Mid air tandem hookup

[prost 0]

Don't worry i am not planning on trying this. I was on www.relativeworkshop.com and if you pull up their list of tandem fatalities, #1 is "TI attempted to hook up student in free-fall (no drogue). " Does anyone know the circumstances surronding this fatality?
William

[riggerrob 643]

TI hooked up the lower attachment points, but was too rushed to remember to attach the shoulder hooks. It has happened several times at different DZs.
The sad part about this incident is that the TI fixated on attaching the shoulder hooks and forgot about the planet rushing up at him.
Text book says: OPEN MAIN!
Any one hook is enough to retain the student through opening shock.
As for planning to hook up a student in freefall..... ?
It has already been done, see Andy Keech's "Skies Call" book.
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.
At a bare minimum, the manufacturer will tear up your TI ticket. USPA will suspend all your instructor ratings and probably ground you.

[mountainman 0]

Could you imagine being that tandem student and hanging upside down like that? Or having the TM pull the main and you are handing upside down under canopy? Hmm...
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[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

Could you imagine being that tandem student and hanging upside down like that? Or having the TM pull the main and you are handing upside down under canopy? Hmm...

Would you rather be in that situation.....or be the guy watching the canopy inflate as you freefall away from the TM with nothing but a harness and altimeter? Neither should happen.....but alive IS better than dead..
Mike

[mountainman 0]

Hmmm....let me think. I would rather be neither and just have my own rig. I dont think I would feel comfortable on another tandem after jumping by myself. Seems that once you jump with your own, getting on a plane without your own rig would just seem odd.
JumpinDuo.com...come and sign the guestbook.