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jimmytavino

Chin Cup Unclips during climbout

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so this occured to me, this past sunday...

i have a Bonehead BatRak helmet with a 'clamshell' back that secures with an adjustable ratchetting strap And a ratchet clip for each of the two sides of the chincup.. always a snug fit and a solid connect...about an inch of "tail" extends past the clip on each side of the chin cup.

I was out to the camera step of an otter... for a planned 12 way... The rear rear float came out to share the step with me, and in my effort to move,, "aft" on the fuselage, i had Both my hands up and on the far end of the outside floater bar, and was was scrunching as far away from the others in the door , as i could..

Well My left shoulder, crushed up against my chin, and suddenly i felt the pivoting clip on my left side of the chin cup, POP, and release..
Uh Oh.. [:/] with one hand, i reached to it, and found that it was fully unclipped....:|:o[:/]:(
the helmet was wobbling around on my head,,, and the last of the floaters was out.....

what do I DO????
what would You Do??
How does one address this issue????
Has anyone else ever experienced such a situation???

please suggest responses to this .... and Then I'll let ya' know HOW i handled it....and how it all turned out...
:|
jimmytavino

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Well, not quite the same situation, but I have been on tandem videos where after exit I realized I didn't do the final tightening of my chin cup. I have a 2-5 second period of time in which I don't need to use my arms much and will fix the problem then. On a big way with video I think it would be harder to do that. I think i would let them exit w/o me and leave after the last diver of the formation, fix the problem and get into position.

My GF had her chin cup break on an AFF jump. She had to hold her helmet on with one hand and control the student with the other, that was a lot of work. Other than that the skydive went pretty well for her, the student and other AFFI
~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

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hmmm, this could change a great deal depending on the type of jump, but from your discription this is what I think I would do:

1) I would not leave in my slot as the concintration on my helmet may interfer with my flying and send me through the group, not to mention that I probably would not be getting the shot anyway so whats the point.

2) Thinking quick if I did not think I could hold on while everyone else was leaving, I would leave early, get out from under the group before trying to fix anything as I would not want to take a chance of loosing the helmet up through the group. Keep in mind as I was working to fix the helmet that I may become terminally low and have to track away early and far.

3) Best option if I thought I could manage, hold on the plane until the intire group had left then peel and follow a tade late and try to fix the helmet. Now there should be no one above me in danger, I would have longer to work with out worring about tracking, the group would be easier to keep and eye on while working on the helmet. Hopefully get everything fixed and get some footage.

edit to add:
4) make a note of how this happened and try to make sure it never happens againB|



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I had a Batrack that did the same thing 3 different times on climb out! caught it each time.
sold it right after the last time and bought a FTP. Never have a problem with it now!! :D:P

I didn't feel like buying a whole new camera set up because of a problem I knew about

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

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Quote

I had a Batrack that did the same thing 3 different times on climb out! caught it each time.
sold it right after the last time...:D:P

I didn't feel like buying a whole new camera set up because of a problem I knew about




Just curious, did you pass on that knowledge?

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a day earlier, on saturday,,, one of the nicest camerpersons i Know,, had a very hard, and awkward main canopy deployment,,, It did two things,,, knocked the helmet off her head[:/]:(:(,,, And somehow stripped the reserve pin,,, so that after the main was open, the reserve pc and bridle, trailed behind....Damn...
It evolved into a 2 out and she deftly cutaway the main...
but such a LOSS!!!! cx-100,, helmet, canon digi-still.... main AND freebag..
video people often open waaaay far away from t he DZ and she was well North and over very inhospitable terrain...

and so THAT loss was exactly on my mind,, when I was standing out there on the step...
NOT wanting to lose MY helmet,,, I elected not to exit with my group.....

There was a coach and novice And an AFF I and student, yet to exit,, and so I ran smack into them, moving to the door,, AS I was coming back around the corner,,,, from outside,,, One hand back onto the inside floater rail one on the helmet.... They did help to pull me back in...
I snapped up, and thought for a nano-second,, to ask if i could follow / join the AFF dive... BUT thought better of it, and kept my mouth shut....
at that point... I moved forward to be sure that the P I C KNEW i was still on board, and sat down on the bench near the cockpit...
I got his attention,,, notified him that i was "cypres equipped".. and he asked my what type i had?? "swooper or expert". I never considered asking for a jumprun and exiting at some altitude which was on the way back to the ground..

At 4 grand or so I DID remove my rig from my back, set it on the floor, put my foot on the reserve p.c. cap and seat belted,, myself to the bench.... the descent continued to a safe and routine landing....

had i exited,,, i felt that the distraction, and possible loss of the helmet, could have injured others in the group, or injured me,,, or have resulted in NOT getting the chin cup re secured....
and then we'd all be crying,,, again,,, over another lost camera set up..
i was thinking better safe than sorry, and also thinking..."if everything is not just RIGHT, when the count begins,,,, you don't HAVE to exit".....:|;)
the group completed a nice 3 point 11 way....B|:D
jmy

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I had the same thing happen quite a few years ago. It was from the 3-ring pressing on the ratchet. I quickly reached up (left hand) and held the helmet in place as they exited. With the other hand, just re-ratched the helmet. It actually happened 3 times until I realized I can't hang on the way I was doing it. I was stretching out hanging on w/ my left hand and then looking back over my left shoulder.
my pics & stuff!

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Great job. I have no problem climbing back in on a normal day, but I dont know if I would have concidered it with one hand and a loose helmet. The fact that you did just that, with out loosing the helmet, IMO means that you made the best possible choice.

Safety first


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And I thought I was the "nicest" video person on the DZ?

You did the right thing Jim, It was just kind of freaky wondering where you were for a while, I never noticed you stayed on the step (in my own little world trying to stay in front of a weak count, lol).

Pat

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