IAD lvl 5 question. Any help appreciated

[GAjumper84 0]

I just completed and failed lvl 5 of IAD last weekend. In that jump you have to jump from the plane, arch, and pull a dummy pilot chute handle all before your canopy deploys fully. My issue was that when I reached, the container flap for the main was flapping in the way, so I missed it. I did get it after the main opened, but the instructor wants me to redo it. Anyone been through this before and have any tips for easily accessing the handle that is fairly bulletproof? I just don't want to mess up again and have to repeat for a third time. I want to get this right, so I can pull my own chute and increase altitude for some freefall! I never did a tandem, so all I've gotten so far is about 4 seconds at a time.
Just

[Blis 1]

Try to be quicker to handle next time... Also take your time on ground to practise the movements, visualize, go throught it in your head...

[hcsvader 1]

took me about 7 jumps to finally get a hold on the dummy PC handle.

then I pulled it out and waved it back at the instructor to show i finally got it.

Failed that jump as well

think all in it took me about 12 jumps to get to open my own parachute.

Just wait until you get to try to sort out that freefall stuff on your own

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[GAjumper84 0]

Wow! Makes me feel better about missing it once. I am going to keep it up until I get it for sure. I will have to remember to throw it and not just hang on. On jump 4 I was supposed to pull a dummy, reached and found nothing. All the way to the ground I was really upset with myself, since I had tried even under canopy with no luck. Got on the ground and looked, no handle. Asked my instructor and he said he saw it fly out as I was reaching for it.

Thanks for advice on practicing it on the ground. Definately going to do that, and the owner said we will go through it together.

Any advice on technique reaching around for the handle?

[hcsvader 1]

The best advice I think anyone can give it to keep practicing on the ground while wearing the rig so that you develope the muscle memory as to where the handle is located.

think about muscle memory like this, when you go to take your wallet out of your back pocket do you fumble, reaching around smacking your ass and back to try to find your wallet or do you just instinctively pull it out like you have 1000s of times before.

Practise, practise, practise

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[peek 21]

GAjumper84

My issue was that when I reached, the container flap for the main was flapping in the way, so I missed it. I did get it after the main opened, but the instructor wants me to redo it.

This is one of the unfortunate problems with this particular setup with the gear, the handle moves after the main canopy is out of the container.

I'm surprised that the instructor does not allow you some leeway on this though. If you pull soon after the main is deployed, it shows that you can pull in a reasonable time.

When you do the actual freefall, the handle will stay in place and it will be easy to find.

Whatever you do, don't get discouraged. Any "extra" jumps that you require will just give you more time to learn about your canopy control, which is a major part of learning to skydive.

[stratostar 5]

just do like I did and take an extra handle with you in the right front pocket, faster & easier to reach.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Di0 2]

stratostar

just do like I did and take an extra handle with you in the right front pocket, faster & easier to reach.

LMFAO!

And also safer, since you have a "backup"!

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[shorehambeach 9]

GAjumper

For me personally (i am not an instructor) I added added an extra word to the AFF commands as i was always trying to reach in my back pocket.

Arch ! Reach ! Pull !

and its was Arsehle

So - at pull time i was was going

ARCH! REACH ! PULL ! ARSEH&LE!

Because by reaching there I always found my hackey.

(this worked for me, it may not work for you)

[faulk04 0]

It took me 3 tries to pass the dummy pulls. I was on a static line and they wanted me to beat the static line. (I now disagree that you have to "beat" the static line in order to pass but I'm not a SL instructor) 1st time I went back to throw and I knocked out the handle- Failed. Next 2 times I got the handle but it was after the SL had pulled the parachute. My advice is just practice practice practice on the ground! Know that the rig could shift so ask your instructor to move the rig around on you and you are still able to find the handle

[WILDBILLAQR 0]

OK,
#1 Do you have any bones sticking out? Are you alive? Then you did not FAIL! So you need to repeat a level....big deal! You get to hang off a plane in flight again! COOL!!!
#2 Is it possible you de-arched while looking for the handle? Many students do. Hold your arch! Watch the plane fly away while you pull, that will keep your head up. Plus it looks really cool when you see your instructor with a shit eating grin on their face!
#3 if you miss the 1st time try a 2nd time but dont look down!
#4 HAVE FUN!!! Your jumping put of a plane!!! Who the hell gets to do that?!!

----------------------------------------------
"Thats not smoke, thats BUCKEYE!!"
AQR#3,CWR#49

[yoink 321]

Blis

Try to be quicker to handle next time...

Don't focus on this.
It's not a race. You are never going to get to that handle before the canopy opens.

What the instructor is looking for is that you're stable all the way through the pull sequence. Make nice big, smooth movements.
If you reach for the handle and it isn't there, stay in your assymetrical pull position for a second and reach upwards towards your butt. It's likely the handle is higher than your expect.


Don't worry too much about it. Dummy pulls are by far the hardest part of static line progression. If you have to repeat it a few times, so what? It's fun!

I did at least half a dozen of those before I finally 'got it'.

[Blis 1]

yoink

***Try to be quicker to handle next time...

Don't focus on this.
It's not a race. You are never going to get to that handle before the canopy opens.

