Functional RSL question

[HydroGuy 0]

While studying for my B/C exams, I found a statement about RSL's that confuses me.

The SIM (5-3-F-2-c) states - "RSL's can complicate certain emergency procedures: (1) cutaway following dual deployment"

If you already have two canopies out, how does the RSL complicate cutting one away?

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[outlawphx 1]

Because you may have two canopies out without pulling the ripcord (think cypres fire). That means the RSL could still maintain a connection between one riser and your container when you cut away the main.

[skip 0]

I’m sure someone with a better understanding of the sport parachuting system will correct me if I am wrong but here is what I understand. So you have 2 out and your RSL is still connected to your main riser. Without disconnecting it, as you main separates you have this small thin lanyard trailing of it adding a snag point. I guess that lanyard could easily wrap itself around a few lines on your riser and just knot up giving you a main reserve entanglement. Disconnect it and it will stay with you (although I would imagine not really secured to anything) thus taking it out of the equation.

neilp

[MB38 0]

With your reserve out, the reserve pin should just be dangling on your back. It's probably still in its loose guide rings after a Cypres fire.

When you cut away, the main should lift dramatically... or appear to as you will start to drop. When it does so, the RSL will pull on the already loose reserve pin until the pin/cable has freed itself from the guide rings and free the RSL accordingly.

Whether or not it functions that perfectly every time, no way to say. If you're cutting away your main when you have two out, you're probably in a downplane already. Hopefully it won't complicate, but if it does... it's probably not worse than the situation you're already in.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[billvon 3,114]

>how does the RSL complicate cutting one away?

It's another snag point. Best to remove it before cutting away; it can't do you any good at that point. On some designs (specifically the two-sided Racer RSL) it can choke off the reserve as the main leaves.