Meresa

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Posts posted by Meresa

  1. gowlerk

    ***Has a CYPRES cutter ever failed to sever a loop?



    As far as I know, no, and they rightfully advertise this as a fact. This has never happened when the loop was routed through the cutter. There was one incident where a Vigil cutter was assembled in the cutter factory with no knife installed. This resulted in a failure to cut a loop, and a recall and SB of certain lots of cutters. That problem has been solved. There have been Argus cutters that failed to completely sever loops. The reasons for this are in dispute, but the problem eventually resulted in the Argus being discontinued.

    Most readers of this forum already are aware of all this. I only mention these facts to clear up any misunderstandings resulting from this thread.

    Thanks! I can actually verify proper routing visually, via a pin check on my Racer.

  5. chuckakers

    Quote

    And on a Racer, the RSL could strangle and deflate the reserve as the main departs. That resulted in a fatality a while back if memory serves.



    Your memory does serve you correctly. It was a long-time Racer owner who bought one with an RSL for the first time when they became popular. He didn't bother reading the manual which clearly warned that the double-sided RSL MUST be disconnected on at least one side before chopping a main during a 2-out situation. His ended up with 2 out and cutaway the main while both sides were attached to the risers. The main slid straight up the reserve lines, choking it and causing it to collapse.



    This is precisely why I will NOT under any circumstances use the double sided RSL.

    My main concern is in the event of a total. In that scenario the reserve is deployed inside of a closed loop made by the main canopy, lines and the RSL. If the main comes out after the reserve opens (happened to me once) and the cutaway handle has been pulled (many people do so in response to a total as a matter of course), then the main canopy has effectively become a deadly noose. If I have a total, I don't want to spend seconds agonizing over whether or not to pull the cutaway handle.

    I currently own a racer (my second one) and I am happy with every other aspect of the rig, but the RSL. I spent many sleepless hours over the RSL before I jumped it, and in the end I had to just take it off for my own piece of mind.

    If there are any other alternate RSL arrangements for the racer that don't involve a cross connect I would love to hear them, because I would really like to have an RSL on my rig.

    A cross connector on the main risers is unsafe at any speed if you ask me. There is a reason why they went away once the reserve moved from the front to the back.

  7. As much as I love my Racer (my second one), I will not use a double-sided RSL under any circumstances. I have two reasons for my choice.

    One: In the event of a clean total, my plan would be to just pull the reserve. However, depending on what is behind me I may end up pulling the cutaway handle along with the reserve as a precaution (and many people do).

    If the main deploys late after the cutaway handle has been pulled and reserve is out, then the RSL is around the front of the reserve risers and the canopy is inflating behind them. In that scenario, the main canopy has now become a death noose that can choke off the reserve. One which may or may not come off with sufficient altitude for the reserve to re-inflate.

    Two: the original intent of the double sided RSL was to prevent activating the reserve in the event of one riser failing to release. First off, that scenario is exceedingly rare in a properly maintained rig. Second, I am not convinced that a double-sided RSL would prevent activation of the reserve in that scenario, anyway. Here's why: If one riser were to release and one remain attached, then the drag of the main would likely pull the released riser as far behind the rig as possible. It would only be stopped when the RSL was pulled tight between the two riser connections. At that point, the RSL would be completely clear of the reserve container, and will have activated the reserve, regardless of which riser failed to release. At least with a single-sided RSL you only get a premature reserve activation if the riser opposite the RSL fails to release. So with a double-sided RSL, you effectively double the chances of a main/reserve entanglement that way.

    I know there are many arguments pro and con on this, but this is my personal choice. I would rather rely on myself (backed up by my CYPRES) to make a timely reserve pull after a cutaway, than to use something that could potentially get me into a whole lot more trouble.

    Now, if there are any alternative RSL arrangements available for the Racer (i.e single-sided, skyhook etc.) I am open to suggestions. But a double-sided RSL is off, and staying off, of any rig that I jump.

  23. PastorPete

    Hi Meresa:
    I was out of the sport for 29 years 10 months. Came back July 11 last year. I sat in on the IAD and 1st jump courses, wrote the exams and did 4 coach jumps for recurrency training.
    It's great to be back, hope you go for it.
    Blue skies



    Thank you.

    PS Are you a pastor? I'll bet that gets some raised eyebrows from the congregation!

  24. wmw999

    Either Houston DZ will do right by you (I jump at Spaceland). As far as gear, well, I jumped my old gear (also early 1980's) when I got back into the sport, until I found the right used gear. Of course, I'd had my Firefly expanded into a 9-cell by then, so it was plenty big enough even for someone who hadn't jumped in 13 years.

    Welcome back

    Wendy P.



    Well I am not back yet. But I am researching it. :)

    Will contact you in more detail when I get back from Roatan at the end of Oct.

    Thanks again!!