relyon

Here's my CRW-dedicated '97 NLE Infinity. She's a little rough from the abuse of a 1000 CRW jumps, but still a trusty mount. Infinities were a good rig then and are even better now. Bob

It most certainly will. Canopy transfers are an example of just this (ie. deploy the reserve, wait a couple seconds for it to clear the freebag and inflate, then chop the main), though I strongly recommend against them unless your life depends on it. This is a very good suggestion! I think I'll plan on doing (and videoing) just this at my next repack if conditions allow. Ironically, I just got repacked two weeks ago and the day I dropped it off the winds were howling. DOH! Bob

Thanks for sharing Lisa. Good advice indeed. FWIW, I recently sold my freefall rig with a fresh repack. Knowing how I might feel as a buyer, I went out of my way to educate them as much as possible about what I knew about it both good and bad. I very strongly suggested they talk with the master rigger who had done the I & R (Velocity's Kelly Farrington) before even demoing it, which they did. I also offered to put them in contact with the rigger that had originally built the container and assembled the entire system. Bob (who admit's very nice to have your rigger, dealer, and manufacturer on site at the home DZ)

Being a CRWdog, I'm a spoiler here. I chose "> 6000" though "no more than 5 seconds out the door" would be a more accurate answer. Bob

I'll very much agree with the bulk of your reply, notably the part about pulling higher with known snively canopies, but ... I gotta disagree here. Depending on which tricks I use (rolling or not, which cells, which way, nose in or out of the tail, tail rolled or not, brakes stowed or unstowed, etc) I can get my Lightning to open anywhere from 1 ("it's full of stars...") to 4 seconds (ahhhhhhh), and anywhere in between. I can pack in an opening turn to either side as well, though I most often opt for straight on heading. It's all very possible and repeatable. I used the same tricks with my Triathlon 160 with similar controlled results. Bob

The coolest Infinity I've seen was one Kelly made from carbon fiber cloth. He said he didn't expect to last very long because the material didn't take flexing very well. Don't know if it was ever jumped or what happend to it. Bob

When your teammate says "Hey, we haven't had a cutaway in a long time", it will happen on that very jump. Bob (it was my chop) Edited to add: I didn't see the seasonal part until after I posted. Doh!

I carry two and fortunately have not yet had the occasion to use either. Not anywhere near as foolish as dumping a good main into a unclearable malfunctioning reserve at 10000+ feet without making any attempt to get rid of it. You're talking about your life and your last parachute here. I've been in worse. I never said it was easy and I did mention that if you're passing 1000' and still haven't (literally) cutaway the reserve, then pitch the main PC and hope for the best. For those who think the "more silk" theory is a good plan, think again. You'll end up with two malfunctioned parachutes violently fighting with each other (and possibly you) as the entire mess decends at a rate that will get you seriously fucked up at the very best and it's quite likely you'll die. Bob

I've done a more complete read of this thread and have a few more observations to add: Possibly, but only if the cutaway main clears itself from the wrapped jumper pretty much right away. It often does, but plenty of times the wrapped jumper is best cutting away too even though they have a functioning main. The danger is the cutaway main reinflating while they're trying to get it off. I've seen a number double cutaways of this nature and been in two myself. I obviously wasn't the one in your predicment, but based on what I saw in the videos, I wouldn't rush to this conclusion. If you had tried this and Brit's canopy had snagged on your arm, leg, and/or head (camera!) and then reinflated, it would have been real ugly. The resulting downplane could have been nearly impossible to clear and may well have killed you. A good friend of mine nearly bought it this way. The trailing cutaway main that was wrapped around his ankle deflated just enough at treetop height to allow his main enough control for a crash and burn landing. He was very lucky to walk away with just scrapes and bruises. (Both canopies were Lightning 176s, not HP.) Good plan, and really the only thing I'd have done differently had it been me. Remember that connected RSL's are very much a disadvantage in this situation. Bob

