Violent opening on my Pilot

[GQ_jumper 4]

I've been jumping a Pilot 210(WL1.1) for almost 100 jumps now, and yesterday had the first opening where I seriously considered cutting away.

Shortly after the snatch, which was a little harder than usual the canopy spun me around twice, extremely violently(during the snivel)...... I reached for the cutaway handle and as soon as I got my hands on it the slider came down and the canopy began flying perfectly.

I've never had more than a slight off-heading opening on this canopy and the openings are always predictable. I'm guessing the incident had something to do with my pack job but am wondering what exactly it could have been. If there is anyone that can shed a little light on this please reply, I have jumped it since with good on-heading openings but am still curious as to what could have caused this opening.

Thanks in advance

Dan

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Remster 30]

Could be the packing, could be body position on opening, could be total speed on opening (horizontal and vertical), could be random bad luck.

Remster

[sid 1]

Every canopy opening produces and contains violent kinetic energy. Softer opening canopies use design technology to temper and soften it, but never doubt that it is there. So, every so often, it will escape and introduce itself to you - you just have to understand that once in a while you'll get spanked.

Now when I had a Sabre 1 - 190 it was the opther way around, I got spanked on almost EVERY jump and managed to get a tolerable one occasionally

Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

[GQ_jumper 4]

I know that every once in a while there is going to be that opening that just sucks, its inevitable. I'm just wondering if there is maybe something I couldve done that contributed to it.

This was the first jump in a while where I left the plane thinking about my opening instead of what I needed to do in freefall, not the safest thing.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[phoenixlpr 0]

I got 2 twist from opening a not-perfect position. I've grabbed my handles, but it was flying stable, so I've kicked out. My WL is about 1.3-1.4.

[Gravitymaster 0]

I would seriously rethink my EP about chopping a main with 2 line twists or you are going to have a lot of cut-aways. 2 twists is nothing and in the time spent grabbing your handles and thinking about chopping, you could probably kick out of them. Especially if the canopy isn't diving and spinning.

[GQ_jumper 4]

It happened extremely quickly but as I remeber I reached for my handles because I was spinning so quickly I couldn't look up to see what was happening overhead, but the end result was no line twists, after the second spin the slider came down smoothly and the canopy flew like a dream. It just shocked me because I am so used to incredibly smooth openings on that canopy.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[tso-d_chris 0]

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I would seriously rethink my EP about chopping a main with 2 line twists or you are going to have a lot of cut-aways. 2 twists is nothing and in the time spent grabbing your handles and thinking about chopping, you could probably kick out of them.

Sometimes 2 twists are easily eliminated, and sometimes they are not. The decision to cut away, or not, should not be based on the number of twists in the lines. If decision altitude is reached, and you have not gained control of the canopy, a cutaway is usually the best choice.

It's easy to for others to second guess a cutaway decision after the fact. But, it is always the jumper's responsibility to make sure there is a controllable, landable canopy over your head prior to landing.

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[Gravitymaster 0]

Interesting you left this part out.

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Especially if the canopy isn't diving and spinning.

Care to explain why? Never mind, I think I know.

[Spizzzarko 0]

I have seen this guy fly. It's definatly body position. As far as deciding to cut away... That decision is a very personal decision, that Dan has to make, and you guy's arguing over the internet weather or not he should have thought about cutting away is stupid. We all hit the reset button (pulling the cut away handle) when we have hit our limit for dealing with a Main canopy problem. Some people do not, and sometimes they DIE! I don't want to se Dan DIE from a parachute malfunction. I would rather see him go from some new form of STD that is caused from having to much sex, and it's symptoms lie in dormancy untill he hit's the majic number or ejaculations, and then his head explodes with a fealing or extacy, and euphoria.

[GQ_jumper 4]

I would rather see him go from some new form of STD that is caused from having to much sex,

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My god that's exactly what I've been suffereing from since I got home, too much sex!!!!

I have seen this guy fly. It's definatly body position.

You haven't seen me fly in the last 100 jumps and 3 hours of tunnel time ass