Quite consistent off heading openings. Pilot 168

[Ninjagecko 0]

I've been jumping a pilot 168 for a good while now and the openings are getting increasingly funky. In the beginning there was a nice snivel, followed by symetrical inflation, didn't even see closed end cells for the first 50 jumps on this. Now, the openings have started tossing me around and more often than not give me a 90 or 180 whichever direction. Not nice for FS jumping in larger groups.

I've been packing the thing myself most of the time.

Lines have 300-400 jumps on them.

Haven't had any hard openings though, so that's nice. Any tips other than taking up knitting?

TLDR;
Shit openings on Pilot 168, any tips?

[IJskonijn 45]

Check the line-trim. Depending on the type of lines (I'm not familiar with the Pilot), they could well have gone out of trim enough to cause wonky behaviour. Microline is especially susceptible to this problem, even after only 300-400 jumps.

That is assuming nothing else (body position, packing technique, typical deployment velocity etc.) has changed significantly.

[betzilla 56]

Sound like a classic lines-out-of-trim scenario. A reline will get you back to those sweet openings you liked.

[Ninjagecko 0]

Quick mashup of some openings this week.
https://youtu.be/khA1JKapvvU

Yes, bad habit reaching for risers.

Body position and deployment speed have been rather constant. I do leave some time to slow down after a track for deployment. Hop n pops really screw me unless I leave a good 5 seconds to reach terminal (Good, stable exits, just takes forever for the canopy to come out of the bag, and at that point it's twisted to hell.)

New lineset is in the mail and pilot chute will be retired next month, hopefully that will help out.

[Remster 30]

Quote

just takes forever for the canopy to come out of the bag

I think you have your answer right there then. Good thing to replace your PC as you are doing.



PS: you called your thread "Quite consistent off...". Then you say you get 90s and 180s in either directions. That's everything BUT consistent.

Remster

[Ninjagecko 0]

Thanks for the reply Pardon my english, I meant consistently as in 'always off heading'

[Skydivesg 7]

Ninjagecko

Quick mashup of some openings this week.
https://youtu.be/khA1JKapvvU

I agree your lines may be out of trim and you may need a new PC or kill line but there are other issues that need to be addressed. I only looked at the first 16 seconds of your video and saw everything I needed.

Stop looking up and stop reaching up. There is no value in either.

Almost no one looks or reaches up symmetrically.

Pause your video at 00:16 -- your right hand is higher than your left which is not even in the frame. Your right slink is also higher than the left. This is because you are giving unintentional harness input while reaching asymmetrically.

After letting the PC go - look at the horizon, square up your shoulders and stay mildly relaxed. As you get stood up bring your feet and knees together (to assure your leg straps are loading evenly) pay attention to your leg straps and if they are indeed loading the same - if not, adjust your harness each jump until you find the sweet spot. This will also keep one leg from swinging forward more than the other preventing an uneven harness load. Do not look or reach up until after your canopy has opened. If you feel the need to grab something, grab your main lift web just below the three rings.

Many people state they want to see if the canopy is opening properly or if they have a malfunction. And my favorite - they reach up to "help the canopy open on heading."

If you have a slow speed malfunction, you will have plenty of time to ascertain and deal with it. If you have a high speed malfunction, your canopy will communicate that to you instantly, at which time you go into EP mode.

I prefer to use the opening process to scan the "Arc of Death".
I look from left to right and back again (using only my eyes) in an arc similar to the St. Louis Arch. I'm looking for that out of control canopy that is trying to take me out. If I see one, I then take evasive measures to avoid a collision.

I usually need to make at least 2 or 3 collision avoiding turns per season to keep from colliding with someone who is "looking up at their canopy".

Remember - it takes two people to have a canopy collision - it only takes one person to avoid one.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[3mpire 0]

This is great stuff

[Ninjagecko 0]

Thank you for the information, much appreciated. I'll focus more on that next time jumping.