Almost First Reserve Ride

[agskyboard 0]

Well Sunday was my first and second jumps and I chose to do them AFF, not Tandem. The first went great...great freefall, great deployment, great canopy ride. The second deployment got interesting. I got the dreaded line-over, which I wasn't really briefed about in FJC but I had read The Skydiver's Handbook and some forums, so I was aware of what they were and how to possibly get out of it. In FJC, they taught to to go emergency procedures if I got a line-over. When I deployed, I felt stable and I looked up and the canopy looked like a bowtie, and the first thing that went through my head was my EP but because I was stable and dropping slow, I looked at my altimeter and I was just above 4K so I figured I'd try to get the canopy straight, I tugged the rear right riser twice and then the front right riser twice and it popped out on the second front right riser tug...which was good because that was my last try before going to EP. After that, the canopy performed great and I'm glad I read these forums before so that I knew somewhat how to get out of this situation without having a reserve ride on my second jump.
Thanks,
Justin

[Frenchy68 0]

Good job clearing it and landing safely.
However, there is much to be said about following dz.com posts over your instructors' directives...
But once again, you walked away in 1 piece (and probably a silly grin on your face), so congrats.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[davelepka 4]

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I got the dreaded line-over, which I wasn't really briefed about in FJC

So the AFF FJC course at Skydive Dallas does not cover the line-over mal? Is there a chance you were napping during that part of the training?

[agskyboard 0]

I'm not saying they don't talk about line-overs at all, they just don't spedify to try and get out of it, they show what one looks like and tell you to go to your EP.

[Frenchy68 0]

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I'm not saying they don't talk about line-overs at all, they just don't spedify to try and get out of it, they show what one looks like and tell you to go to your EP.

There's probably a good reason for that...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[calledisrael 0]

i think i learned that if it was near the edge of your canopy, and you aren't spinning or anything and have good altitude, pull the risers and see if you can get it to come off.
otherwise, straight to EPs.

well done... makes me think about the things that didn't sink in for me in FJC, and how much more meaningful they are slowly starting to get for me. reading in the incidents about the student in washington, i remember being told a slow spin was likely an unstowed brake - but would i have remembered right off to start with that and unstow the toggles? i would now... i hope so then..

life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
(helen keller)

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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I got the dreaded line-over, which I wasn't really briefed about in FJC

So the AFF FJC course at Skydive Dallas does not cover the line-over mal? Is there a chance you were napping during that part of the training?

Now, now....perhaps he/she doesn't remember.

I can't speak for the original poster, but I know for sure I didn't remember each mal shown to me during my FJC. I remember one card they used specifically...

"What does this look like?"
"uh, crap."
"Right. Get rid of it."
They covered everything, but all I knew in the end, was if it was flying all crazy, or didn't look nice and square, get rid of it. That's all I needed, I did just fine.
To the original poster: perhaps stating that you don't recall that part of the FJC would seem more appropriate on a public forum. After all, as I stated, I didn't recall every detail of my FJC but it doesn't mean it wasn't taught. It could potentially look like a derogatory remark towards the DZ you learned at or your instructors voiced in a forum like this. I think davelepka was pointing that out in his post.

EDIT: To original poster, now that I read your response, my DZ does not teach how to 'get out' of a line over either. And I agree with Frenchy: there's good reason for that. Wouldn't want a second jump student fighting a line over to the ground. The fact that you were situationally aware enough to deal with the situation says nothing about the general student skydiving population. I doubt you can tell how much altitude you'll lose in a hard spiral at 2 jumps, and had the situation been more violent, your actions may have been dead wrong.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[agskyboard 0]

I understand what you guys are getting at but when if you read two sentances down, I stated that in FJC i was taught to execute EP in a line-over, so I never said they didn't talk about them at all. I also feel that this is exactly what they should have done, because as you guys are saying, a young student doesn't need to worry about too many things. If I hadn't been stable, I would have never reacted the same as I did, because I was stable and at sufficient altitude, I figured I would give a couple tries to getting out.

[justinb138 0]

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Well Sunday was my first and second jumps and I chose to do them AFF, not Tandem. The first went great...great freefall, great deployment, great canopy ride. The second deployment got interesting.

When did you get to go up on Sunday? Was it after the rain had passed (3pm)?

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I got the dreaded line-over, which I wasn't really briefed about in FJC but I had read The Skydiver's Handbook and some forums, so I was aware of what they were and how to possibly get out of it.

