera helmet is very popular for now in many discussions. Many problems can arrive with the “snag” and a cutaway system is appear the solution. But, when we read the incident reports with this problem, It seem than the persons make a cutway on the main and right after that (also on the same time maybe), they active the reserve.

I just ask myself if the possibility of waiting a little few second before activate the reserve can let the time to be sure than noting is hanging on the helmet. Personally, I jump with a Dbox on the side but I have a ring sight too. Also I’m doing wingsuit flying and I think it’s heavy to put my camera helmet on that kind of skydive. I have a Spectre. Maybe the emergency procedures are different on each kind of skydive ? It is really the solution to “cut away” the helmet ? I don’t know…

___________________________
"L'équilibre n'est pas l'immobilité; c'est le mouvement réussi."
pas ourson du tout.

[BETO74 0]

I don't think cut away your helmet is an answer for most of them, there is one incident in Europe that proved that can cause more problems than actually solve.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[Supergeil 0]

20+ Jumps and you have a cut on your helmet
how the fu.. does that make sense???

Supergeil

[dragon2 0]

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20+ Jumps and you have a cut on your helmet
how the fu.. does that make sense???

Supergeil

I read it as 20 CRW jumps.....

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Supergeil 0]

Yep that must be it.

[katiebear21 0]

If you go back and look at Stefan's posts, he has around 1300 jumps, started jumping a camera at 380 jumps, and posts quite often in this forum.

He posted his cutaway story here.

Katie
Get your PMS glass necklace here

[alain 0]

i'm jumping a 2K FFX: can't think about any snag possibility with that piece of gear... (there's a cutaway on it though, for regulatation compliance only)
alain

[JayhawkJumper 0]

There was a guy on one of the WFFC videos that had to cut away his helmet and it actually ended up entrangling in the main lines above him. The canopy was flying fine so he landed it and the camera actually happened to be filming him so he got some cool footage of him landing from the canopy's perspective.

[ltdiver 3]

Yep. Had a friend in Russia who had a similar thing happen to him. Two video cameras on his head and ended up in severe line twists.

He prayed that cutting away would -not- snag on his helmet. It didn't.
His reserve, however, started to spin as well, though!

He released his camera helmet (over $3,000 worth of camera equipment on his head) and threw it away without a second thought.

His reserve stopped spinning. He then noticed that the eye piece on one of the cameras had a line wrapped around it! It hung there until landing. Great footage (which he played up big time after touch down ).

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[StefB 0]

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But, when we read the incident reports with this problem, It seem than the persons make a cutway on the main and right after that (also on the same time maybe), they active the reserve.

Yep. That was one error, there are more.

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I just ask myself if the possibility of waiting a little few second before activate the reserve can let the time to be sure than noting is hanging on the helmet.

If you have time (i had) and when you know that you have time (i didn't)...

But i think passive "waiting" is not enough or even dangerous. I will learn fast, active recovery from instability too.

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Maybe the emergency procedures are different on each kind of skydive ?

The risks as different on each kind of skydive. And the risks should be minimized.

The best emergency procedure would cover all risks and is still so easy that you can do it even in the highest stress situation.

But we learn our basic (read nothing with cameras, wingsuits...) emergency procedure as students. This drill forms a "habit pattern". Under stress this habit pattern will come up. Therefore it is difficult to handle a new emergency procedure under stress. But it is good to have one option more (helmet away).

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It is really the solution to “cut away” the helmet ? I don’t know…

There was no other solution in that situation at all. Something catched the helmet and the opening reverve canopy pulled my head very hard. I was happy to get rid of the helmet as soon as possible.

Stay safe
Stefan

[jmfreefly 0]

I think I have had my riser slap my head maybe twice in 1000 jumps.. and I jump all kinds of strangely open canopies..

I jump a side mount. and I jump mini risers (FWIW)

Keeping your chest strap a little bit looser than you 'normally' would helps the risers stay apart.

One point that I think get missed a lot is:

The BEST answer is to be diligent about snag-proofing your helmet. Preventing the entanglement is always a better answer than ditching a helmet to clear the entanglement.

I have had to sit down with one or two new camera fliers to help them 'rethink' the way they have their helmet setup (like with an extra two inches of ringsight pole sticking out).. after a few tweeks, some dremel work, and some gaffers tape, they are much safer setups.

j