Packed a cutaway for a friend.

[matttrudeau 0]

I was at the dz yesterday and I asked one of my friends if I could pack his rig up for him because I need the practice. I'm still working on getting that damn thing in the bag correctly.. Anyway, he observed me throughout the entire pack job and helped me put the main in the bag. He jumped it and had some type of malfunction. He couldn't recall what type of malfunction it was, which doesn't help me at all either. Most likely from what people could see from the ground, a toggle might have popped with maybe a line twist. He said he didn't pump the toggles at all to try and clear it. But basically, he has no idea what was wrong. What I'm getting at is that I was more shaken up than he was. He was totally cool with it and tried to tell me that it wasn't my fault in any way. I couldn't help but feel horrible. My confidence hit rock bottom and I'm nervous about packing for someone or myself again. What kind of advice do you have for someone in this situation? Keep in mind I'm new and have 39 jumps and have packed about a dozen times. Thanks,

Matt

[Faber 0]

Hey matt
dont worry,as the guy told you it werent your failuer.As long as you are trying to learn how to do it,he failed..he is the expericened and he did tjeck you.
Thats why he told you to calm dowm.He knew that he had fucked up,so it were his problem..
Keep learning

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Ron 10]

Well did the guy start to date your girlfriend?

In not, then I doubt you had a reason to try and kill him...So I am betting you didn't try to give him a Mal.

You see, sometimes these things we use (called parchutes....I think its French...something about "Protect from Fall"?) sometimes just don't open right. This is why we have the cool 3 ring design, and handles to get rid of them....Now just cutting away is a bad idea, so they put another parachute in the same rig...That way, if you were trying to kill him, he had 2 chances. (I mean, what is the chances that he dated YOUR ex, and his riggers???? I mean if he did, he is just STUPID).

So if he is not dead/mad/missing a main...ect...Oh well buy him a beer and go on with your life.

If he IS seeing your Wife/Girlfriend/ect....Well to get rid of him, you need to pack his main, AND have a riggers ticket.

Jeeze newbies!!!!!


Smile...Life goes on.

Ron

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[councilman24 37]

Hey, there's a reason you asked to practice on someone elses rig. If he isn't sweating it you shouldn't. One thing I found lacking in packing training is break setting. I've found several newbies over the years who were setting the brakes wrong. One guy was doing it so they could have released every jump, but didn't. Still surprised he got away with it. He was putting the nose through the keeper ring after the locking loop. Anyway, have some one go over that with you. If the guy couldn't tell you what was wrong, maybe nothing was. Wouldn't be the first person to cutaway from a good canopy. And line twist happens.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Jethers203 0]

Matt,

Shit happens in a sport like skydiving. Why do you think we have reserves and the experience to deal with the shit when it does happen.

It is not your fault!!!!! The guy obviously didn't do a good job supervising you or he wouldn't have had the problem. Nobody is a perfect packer especially after only a dozen pack jobs.

Don't get discouraged by the mistake. Start packing as soon as possible and get closer supervision. Tell whoever you are packing for, that it is just for practice and they shouldn't jump it if they have concerns. The guy who had the mal, obviously didn't have any concerns with jumping your pack job. His problem, not yours!!!!!

Take whatever I said, however you want.

John D-24352

[Michele 1]

If you're still really concerned after those great responses, try talking to a packer and seeing if you can watch them for a while. And maybe look into taking another packing class. Both of these will give you more confidence...and that's the name of this particular game, it seems. Then go out and do a high clear and pull, and see what happens. If you need to cut, then you have plenty of alti to work with, you know? You'll be o.k...

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[rigging65 0]

Something to remember Matt: Even the most perfectly packed parachutes sometimes fail to open correctly. You may have done a perfect job packing and your buddy screwed up his body position at deployment time...it may have been your packing...it was probably just dumb luck...who knows, and it really doesn't matter!

It's just the law of averages man, if you keep jumping, you WILL have a mal. Simple as that. Don't sweat it, everybody lived. Buy beer for the guy and move on.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[Dumpster 0]

Things happen, man- I had a brake pop on me just this past Satuday - and I packed myself. Open right into a spin - No line twist and I was able to release the other brake right away, but it just goes to show you sometimes shit just happens.

So take it easy, buy the man a case of beer, and then help him drink it. By the time you two are 2/3 through it, you'll both feel much better.

