Nigel

+1

Except the picture is of snivel not PCinTow. Might even be a low pull judging by the reserve PC. EP for this is simple - cutaway, then reserve. Not quite so simple for a PCinTow.

The pictures don't look like a Pilot Chute in Tow. Or baglock (PC out OK, lines deployed to extent allowed by an overtight stow or locking stow, bag locked). These pictures look like a long snivel, possibly due to an uncocked PC. In which situation the only right EP for me at least is brisk cutaway at 2000ft hardeck followed by brisk reserve handle. Seeing the reserve PC snaking past the sniveling main suggests a low pull Cypres fire. My point being these photos embedded in a safety article on PCIT are at best misleading, at worst lethal. A casual reader might glance the headline, see the snivel photos, interpret her next long snivel as a PCiT and then have an inner debate on whether to cut away first or reserve first. When no debate is needed.

Awesome forensic analysis! If only more 'Incidents' replies were like this.

I'd just go for it. Take excessively careful precautions to avoid traffic, know the winds at the LZ. Take a stick and some loo roll, just in case. Helps too if the LZ owner is not surprised and angry. If you can have a catcher, much is simplified. Time it for low number of people around. Make sure cell-phones/radios work, have frequent planned contacts (eg every 15 mins). Jumpers all need adequate or better skills for the task in hand (many will not be able to judge their own limitations). Know the lat/long in case of needing rescue. Don't be afraid to call it off - and off should pre-agreed to mean one doesn't want to go, none go. Have a Plan B for rescue without authorities, and a Plan C for rescue with them. Know when to quit Plan B for Plan C. etc etc. But with good sense and a little care, a lot of thrills!

If true its just a matter of time till someone jumps a unit without power when they need it. Not sure I'd call that progress or better design. A bit like 'the operation was successful but the patient died of complications'

Sorry, but I missed the 'Mars' references explanation: what did you work on for the Mars expeditions? I'm guessing that must be one of the most desirable engineering jobs ever...

That is inevitable if the designers prioritize 1) over 2), which I hope they did. But no same unit can get 1) and 2) right 100% of the time. If you want more of 1) you will have less of 2) and vice versa. It maybe as close as 99%/100% vs 100%/99% respectively, but it's never going to be 100%/100%. It's similar to the sensitivity/specificity paradox for screening tests like mammography or PSA: there's a trade-off between false-negatives (unacceptable in a screen) vs false positives (undesirable, but manageable). So screening tests have very high sensitivity, but lower specificity. Which is why there are confirmatory tests. But there's no time for the confirmatory test equivalent for AADs: they have to get it right the first time, not after the fact. Sorry, but I'm just not a fan of the 'new sheet of paper' argument: I want some track-history, even if it's imperfect. I've no idea who df8m1 is, but his opening pitch suggested being made in the good ol' US was an attribute worthy of consideration when buying an AAD. Sorry again, but that cuts no ice with me, which is why I drive a 911 and not a 'vette....we should probably take this outside!

Why? - does 'New AAD made in USA...' mean better than 'Old AAD made in Germany (or Holland or Belgium or wherever)'? If that's the sales pitch, it will be an uphill battle outside the US. More seriously... Any AAD algorithm is a delicate balance of 1) getting the thing to fire when it should vs 2) not letting it fire when it shouldn't. Getting 1) right is mostly more important than 2): an AAD going off in the plane can be dangerous, but is mostly nuisance. An AAD not going off when it's needed is mostly fatal. The fast-swooper firing problem has largely been solved by application-specific algorithm improvements. But getting that algorithm right is difficult - especially when the failure conditions are rare, which means difficult to replicate and therefore predict. So having had a device on the market for a long time is advantageous - those rare failures can be analyzed, and maybe even trends spotted. Which leads to improvements such as the 'Expert' Cypres version. But it also makes it difficult for newcomers - they won't have the hard-won experience and wisdom the incumbents have. And translating a military/professional product to civilian/amateur users isn't simple: the risk:cost equation will be different for military vs civilian applications. Generalizing: professional/military users are younger, fitter, better trained, more current and ultimately expendable, whilst civilians are older, slower, less current and not expendable. The cost of ownership and inconvenience of serviceability issues clearly aren't decisive for most jumpers. Challenging the status quo is always good. Improving upon it is another matter... Good luck!

