iad progession method

[iwasinkheson68 0]

hey guys,
There is a thread at the moment in the incidents forum involving a student screwing up an iad jump. I've heard of this method before, but never seen it or jumped at a dz where it's an option and was wondering why it was used instead of the more traditional static line? Is the progression similar to RAPS?
Cheers,
Mike

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Try this for more info about IAD training.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3042672#3042672

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[iwasinkheson68 0]

thanks for your reply, I only have Internet access through my phone and searches take forever.

[Scrumpot 1]

That wasn't a search suggestion. The poster has provided you with a direct link to another thread, that already speaks IN DETAIL about the differences between the 2 methods, and should - precisely answer your question(s) there, just as easily viewable for you, but without having to redundantly try to re-create/re-hash everything for you again here.

You should be able to open up that thread, just as easily as you would otherwise this one, no?

Just open that thread and look (read through) there. No need to search! Your responder already did that for you. Hope it helps.

Cheers,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[LloydDobbler 2]

Quote

hey guys,
There is a thread at the moment in the incidents forum involving a student screwing up an iad jump. I've heard of this method before, but never seen it or jumped at a dz where it's an option and was wondering why it was used instead of the more traditional static line? Is the progression similar to RAPS?
Cheers,
Mike

Okay, just to shorten the back-and-forth, I'll bite. Keep in mind, standard disclaimer about me not being an instructor (so someone rated for IAD might want to chime in), but here's some info (from the other thread and from my own understanding of the process). A few reasons to go with IAD over S/L:

1) An in-sequence deployment. The pilot chute goes downwind of the student, pulling the pin in a way resembling a normal freefall deployment. No D-Bag hitting the student, no off-balance snatch force from the S/L (leading to line twists, etc).

2) #1 also helps with students learning practice pulls, because their body position isn't affected from the static line's off-balance snatch force.

3) No "snake's nest" tangle of lines on the floor of the plane. No reeling lines back in after students are deployed.

4) No need to change over rigs. Static line needs a spring-loaded PC, and needs to be rigged appropriately. IAD rigs don't require changeover when students get to freefall.

5) Less wear on gear.

--

Each method has pros and cons. There are other advantages to S/L over IAD, and I'm sure some stuff that I've missed here.

Anyone else, feel free to add to/correct me if I'm off-base.

Signatures are the new black.

[NickDG 23]

I'd have to really sit down and think about this but just off the top of my head here's a few points. (I'm leaving a lot out here).

There are several advantages to IAD (mostly for the DZ) and some disadvantage for the student.

Advantages of IAD . . .

- You don't need a static line attachment point in the plane.

- You don't have rig and re-rig the pack jobs when changing from static line to freefall.

- There's no static line and direct bag to retrieve and stow away after every jumper.

- No chance of a student in tow.

- No damage to the side of the airplane. (Or leading edge of the tail if the static lines are too long.)

- No chance of JM forgetting to hook up static line (This contributed to the death of first jump student in San Diego in the 1980s)

- Cleaner and faster to get your students out during an in-flight emergency.

- A slightly longer freefall (if the JM let's go on time) than static line provides.

- Canopy deployment takes place behind the student like a normal hop and pop.

Disadvantages of IAD . . .

- If you use a regular curved pin there's slightly more chance for a premature opening either during climb out or when hanging. You can and probably should use the longer static line pins but that negates somewhat the no extra rigging issue.

- This is the big one. It's possible for a panicky first jump student to grab the bridle and completely stop the main deployment. Secondary to that they can accidentally become entangled with the bridle and accomplish the same thing.

Advantages of Static Line Direct Bag Deployment . . .

- As long as the static line is hooked up there are only two possible outcomes. Either a student in tow (very rare) or some kind of main deployment.

- If using a direct bag there's no pilot chute on the main that can get over the nose or entangle with the lines or a descending slider. (Although if wanted a pilot chute can be first packed into the direct bag. But it's overkill.)

- In an in-flight emergency you can hook up each student and physically just throw them out of the plane without worrying too much about their stability. You can also hook up the first student at a thousand feet (or whatever your seat belt off altitude is) so if anything catastrophic happens at that point you have a good chance of saving at least one student. (I can't emphasis speed of action enough in these cases. I was in a Cessna full of students once that crashed into the mountains in Ramona, California. I started putting the students out at 1800-feet and by the time I jumped we were down to 600-feet.)

Disadvantages to Static Line . . .

- Not many people know how to properly do it anymore. And as time goes by that number becomes less and less. Static Line JMing looks simple enough but there's a lot of little tricks to it that can take some time to master. I'm now leaving out the basics of hooking it up and checking it.

