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nigel99 466
Quote[replyThe only valid argument I see for a MARD is a cutaway resulting from a canopy collision at low altitude. If you are cutting away below 1000 foot for pretty much any other reason, I think you need to question your competence or safety as a jumper.
That is a very un-educated opinion right there. The benefits of a skyhook extend far beyond the circumstances you have described. Jumping with a skyhook has nothing to do with competence.
Please could you explain more? I certainly didn't mean to imply that jumpers with skyhooks are in anyway incompetent, just that one of the most common reasons that I've heard for having a skyhook is that you can cutaway at 300ft. I hear that much more frequently than anything else and find it worrying, as with one exception the person couldn't explain why they would be cutting away below 1k.
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.
Quagmirian 40
Not many people plan to cutaway below 1000 feet. The videographer in Bill Booth's Skyhook video demonstrates this. Even though he responded well to his malfunction and made the decision to cutaway pretty early on, he took a long time to go for his reserve handle.
jtiflyer 0
QuoteQuote[replyThe only valid argument I see for a MARD is a cutaway resulting from a canopy collision at low altitude. If you are cutting away below 1000 foot for pretty much any other reason, I think you need to question your competence or safety as a jumper.
That is a very un-educated opinion right there. The benefits of a skyhook extend far beyond the circumstances you have described. Jumping with a skyhook has nothing to do with competence.
Please could you explain more? I certainly didn't mean to imply that jumpers with skyhooks are in anyway incompetent, just that one of the most common reasons that I've heard for having a skyhook is that you can cutaway at 300ft. I hear that much more frequently than anything else and find it worrying, as with one exception the person couldn't explain why they would be cutting away below 1k.
There is also the case at the Dubai cup 2011 when a Petra canopy collapsed mid turn. Pilot cut away and lived because he had a skyhook.
Canopies can also collapse in turbulence, which is more severe and dangerous closer to the ground naturally.
nigel99 466
QuoteNot many people plan to cutaway below 1000 feet. The videographer in Bill Booth's Skyhook video demonstrates this. Even though he responded well to his malfunction and made the decision to cutaway pretty early on, he took a long time to go for his reserve handle.
You say that not many people plan to and yet in my personal experience it has been a common reason for getting a skyhook. I see far too many jumpers who have never bothered to think about what they are jumping. AADs are prime examples, and I've been in the situation of being the least experienced person on a ferry flight, but the only one who knew what to do. The most experienced person switched their aad on, flew to a new dz 1500ft higher and didn't realise there might be a problem with that approach. So you'll find I think lots, ask a bucket load of questions and then make a decision.
Clearly lots of people with thousands of jumps see significant value in a MARD, and as I would be shocked if their motive was the ability to cutaway at 300ft (the commonly touted figure). That's why I'm pretty keen to hear why they made the choice.
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.
QuoteQuote[replyThe only valid argument I see for a MARD is a cutaway resulting from a canopy collision at low altitude. If you are cutting away below 1000 foot for pretty much any other reason, I think you need to question your competence or safety as a jumper.
That is a very un-educated opinion right there. The benefits of a skyhook extend far beyond the circumstances you have described. Jumping with a skyhook has nothing to do with competence.
Please could you explain more? I certainly didn't mean to imply that jumpers with skyhooks are in anyway incompetent, just that one of the most common reasons that I've heard for having a skyhook is that you can cutaway at 300ft. I hear that much more frequently than anything else and find it worrying, as with one exception the person couldn't explain why they would be cutting away below 1k.
So lets agree that if somebody touts a 300ft cut away as the only reason for having a skyhook then they are obviously a moron. I too would be worried about people who express that as the only benefit.
I personally feel that the biggest benefit of the skyhook is the greatly reduced chance of incidents between cut away and reserve deployment. Everyone knows that you need to get stable again for a clean reserve deployment after cutting away. The skyhook will have a reserve over your head before you ever have a chance of getting unstable therefore eliminating the chance of a myriad of problematic scenarios.
I have also had my fair share of non-skyhook cutaways so I have no problem dealing with that too. But it is a much more drawn out process where you need to be on your A game. Can every one perform their best immediately after a cut away? I doubt it. Hell I have at least 14 cut aways and my heart still gets to pumping every time.
The skyhook simplifies cut aways and has multiple safety benefits over a free fall cut away. Why wouldn't you want to utilize that added security?
P.S. This obviously doesn't account for canopy wraps.
QuoteNot necessarily, See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0Rcp7E0to
I have been nit picked on this as to which one is quicker. They are close, no question The Racer without a Skyhook and a Vector with one. You judge the risk and cost value.
Now lets look at the big canopies with the more demanding deployments, like tandem.
Try as I may I haven't seen a good tandem video with a Skyhook to compare with this actual field video. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNKXDW0Ixo
The tandem deploys the reserve in 4 seconds after a cutaway from a 500 sq. Ft. canopy with a broken line. Very low deployment speed. You can hear the pair talking.
Show me a Tandem Skyhook video which is as fast.
Show me a Tandem Skyhook video which is as fast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZqgJ8G85U
This one is pretty quick ya gotta admit.
Personally, I don't see the downside of the extra complexity as being worth it to 'me'...but in the right circumstances it does seem to do it's job.
~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~
Quotehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZqgJ8G85U
This one is pretty quick ya gotta admit.
Yeah, but not even close to “as quick”. The Racer Tandem does it in 4 seconds, the one on the video above takes almost 6 seconds. Hard to tell exactly when the canopy is landable. Win to the Racer by a bunch. Racer Tandem deployment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNKXDW0Ixo&list=HL1355429170&feature=mh_lolz
This certainly substantiates my assertion the Skyhook is not necessarily faster. In some cases (Tandem) it is still slower than the Racer.
Get out you stop watches folks or one of you video types could match them side by side.
QuoteQuotehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZqgJ8G85U
This one is pretty quick ya gotta admit.
Yeah, but not even close to “as quick”. The Racer Tandem does it in 4 seconds, the one on the video above takes almost 6 seconds. Hard to tell exactly when the canopy is landable. Win to the Racer by a bunch. Racer Tandem deployment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNKXDW0Ixo&list=HL1355429170&feature=mh_lolz
This certainly substantiates my assertion the Skyhook is not necessarily faster. In some cases (Tandem) it is still slower than the Racer.
Get out you stop watches folks or one of you video types could match them side by side.
Obviously a lot of variables like canopy type & rigger influence can make a difference, but unless the clocks on the videos are way off...
~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~
ctrph8 0
I was looking for the video of that for my first post. Could you find a link? That was what opened my eyes about the Skyhook.
Quote
There is also the case at the Dubai cup 2011 when a Petra canopy collapsed mid turn. Pilot cut away and lived because he had a skyhook.
/reply]
Firstly, you can still get yourself into as much trouble cutting away at 3000ft as you can from 1500ft. Secondly, my skyhook has always performed well for me and I can assure you that a Velo at 3-1 wingloading gets to spinning pretty fast.
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