I'd assumed that based on what I thought I was seeing in the video. My bad. I've seen a number of photos in Parachutist and elsewhere depicting CRW using high performance canopies. While it can be done, there is considerable additional risk involved and the results of things going wrong can get very bad very quickly as this video shows. Thanks for setting things straight. Bob

This incident shows exactly why I don't do offset CRW with high aspect ratio and/or elliptical canopies at any wingloading (I don't really like to do any sort of CRW with these canopies, but stack docks can be managed depending on who's flying). Regardless of how it happens, an end cell collapse while docked/docking is almost guaranteed to produce a wrap that happens in a split second. That and microline can produce some very nasty results. Rule of thumb: if the canopy has a reputation for line twist spinning malfunction cutaways do NOT attempt offset CRW with it. Congrats to you both for performing the correct emergency procedures in a timely fashion. It could have been much worse. Bob

Yup, me three. Bob

More altitude does have the same advantages, it's just not significantly more considering the potential disadvantages. Their relatively poor glide performance (very similar to parachutes only much faster - 60-70 kts or higher) is more than compensated by the fact they need much less space to land and can handle poor surface conditions that fixed-wing aircraft can't. The net result it that helicopters have a lot more options when something goes awry at any altitude. A noteable exception is over water, and it' one of the few times when VFR helis are routinely operated above 1000' AGL; another is over dense population areas where there's far fewer places to put down safely and a lot more things to hit. Driveline failures in helicopters typically start in the bearings or transmission gearing. Tail rotor failures often induce further damage due to out of balance conditions. In most all cases the best thing to do is get on the ground as quickly as possible & practical. More time only gives the driveline more time to trash itself and it only gets worse, not better. Some driveline failures are catastophic (eg. intermeshing rotor systems like Chinooks or Sea Knights). Departure and climb airspeeds for helis (60-65 kts) are usually at the low end of those for fixed wing. Larger, faster helis have a little bit of advantage in that regard, but it's not enough if there's a light twin or something bigger behind them. On approach the speed differences are even greater as helicopters large and small are rarely over 35-40 kts below 200' AGL. (Only in the military or Hollywood will you see a chopper screaming along at hover skid heights). If I do shoot an approach to a runaway I keep my airspeed and altitude reasonably high (50 KIAS & 300 AGL) until crossing the threshold and land mid-field or farther. If departing on a runway, I try to get off the extended runway centerline asap. Bob

Unfortunately very true, but the reverse is true as well. Most pilots would be surprised at how little most skydivers know about aircraft operations and regulations. We are all responsible for correcting the state of affairs. I think real communication and education (such as the seminars you mention) on all sides is the answer, not hand gestures. Bob

Helicopters rarely fly more than 500'-1000' AGL and most of those that do are on instrument flight plans. Higher altitudes do not give helicopters significantly more advantage in an emergency situation and may have significant disadvantages in some cases (eg. tail rotor or drivetrain failures). They are not supposed to either. See FAR 91.126(b)(2), FAR 91.129(f)(2), and AIM 4-3-17. The specific phraseology used is "avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft." That said, I avoid airport overflight at any altitude as much as possible unless directed by ATC. Even then I keep as alert as possible since it's my ass on the line. It sounds to me as though the pilot of heli in question needs a refresher in this area of operation. Bob (commercial helicopter pilot)

I think you did exactly the right thing. When there is good reason to suspect the 3-rings have been compromised do not deploy the main but go directly to the reserve instead. If I was already at terminal I'd probably take it down to a normal deployment altitude. Your freebag may show up. I lost a freebag over downtown Perris (CRW load) and it was turned in at manifest 3 days later. I'd have tried only once to find a flapping handle by tracing the cutaway cables from the harness to the handle. If that didn't work, I'd just skip it until I was under a functioning reserve. I'm not a big fan of dangling handles, so either way I would pull it the rest of the way out and stow it in my jumpsuit. Bob