Easy Does It

[JYorkster 0]

I agree with everyone here about the cutaway. He knew you didn't know how to pack, and allowed/watched you pack it. Things happen. Don't worry about it.

I am concerned, however, that you have an A-License and don't know how to pack. Isn't that still a requirement? Is this just a skill you forgot, or are there instructors out there being too liberal with their stamps?

Just curious,
Rock

[matttrudeau 0]

I know how to pack, just need more practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets.

[Islandcool 0]

Quote

My confidence hit rock bottom and I'm nervous about packing for someone or myself again.

Dude! Come over and pack mine for a weekend. I'm getting lazy. Nah I now how you feel. I've packed my rig about 30 times so far. I remember after a dozen or so times I let this a friend jump my rig. Don't think I wasn't nervous about it. If anything went wrong I certainly didn't want to be the guy that packed it. Of course everything was fine. You friend was right there supervising you. He had the enough confidence in your pack job jump it. Just one of those things that you thank god no one got hurt and move on. A twelve stepper once said.."fear and faith cannot exist in the same place" It's debatable of course but I use that so much in this sport everytime I doubt my abilities. Yeah the fear never really goes away 100% but the faith certainly grows. Take care bro!

Ed

[JYorkster 0]

Ok, that's perfectly understandable. Sorry, I just took "I'm still working on getting that damn thing in the bag correctly" to mean you had only done it 'incorrectly' up until now.

Rock

[freakyflyr11 0]

hey its not your fault shit happens..your bound to pack a canopy that has to be cut away sooner or later dont take it personal it probably wasnt the pack job.in fact if your ever at elsinore come find me bobby and ill let you pack for me.just keep practicing and youll do great!!!!!!!!!!!!and dont be scared.

[weid14 0]

not to worry... when I was a newbie, I used to run out and watch every opening I packed (cessna DZ, very easy to do), none mal'd. but, I was still nervous. these things happen. Packers who have taken time and put a lot of LUV into the packjob have packed people mals, it happens. dont' sweat it... I think Ron is right on the money

[jerm 0]

once again..... You're taking a big ball of nylon fabric and a bunch of string, tossing it out into 120MPH worth of wind, and expect it to do the same thing every time? not gonna happen.

You can be as meticulous and careful as you like while packing, and sometimes shit just happens.

get back on the horse buddy.... get to the dz as fast as you can and get back on the horse.

Landing without injury is not necessarily evidence that you didn't fuck up... it just means you got away with it this time

[jerry81 10]

I guess it does suck when you pack your first mal- and even more if you pack it for someone else, but what everyone said about the element of uncertainty is completely true.
I'm curious, though- how many jumps does your friend have, and how good are his packing skills?

---

[lowpull 0]

Sometime parachutes fail to work even when properly manufactured assembled and packed.



Shit happens, that's why there is that silver handle

[mark135 0]

thats kinda funny.

last fall I had just finished dubbing a video for a student and walked through the packing area only to notice anothe rstaff member closing up my rig. I assumed i had another 2 minute call without knowing it and he was doing me a favor. turns out he didnt relize it was my rig and thought it was someone elses.

As i threw on the rig to do another jump he ran up and said that he had wrapped the slider around the lines and tucked the cells into the center cell. I jump a stiletto.
Natuarally i wasnt thrilled in the manner it was packed but what the heck the plane was waiting.

My wife neede some more practice filming tandems and there wasnt one available to film so i said i will act like one and she will film it.

I opened high so she could film it and low and behold it was the strangest opening i had ever encountered. ended up twisted and had to chop.

on the ground the guy who had packed was shitting his pants figuring i was gonna clobber him or somthing. truth of the matter was i was kind of giddy. it was #3 for me, i had survived, great reserve opening. what could i be mad about. I gave him a hard time joking about it and made him sign my logbook. he paid for the repack and i bought a bottle for the rigger and a new reserve handle that i dropped.
alls well that ends well but i do love to bring it up to him from time to time.

_______________


"It seemed like a good idea at the time"

[Gravitymaster 0]

Have you considered this is why FARs state a main can only be packed by a Certificated Rigger, a person under the supervision of a Certificated Rigger, or the person intending to use the parachute? But hey, who cares about Federal Aviation Regulations? What do those guys who make these stupid rules know anyway?