obelixtim

Your lack of information suggests to me that you don´t jump at all. Why all the secrecy?. Are you embarrassed by your LACK of experience?. And what were you doing while Sparky was jumping for 30 years?. I´ll wager that Sparky has more skydiving knowledge and expertise in his little finger than you have in your whole body. Best you remember if it wasn´t for the Sparkys of the world you wouldn´t be jumping the gear you have today. Show some respect, and people might regard your opinion with a little more consideration. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah, I think you are right. A skydiver with 250 jumps would be saying Velo..... Might be worth considering asking any future buyers some semi skydiving related questions....nonsensical ones of course are the best....sort of like..."I just put a new tail rudder on it, it flies fine, do you think you can handle it?" and listen to the response, or something along those lines... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well done. Good call.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

And fair enough too. NO fatality is the fault of an AAD. They are ALL the fault of the jumper. Its a backup device only. Why do people forget that?. Failure to take responsibility for their own actions, I guess. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I had a friend who had a rig stolen, and he put an advent in the local paper "wanting to buy" a parachute system, with up to 5 grand to spend...... And sure enough, he had a reply. he went around and viewed the rig, which was his, said he´d be back with the money, and returned with the cops. Some thieves are not very bright...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The suit was designed for BASE, not for skydiving. No need for handles on a BASE rig. It's pretty stupid to do but there's always 'that guy'. Angling for a Darwin award no doubt. If he bounced, would the pilot not cop some flak for allowing someone on the plane with modified gear, who is not carrying out a test jump. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

That would bring us back to the argument (not mine) that you should fear your reserve? Skydiving is not an exact science! The reserve is there to save your life. Use it when you need it. Don't create situations for its use! I still wouldn´t fear the reserve...in that case it sounds like it opened correctly and saved the jumpers life. If one toggle then hung up when the jumper released the brakes, that is a rigging error. The reserve didn´t malfunction. In that case the only fear would be on the part of the rigger, his fear of my boot contacting his sorry arse. Nowhere am I condoning sloppy packing or anything like that (creating reasons for its use)..... I have little tolerance for carelessness on the DZ. My point is simply that if you are in a situation where you are not sure you can land your main canopy safely due to a problem with it, the best and safest option is to cutaway and use your reserve. It always has been and always will be. If anyone really has a fear of using their reserve, they should really give serious consideration as to whether skydiving is really the right sport for them. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

A stuck toggle?. That sounds like a rigging error. Did the jumper not carry a hook knife?. Again the human factor comes into play. I would not blame the reserve for that, if it did its first job and opened cleanly, thus stopping the FF. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Rigging error that would not be picked up unless the container was opened. I´m sure the rigger concerned will be having sleepless nights over it. Nevertheless, it doesn´t negate the fact that an AAD is a backup device only and should never be relied on. The best automatic opener is the jumper himself. As has been said, an AAD save should often be regarded as a bounce that didn´t happen. Skydiving is literally about taking your life in your own hands....once out the door you are responsible for saving yourself. Still a tragic event, for all concerned. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Out of interest, was that a deployment into clean air, with a stable body position?. I.e, Were there other factors that affected the deployment. I agree.....remove that link from the chain and your chances of survival go up dramatically. There is no excuse for sloppiness. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Jumping since 1974, rigger since 1979, I have packed thousands of reserves, and have seen a few hundred used. Used a few myself. I`ve never seen one mal when correct EP´s have been carried out. A reserve mal is so rare I consider it an infintesimal risk. If that factor influences someone to hesitate to use their reserve, then my advice to them is to step away from skydiving....permanently. Always trust your reserve...it´ll do its job if used correctly. History proves that. Of more concern is the human using it....because that is where the complications arise... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I built parts fpr the Seismograpn that went with them . Its picture was on one of the US mail stamps later. Years later 1981 I toured Neil Armstrongs Museum in Wapakoneta Ohio 0n I-75 and saw the backup model on the second floor. It was the first of many of things I made ended in museums. Does that mean I am getting old? No. At least not until they decide to put you in a museum..... But did you hear about the three Irish astronauts, who intend to be the first humans to land on the sun. When told it is pretty hot up there, and they are gonna get all burnt up, they replied that they´d already thought of that, and were planning to land at night....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The reasons for the mal are very relevant. To fail to avoid an avoidable mal is basically stupid. The fact that he chopped is totally unremarkable. My point was specifically tailored to the context that the OP´s proposition that the cutaway was "very dangerous", and doing so at 1000 feet is somehow stupid... In fact it was neither stupid or dangerous, and in general terms, executing your EP´s properly at 1000 feet will save your life. In that context, the reasons for the cutaway ARE irrelevant. The jumper can argue that point with his packer over a beer. That he is in a position to do so is largely due to the correct decision making and use of his EP´s. And THAT is the important lesson to be learned from this video..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I would say I "fear [the] reserve" in some way. Never thought of it like that. But it's a natural instinct to not want to use your "last hope". Thats where your training and discipline need to kick in, to overcome that "natural instinct". In skydiving if you don`t trust your reserve you should not be getting in the plane. Instead of "last hope", you should be thinking "best and first option". Pretty silly to be dead on the DZ with a fully packed and servicable reserve on your back. And as I already said, the reasons for the cutaway in the OP are basically irrelevant.....90% of mals are prolly preventable and are due to carelessness. Humans make mistakes. In this case the jumper did made a small error, but in this sport a small error can kill you. The subsequent decision and cutaway, though, were performed flawlessly. I would give him praise for his actions, carrying out his EP´s, rather can calling him "stupid", for an error easily made. I bet he doesn´t make that mistake again......and at least he is fit, healthy, and able to carry on jumping. Its not always the case....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Thats right, EP`s are better carried out as high as possible. Hard deck is exactly that. Thing is, a nasty problem is actually easier to deal with, because it doesn`t leave you any choice, and is dealt with immediately, and the higher the better. Its actually the slow ones that can catch you out the worst, because it gives you time to play with it, and its easy to get fixated on the problem and forget about your altitude. if you go below your hard deck in this situation then you have cut down your options considerably. Task fixation can also cause a loss of awareness of other important factors, like alternative methods of dealing with a problem, and problems that might crop up on landing, like turbulence, and reaching a safe LZ. Its easy to get caught out, I speak from experience, Dealt with quite a few nasties, but the one that nearly got me was a fully opened canopy with a small hang up....i was lucky to walk away from that one, and I never count on luck.....I got a little complacent and careless, broke all my own rules, and nearly paid for it..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I´m quite comfortable chopping at a grand, no problems at all with that. At 1000 feet its action time, all my thinking has been done before that altitude. 1000 feet is not the place to be thinking about other actions that you haven´t prepared for. Canopy transfers can be a whole new can of worms, especially if your main is not flying straight. I`ve tried a couple myself under test conditions, and even pre planned they don`t always go as you expected them to. I have already pre planned my actions for different scenarios, and stick to my pre planned drills. Its the safest way, no room for doubt or uncertainty. its important to make a decision and stick to it. Quite comfortable trusting my reserve at 1000 feet. Indecision will get you into trouble, for sure. Every skydiver needs to put thought into their drills for different scenarios, and always be ready for the unexpected. It amazes me that some people fear their reserve. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

