Pilot-Chute Hesitation

[Skygenie 0]

Recently bought a 24inch ZP Cazar Pilot-Chute for a Cobalt 135. I have been experiencing some hesitation (Around 2 Seconds) with it pulling the pin on my contatiner. That is atleast what we can figure from watching a somewhat decent video of the opening. Any buddy ever experience this before? Any Ideas on what I may be doing wrong, or that I could do differently. I know there will be a lot of usual questions at first so I wll try to cover them here.

Yes the pilot chute has been checked and re-checked to make sure it is fully cocked.

Yes this is the exact pilot-chute that Atair has recommended for this canopy.

Yes I have read the tech sheet on 2 stage openings, thats not it, once the pin is pulled theres no problem.

Yes I have contacted Javelin & they simply said that my odyssey is not designed to be use with any other pilot-chute than the one that comes with the rig or there replacement. Boy am I hoping that is not true!

I have a J2k Oddysey that used to have a Spectre 170 packed in it. Now a cobalt 135 & a PD 160 Reserve.

Treat life the way you would like it to treat you.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Yes I have contacted Javelin & they simply said that my odyssey is not designed to be use with any other pilot-chute than the one that comes with the rig or there replacement. Boy am I hoping that is not true!

The Manufacturer just told you that it's not approved and you doubt them? Of course they are not going to say it's alright, as that would open them to liability.

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

24" is asking for hesitations.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[billbooth 10]

As I have said many times before: At terminal velocity, a "proper" pilot chute will get your main to line stretch in 0.6 seconds from pilot chute release...period. Anything much faster, or slower, will cause problems. Two second "hesitations" are totally unacceptable.

[Skygenie 0]

In your most obviously expert opinion. (Very Humbled!) What would you do in my case. Sorta looking for specifics here. Not just get a bigger Pilotchute, but more rather what size.

Treat life the way you would like it to treat you.

[bob.dino 1]

For curious readers, here's a 2002 post by Bill with more details on pilot-chute construction and why 0.6s is a good number.

[tr027 0]

That's odd... I have used a 22" ZP Cazer with my Sabre 170 with no problems, except on subterminal openings it isn't so quick.

"The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. " -John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, 1957

[councilman24 37]

What's being discussed are delay's pulling the pin. It as absolutely no relationship to what canopy it's connected to. What it is related to is the SIZE of the canopy relative to the SIZE of the container and the LENGTH of the loop. In other words, How TIGHT is it?

For Skygenie
It's pretty hard not to pull a pin these days with the stainless curved pins. But, check the pin and make sure there isn't any damage. Also, just because it's cocked doesn't mean that it's got full drag. It may have been constructed wrong. See Bill's post linked to above. Also going from a Spectre 170 to a Cobalt 135 is a pretty big jump in the same container. How did you accomidate the smaller size? Is there now something in the geometry with the shorter loop causing the issue?

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

[nicknitro71 0]

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.***

Let's repeat it:

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

Again:

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

Again:

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

Again:
That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

And again:

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[nate_1979 9]

Quote

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

So, what your saying is....

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.

[nicknitro71 0]

Quote

So, what your saying is....

That said, I've had sucess with 28 ZP P/C's on all the rigs I've owned, and I bellieve that is the smalles size that anyone should need in skydiving.

Memento Audere Semper

903

[billbooth 10]

I concur. In almost all cases, 27 - 28" pilot chutes are about as small as you should go. The only exceptions would be for very small canopies, or higher than normal opening velocities.

[f1shlips 2]

Could you explain why you think that?

--
drop zone (drop'zone) n. An incestuous sesspool of broken people. -- Attributed to a whuffo girlfriend.

[billbooth 10]

35 years of experience...and watching literally hundreds of deployment videos, with every type and size of pilot chute imaginable.