Nerves

[Jumperpaula 0]

I've only been apprenticing in the loft for a short time now, and recently had my first "save". It was me.
I packed my main into a container lock.
Ive discussed this with some of you on pm, but Im curious.
How many riggers had their first save on their own rig?
I much more anxious about repacking my reserve than I am about jumping again. Anxious is a kind and gentle word, lets try petrified.
You would think that a case like this would give you CONFIDENCE in rigging, yet it has seemed to concern me more than comfort me.
Any words of wisdom or advice?
Thanks
Fly your slot!

[BadDog 0]

I can't say my first save was on my rig (my first reserve ride was on my rig and after I got my ticket, but not on my repack), but the questions I would ask myself are: What caused the bag lock? Could the same problem occur on a reserve? Did I learn my lesson? Am I a better rigger now, as a result of this experience? Do I really want to pack other people's rigs?
CorporateLawyerDave aka BadDog

[slotperfect 7]

I have been a Rigger for a long time, and have had more saves than I can count. It always feels good. I remember the first one. I was there, and watched the whole thing. I even went and picked him up when he landed out. I remember his name, his reaction, and what he bought me as a liquid thank-you note.
I have also had two malfunctions myself. I packed one of those reserves. It was a definite confidence builder . . . first the success of the cutaway in general, and second the knowledge that I had relied on myself to save my own life.
I don't know what happened with your container-locked main, but I can say that if you trust your Rigger mentor enough to apprentice to him, then you should seek his counsel with regard to your feelings posted here. After all, he will be the one supervising you as you repack your reserve, right?
Look at it this way . . . you just fulfilled a prerequisite for becoming a Tandem Instructor! Check that block!
Respectfully,
SP

[wlie 0]

You said the F word and that's a case of beer. Looks like you're going to have to buy yourself a bottle of something too.
In retrospect, isn't that first save kind of like jumping your own first pack job?
Here's a few questions for riggers and rigger apprentices:
1) Do riggers let or have other riggers pack their reserve?
2) An apprentice's supervised pack job is a save. Who gets the booze?

[slotperfect 7]

Answers:
1) I would gladly let Paula pack my reserve under my direct supervision IAW FAR part 65 (I know I'm opening myself up for a hailstorm here). What other Riggers would do I have no idea.
2) If she were "apprenticed" to me (such a formal word), and she rode her own reserve, I would likely share a portion of the bottle of her favorite tipple.
RIght now, I am toasting my dear friend's long departed father with a glass of "Barcelo Anejo" rum from the Dominican Republic. Works for me! :)
Respectfully,
SP

[steve1 5]

I've only packed about 30 reserves for other folks, back in the olden days. You know when everyone used gutter gear. The only (two) saves that I had, were myself. When I packed others reserves back then I felt the weight of a whole lot of responsibility. I liked being able to pack my own reserve, but sometimes regretted being responsible for anothers life. I mean this is their last shot at life. What if I mess up! And just think of the liability issues. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had been a more experienced rigger. For the money you make rigging I often asked myself if I wanted to continue packing reserves for others. For a chest pack reserve, back in the 70's, we were nocking down five bucks a pack job. But on the other hand you're doing a really great service, and there's more money in it today. I hope to get my back rating soon, but I may only work on my own gear. Steve

[BadDog 0]

Steve, you're the only guy I know with a chest rating but no back rating. I love it!! I agree with your sentiments regarding the responsibilities you assume when you pack other people's reserves. Of course, I am no less concerned when I pack my own. My desire to save my own life is as great as my desire to save someone else's. The liability issues are another matter. There isn't that much money in it.
CorporateLawyerDave aka BadDog

[kopelen 0]

I know how you feel, I am still apprenticing and my first save was my own rig after having a spinning malfunction. For me, that was the icing on the cake, it gave me confidence to know that what my mentor taught me works! Since then, I have had another save on a student rig. The feeling of knowing that the student was safe and the pack job right, makes your day. It did mine.

[riggerrob 643]

Congratulations on your first save,
Even better that it was yourself.
My first save was also myself.
I had just bought a new Cruislite and I was enjoying how the container closed so much easier - than with my Strato Cloud - that I postponed shortening the main loop. BIG MISTAKE.
On my next jump, another jumper bumped me on exit. When my container went slack right after exit, I knew something was wrong, so I rolled onto my back to stare at a horseshoe malfunction. I promptly tossed my main pilotchute. Unfortunately I was too late, some lines had enough time to wrap around my d-bag, creating a bag lock. I dragged the bag lock down to 3000'. At 3000' I released the main and pulled my reserve ripcord. My 26' Defender opened firm and I steered it back to the regular landing area for a PLF.
We spent the rest of the afternoon searching for my new Cruislite among young trees near the river. Since it was spring time, I realized how silly I was to have an emerald green main d-bag and pilotchute.
The moral of my story was: if the closing loop seems loose, shorten it.
As for Jumperpaula's jitters .... pat yourself on the back, repack your reserve and get back in the air. The knowledge that one of your reserve pack jobs opened should improve your confidence.
These days I log pack jobs an promptly forget about them.
As for the booze, six years ago the hangovers started interferring with the rigging, so I quit drinking. These days, so few skydivers buy booze after reserve rides that I just quit caring. Half of them don't even tell me if they deployed a reserve that I packed.
Part of being a professional skydiver is staying emotionally aloof.