You bet, and that's part of identifying the malfunction. It might not be the reserve. If it's a premature main deployment (eg. getting the BOC handle caught on something on exit) chances are it will just be a long canopy ride, and if it needs to be cut standard emergency procedures apply. In the first part of my response I assumed the stated case of a reserve deployment on exit with the reserve handle dangling or missing and the cutaway handle still in place. If the cutaway handle was not in place (eg. off the velcro), I'd be looking to see how far off it was. More than an inch or two means the main may well be cutaway and that can't be fixed in freefall - go back to trying to sort out the reserve mess. If the reserve is still fouled as 1000' goes by, toss the main PC and hope for the best (it's obviously not your day). Bob

Here's my take on it. Bob

Here's what I'd do: Check altitude. Identify the malfunction including determining which parachute and the position of all handles. Make the decision to cutaway the reserve. Get a firm grip on the hook knife and cut the risers below any hardware (brake toggles, etc). I'd cut the front riser first and then the rear, one complete side first followed by the other. Do not grab anything, though it may be necessary to touch the risers and/or the hook knife with the free hand to identify/guide where to cut. Once back in freefall, switch the knife to the other hand or drop it (intentionally or otherwise). Unless it's getting low, take it down a few seconds to get some distance from the reserve mess and some relative wind before deploying the main. Land safely. When I'm down to my last parachute, nothing else matters. A few things to keep in mind: Try to keep calm, think clearly, and don't panic. If it's really right out the door at 12000', there's plenty of time. Even if it happens during breakoff there's still a good amount. If there's anything out the fall rate will be slower than terminal, perhaps considerably so. Don't deploy the main before cutting away the reserve. At best the additional hardware (risers, lines, etc.) will make cutting away the reserve a lot more difficult and increase the likelyhood of cutting the wrong thing. Prematurely dumping the main should only be a last ditch effort to get something out when really low and still falling. Clear the reserve handle if it's still around. I've always held my handles after cutaways, but I'd probably intentionally drop it in this case to keep my hands free for other things. Don't worry about the cutaway handle/cables/etc unless it's off the velcro. In that case, reconsider the decision cutaway the reserve as the main is for all purposes cutaway already. I'd be careful not to waste time trying to fix anything in the air. As has been mentioned, the good news is that hook knives go through tensioned risers almost effortlessly; the bad news is the world may be rockin' and rollin' at the time. Bob

I'll go for my main (Lightning 143 w/ pullout & tailpocket) at any altitude because it's faster than the reserve. Bob

If you realy need it, the capability is available. An Il-76 (similar to the US C-141) can hold 250 jumpers. Bob

Actually, what I was thinking about was what it would do if all of a sudden it's put in turn when it's programmed to fly straight. I'll bet it would try and correct, so I'd be ready to drop grips in a heartbeat. But now that you mention it, the thing does look like some of the guys on the Russian rotation team (they are machines). (Edited for grammar) Bob

Top dock it and find out! Bob

Oh yeah that sounds like a good story, but stationed there at #49 as you were I just know you were thinking "ghost pullout..." Probably keyed your mike a couple times didn't you? I'd say I thought I saw you doing a "handle check", but that would mean I was looking down, which I wasn't. IIRC, there were somewhere between 12 and 18 radios on the record dives and usually all but one receiving. I'm not sure if Jeff Cornielius (who usually called starbursts) had an operational Cypres in his rig. Bob

I agree with this as well. It is said that Patrick had a working (or NEAR working) prototype of a new wingsuit. People had always asked him when he would land it...but he had another thing in mind. He wanted to launch it from the ground. How, I dunno, perhaps a ski slope?? Anyway, this will be the first step. The next step will be people landing them for sure. Like you said, more wings, more control, and you'll be able to flare. I'd bet we'll see it in ten years. It's great to dream, but I wouldn't hold my breath on this. Your talking about windloadings in the area of 12 lb/sq ft (think light aircraft) and aspect ratios of 1:1 or less. I highly doubt we'll be landing at Cessna 152 touchdown speeds anytime soon. So unless some incredibly efficient low aspect lifting body is designed (with a greater cl max than anything to date), it ain't gonna happen in this planet's atmosphere. I'd love to be wrong though. Bob