chances of malfunction

[DroptheMan04 0]

if you have larger canopy, less chance malfunction and if you have smaller canopy, more chance malfunction. is that fact?

[d123 4]

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if you have larger canopy, less chance malfunction and if you have smaller canopy, more chance malfunction. is that fact?

From what I've been told the only thing that you get rid of with a big docile canopy is line-twist cut-aways (maybe).

On a docile canopy line-twists can be solved and the canopy will fly straight. So if you open high you will be able to solve them for sure. I love to open high and I always tell the others jumpers in the plane that I will open at 5500 or 6000 sometimes so they can make sure to have enough horizontal separation.

I've been told that on a small & elliptical, high performance canopy if your shoulders are not perfectly aligned when you open it may induce a harness turn that may create line twists. During those type of line-twists you will be locked by the line-twists with you shoulders not aligned and the canopy will not fly straight, it will spin (losing altitude fast) and you will not able to solve the line twists. I've seen one of my instructors having this problem and he cut away fast. I've also been told that the reserve is usually a docile parachute.

I've been told that pressure knots may also cause line twist and spins resulting in a cutaway (more on high performance canopy).

Also landing a small canopy it's a lot more dangerous than large ones. If I'll jump with a 135 I will get in troubles for sure.

I will never take a small elliptical canopy but then again what do I know ;).

Also on the bright side a small canopy with WL > 1.5 will not collapse that easy in turbulence's and my 300 sq ft with a WL of 0.65 it's exposed more to turbulence base collapses. Sometime when flying above the forest around 500 ft I can feel those turbulence's shaking my canopy.

A good sidekick in the preparation against malfunctions is the movie Break Away
http://www.sunshine-factory.com/cgi-bin/data/db.cgi?db=sf&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=1034
I'm watching this movie almost every month.

Take everything I said with a big grain of salt. For god sake I'm just a newbie. I would love to see what other more experienced people have to say about this.

Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls!

[jheadley 0]

It seems like the general trend I've noticed is that the chance of a line-over is greater with a larger canopy. As to whether it's just naturally more prone to lineovers, or it's just easier to pack them, that's debatable, probably both are true. I can't think of anyone I know or have heard of personally who has had a lineover on a canopy under 200 square feet.

[darkwing 5]

It is a bit of an oversimplification, and is probably more related to wing geometry (i.e. how ellipitical is it?) and loading. There are many, many factors though.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[squirrel 0]

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It seems like the general trend I've noticed is that the chance of a line-over is greater with a larger canopy. As to whether it's just naturally more prone to lineovers, or it's just easier to pack them, that's debatable, probably both are true. I can't think of anyone I know or have heard of personally who has had a lineover on a canopy under 200 square feet.

Allow me to introduce you to my wife...line over on a 135 spectre. Everyone had told her to chop it if this ever happened. She traced the line up, released her breakes, one pump of brakes and the line over slid off.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[Tonto 1]

I have 8 Tandem malfunctions in 750 Tandem jumps. I would call that a big canopy.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[packerboy 3]

Longer lines on larger canopies = more line to get over top of the canopy & greater distance from container to line stretch = more time and space for chaos of 120 mph wind blowing little strings around to do it's thing. Not to mention it is a bit tougher to keep proper tension on the lines while packing a really big (tandem) canopy.

Am I right or wrong riggers?

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[JumpRu 14]

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if you have larger canopy, less chance malfunction and if you have smaller canopy, more chance malfunction. is that fact?

I don’t think that is true.
1.smaller canopies are easier to pack.
2.it is harder to get line twist on them (shorter lines). But if you do get in one things might get ugly.
But what do I know? my last cutaway was 1800 jumps ago

[dragon2 2]

I had one on a sabre 135... non-clearable so chopped it.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

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if you have larger canopy, less chance malfunction and if you have smaller canopy, more chance malfunction. is that fact?

No.

[RandomLemming 0]

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I have 8 Tandem malfunctions in 750 Tandem jumps. I would call that a big canopy.

That must have lead to some nervous tandem students - or did they even notice ?

[Tonto 1]

I had a Tandem reserve malfunction too. That student noticed. The rest, not so much.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[faulknerwn 38]

I think line twists are still only a problem on an elliptical. I've taught a BUNCH of people to pack over the years on my Triathalon 99's and I've had a fair share of line twists from beginners - its small but since its square - line twists are no more of a big deal than on my PD 150...

[AFFI 0]

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my last cutaway was 1800 jumps ago

My last has been a while too, somewhere around 5 years/2600 jumps ago.

I have a good friend that went nearly 20 years of full time skydiving with no cutaways period, then had a tandem streamer a couple years ago.

He still has not had a chop on his sport rig, so over 20 years now.


No matter how long, always be ready, could be on this next skydive...
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Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…