[councilman24 37]

Paula,
I've been rigging part time for 19 years. I apprenticed the old fashioned way, so I was packing reserves under supervision for about 3 years (too lazy to take the practical till my written was about to run out). I became a rigger because I had a rigger almost kill me and didn't trust any of the others in the area. I had a 1400' total reserve malfunction that I pulled at 1700'. There were a lot of little things that contributed. I'm pretty sure that my first save was myself. I also remember watching one of my early saves from the air next to the guy. When I talked to him later I asked him what he was thinking. He said "I looked up, decided I needed to use the reserve, and thought to myself, OK Terry, here we go." I told him he probably ought to be talking to some higher power than me.
I had a round reserve I had packed blow up. The jump was at another DZ and I didn't see it. But I did here from people on the jump. The guy had started jumping in his fifties and never got very comfortable. He had about a 100 jumps. He was jumping a RC main, couldn't find it, and while trying to find his reserve he started tumbling. We think he was pulling on his FXC housing instead of his reserve RC. I'm still not sure if he pulled the reserve or the FXC fired, but he was tumbling into it has it deployed. It ripped through the skirt all the way to the apex. He lived and pretty much recovered but got broken up pretty good. I went through a lot of self doubt at first about whether I had done something wrong. This was a rig and canopy that I was very familiar with. I talked to him in the hospital and he didn't blame me. Later he sent the canopy back to the manufacturer for their opinion and they said 'yep if you tumble into it this is what happens.' Once I knew the whole story I'm sure I didn't contribute to the problem.
I've gotten a reputation of being the "picky" rigger in the area. I'm also about the only one that does routine maintenence, like replacing velcro or spandex. When I get a rig in that is a few years old and I haven't been maintaining it there is usually service bulletins, velcro, spandex, etc. that needs work. A friend had a main deployment problem caused by worn out leg strap throw out velcro and ended up with his Cypres saving him. I hadn't been packing the rig but when I went over to it I immediatly realized what had caused the problem, told him not to jump it and took it home to fix. I just found another one even worse. Some people bring their rig to me once a year to take of all the things their other riggers don't.
You've just realized that your someone's (this time yourself's) last chance to live! If you keep this in mind you'll always do what is the best thing to do, not what keeps the jumper happy or in the air. And if you don't want to have to explain why someone was in the air with an overloaded reserve or a worn out harness, then don't put your name on it. There are like new pilot rigs I won't pack because they are 4 or 5 generations old in terms of reliability. There are several skydiver rigs in the area I won't pack for various reasons that other local riggers pack. Do every thing you can to learn more about what your doing. I went to the last Rigger's Conference in Muskogee in 1989 and have been at every PIA symposium except one. This is a great way to meet people, learn a lot, a gather contacts and resources for when you do have questions. Never hesitate to ask someone else if your not sure.
Your reserve worked, so they must be good. Will I let anyone else pack my reserve's?
There's about 4 people in the world who I have gotten to know and would let pack my reserve. Not that there aren't a lot of other excellent riggers, I just haven't gotten to know them.
And I've got so much booze in the cabinet that now I ask for cookies or brownies from the women who use my reserves.
Ok, down off the soapbox.
Terry

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Paula,
No wisdom or advice, just some friendly encouragement....
So you packed yourself a bridle routeing mal--bad girl!
Will you make the same mistake again, well (having known you since november) I don't really think so. I believe you are concienscous (sp?) and careful, and very safety orientated, this was an isolated incident, trust me they happen.
For the rest of your skydiving career (may it be a long and glorious one little sister) you will be looking out for that same mistake.
I'm glad you packed your own save, it would give me a warm rosy glow to know I did right in the same situation. Think debrief and look at the good points first.
The only thing I can relate to this was holding a 300 ft fall in the Verdon gorge while climbing a few years back. A friend was at full rope runout, he fell, and all his protection zippered out as he went past me. Catching a fall like that is about the biggest test of one's belaying skills possible, and I felt really good that I held him and he didn't get hurt. We rapelled off that one and drank mucho beer that night.
You'll be allright, in fact my res will be due before too long, do you want to pack it for me under Chris' tutelage? That's my money where my mouth is fer ya.
Cya
D

[polarbear 1]

Congratulations on your first save! I wouldn't worry too much about packing a main malfunction...I've done it once, too.n It happens. I assume you put much more care and effort into packing a reserve then you would a main. The important thing is to learn why it happened and don't let it happen again.
Ultimately, if you can't have confidence in your pack jobs, I would suggest not packing reserves. That lack of confidence will scare away customers. Be CAREFUL, COMPETENT, but CONFIDENT.
My first (and only) save was somebody else. It was a swift 2-pin container...the first 2-pin container I had ever packed and the first non-molar reserve I had ever packed. It took me 2 times to get the reserve in the freebag with the right bulk distribution. It took me 3 times closing the container to get the right closing loop length (it used one long contiuous loop that held both pins...the old loop was gone, so I got to guess at how long it should be). Plus, it was only my 5th or 6th pack job, so I was still pretty slow. It took me about 4-5 hours to get it all together. I never told the guy, but I was damn glad he actually used it...I put way to much effort into that one to just have it expire. The funny thing is, it ws only the second jump after my packing that he had to use it, so I got to pack it AGAIN only a couple of weeks later. It went much easier the second time.
Oh yeah, the bastard still hasn't given me my booze.

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[Jumperpaula 0]

Riggers are such a special breed.
Thanks for the wisdom and stories. Going back to the loft was a hurdle for me and what I learned is ...
Don't kid myself - My own save? He packed it with me in tandem.
Have me do a step - fix it
Hand Tools
"now put this here"..
Got in the way of my own reserve repack is more accurate!
Same way we did it this time. The first save will be someone else way down the line.
After going back, Im still interested, still intreged and still enjoy the time Im spending in a loft and learning about gear.
Absolutely this incident should increase my focus, attention to detail and commitment to perfection. All strengths in rigging.
I also got honest feedback on my strengths and areas to work on.
I did buy him a bottle, but I drank it.
I do plan on paying up!
Thanks again guys!
Fly your slot!