Hooknswoop

If you are that low, going that fast, you deserve what you get. If AAD fires causeing 2-outs killed an appreciable number of jumpers/year, less people would jump with an AAD. As it is, they are rare, kind of like being killed by a seatbelt or airbag. Derek

For example, I have 14 cutaways. None with an RSL. So, if I did have an RSL, I would not have needed it, since I am here today. Now if I would have had an RSL for those 14 reserve rides, it may have caused my reserve to malfunction. Not very likely, but possible. No help, but could have caused a problem. Derek

Try that during a malfunction. No way. Plus why complicate your emergency procedures? You are adding another handle to the system. What if you spend so much time trying to disconnect it that by the time you do get it, you now need it? Derek

The Skyhook is completely different since it does not increase the odds of a reserve malfunction. The only con I see with it is the increased complexity it adds to the reserve system. It isn't difficult to put together though. A properly built and maintained 3-ring system should never require more than one hand to pull. I have several cutaways on violently spinning, highly loaded canopies. All were easy to cutaway with one hand. If someone chooses the 2-hands per handle method, they accept the downside of having to then get a hand on the reserve handle in time. If you are jumping in an area where off-DZ landings are hazardous, pull high enough to recognize a mal, cutaway, get under the reserve and find a safe off-DZ landing area. The flip side of the coin is the RSL cause the reserve to have line twists, which isn't going to help the jumper get to a safe off-DZ landing area. The jumper can always pull their resrve as soon after their cutaway as they wish. Look down. You can always see the ground, regardless of your attitude in freefall. If you can't judge altitude by looking down, work on it, as your altimeter will eventually fail you. I had mine fall off during deployment once. Also, it isn't hard to get stable withg one hand on your reserve handle. Try it in freefall to see. You can do anything with one arm and be perfectly stable. Derek

I disagree. Immediately after a cutaway, it is likely that the jumper will be unstable. Unstable deployments is a cause of malfunctions. The RSL results in unstable reserve deployments. The only time that is acceptable is when the jumper is so low that a malfunctioning reserve or line twists are much better than hitting the ground with nothing. Derek

Seatbelts are completely different. How often is someone injured in an accident because they were wearing a seatbelt? Not very often, not enough to worry about being harmed by your seatbelt. Can it happen? Sure, but the chances are very remote. You are far better off wearing a seatbelt in any accident that not. You are not far better off with an RSL with a malfunctioning main than you are with one. Lets take 100 RSL-equipped malfunctions. How many of those will the jumper will altitude awareness, cutaway very low and not have pulled their reserve in time? How many of those will the jumper execute their emergency procedures just fine and not need the RSL to pull their reserve for them? How many of those just above where they didn't need the RSL will the reserve have line twists or malfunction because the RSL initiated the reserve deployment while the jumper was unstable? Derek

That would mean in the vast majority of cutaways; 1) The jumper lost altitude awareness. 2) The jumper is very, very low with their main out and cutaway. 3) They fail to deploy Their reserve immediately after cutting away their main when their are very low. Otherwise, they didn't need the help and are increasing their odds of a reserve malfunction witht he RSL deploying their reserve while they are not stable. I think the vast majority of cutaways are not very low with the jumper failing to deploy their reserve in time. Therefore, the vast majority of cutaways where the jumper has an RSL, the RSL only serves to increase their odds of a resreve malfunction and was unnessary, i.e. the jumper would have been fine without it. Derek

And the rest of the time, the other 98% of the time, it doesn't help the jumper after a cutaway because they would have depoloyed the reserve just fine on their own and been stable when they did. Seems like a poor trade off to me. Kill some to save some more. From a purely numbers point of view, it makes sense. A safety device shouldn't cause a problem any more than a neglible, freak occurance precentage. If airbags had the same precentages as RSL's, they wouldn't be very popular. In the vast majority of cutaways where the jumper has an RSL, it doen't help and could hurt the jumper. Derek