What the instructor is looking for is that you're stable all the way through the pull sequence. Make nice big, smooth movements.
If you reach for the handle and it isn't there, stay in your assymetrical pull position for a second and reach upwards towards your butt. It's likely the handle is higher than your expect.


Don't worry too much about it. Dummy pulls are by far the hardest part of static line progression. If you have to repeat it a few times, so what? It's fun!

I did at least half a dozen of those before I finally 'got it'.

True enough, the real pull is way easier than those dummy pulls... Personally the best I managed was to pull by the time chute came out and even then i had to pull on 102 or so...

[mjosparky 4]

Di0

***just do like I did and take an extra handle with you in the right front pocket, faster & easier to reach.

LMFAO!

And also safer, since you have a "backup"!

But it still took him 3 jumps to get it.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[stratostar 5]

Yea but beat your record by quite a bit....

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[riggerrob 643]

Try grabbing the right cheek of your @$$, then sliding your hand up to the bottom of the container.

[GAjumper84 0]

Lol, great idea! Doubt I would get away with it though. Also if I can't pull a dummy, I don't want to move on. Would hate to have to pull the reserve just because I couldn't find the handle on the rig! Doubt it would happen, but who knows. Going this weekend to get back up on that horse!

[nigel99 577]

Interesting problem. BOC is a bitch once the main has left, the instructors must have tricks they can pass on.

I learn't static line with a ripcord so it didn't matter if the canopy had deployed.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[BIGUN 1,433]

Hanging Exit
Stand facing a wall or doorway of some type (flat surface).
Feet about 18 inches from the door.. without moving your feet,
Lean your pelvic forward until it's resting on the door.
Hands above your head, head & eyes up like you're hanging from the strut looking at the wing.
Now do door drills...
Snap that hand to the hackey handle as fast as you can.
Simulate Grab & Pull


Poised Exit
Same deal but like you're on the step
Step to the right and snap


Faster.
Faster
Faster
goal is 1/2 second

Get to the DZ early and do the same with a rig on

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[JohnMitchell 16]

faulk04

It took me 3 tries to pass the dummy pulls. I was on a static line and they wanted me to beat the static line. (I now disagree that you have to "beat" the static line in order to pass but I'm not a SL instructor)

I am a static line instructor, and I NEVER told my students they had to beat the static line. I told them to IGNORE the static line and do a smooth "arch, locate, pull, arch". I did have the caveat that the static line couldn't "wake up" the jumper. They had to start the sequence right on exit.

AFAIK, this policy never caused any problems. Having students try to "beat" the static line is unfair and just makes them rush too much. Aren't we trying to train "smooth"?

[JohnMitchell 16]

yoink

Don't focus on this.
It's not a race. You are never going to get to that handle before the canopy opens.

Sounds like this instructor wants them to beat the canopy.

Quote

What the instructor is looking for is that you're stable all the way through the pull sequence. Make nice big, smooth movements.

I think that should be the benchmark, but sounds like some are looking for speed.

[yoink 321]

JohnMitchell

it sounds like some are looking for speed.

[JohnMitchell 16]

yoink

***
it sounds like some are looking for speed.

Hey, pull time is no time to meth around.

[GAjumper84 0]

Thanks for the tips. I will definately try it!

[GAjumper84 0]

Quote

OK,
#1 Do you have any bones sticking out? Are you alive? Then you did not FAIL! So you need to repeat a level....big deal! You get to hang off a plane in flight again! COOL!!!
#2 Is it possible you de-arched while looking for the handle? Many students do. Hold your arch! Watch the plane fly away while you pull, that will keep your head up. Plus it looks really cool when you see your instructor with a shit eating grin on their face!
#3 if you miss the 1st time try a 2nd time but dont look down!
#4 HAVE FUN!!! Your jumping put of a plane!!! Who the hell gets to do that?!!

#1 No bones sticking out and no I am not a ghost typing these forum posts, so yes I am ok And I have no issue with repeating a level other than the cost involved! Other than that I am having a blast, so it doesn't really matter to me if it takes me 14 or 25 jumps to get cleared for solo jumps. I just want to learn safely and very thoroughly. That's why I went IAD as opposed to AFF in the first place.

#2 On my first attempt they said I looked down and slightly dearched. On jump 5 though I held the arch the whole time, just didn't get it quick enough. It actually ended up being kind of borderline. In my logbook, I am cleared for level 6 by my instructor. Then I talked to the owner and told him the instructor told me to see him about what the plan was for the next jump. What I was talking about was the plan to get me up in the air again, as they were very busy running normal 14k jumps. He misunderstood me and thought the instructor was talking about what we would be doing on the next jump. He said he wanted me to do the dummy one more time just for him to feel comfortable. I would have argued that the instructor cleared me had it not been the owner!

#3 Yes I will definitely have to work on not looking down. It doesn't really make sense to do it as you can't see the handle, but that didn't stop me from doing it!

#4 Since jumping I have realized by the fact that no one that I know will go with me that it takes guts that most people don't have to jump out of a plane. To me it wasn't any huge deal, never knew people were so scared of it. All I keep hearing is, "You're crazy!" Or, "You have a wife and kids to think about!"