crapflinger2000 1 #1 June 23, 2003 Following brings to mind the "It ain't got no gas in it!" scene from that movie.... Guy demoing some gear at our DZ is having reeeeeaaaaly long openings... says it feels like pilot chute in tow for 1000 feet, then it starts working.... asks me about it.... I figure it is something with the PC (I am a friggin genious, huh?), tell him we'll take a look at if for proper kill line length, etc. (I have seen kill lines SO shrunk up that the thing could only be cocked halfway).... he can't get the thing in the bag so I help him bag it, cock the PC, etc.... When he sees me cock the PC, he goes, "What was that? What did you just do?" He had not been cocking the PC.... Morals of the story: 1) I was a little embarrassed that I didn't think of the obvious thing.... 2) I was pissed at this guy for not seeking help when confronted with a new system.... I believe his own gear has a normal PC. When he was bagging it and saw all that extra crap at the bridle attachment point, why the hell didn't he ask someone what it was? What to do with it? This is complacency in the extreme and I had a very hard time not going off on the guy as I would have in the past... Bottom line.... UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR GEAR WORKS!!! If you have never watched a reserve being packed, DO IT! You may not need to know how to pack it, but you will learn something... If you have ever read Chuck Yeager's autobio, then you know that one reason he got his ass out of so many tight spots is that he made a point to learn everything he could about every airplane he flew... that can save your ass in this sport too, especially whn confronted with some kind of non-standard situation.... __________________________________________________ What would Vic Mackey do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #2 June 23, 2003 Quotereeeeeaaaaly long openings How many of these openings did he have?????Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crapflinger2000 1 #3 June 23, 2003 2 __________________________________________________ What would Vic Mackey do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #4 June 23, 2003 Thats a great story, and I'm glad you caught the problem before it turned into a bigger problem, but your anger should be dircted at the person who gave him the gear to demo. With a non-collaspible PC on his current rig, this jumper sounds like he may be newer to the sport. Regardless of this though, anyone handing out demo gear should confirm the jumper knows the in's and out's of that rig (flap order, brake stowing, pilot chute/slider operation). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #5 June 23, 2003 Chuck Yeager started out "maintaining" airplanes. Flying them was his second career. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crapflinger2000 1 #6 June 23, 2003 The dude in question is an older guy who has been jumping for like 12 years.... he should know better (not that he should know about kill line's, but that he should know to ask about new shit) As for the guy who loaned it to him, while maybe he shoulda asked if the guy knew about kill-lines, keep in mind that these days (at our DZ at least), kill lines are virtually standard. It is entirely understandable that the guy would assume that most people know about them... But the bottom line is that it is the individual jumpers' responsibility to understand and know how to operate his or her gear.... the loanee SHOULD HAVE ASKED WHEN CONFRONTED WITH NEW SHIT! There is no doubt about that (as far as I am concerned, at least, your opinion may vary). If the guy had gone in somehow on the basis of not cocking the PC, it would be his fault totally, not the owners. It is not like this is some feature hidden in the flight characteristics of the canopy or something that he should have been made aware of... this is something that should be obvious when packing... If I borrow a car, and there is an extra peddle on the floor, I ask what the hell it is before I start the motherfucker... __________________________________________________ What would Vic Mackey do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakydiver 0 #7 June 23, 2003 Yah - bottomline is YOU are in charge of yourself when participating in ANY sport there is. While there is some worth to the fact that perhaps the loaner didn't explain what was up to the loanee in terms of gear, it really doesn't matter. The person should've asked. "If I borrow a car, and there is an extra peddle on the floor, I ask what the hell it is before I start the motherfucker..." HERE HERE -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r2hubert 0 #8 June 23, 2003 I'm the one who loaned the canopy (look in Talkback) and after the incident I really felt responsible. I would have never suspect that as I saw this guy jumping at the DZ when I was just off student status. The guy told me later than now every thing make sense, because he was always wondering why people were shaking their pilot chute all the time while packing. -- Renaud SMA #9 "Mind is like parachute. It only functions when it's open." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crapflinger2000 1 #9 June 23, 2003 Bloody hell... "shaking their pilot chute"? oh my dear lord!! __________________________________________________ What would Vic Mackey do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r2hubert 0 #10 June 23, 2003 I show him also later how the colapsible slider works but apparently he do not want to use this great feature -- Renaud SMA #9 "Mind is like parachute. It only functions when it's open." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkySlut 0 #11 June 23, 2003 If I was loaning gear to someone, I would make sure that they due use the collapsible slider...for my own gears sake... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #12 June 23, 2003 Is this the same man that said to me. "No way are you packing my rig, I've been around so long is because I make good decisions " ?? TimMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
