Cutaway Question

[AStack75 4]

Been watching YouTube vids of some cutaways. My beginner question is when you do a cutaway, does the reserve automatically deploy?

[shropshire 0]

Your instructor should have covered this during the lesson on EPs.


More friendly answer ..... it depends upon the kit you are jumping - BUT you are responsible for saving your life.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[trig78 0]

Only student rigs are set up that way so it wouldn't depend on you will you pull it or not. They still teach you to pull the reserve upon cutaway to avoid confusion of multiple choices in students head.
So all you need to know is: pillow-metal, pillow-metal

facebook.com/trig78

[riggerpaul 1]

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Been watching YouTube vids of some cutaways. My beginner question is when you do a cutaway, does the reserve automatically deploy?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

It depends on the particular system.

Some systems include a connection from a main riser to either pull the reserve pin, or even to actually aid in the deployment of the reserve parachute.

Some rigs don't have this sort of connection.

And, even on rigs that do have this sort of connection, it can usually be disabled by the jumper should the need arise.

These systems are generally called Reserve Static Lines (RSL).

You can search this forum for discussion regarding the pros and cons to such devices. These topics have been widely discussed.

[AStack75 4]

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Your instructor should have covered this during the lesson on EPs.


More friendly answer ..... it depends upon the kit you are jumping - BUT you are responsible for saving your life.

I've only done tandems so far so I'm not sure if the TM typically teaches cutaways to tandem students. I'm doing AFF1 next month and just want to try to learn a little bit before my actual class.

[freeflyit 0]

Depends on your gear!

If it's student gear, then it should automatically deploy the reserve once you cut away. Someone please expand.

On 'normal' gear, a cutaway will only cutaway your main, it will do nothing to activate your reserve unless you have an rsl or skyhook (which are only back-up devices). You must pull the cutaway handle and then the reserve handle.

Even if you have student gear and an rsl/skyhook, you should always practice on pulling both handles (not at the same time: cutaway, then reserve).

Blue Skies

[timmyfitz 0]

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My beginner question is when you do a cutaway, does the reserve automatically deploy?

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Only student rigs are set up that way so it wouldn't depend on you will you pull it or not.

Incorrect. If the rig has an RSL it should open the reserve automatically after a cutaway, whether it is student gear or not.

[councilman24 37]

The problem asking here is you've received one partially inaccurate response from a country where the normal gear may be nothing like the gear here and another response that isn't accurate for most of the gear jumped in the U.S. these days. Both from low time non-instructors, non-riggers.

And you didn't fill out your profile and let us know where YOU are at. And it does matter.

So, wait for your first jump course, STOP watching you tube to learn skydiving, and KNOW who is giving you advice!

Advice on the internet is about as useful as used chewing gum on the sidewalk. You don't know who it came from or where it's been.

There is some good advice here. If you hang around for awhile you'll figure out who's worth listening to. Best piece of advice, talk to your instructors.

Rant over.

Best answer to your question? Sometimes and depends, ask your instructors to explain.

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

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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...Best answer to your question? Sometimes and depends, ask your instructors to explain.

Yes. Sometimes and it depends.

One type of system - Single handle. One handle does both tasks of cutting away and pulling the main pin. This is an older system and is really only seen on older student gear.

Another type - Reserve Static Line. There is a lanyard attached to the main riser that pulls the reserve ripcord when the main is cut away. Very common and required for students (sort of - the instructor can allow a student cleared for self-supervision in freefall to jump without one).

Yet another type - Main Assist Reserve Deployment (MARD). This uses the departing main to extract and deploy the reserve (The RSL just opens the container, the MARD opens the container and pulls everything out). This is a fairly new system. The most common one is called a Skyhook.

Lastly - The Automatic Activation Device. This is a LAST CHANCE device that will should open your reserve (by cutting through the reserve closing loop) if you are still in freefall at a very low altitude (~750ft). Required for students, and for all jumpers at various DZs and in various countries.

Now, (to the OP, not councilman24 - I know you know your stuff) as a new jumper, how much of this detail do you actually understand?

And which system will you have?



Wait for it...






Make sure you ask your instructors and understand what you will be using and how it works.

Note: All the "required" stuff is valid for the US.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[AStack75 4]

Thanks for the responses. I'm in the US. Profile updated! I'll be sure to ask lots of questions in my class.

[freeflyit 0]

>>Rant over<<

Thank god!

[trig78 0]

And i was gonna use USUALY instead of ONLY. Damn it.

I guess more experienced jumpers are using RSL more than i thought too but i was only trying to keep it simple......since i don't know too much, and the guy that asked the question even less.

Councilman - my gear as well as gear of my friends was bought in US...recently. My license has USPA on it too

facebook.com/trig78

[Fast 0]

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>>Rant over<<

Thank god!

It's a good rant, so...

I'll say it again. As a student (or someone who has never took a First Jump Course) trying to learn anything about how to skydive on the internet is a terrible terrible idea. Take the first jump course make a few skydives get a knowledge base and then come back here. Even then, there is a substantial amount of advice given on this form that is terrible and not going to help you.

Need to learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[Andy0689 0]

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I'll say it again. As a student (or someone who has never took a First Jump Course) trying to learn anything about how to skydive on the internet is a terrible terrible idea.

Except here. This is a good place to learn. Read over Section 4, Category A, before your first jump course and it'll make the day much more understandable.

Andy
I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube!