Here's the missing image

Hi Sangiro, I'm still not able to get my dropzone.com email on my Android (Samsung S5, Android 4.4.4, from ATT in the USA). I get this 'Could not validate combination of email address and password' error message every time - please see attached image). I know I've entered both UN and PW correctly... Any suggestions? Thx, Nigel

Dude: This is illogical, unpleasant and unfunny in equal measure - not 'skydiverly' at all. To my German friends/skydivers, the families of the victims of this tragedy - including Mr Lubitz's - I'm just sorry for the nonsense spouted by this jackass... I could care less what the fuck you call me. Having a rational discussion with our fellow German posters on here is impossible. Maybe I could have singled out one German-American and not lump the others in. So you tell me... What this guy said in bold in his OP... is that skydiverly? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4694336;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; It's perfectly acceptable, after all, we are talking about the U.S. If it is Germany and there is an adult that kills people, we should all feel remorse and guilt for him and his family; and not just one bit, all the bits. Right? I do find it funny that Nigel took this opportunity to be outraged about when another poster shows contempt and spite of another's death. Telling, VERRRRRY telling. Sorry dude, you lost me there. But glad you found something funny. For the record: not outraged, just disappointed. I guessed I expected better from jumpers, who can imagine/understand better than Joe Public what a plane crash must be like . . . So you are NOT disappointed in the poster that posted this, "Now, if just all toddlers would kill their gun-addicted parents, we'd have a better, less violent, society !!! I don't feel sorry for the victim. Not one bit!!!" But a guy ragging on a mass murderer you are NOT ok with. I'm not seeing the logic. Actually I'm disppointed by both. Buying a plane ticket doesn't contribute to the pilot's unprofessionalism: this was, until now, effectively unforeseeable to the average passenger. But children killing family members accidentally with a carelessly stored gun is a commonplace occurrence in the US today. So much so the NRA goes to great lengths to educate gun-owners on measures to avoid such a tragedy. I feel very sorry for the trigger-pulling tot, but the parents were obviously stupid and/or careless and contributed to their demise. So it's ironic and tragic. The plane crash is just tragic.

Dude: This is illogical, unpleasant and unfunny in equal measure - not 'skydiverly' at all. To my German friends/skydivers, the families of the victims of this tragedy - including Mr Lubitz's - I'm just sorry for the nonsense spouted by this jackass... I could care less what the fuck you call me. Having a rational discussion with our fellow German posters on here is impossible. Maybe I could have singled out one German-American and not lump the others in. So you tell me... What this guy said in bold in his OP... is that skydiverly? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4694336;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; It's perfectly acceptable, after all, we are talking about the U.S. If it is Germany and there is an adult that kills people, we should all feel remorse and guilt for him and his family; and not just one bit, all the bits. Right? I do find it funny that Nigel took this opportunity to be outraged about when another poster shows contempt and spite of another's death. Telling, VERRRRRY telling. Sorry dude, you lost me there. But glad you found something funny. For the record: not outraged, just disappointed. I guessed I expected better from jumpers, who can imagine/understand better than Joe Public what a plane crash must be like

Dude: This is illogical, unpleasant and unfunny in equal measure - not 'skydiverly' at all. To my German friends/skydivers, the families of the victims of this tragedy - including Mr Lubitz's - I'm just sorry for the nonsense spouted by this jackass...

Pretty damn chilling. As I said elsewhere, these guys would have given the Spanish Inquisition a good run for their money 400 years ago