Tandem harness & Passanger Safety ?

[stillalive 0]

Looking back at my own tandem jumps as a passenger, and many others I have seen on several DZs; once deployed and on the ride down, it is common for the TI to release both bottom connectors on the passengers harness and loosen up the leg straps, sliding them down, to allow the passenger to be in a more comfortable "sit" position.

Question is...... Is this a safe thing to do ?

In the event of having the main collapse or any other mal that would lead to a cutaway & E.P´s, the passenger:
1) would only be connected at 2 points ()
2) Leg straps loose and slided half way down the legs

I think passenger safety by far overweights "comfort"

Statistically, it might not prove to be dangerous, but should this common practice be reconsidered?

------ LIFT ME UP!! ------

[Tonto 1]

Loosening or releasing the lower connectors is common practice, but only after ensuring the canopy passes a control check. This is important for landing as it helps prevent weight transfer to the pax if they don't lift their legs for landing.

I'm not a very experienced TM, having done only 750 Tandems, but I've never losened the legstraps in any way.

In the event of a cut-away after the lowers have been released or loosened, the TM should scissor the pax's legs prior to pulling the breakaway pillow. Failure to do so could result in the pax seperating at the waist and their head pushing back into the TM's head. If you try this on the ground, you'll see a broken neck on the TM is a very real possibility.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Ron 10]

Quote

Looking back at my own tandem jumps as a passenger, and many others I have seen on several DZs; once deployed and on the ride down, it is common for the TI to release both bottom connectors on the passengers harness and loosen up the leg straps, sliding them down, to allow the passenger to be in a more comfortable "sit" position.

Question is...... Is this a safe thing to do ?

Only time it is a dnager is if there is a cutaway after the laterals have been released. There has been one fatality where the pair split and it broke the TI's neck.

So the laterals should only be released after a controlabiltity check and everyone else should stay the hell away from a tandem pair.

Landing with the laterals connected is a very easy way to break a students leg.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[stillalive 0]

------ LIFT ME UP!! ------

[mfrese 0]

After reading about a (fortunately minor) incident where a TI got a control line trapped in the quick ejector, I usually loosen the laterals all the way and re-attach them. Plenty of room for them to get their legs up, and one less horror story for me to remember.

Doctor I ain't gonna die,
Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

[skypuppy 1]

Only time it is a dnager is if there is a cutaway after the laterals have been released. There has been one fatality where the pair split and it broke the TI's neck.
__________________________________________________

Guys, guys, guys

I think it broke the PASSENGER'S neck, from the hinging action.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[Ron 10]

Quote

Guys, guys, guys

I think it broke the PASSENGER'S neck, from the hinging action

Yeah, I think you are right....Thanks for correcting me.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Schoenauer 0]

The correct fit of the harness is far more important than comfort. I am sorry that some tandem students are shaped like a pear with huge hips and a big butt to where the padding does not reach around the crouch. That’s when the leg pads act more like ass pads.

Once under a good canopy I will disconnect the side straps but I will not loosen leg straps.

Memento Mori

[fcajump 164]

My instruction (and practice when I was TI) was to do a complete systems check after openning, then loosen the laterals (disconnect, loosen, then reconnect) Strong w/ old style harness.

I was also known for a very snug fitting harness, and did NOT allow the student to loosen the leg straps.

OK, I'm mean, but loosing someone out of the harness was always my greater concern over comfort.

Just my $.02
JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I have never, ever heard of anyone allowing their students to loosen their legstraps after opening. I do, on the other hand, tell my students that it's OK to slide the legstraps under the meaty portion of their thighs (like sitting in a swing set) after opening and undoing/loosening the side straps. Two very different things.


Chuck

[billvon 3,073]

> (disconnect, loosen, then reconnect)

I never disconnected the laterals above about 500 feet. (Below that you're not cutting away anyway.) About the only time I'd disconnect them below that altitude is if we had a high wind day and no catchers.