It seemed like the jumper in the video was low. his broken english description said something about 1000ft. it seems that he made a good choice tho. I didn't apreciate how he blamed the packers for any of the errors. Mentioning the line coming unstowed and not how he pulled it through rather carelessly rubbed me wrong. I don't think it's an excuse to be lazy and pay for pack jobs. then blame the packers for your problems. But I take all that back because videos are very one dimensional and hard to get a full picture of it. Enough on that I know at this point you want to harp on me so your hoping I say something ridiculous. Thank you for your posts Forget all the peripheral stuff. I´m still not clear why you thought the cutaway was dangerous. 1000 feet is not dangerously low, if thats what you thought..... When in doubt, the safest thing to do is cut away and pull your reserve. Of course you need to be aware of your altitude, and make a decision one way or the other at your hard deck. There was nothing dangerous about the cutaway, at all. 1000 feet is prolly his hard deck (as is mine). He got there, wasn´t happy about landing his canopy safely, was decisive with his decision making, and executed his EP´s perfectly. All actions which will help keep him safe in a stress situation. Be careful about slinging words like "dangerous" around. Somone might believe you and injure or kill themselves because they thought cutting away was dangerous. It simply isn`t so...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

You haven`t answered my question. Why was the cutaway, in your opinion, "very dangerous"?. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I said it earlier and I`ll repeat it ....since people seem to be ignoring the other factors that can injure or kill you trying to land a canopy that needs inputs to keep it flying straight..... Turbulence close to the ground can collapse your canopy completely. close to the ground your only options are the hospital or morgue. If you cannot control the canopy easily by the time you reach your hard deck....chop it. By far the best and safest option. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Just get back to your original post. Can you clarify exactly what you meant by "very dangerous" when talking about the cutaway. Its quite clear that the jumper was not stupid to chop his main. I`m intrigued to know what you thought was dangerous about it..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

He may well have been able to keep it straight and use his rears, but keeping it straight with heavy input might be OK up high, but close to the ground any turbulence he encounters could collapse the canopy completely. Or did you not consider that possibility?. Its likely he did..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The "hard arch" is IMO, not the best thing to teach, if it involves teaching a rigid position with tension through the body. The most important thing is to teach the student to be able to relax their body and let the wind and gravity do the work, because a rigid body position will only ever complicate things. Show pictures and videos of good and bad examples of body positions, use training aids to demonstrate how and object falls, and teach a position where the spine is arched with the head back, and arms and legs are RELAXED and allowed to blow back in the wind just as hair blows back in the wind, and thats probably as good as you are gonna get. Its pretty simple really, don`t over complicate things. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The system they use is obviously a proven system, otherwise they would probably do or use something different. It sounds like you lack a bit of confidence in carrying out your emergency drills if you are in a situation where you might need to use them. The solution is to simply do a bit more practice of your emergency drills on the ground...its free and you can do as many as you like. The unknown you have, is whether you can carry out your emergency drills for real, and until you have to, its something that you will always wonder about....I know of people who have many thousands of jumps, who have never had a malfunction, and they still have this in the back of their minds.....so you are not the only one to think in this way. If you do lots of practice on the ground, you will find that you will be well prepared to handle a for real situation. Most people who experience their first malfunction find that dealing with it is easier than they expected. Have confidence in your skills and the instructors who train you. If you have doubts, don`t get in the plane until you have talked to your instructors.....thats what they are for. Buena suerte...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

+ 1. If every DZO considered things so well, there would prolly be an immediate drop in the incident rate. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The TM might appreciate the vidiot staying in view during deployment, rather than have him disappear above him. Not really that impressed with the vidiot under canopy. The TM was OK, for a newbie. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....