Ripcord Main Deployment

[JohnRich 4]

The Case for the Ripcord.

The advantages of an old-fashioned ripcord deployment system with a spring-loaded pilot chute for a main parachute:

1) You can see the handle you need to pull.

2) There is almost zero wind drag on the handle, so there is almost zero chance of an accidental deployment while in a high speed head down or sit-fly position. Pull-out pilot chute handles, on the other hand, have been known to be dragged out of their pockets by high-speed wind.

3) There is no chance for exposed bridle, as with some pull-out systems, to come loose, flap in the wind, and create enough wind drag to prematurely deploy the pilot chute.

4) You can operate the ripcord with either hand. With a throw-out or pull-out system, if your right arm is disabled for some reason, you can't reach it with your left hand. Or if you do manage to contort your body so that you can reach it, it's going to cause a barrel roll and unstable body position during deployment. Thus, you have no choice but to pull your reserve. With a ripcord, even with one arm disabled, you can still activate your main canopy with the other hand, and also still have a reserve ready in case of a malfunction.

5) If you have your closing pin jarred out of the closing loop, giving a premature pack opening, you just have a normal parachute deployment. With a throw-out pilot chute and a dislodged pin, the bag can float out of the pack tray, giving a very dangerous high-speed horseshoe malfunction.

[Hooknswoop 19]

Disadvantages:

1) Can’t have a kill line PC, which can be bad for several reasons (small canopy a non kill line PC will distort the canopy, added drag, if the PC entangles in the lines it can cause a mal if it isn’t a kill line)

2) Can lose the rip cord

3) It can get in the way if you have to cutaway (might have to toss it)

4) If the coating on the cable some off (if it is a coated cable rip cord, it will create a main total mal.

5) Depending on the location, it may or may not be reachable with either hand.

6) The rip cord handle can present a snag hazard.

7) Because it is launched into the jumper’s burble, it can hesitate unless the burble is cleared by dropping a shoulder, which can cause line twists.

8) Spring loaded PC’s are heavier than throw out PC’s.

9) Spring loaded PC’s aren’t good for CReW.

10) If the end of the cable is very smooth, it can damage the closing loop or hang up.

For some applications, rip cords on mains are the way to go, but for the vast majority of rigs in use today, throw-out, kill lines PC’s are better.

In the pic, it looks your excess reserve ripcord cable is tucked into the velcro sandwhich with the reserve handle. I have seen this cause a premature reserve deployment because when the jumper did a front loop and flexed the harness, there wasn't any excess cable, so the pin was pulled.

Derek

[peckerhead 0]

Hey! While we are at it, whats wrong with good ol capewells?

[nate_1979 9]

Happy to say that I've never had to use a ripcord

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.

[sundevil777 102]

Somewhat of a contradiction, I think, for a big guy to go to the trouble of using ripcord, because they think some aspects of it are safer, and then to have mini 3 rings also part of such an obviously custom rig.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[hookitt 1]

Mini rings yes, but they are on type 8 risers so there is no contradiction.

John has his reasons to jump with a springloaded pilot chute and I can respect that. Mike Michigan has jumped with a spring loaded pilot chute for a long time now. As far as I know, he still does. Both John and Mike have been jumping longer than both of us combined.

It would not be my first choice of equipment but for what they use it for, it works fine.

Edit: ok ... you've apparently been jumping for 24 years so I'll retract the part about jumping longer than both of us combined.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[skymedic 0]

Yes there is a contradiction there. Sure he is using type 8 risers which are proven to be stronger. BUT he is using mini rings which have a mathmaticly proven lessened mechanical advantage due to smaller levers(rings). Bigger the ring the bigger the lever the bigger the mechanical advantage especialy for a bigger dude.

that being said, I am a big guy...and use mini rings. but I am anal retentive about gear maintenance and cleaning.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[AggieDave 6]

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It would not be my first choice of equipment but for what they use it for, it works fine.

Hell, I was just happy to see John buy a new container. His old was, although very very well maintained and cared for, could have been my older brother in years.



I would say for what John does, it a spring loaded PC works great for him. Personally, I had enough of that from being a student jumper (not to mention a couple of reserve rides). Having to reach behind me and throw the springloaded PC back out into the wind (it wouldn't clear) on my 10th or so jump was enough for me. I'm gonna stick to my good 'ol kill line PC.

(Not only that, but how can I try to look cool swooping if I have a springloaded PC distorting the hell out of my canopy?)

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

[hookitt 1]

Ok, what does having mini rings on type 8 risers have to do with using a springloaded pilot chute

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[billvon 3,085]

I would add:

6) you can put an AAD on your main parachute if you like. Would tend to avoid two-out scenarios.

Derek sez:

>1) Can’t have a kill line PC . . .

I would disagree here. It's just that no one has made one yet. A kill line with four lines to the skirt instead of one to the apex should work almost as well as a regular kill line.

>3) It can get in the way if you have to cutaway (might have to toss it)

Hmm. Never had a problem with that during tandems.

>5) Depending on the location, it may or may not be reachable with
> either hand.

Ah, but you can easily put the ripcord on a belly band (or put two on) if that bugs you.

>6) The rip cord handle can present a snag hazard.

Right, but if it snags on something hard (like another jumper's legstrap hardware) you end up with a premature normal deployment. If your PC handle snags on something hard, you end up with a horseshoe mal.