[champu 1]

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Been watching YouTube vids of some cutaways. My beginner question is when you do a cutaway, does the reserve automatically deploy?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

[full stop]

[councilman24 37]

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Incorrect. If the rig has an RSL it should open the reserve automatically after a cutaway, whether it is student gear or not.

Tim, Tim Tim.... Another incomplete piece of advice. We have a lot of jumpers who think that PULLING the cutaway handle (which they think 'cutaway' means) will open their reserve. EVEN WITH A TOTAL MALFUNCTION!

With a lot of people trained to always pull their cutaway handle, even for a total, saying that a "cutaway" will open your reserve is dangerous.

I've had to educate several people over the years.

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

[councilman24 37]

But it sounds like none of you have RSL's? Is that right?

I know there are some European countries where very few experienced jumpers use them. That's not the case here anymore. While I think they are a good idea, recommend them to everyone (but not for every kind of jump) and have them on my rigs and hooked up there are way too many newer jumpers here that seem to want to rely on them. And too many people who don't really understand how they work.

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

[airtwardo 7]

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But it sounds like none of you have RSL's? Is that right?

I know there are some European countries where very few experienced jumpers use them. That's not the case here anymore. While I think they are a good idea, recommend them to everyone (but not for every kind of jump) and have them on my rigs and hooked up there are way too many newer jumpers here that seem to want to rely on them. And too many people who don't really understand how they work.

AND...to trig78, if your profile is correct with 29 jumps and an 'A' license, you may want to refrain from advising anyone about anything until you have a bit more experience and a complete understanding of not only how the gear works, but also the subtle nuances certified instructors tend to use while relaying information to STUDENTS that have no understanding of it at all.

YOU may understand what you're saying but the advise you gave is incomplete and possibly dangerous.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[JohnnyMarko 1]

When you pull your cutaway you activate your AAD which then beeps telling you to pull your reserve handle with only one hand.

[timmyfitz 0]

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Incorrect. If the rig has an RSL it should open the reserve automatically after a cutaway, whether it is student gear or not.

Tim, Tim Tim.... Another incomplete piece of advice. We have a lot of jumpers who think that PULLING the cutaway handle (which they think 'cutaway' means) will open their reserve. EVEN WITH A TOTAL MALFUNCTION!

With a lot of people trained to always pull their cutaway handle, even for a total, saying that a "cutaway" will open your reserve is dangerous.

I've had to educate several people over the years.

Correct about having a total and just pulling the cutaway not doing anything. I was working under the assumption that the main was out. Very bad on my part for making that assumption.

Also, I purposely used the word "should" instead of "will" to convey that it is not an absolute that an RSL will open anything, whether it's a total or a partial.

[erdnarob 1]

As a student the answer is yes* since you should jump a rig equipped with a reserve static line (RSL). This line (RSL) is attached to one riser of the main canopy at one end and at the other end is connected to the reserve cable in order to pull the reserve pin. The * is that no device actually deploys a canopy but pulls the pin to allow the reserve pilot chute to initiate de deployment of the reserve.
Now there is inherent advantages and potential problems coming with the RSL. PROBLEM: If by any chance, the riser where the RSL is connected breaks or the 3 rings system of that riser let go, you are dragging the main canopy with the other unreleased riser while the reserve pin has been pulled and the reserve is deployed. That kind of situation makes possible an entanglement between the 2 canopies. ADVANTAGE: when you pull the cut away handle, the main canopy goes away and pull the RSL which pulls the reserve pin followed by the reserve deployment or one action with two results.

There is however a special RSL, the SKYHOOK which has 3 actions when you cut away. You then have the advantage without the above potential problem.
The Skyhook :
1) releases the other riser (the no RSL riser) by pulling its yellow cable
2) pulls the reserve pin
3) pulls directly the reserve bridle cord beating that way the reserve pilot chute and making possible to have a reserve deployed in only 75 feet. Reserve deployments initiated by the pilot chute take 150-300 feet. In the case a Skyhook is used, the cut main canopy is used as a huge pilot chute and since you cut it away, the main canopy already gone is faster than the reserve pilot chute (which has to inflate first before pulling the reserve canopy out).

Note: the beauty of the Skyhook is that if you have a total malfunction, you pull your reserve handle (when licensed) and this time the reserve pin is pulled allowing the pilot chute to take charge of the deployment while the Skyhook releases the bridle from the RSL. Ask your rigger to show you a Skyhook.

There is also a lot of people( with a license) who have no RSL therefore, when they cut away the main, they do have to pull the reserve handle.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[liftedtitan 0]

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When you pull your cutaway you activate your AAD which then beeps telling you to pull your reserve handle with only one hand.

jesus, some idiot will read this - hopefully not believe it.

Moriuntur omnes, sed non omnes vixerunt.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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When you pull your cutaway you activate your AAD which then beeps telling you to pull your reserve handle with only one hand.

jesus, some idiot will read this - hopefully not believe it.

Gotta help out the Darwinnowing somehow.

[Cueb 0]

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When you pull your cutaway you activate your AAD which then beeps telling you to pull your reserve handle with only one hand.

I don't think it's appropriate to make sarcastic jokes on threads created by newbies.

[airtwardo 7]

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When you pull your cutaway you activate your AAD which then beeps telling you to pull your reserve handle with only one hand.

I don't think it's appropriate to make sarcastic jokes on threads created by newbies.

I'd agree, but even to a n00b, something like that HAS to make ya ask yourself...did I miss 1/2 a class or his that guy a moron?

Thankfully people like erdnarob understand the implications and have the capacity and willingness to break it down the right way!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~