I'm not saying that it's not the case, but I find that very hard to believe, especially given the instructor that was teaching the FJC on Sunday.

[agskyboard 0]

To clerify, I am not saying that the FJC course taught anything wrong, and I should reword the sentence everyone is talking about. I was briefed what a line-over was in FJC, I was only specified to go to EP and not mess around with getting it out. So I reacted wrong in this situation, not FJC. I jumped after the rain at around 5pm and my FJC course was on friday with an extremely experienced, and incredible intructor who did nothing wrong and did not miss one thing in FJC. The reason why I started this thread was to see what other people would say about my train of thought....should I have just gone straight to EP even though I was stable and at good altitude or was it alright that I tried to get out of it. Also the line-over was maybe 1/4 the way inward of the right side of the canopy.

[tigra 0]

Maybe this didn't occur to you, but in the process of clearing your lineover, you might have made the situation worse and turned a low speed malfunction into a highspeed malfunction. I'm glad you're OK, but really, you were lucky. Disregarding your training is nothing to pat yourself on the back for. (now, if you've got a lineover on your RESERVE, by all means, do whatever you can to clear it!)

[agskyboard 0]

I'm not giving me a pat on the back, I'm glad I'm ok and I'm glad that I got out of the mal because I really didn't want to have a reserve ride on my 2nd jump. So from what it sounds like, I should have performed EP's, is that what I'm getting from everybody? I was told in FJC (not specific to line-overs, but most mals), if I have a mal, try to get out of it twice and then go to EP's. Is this not the case with line-overs?

[mailin 0]

You should be asking these questions to your instructors. As a student they are the only people who should be answering these questions.


Jen

Arianna Frances

[NWFlyer 2]

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I'm not giving me a pat on the back, I'm glad I'm ok and I'm glad that I got out of the mal because I really didn't want to have a reserve ride on my 2nd jump. So from what it sounds like, I should have performed EP's, is that what I'm getting from everybody? I was told in FJC (not specific to line-overs, but most mals), if I have a mal, try to get out of it twice and then go to EP's. Is this not the case with line-overs?

What you "should have done" is probably best discussed with your instructors. I assume you had a good debrief after the jump? If you didn't, now would be the time.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[jumpwally 0]

As you can now see,,sometimes its just better to not post at all and just read the posts.....

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[agskyboard 0]

I spoke with my instructor afterwards who is also a really great guy and I told him exactly what happened and what I did and he didn't really specify that I did anything wrong. I noted that I probably should have gone to EP's but when I determined I was stable at that time and I had sufficient altitude, I made the decision to give it two tries to get out of it. He seemed to agree wtih me.

[mailin 0]

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he didn't really specify that I did anything wrong.

there's your answer

Arianna Frances

[agskyboard 0]

Yeah but I posted this thread to see what other people think I should have done....so that if this happens again, I am prepared. It seemed like my instructor left our discussion somewhat open, because I was expecting to get a response on what I should do next time.

[justinb138 0]

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Yeah but I posted this thread to see what other people think I should have done....

Just listen to what the instructors tell ya, thats what they are there for.

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[tigra 0]

My personal feeling (and what I was taught) is that by trying to clear it, you *could* have made it worse or damaged the canopy. (line burn?) Since this was your main canopy and you had the altitude, there was no reason to risk it.

I'm curious why you thought it would be bad to go to your reserve on your 2nd jump- the comments about buying beer are generally all in fun and are not intended to dissuade you from saving your own ass!

[mailin 0]

One thing I've learned in my brief time in this sport is that if you have questions you need to ask - you need to be specific and ask.

As you know it can be a life or death issue and if you have questions about it, ASK! If you felt your instructor didn't answer your question fully, then ask again. The more questions you ask them, the more they can teach you. Really.

We're not trying to be rude, but getting too much outside information can be a very bad thing when you're a student - what works for an experienced person does not always work for a student.

Ask your instructors - by doing that you can never go wrong


Jen

Arianna Frances

[agskyboard 0]

My feelings during the jump were not that I won't pull my reserve, if the situation was worse or bacame worse, I would have no problem pulling my reserve, I just felt like the condition was currently stable and I had time to try and fix my mal (or atleast give it a couple tries). The first thing that went though my head was to go to my EP...but like I said, I felt like I was stable and sufficient altitude to try and fix it. I would have pulled my reserve if the mal did not come out on the second pull to the front riser. As for people saying that the situation could have gotten worse, I would think that if it did get worse I would cutaway immediately.