>10) If the end of the cable is very smooth, it can damage the
>closing loop or hang up.

I assume you meant "isn't", right?

[skymedic 0]

The contradiction comes when he pontificates about the "saftey" of using a spring loaded main pilot cute. If he wants to be safe he would also use large rings. That's all. I am not saying he is right or wrong to use a spring loaded pilot chute...as you said I am sure he is very sure he has made the right choice for himself. I just find it amusing that he took the small rings for one reason or another over larger rings if he wants to be "safe".

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[skymedic 0]

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3) There is no chance for exposed bridle, as with some pull-out systems, to come loose, flap in the wind, and create enough wind drag to prematurely deploy the pilot chute.

just to clarify...if you have a flapping bridle on a pull out...you have an open canopy or deployed main at least. Now on a throw out..that's a different story.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[skymedic 0]

oh and I'd agree with you...what they use it for it works fine.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[mjosparky 4]

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Having to reach behind me and throw the springloaded PC back out into the wind (it wouldn't clear)

The spring loaded pilot chute getting caught in you burble is a carry over myth from the days when all reserves where round and the bridle was 36" long. The bridle did not allow the PC to get out of the burble. The PC would jump up, hit the end of the bridle and rebound back into the pack tray. This was true on main containers also.

Now we have we have 12' + bridles on reserves and the PC does not rebound back at the jumper.

On student mains, make the bridle 8' long and the problem goes away. With the size of student canopies, the extra length is not a problem.

I'll bet John's bridle is not 36".

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[jas8472 0]

I did all my student jumps on a rip cord and generally on civilian kit the rip cord is in the same place as a throw out (BOC or ROL on older kit), I've only seen it on the front next to the cutaway handle twice and it was both military rigs.

[AggieDave 6]

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The spring loaded pilot chute getting caught in you burble is a carry over myth from the days when all reserves where round and the bridle was 36" long.

So are you telling me that it didn't happen?

Since I was on that jump, it happened to me and if I simply had told myself "gee, this is a myth, it can't happen" then I would have burned it down and hopefully the old Sentinel AAD would have actually worked.

We've had our disagreements in the past, but to call me a lier.

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

[mr2mk1g 10]

Anyone had the one where the weight of the spring in the PC causes it to fall in front of the of the canopy after deployment, where it inflates and loops back through the lines causing the canopy to bowtie.

That was a fun jump 14(ish).

[Stumpy 284]

Happened to me too Dave - jump 3. Sure it went eventually but the video's kind of interesting....

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[mjosparky 4]

At 10 jumps, you reached back and grabbed the PC and threw it out of your burble? And you stayed flat and stable while you did this? Thats damn good flying for 10 jumps. I am not saying you did not have a hesitation, but as soon as you started to reach back your shoulder dropped and broke the burble. And I bet your bridle was 36".

No one called you a lair, I think you believe you grabbed the PC.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Hooknswoop 19]

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I would disagree here. It's just that no one has made one yet.

Until someone makes ine, you can;t have one.

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Hmm. Never had a problem with that during tandems.

I had that exact problem on my last tandem cutaway.

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Right, but if it snags on something hard (like another jumper's legstrap hardware) you end up with a premature normal deployment. If your PC handle snags on something hard, you end up with a horseshoe mal.

Yes, but if it is mounted on the front, it is easier for another jumper to accidently grab and deploy your maun while free flying. I've heard of jumpers accidentally pulling someone's cutaway or reserve handle like that.

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I assume you meant "isn't", right?

Oops, ya, meant 'isn't'.

Ripcords have some advantages, but for the avarage jumper, throw out is the way to go.

Derek

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Anyone had the one where the weight of the spring in the PC causes it to fall in front of the of the canopy after deployment, where it inflates and loops back through the lines causing the canopy to bowtie.

Seen that happen several times. Each time the jumper landed it OK except for the guy that ended up with a broken back.

Derek

[Hooknswoop 19]

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On student mains, make the bridle 8' long and the problem goes away. With the size of student canopies, the extra length is not a problem.

I've seen the PC dance in the student's burble on 1 and 2 JM AFF jumps and even when no one was docked on the student. 8' bridles too.

Derek

[mjosparky 4]

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On student mains, make the bridle 8' long and the problem goes away. With the size of student canopies, the extra length is not a problem.

I've seen the PC dance in the student's burble on 1 and 2 JM AFF jumps and even when no one was docked on the student. 8' bridles too.

Derek

That sounds like the spring was shot and needed to be replaced.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Hooknswoop 19]

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That sounds like the spring was shot and needed to be replaced.

Maybe, IIRC they were at least as stiff as a Javelin reserve spring though.

Kind of like the throw out PC's that could barely get the D-bag out of the container after a little help. When I told the DZO about he said, "Sounds like I need to scotch guard the PC's again."

Probably the longest PC in the burble I've seen (and I have it on video) was a student with a throw out placed the PC in their burble and it seemed like it took forever to clear. Hit the student in the back of the head twice before leaving.

Derek

[bch7773 0]

ripcords and spring-loaded PCs aren't all that bad. Our students use them at our DZ.
I think the main reason experienced jumpers don't use em is the fact that packing is much more of a pain with a springloaded PC

MB 3528, RB 1182