erdnarob

It's OK. I agree that I always had a preference for Vigil and Vector but my experiment was to feel better after what I have seen in the DC9 when the firing of an AAD wasn't able too launch at all the pilot chute (having the cutter at the bottom of the reserve container). As I had to do it, I wrote a letter to the Technical and Safety committee chairman, to the rigger who packed the reserve and to the manufacturer. The manufacturer blamed the rigger and the rigger blamed the manufacturer. But at least I had done my job. But I wasn't happy. The person involved with such a problem was a friend of mine. Then recently that friend asked me to pack his reserve (we are not living in the same town) and since I had that overdue Cypres cutter I decided to do the experiment. With 2 friends of mine at the same time, we took 3 videos of the launch and I was very happy with the result since we got a launch but as I said the pilot chute didn't jump very high. What happened in the DC9 ? Maybe the packing with misplacement of the bridle or a too lose closing loop, who knows ??? Now when you mention "top mounted" and bottom mounted" you have to understand there is 3 locations (as far as I know) of the cutter. 1) bottom or floor of the reserve container (like Wings and Javelin) 2) top of the reserve (1rst flap) below the pilot chute (Vector, Quasar II and most of the rigs...) 3) on the top of the pilot chute (Mirage) Note. To make the cutter not showing up under the flaps, Mirage designed a pilot chute top plate slightly curved to make room for the cutter Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Thanks to point out that aspect. I think that what we need is a pilot chute able to go thru the burble (or partial vacuum) and to get that, it seems that a strong spring pilot chute give less chance for a pilot chute hesitation. Now there is a difference between pulling your reserve rip cord and having the AAD firing in order to get a good launch of the pilot chute. The difference comes from the length of the closing loop remainder ie. longer it is and more difficult it is to extract the remainder from the several flaps which are no longer aligned. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Sorry but I didn't have a 100 Euros cutter to fire when I did the experiment onh the Vector III. The brand of the cutter or the use of a flat hook knife to cut the reserve closing loop is irrelevant here. I used a Cypres cutter because somebody gave me one which was over 12 years old. The idea was to test the launch of the pilot chute of the Wings system because that system has the cutter located at the very bottom of the reserve container (as the Javelin has). What I needed in both case was a device to cut the loop and that's it. Why I have performed that experiment. Because in the DC9 at Rantoul on the ground when the pilot pressurized the airplane, I have seen in front of me a NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute when the AAD fired on a rig having the cutter at the very bottom of the reserve container. The same problem happened some years ago to 3 Russians doing FS while opening low. After landing they discovered that their AAD have fired but there has been NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute. That prompted Mirage (the 3 of them were using MIrage system) to change the location of the cutter from right above the reserve (below the pilot chute) to above the pilot chute. I spoke to Mirage people at the time and they told me they have been able to reproduce that malfunction (NO LAUNCH of the pilot chute) while having a too long closing loop. Therefore, my experiment of the Wings system was positive since I got a launch of the pilot chute but not as high as some other rigs. Spring strength is certainly a factor. I hope it is more clear now. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Speaking about Cypres I, I have recently used a Cypres 1 cutter of more than 12 years old to test the pilot chute launch out of a Wings parachute system. The Wings system has the reserve loop cutter located at the bottom of the reserve container (like the Javelin) and therefore, has the maximum length of the closing loop to be extracted from the several flaps and pilot chute. To do so I used two 6 volt capacitors of 2200 microFarad soldered in parallel. I charged them with a 6 volt lithium photography battery for 30 seconds. The reserve has been closed in a normal way and the launch was successful though the pilot chute jumped 2 feet high (vertically) or so. In comparison, years ago, with a Vector III, using a flat hook knife (and pull cord) with blade around the reserve loop while the hook knife was placed on the other side of the reserve floor (between the reserve floor and the back pad) I got a launch of more than 5 feet vertically. Pictures of this and article have been published in Skydiving magazine few years ago. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Even if the DZ agrees for you to jump make sure you report to an instructor for a couple of orientation jumps (DZ aerial picture, airplane type of exit, obstacles, alternative landing zones, elevation ASL...etc and last but not the least the type of equipment to rent and familiarization with it) . Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Remember that an altimeter measures the pressure not the altitude. At opening time it is likely to happen that somebody changes his position and therefore that can affect the altimeter reading (more pressure, less pressure) while the data registers that as a change of speed when there was none. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I had two totals malfunctions and had to use my PD 160 reserve without any problem. Opening was super soft, on heading. I cannot dream of a better reserve. And I am a quite heavy guy. Are you sure you have deployed in a stable position ? Reserve are way stronger than the maximum speed and weight indicated by the manufacturer. Check the TSO requirements to get the right figures. The manufacturer has to put a limit a bit like the road speed limit of 65 MPH. Liability. That doesn't mean we have to exagerate. But driving at 70 when traffic is light is OK. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