- A very head high exit can cause the d-bag to come passed the student's side rather than up over there head. Or it can cause the d-bag to hit the student in the back of the head. Not a big problem but we called it "ringing the bell."

- Student in Tow: This is very rare but a possibility and a very big deal. JMs have to be ready for it all the time. With the current level of AAD reliability the procedure is the student shows they are awake by some pre-arranged signal (usually placing their hands on their helmets.) The JM than uses his knife (you remembered to have that with you, right?) to cut the static line as far away from the aircraft attachment point as possible. They student then goes for the reserve handle as taught.

If the student is unconscious it becomes a bit of a deal. I've heard some say they'd still cut the static line and trust in the Cypres but I couldn't do that. So now here's why you get that big five bucks for putting out Static Lines. If there are other students on board you quickly brief them to stay in the plane and obey the pilot after you are gone. Then you open the glove box in the plane and dig out the metal carabineer you placed in there. (You did do that didn't you)? If not you're screwed as there's no way to accomplish the next step without it. You hook the carabineer around your left lateral (or your chest strap) and then around the static line connected to the student in tow. Then carefully you slide yourself down the static line until reaching the student. (You are wearing gloves, right?)

Once grabbing a hold of the student if you are an EMT you begin your SAMPLE assessment – no just kidding- you cut the static line somewhere between you and the student. (You did bring the knife with you, right?) Once you're both in freefall you give the student a reserve canopy.

Don't worry too much as I've been waiting all my life for a student in tow and so far its never happened. The closest I've ever come was in the early eighties when tandem drogues first came out I did it to myself by throwing a drogue over the tail of a twin beech and getting myself in tow . . .

NickD

[danielcroft 2]

Seriously Nick, can you please write a book already! Just take your posts off here and that should be a good start.

Sorry for the OT everyone.

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

Seriously Nick, can you please write a book already! Just take your posts off here and that should be a good start.

Sorry for the OT everyone.

Great idea; I've often thought the same thing.

Nick, if you do think of doing that, you should probably consult an intellectual property lawyer about if/how this little detail might factor into the mix:

"© 1994-2008 NameMedia - All rights reserved "

[iwasinkheson68 0]

....which is exactly why I was thanking him.

[iwasinkheson68 0]

I've not heard of it in the uk or Oz, another thread said it's not done in holland, is it mainly in the states? Is it more or less common than static line over there?

[Scrumpot 1]

Sorry - I mis-read.

Looks like you've gotten some pretty decent (and even MORE detailed than that other thread even!) information extracted into this thread anyway, after all!

Good stuff.
Cheers,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[riggerrob 643]

Quote

I've not heard of it in the UK or Oz, another thread said it's not done in holland, is it mainly in the states? Is it more or less common than static line over there?

......................................................................

Repeating what I said in an earlier thread .....

IAD was invented in Tennessee or Georgia during the mid-1970s (see article in Parachutist Magazine), shortly after throw-out pilot chutes were invented. However, USPA killed IAD like they tried to kill AFF.

It took a Canadian to salvage IAD. In 1979, Tom McCarthy (Gananoque, Ontario) sewed up a new batch of piggyback student containers (at arm's length they looked like Wonderhogs) with throw-out pilot chutes mounted on belly-bands and promptly started dropping first jump students with IAD. Tom also converted all his freefall students to throwing their own pilot chutes.
Albertans also helped refine IAD so that by 1990, almost all Canadian DZs only did IAD.
USPA stubbornly resisted IAD until - that rebel - Roger Nelson proved that it worked in the mid-1990s. Then USPA DZs tripped over each other in the rush to adopt IAD during the late 1990s and early in this century.

In conclusion IAD is now the dominant method in Canada and maybe half of American DZs use IAD, but IAD competes with S/L which has declined drastically in popularity.

Also remember that during the same transition period, many American DZs went exclusively AFF, but now most require students to do at least one tandem before jumping IAD, S/L or AFF.

[riggerrob 643]

Disadvantages of IAD . . .

- If you use a regular curved pin there's slightly more chance for a premature opening either during climb out or when hanging. You can and probably should use the longer static line pins but that negates somewhat the no extra rigging issue.

.........................................................................

I have never seen a student clumsy enough to dislodge a flex pin.
Flex pins also work well for freefall students ... so no need to repack.

Regular stainless steel curved pins work well as long as you keep closing loops tight ... but that requires flogging packers on a regular basis.

[riggerrob 643]

4) No need to change over rigs. Static line needs a spring-loaded PC, and needs to be rigged appropriately. IAD rigs don't require changeover when students get to freefall.

.....................................................................

Depends which version of S/L you use.
Direct bag has no pilot chute.
Several versions of "pilot chute assisted by static-line" use soft pilot chutes ...

[iwasinkheson68 0]

Thanks for your replies.