SkySlut 0 #1 April 17, 2001 I had a bit of an interesting way to start the season this weekend. I am currently waiting to get my new Odyssey so I had to borrow gear so I could jump this weekend. I hate borrowing gear, but I had to get a jump in out of the new SuperOtter that we got. So when I dump the main...guess what? The freakin main was put on backwards!!! It took me a bit to realize exactly what happened. It was the oddest feeling...flying backwards...the p/c in front of you, toggles in the wrong spot. It was the last thing that I expected would happen. So I had a square canopy and it was functioning...so I decided to keep it. I knew that you could actually land it backwards...so I didnt feel like chopping the thing. Another problem...bad spot and I was going to have to land off-field. So I found a landing area, circled around it using what were my rear risers which were now my front risers to turn around. I didnt feel safe using toggles due to the crisper turns that they give. It came time to land so I just yanked on my rear/front risers and almost stood the thing up...ended up falling on my ass though. That was quite a memorable opening day for me. Pretty whacked, huh???I wont be jumping borrowed gear anytime soon. That container cant arrive soon enough. 1st jump out of the new superotter, 1st off field landing in 2001, 1st time flying a canopy backwards, 1st biffed landing...at least I got a few beer calls out of the way in one shot...-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFXpert 0 #2 April 17, 2001 OMG! I've never heard of that happening. That's nuts! Glad it worked out for you. I have enough trouble landing mine in the forward position so better it happen to you than me.Much love and blue skies,Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #3 April 17, 2001 Who packed the rig?Respectfully,SP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #4 April 17, 2001 QuoteWho packed the rig?Well, a packer should have noticed something odd, but the more appropriate question is who assembled the rig? Kinda makes ya wonder what's wrong with the reserve. But that's a gutsy call SkySlut. I don't know what I would do in that situation. I'd prolly chop it. A rough landing going backwards could really be painful. ------------Blue Skies!Zennie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #5 April 17, 2001 I not going to divulge the names, but nobody was hurt and I know how it happened...we all learned from it and life goes on. Just thought I would share with you guys. It was something that I never thought I would have happen to me and I never really heard anybody tell me what to do if it should happen to me so I had to learn really quickly...cuz my life may have depended on it. I was just thinking that I didnt want to land in the trees backwards!!! If I couldnt find a landing area...I probably would have chopped it...but then again...if I couldnt find a landing area with a fully functioning main...I dont think that I would have been able to find one several hundred feet lower under a reserve.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greg 0 #6 April 17, 2001 Way to stay cool under preassure!!! Im sure glad you were not hurt, and I hope the guilty party has covered your beer needs for the next year!! Keep em square, and flying forward!!Greg A-37958 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #7 April 17, 2001 Yeah, Its amazing how fast you can learn new skills if you have to...-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tee 0 #8 April 17, 2001 We've done that for fun under the student rigs with a VERY light wingload, but I certainly wouldn't want to be under mine going backwards! Glad to hear that you are okay! Just think....at least you have a "cool" skydive story out of it! lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #9 April 17, 2001 Yeah, I landed a Sabre 150 with rear risers. My usual rig is a 135...I probably would have chopped that one...At least it was a bigger canopy.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grogs 0 #10 April 17, 2001 Wow! Just 3 words come to mind: Four Line Check! Not you necessarily, because it was packed when you got it, but whoever rigged the risers onto that rig should have done one.Along those same lines... this past weekend my friend Chip was demoing a Cobalt canopy and I helped him rig it into his container. When we did the 4 line check, we found the canopy been put onto the risers all screwy. In the end, it took one of the riggers at the DZ over an hour to get it all sorted out and put back together right. I don't know what would have happened if he had jumped the canopy the way it was, maybe just a couple of lines twisted, or maybe half the canopy collapsed into some sort of spinning malfunction. In any case, always do the check when putting a new canopy into your container. If you don't know how, get your local rigger to show you.Oh, and congratulations on getting that new Oddysey. Which bank did you rob to be able to afford one of those? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #11 April 17, 2001 I have assembled and disassembled about 4 or 5 rigs so I know how to do a 4 line check. Tip:When you are dissasembling a main from the risers, get a piece of cardboard and label the connection links (front/right, front/left, rear/right, rear/left, right toggle, left toggle). This is good so when you do re-assemble the main...you know which ones are which and it is going to make it a hell of a lot easier to get it put back together.I actually got a 50% off certificate from Sun Path over the winter...so I ended up getting all the bells & whistles...the thing still cost me almost 1,400 bucks. I am sure that it will be well worth it, though.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff 0 #12 April 17, 2001 I'm trying to imagine how this could happen - assuming the main is correctly on the risers. You'd couldn't put the risers on facing backwards - that would obviously be wrong because the rings would be on the wrong side. So I guess you'd need to have the canopy facing backwards, but a 180 twist in the riser / lines on each side - is that right? Would the brakes still be free like that?Geoff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #13 April 17, 2001 Its actually very easy to do...if you arent paying attention and you dont do a proper continuity check or 4 line check. At some point the main was removed from the risers (probably when the reserve was repacked) so when the main was re-attatched, it was probably still in the D-bag and the connector links were improperly labeled or not labeled at all...so when it was reconnected, it was put together facing backwards. So if you arent going to take the main out of the D-bag and repack it when you put it on the risers, you better be sure that you labeled the links properly.I got another tip from some of the people at the DZ. They say that you can intentionally put yourself in 1/2 a line twist so you are facing forwards again. I guess you can still steer using the toggles too. I had never heard of that and didnt even think of it at the time. Oh well, lesson learned and nobody got hurt.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cacophony 0 #14 April 17, 2001 You guys are completely looking over the fact that some people actually do fly their canopies backwards on purpose. I have heard a story of a guy who has over a thousand backwards canopy landings. I wouldn't worry about who packed it next time, I would worry about who that person likes to fly their canopy. If they like anything odd like flying it BACKWARDS!!! then perhaps it would be better to borrow someone elses gear. Other than that, it sounds like a fun jump!Safe landings,Alex D-23912 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #15 April 17, 2001 I have heard of people that do backwards CRW. Now that is whacked! It was really weird to steer the canopy...I dont know how they can do it.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
des 2 #16 April 18, 2001 a very good friend of mine,gary cobb,from cal.(now QLD,australia) has done over 1000 logged jumps wih his canopy on backwards,he also does crw that way,there are a no. of bcrw jumpers around now.it's no big deal,but it ain't easy either.i think if you'd never flown backward before,a chop wouldn't be a bad option,(depending on experience, of course),but if you walked away,you made a correct decision.regards.des Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattb 0 #17 April 18, 2001 As long as your OK my thoughts are - "cool". Not sure I'd want to do it unless the canopy was gigantic but if nobody's hurt I'm glad you had fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #18 April 18, 2001 Yeah, I think that I would have thought a bit more about my decision to keep the canopy, had I gotten hurt. But I honestly didnt even think about getting rid of it. I figured that it was a good canopy, I could control it...so why should I get rid of it? People can land these backwards. Go for it! I dont know if I would put a canopy on backwards on purpose again, but it does make for an entertaining story. It was a learning experience.-Slut"I'll jump anything!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
