Superman32 0 #1 December 27, 2005 Hypothetical question-- Lets say you jumped one day where the uppers were really high and you ended up having to cut away at full alti (with no rsl), would you pull your reserve at that alti, or freefall until normal deploying alti? Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Floats18 0 #2 December 27, 2005 Deploy low and loose your bag locked main and forever?--- and give them wings so they may fly free forever DiverDriver in Training Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #3 December 28, 2005 Yes, that happened on my second malfunction. Another jumper knocked my main pin loose in the doorway, so I experienced a horseshoe type malfunction. Tossing my main pilot chute turned it into a baglock. I had just bought a shiny new Cruiselite and was damned if I would lose it. So I told myself that I would tow it down to 2,000, then cutaway and pull my reserve. Well I chickened out about 3,000', cutaway, pulled my reserve and opened my 26' conical, F-111 Defender round reserve. I landed that on the DZ, then hiked off in search of my main. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Samurai136 0 #4 December 28, 2005 I'm not certain I understand. Where do you intend to land? 1. If you intentionally deployed high then you took the high uppers into account for your spot. Deploy your reserve after releasing the malfunction. 2 If you have a premature deployment and bag-lock (which I think is the question), where do you intend to land? Do you want to land off DZ (closer to your freebag and main) or on the DZ?"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
callahan 0 #5 December 28, 2005 I doubt anyone would want to loose their main but .....it would really blow.. if there's a problem with the reserve and you could've had more time to deal with it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #6 December 28, 2005 The question had more to do with the idea that if you had to cut away soon or right after exiting, would you go on with the skydive, as if you were doing a regular solo jump or would you jump into emergency mode and deploy the reserve immediately? Does deploying the reserve at terminal reduce its overall life expectancy? Any other down faults, e.g. getting spanked on opening, damage to canopy, etc? Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #7 December 28, 2005 In the original question, the winds being high would mean that if you were to open at alti, you would give up any hope of landing in the same county as the DZ. Premature with a bag lock - first mal that came into my head that would cause you to quickly cut away the main at high altitude. Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #8 December 28, 2005 QuoteDoes deploying the reserve at terminal reduce its overall life expectancy? No. QuoteAny other down faults, e.g. getting spanked on opening, damage to canopy, etc? A terminal reserve opening is going to be fast. I dunno about you but I want my reserve to open fast, terminal or not. As long as you aren't loading the reserve beyond the maximum suspended weight that the manufacturer puts on it, the canopy shouldn't be damaged by a terminal opening. But shit happens.... Back to the original question - I'd deploy the reserve immediately. That way if there are any problems with it I'll have lots of altitude below me to deal with them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzjnky 0 #9 December 28, 2005 The main malfunctioned and you cut it away? In my book, that qualifies as an emergency, and I wouldn't even think about it - the reserve would be out as soon as I could pull the handle. Personally, deploying the reserve is part of my emergency procedures. I would execute the EPs exactly the way I have practiced them so many times. Once I'm under a functioning canopy, then I would assess where I wanted to land. Yah, it sucks to lose a canopy, but there are worse things that can happen to you if you don't pull your reserve in time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #10 December 28, 2005 I personally, don't think I would have a choice. I have my EPs so ingrained in my mind that if I pulled the red, I'm pretty sure the silver would follow before much thought. Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azureriders 0 #11 December 28, 2005 Quotehorseshoe ---- turned it into a baglock. ----would tow it down to 2,000, then cutaway and pull my reserve. I have done some searching but have failed to find a post I read some time agao about another guy doing just this. He had a bag lock on a CRW jump but some where above his newly planned cutaway altitude, the bag lock freed itself and gave him an insta chute at terminal in a stand. As I remember he said it took months (or maybe even years) to recover from the back injury. OUCH No thanks, my back is bad enough now, cutaway and deploy the reserve imediately would be my answer, but who am I to say Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #12 December 28, 2005 1. 14k Clear and Pull (Hope and Pop) resulted in a Baglock. 2. Ride the Baglock down to 4k, and then initiate emergency procedures to minimize the chance of loosing gear. 3. The canopy came out of the bag around 7k at a very high rate of speed and opened violently. 4. The gear was not lost but the hard opening resulted in 2 broken vertebrae. RESULT: New main parachute cost (if lost) would have been under $2,000. Medical attention and cost, time out of the sport to rehabilitate and a lifetime of pain as a result of the broken back were PRICELESS. If I were to be put into this same situation I might have decided to ride the Baglock down to a lower altitude but after this happened to a friend of mine I was able to reevaluate my position concerning this type of scenario…Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #13 December 29, 2005 The price of replacing a lost main, though painful to think of, should not be any sort of consideration in an emergency. If you're using a hooked up RSL, the decision's been made for you, unless you have the presence of mind to reach over and pull the disconnect tab. If you're over flat farm country as far as the eye can see, pulling high might blow you into the next county, but you should be alright. And if your dropzone has any kind of a diligent chase and rescue truck/van (I jump at Perris, so we're spoiled rotten by the Tim Farnham brigade), they should be out chasing you and may get there before you do. On the other hand, if you're tucked away in mountain ranges, or the uppers may blow you miles out to sea (does this ever happen in Hawaii ?), it might be a better plan to take it down at least to 5 grand, if you figure the students are opening that high anyway. Like a lot of things in this sport, it calls for JUDGEMENT. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #14 December 29, 2005 Quote Does deploying the reserve at terminal reduce its overall life expectancy? Any other down faults, e.g. getting spanked on opening, damage to canopy, etc? Heck, you're already at terminal anyway. I'd ride the baglock for awhile. Maybe it'll clear. I had a premature opening, at 12,500, with a spinning malfnction, pilot chute caught in the steering lines. I was going to ride it to 2 grand and chop, but it cleared around 9K. Bonus! The couple of square reseve openings I've had at terminal were unremarkable. Now, that one time with the front mount 24' flat . . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