You have a good point about the proximity of the pilot chute and the reserve when tilting your body but a fast burble free deployment is maybe the best thing to do. Just a feeling! Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Yes this is the LPU type (second picture) I was talking about. Glad to see it on line. My flotation gear is attached to the container left stabilizer but can be removed easily since it is held with an elastic webbing wrapped around the stabilizer, sewn on the flotation gear envelop and secured by a Velcro. My own design. For an intentional water landing, no problem with a vest type or collar type but for formation skydiving the LPU type placed on the left side is probably better. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Down wind landing is OK when needed. When you have to struggle to find a safe landing place (out of the DZ) the priority is having the best obstacle free landing. This is why a good spot is important. People rely too much on their canopy performances and become lazy about spotting or evaluating properly the right spot. The same adventure happened to me in Florida when my 10 way group exited way too early (ligth was green ??). I found myself above the forest and understood soon enough I couldn't make it back to the DZ. Early decision is important to find a good landing place. I then spotted a glade and for the first time in a long time, I did an accuracy approach but this time with my Katana. I passed at few feet from a tree on purpose in order to get the maximum length of the small glade. Everything was OK but little bushes were waiting for me on the ground. My landing was not too bad considering the circumstances but this time I had to forget a nice stand up. We were 5 jumpers in the forest and it took me 40 minutes to come back to the road where a truck was waiting for us. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Too bad we don't have any statistics about the pilot chute in tow and the possible release of the main after the reserve deployment and the consequences. I wonder if the US army made such a testing. If that is going to happen I have the feeling that the reserve will beat the main for inflation. Anyway, having the main released when the reserve is open, risers cut away or not you still can get an entanglement between the main risers (if released) and lines and reserve isn't it ? Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

To make it simple in freefall when the IQ is lowered the best is to have a realistic practice like suggested in my post (cut away pratice in a suspended harness). In your basement on a suspended harness, you do whatever mistakes you want and ...you learn from them and get better. Why sport people trained themselves, why airforce pilots fly as often as possible ? To get better and have the things more simple when the real thing occurrs. Human factors !!! Train your brain. The hardware is already designed to work, not the brain without training. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Until the CO2 cartridge will fire accidently ??? The vest type shouldn't be used for normal jump because when inflated it will interfere with the chest strap. When suspended to your parachute, the chest strap get up. The aviation horse collar is also cumbersome and is likely to restrict you (when inflated) when located around the collar (vision, helmet, chest strap...). Just to tell you how embarrassing is a sudden inflation, I remember last year having a jumpsuit zipper malfunction. My jumpsuit zipper gave up in freefall and I got my jump suit inflated. I couldn't find my hackey at the normal location. I tried twice and I pulled my reserve. IMO the best water gear is a bean shape flotation device attached (velcro+elastic webbing) to the left container/harness stabilizer (part linking the bottom of container to the harness). Its size is about 6 x 3 x 2 inches. Unfortunately Paragear new catalog is not showing it anymore. I have two of them, a small and a big one. I made their container myself from Parapack fabric. The CO2 cartridge trigger is secured by a mini handle (1/4" plastic rod 1 " long) with Velcro. Tell me if you want a picture of them. Both have an oral inflation tube which can be locked. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

You are asking me to show my tricks when I verify a solo certificate candidate equipment knowledge by doing on purpose mistakes on an equipment. What I do is the following : I open the last side flap, put the bridle part (coming from the pilot chute pocket) under it from bottom to the top and close the flap again and lock it with the pin. When the pilot chute is out, the bridle is pulling on that side flap instead of going directly to the pin and pull it out. How to detect it : From the pilot chute pocket, follow the bridle cord. It has to go directly to the pin. You can remove the bridle (when it has been tuck under the flap) in order to visually see that it will do its job ie. pulling the pin. Know how a parachute deployment works in details. Get somebody explains it to you. Know the function. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