RSL’s-Again What I know about RSL’s: They will only help you if: 1) You lose altitude awareness. 2) You are very, very low with your main out and cutaway. 3) You fail to deploy your reserve immediately after cutting away your main when you are very low. An RSL can hurt you if: 1) You cutaway and do not fail to deploy your reserve in time. 99% of cutaways fall into the latter category. You can avoid being in a situation where an RSL would help you by; 1) Maintaining altitude awareness. 2) Jumping an appropriate canopy for your experience and skill level. 3) Understanding and being prepared for violent malfunctions that lose altitude rapidly if you do jump s HP canopy. One main cause of canopy malfunctions is poor body position. Some manufacturer’s recommend a slightly head high attitude when deploying the reserve to assist the reserve pilot chute launch. This is different from on your back spinning. A skydiver’s arms, legs, and head all present snag points for the reserve pilot chute. If the pilot chute must go past the appendages, there exists a risk of entanglement. If the jumper is unstable, it increases the potential for the canopy to malfunction. If you do not have enough altitude to get stable after cutting away, you either; 1) Deployed your main too low. 2) Rode a malfunctioning main too long. 3) Failed to get hard riser inserts and maintain your 3-rings and cutaway cables creating a hard cutaway. All 3 of these are very easy to avoid, making being low in freefall easy to avoid. So, in conclusion, an RSL can help 1% of the time, in situations that can be easily avoided, and hurt you 99% of the time. The RSL doesn’t know if you are low or not. If it ‘armed’ itself at, say 750 feet, it would be a great device. But is doesn’t. It is armed unless you disconnect it. Derek

Glad you are OK, that could have been very bad. Nice reflex's Derek

A couple of things; 1) Setting the brake lines to the factory settings after the line set has a bunch of jumps on it is the wrong setting. The lines have shrunk. If you set the steering lines to the original settings, they are too long because all the other lines are shorter. 2) You are flaring from muscle memory, not flying the canopy. It makes no difference where your hands are when you flare, just fly the canopy. If the lower brake lines are an inch longer or shorter than the lat jump, your hands will be an inch higher or lower to compensate, but you shouldn't have to think about it. Just pull the toggles as necessary to flare the canopy. 3) The lower steering lines don't shrink, well very little. 4) The longer upper steering lines are affecting the openings. If you like how it opens now, leave them and maybe shorten the lower steering lines, as long as thge tail is deflected in full flight. A quick test is to pull down one toggle about 2 inches, the canopy should not turn. If it does, the lower steering lines are too short. Your best bet is to replace the upper steering lines back to the length they shrunk to, maybe a hair longer (because the steering lines shrink faster than any of the other lines), and your lower steering lines so that the tail is not deflected when in full flight. You need even longer lower steering lines if you use your front risers. Derek

Just replace the Rapide links with PD's SLinks. No more slider bumper problems. Derek

Even if it is patented, you can still make one, you just can't sell them. Derek

***USAFA Colorado Springs I wouldn't call a solo 10-second delay on your first skydive the strictest safety standard/training. There is a reason they put AAD's on their mains and reserves there. Derek

There is no such thing as an illegal main deployment bag in the U.S., they are not TSO'd. Derek

Nope, the metal D-ring is the reserve handle. Derek

If you have a hard pull on your reserve, get a new rigger. Derek

Have you ever been concerned that your cutaway handle would be tucked under the main lift web if you ever needed it? Again, if pillows are so bad, why do they work so well for a cutaway handle, which is harder to pull than a reserve handle? Derek

You have a D-ring for a cutaway handle? I've never seen one before. Who made it? Derek

The problem is people learn at one DZ. They take one FJC, etc. They can't compare one student program to another since they only took one. If you defined 'strictest safety standards', that might help generate answers. Derke

I think he is aking for the safest DZ, not the worst ones. Derek

I have 9 live cutaways on very highly loaded canopies with a black rig with black cutaway handle and black reserve pillows, wearing black gloves. I've never seen my handles on a live cutaway on a sport rig. Every time I needed them, they were already in my hands. Derek

Do you have a pillow for a cutaway handle? Have you ever been concerned that your cutaway handle would be tucked under the main lift web if you ever needed it? Derek

You don't need a better grip on the reserve handle in a spinning mal, you need a better grip on the cutaway handle. If grip was the driving force for handle selection, it would make more sense to put the D-ring on the cutaway handle and the pad on the reserve handle since the cutaway handle is the harder handle to pull. Reserve pad vs. D-ring is a trade off, easier to grab and pull a D-ring, but also easier to snag for the same reasons. Pad is harder to grab and pull, but harder to snag for the same reasons. Since the cutaway handle is harder to pull and a pad works fine, and I always could remember my left from my right, a pad reserve handle always wroked great for me. Derek

Ya, but they are in TX. We win! Derek