To cut away or not cut away, this is the question !!!!! I have had that kind of discussion with a friend of mine for many years and both we came to this conclusion. In case of a pilot chute in tow, I figure out that if the pilot chute drag (over 100 pounds) is not able to provide a deployment, well, the main is going to stay in the container. Therefore, cutting away is a waste of time and useless. Now before pulling the reserve and in order to avoid a reserve/pilot chute entanglement, I would slightly dive (10-15 degrees) while lowering one shoulder to give the pilot chute less chance to stay in the burble and to let it go with no hesitation and fast. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Flotation gear ? When the DZ is at 1 kilometer or 0.62 mile or less from an open body of water. This is the regulations in Canada. Now we cannot underestimate the importance of a good spot especially when being near water. People are often too confident to their canopy performances to bring them back at the landing area. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

A mirror in freefall !!!???? to check a malfunction ?? I have some doubt about its efficiency. And it seems to me to be a good way to lose awareness of time and altitude. Have a practice of cut away and reserve activation procedures from a suspended harness including an actual fall on a mattress for instance. While being suspended, have an instructor or an experienced jumper telling you what kind of malfunction you have (even better if showing you malfunction pictures) and you decide what to do and repeat again and again : reserve pull or cut away and reserve pull or just wait and help the canopy to untwist if this is the case. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I have a 348 too but it's not a MICRON. Are you sure of the size ? Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Clear google are the best for eye contact. A glance + face language can be very meaningful in freefall when other people can see your eyes. Another case of Function versus Fashion. Go for the Function first. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

A fast and easy calculation would be the following for a 150 square feet 9 cell canopy for instance: 1) top skin = 150 sq.f 2) bottom skin = 150 sq.f 3) ribs : (9 x 2) + 1 = 19 ribs, 19 ribs x (8 x 1.5) = 228 sq.f subtotal = 528 sq.f Total = 528 sq.f + 20% = 634 sq.f (note: 20 % for the seams + nose + stabilizers) For other dimensions and number of cells, adjust accordindly Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

Have your rubber bands tight enough for the size of your lines. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

The reserve pin tension has to be between 5 and 22 lbs and should be checked by the rigger packing the reserve. To measure it, you take a fish scale and put its hook around the metal handle (out of its pocket) or to a pull cord attached to the cable above the pillow type handle while a friend of yours holds the cable above the pin to avoid a release. Just having the pin move 1/4" is OK. Even if I understand why some jumpers prefer pillow type handles like the freeflyers, I personally prefer a metal D handle because it stays flat on your chest and since you have a 2 or 3" of extra cable, when you have to pull such a handle, you have already a bit of momentum before the cable ball ending comes in contact with the handle. The momentum is just gained over 2 or 3" but the mass of your hand and arm in motion is contributing to it. That provides an extra force on the pin and the pull seems easier. Now as a jumper, when your reserve is due after 180 days, you should pull yourself your reserve after doning your rig and thighten all the straps. That will give you the experience and the memory of the amount of force required to release the closing pin. You will be better prepared for a possible actual pull. As a rigger, I always indicates the amount of force to make the pin moving on the packing card. Beware of reserve too easy to pull. After few days of being packed, the volume of a parachute decreases. In a humid and warm Summer, expect to have even less volume and this induces a decrease of the force for moving the closing pin. One of the worst scenario is to have a premature reserve release, in the airplane door, when doing formation skydiving or at the main deployment and this is generally due with a reserve closing loop with not enough tension (pin moving too easily). Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

It seems your altimeter got really jammed. An altimeter can also shows the wrong altitude for few seconds when it is mounted in such a way that it is in a partial vacuum (in this case it will indicate a higher altitude). It depends on the jumpsuit or/and the location (wrist, chest strap...). Mechanical altimeter have to be serviced once in a while. They comprise several gears, levers and a tiny chain + pivots which need to be lubricated with a special oil made for watches maintenance. Now, I suggest you to also wear a audible altimeter. Trusting your eyes only is not always a solution since you can have a wrong perception of the distance from you to the ground. Over water for instance, it is difficult to judge this distance, same over a uniform ground like the desert with no known objects as a reference. I was jumping at Orange Massachusetts in 1975 and after a style jump, I looked at the bowl below me and right away I pulled. I was still at 4500 feet. No wonder, at the time, Orange had a 300 feet diameter sand bowl. I was just used to smaller 30 feet bowls. More recently at Rantoul at the World freefall Convention, one time I was just over the town in freefall and when I saw the houses and the street right below me I pulled immediately. I was at 5000 feet. The safest way is to use a combination of several devices like: altimeter, beepers and eyes and make sure to pull according the "device" indicating the lowest altitude. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

I heard this is a common exercise to be made when taking a canopy pilot course and that can be made at 75 jumps and even before provided the partner is an experienced canopy pilot coach. Obviously, this pratice has to be well planed. Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.