What's your hard deck?

[JohnMitchell 16]

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When it's time to go, it's time to go, and worry about the landing and finding the stuff later.

If I'm in Belize and a mile or so out to sea my hard deck is 2,000. If I'm at Lost Prairie and look down and see lots of green trees, my hard deck might be 3,000. Looking down in freefall might just change your mind. Perris, Eloy, the midwest, lots of outs under a reserve. The "Ranch", Switzerland, etc...hmmmm.


Well sure, if the spot sucks.

Like I heard one jumper tell an ASO once in disdain "What kind of spot is it where you have to open at a safe altitude to make it back?"

[JerryBaumchen 1,376]

Hi Jeanne,

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I keep my hard deck at 1500'

A couple of lifetimes ago I bought a 2nd-hand ParAlert ( anyone remember them? ). I wanted it to go off at 1500 ft but it could not be adjusted to that. So I contacted Para-Flite and told them what I wanted & they said 'Sure, send it to us.' So I did and it always sounded-off at 1500 ft because that was my 'get something out now' altitude.

Sometimes you just need to ask to see if something different can be done.

JerryBaumchen

[Airman1270 0]

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My new rig had an RSL but I disconnected it before chopping during my last malfunction & it drifted away to certain death in the DZ's lawn mower somewhere.

Just curious as to why you would bother doing that prior to chopping. And, of course, the RSL or lack thereof had nothing to do with losing the main, right?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was my fourth reserve ride, my first on my new rig (also my first under a square.) I didn't order an RSL but it came w/one anyway. In my mind the RSL is for those 500' canopy collisions. I was riding a line-over under a 220 and had plenty of time, so releasing the RSL just seemed like a good idea. Was under reserve around 3000'.

Returned the next two days and spent hours scouring the woods before we found the main. (This is one reason I selected bright yellow. Nothing in nature is that color, but I learned that Autumn in Georgia can provide landscape that comes pretty close.) No, the RSL fell to the field below. I didn't realize it at the time, the subject came up months later when I got together w/my rigger after the repaired main had been returned from the loft. At this point my son said he remembered seeing something falling away following my cutaway. NOW he tells me.

Cheers,
Jon

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[Amazon 7]

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Hi Jeanne,

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I keep my hard deck at 1500'

A couple of lifetimes ago I bought a 2nd-hand ParAlert ( anyone remember them? ). I wanted it to go off at 1500 ft but it could not be adjusted to that. So I contacted Para-Flite and told them what I wanted & they said 'Sure, send it to us.' So I did and it always sounded-off at 1500 ft because that was my 'get something out now' altitude.

Sometimes you just need to ask to see if something different can be done.

JerryBaumchen

Well I do all these wierd jumps so I have a Pro Track and a Pro-Dytter in my helmet ( as well as a Protrack or two ON my rig but I dont usually hear them)

I have both set to 5500' for the first Alert( to pull out of my dive at 300 MPH+)
I go to a track and start slowing down when I hear alarm #2 at 4500"( Applying speed brakes)

I have the next alarm set to 2500' (by then I have slowed down and have gotten big for a bit so I don't blow up anohter canopy) and its time to air out my pilot chute

The Pro Dytter is set for 1800' to SCREAM at me as my hard deck( figgurin that 300' to my hard deck I am doing something about why the damn thing is not open)Edited to add that on VIDEO all 4 of them put up a hell of a racket)

I also have a Galaxy on my wrist... and MOST important... I have my eyes and the FEEL of the air and my internal clock to tell me when its time to pull. I KNOW what my skydive feels like and anything out of the ordinary..... I KNOW it.. the other stuff.. is just a backup

Doing speed dives... I get to get out first... right over the DZ.. where ever I have been. I am not getting out over hills or over other people.. and my skydives when doing them last about 40 sec from 13500' ( that includes the slowdowns)

Don't get me wrong I like all these modern little toys... but I sure as hell do not count on them

[grimmie 186]

You're right! Some days in Belize we should be 2 miles out!

[mjosparky 4]

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A couple of lifetimes ago I bought a 2nd-hand ParAlert ( anyone remember them? ).

You mean one of these?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Cheach 0]

Mine is 1800- but ya- it depends on the situation. A couple weeks ago I had a hard pull(I packed the pilot chute too tight)....I got it, but I was in a very awkward position and it opened and starting spinning up as it was inflating. After it inflated it wasn't spinning at all- I just had several line twists. I didn't ook at my altimeter, but I am sure I was right around 1800- but I wasn't going to chop it. I wasn't spinning and I knew i could kick them out with enough altitude to spare. I believe I was at about 1300 when I got them out.

My two reserve rides- one was on student gear and a brke steering line, along with a couple other lines, snapped. Hard deck was 2500- and I could not use the rear risers to compensate enough to get it to fly straight or flare. So I chopped at 2500. But that was a very "slow" mal.

My other one I had a very ball of shit line over. I can't tell you what I chopped at- because I knew without any doubt I was not going to win that battle- so I chopped quickly.

Okay- done babbling because my low jump number opinion doesn't really matter.

I woke up next to a blowup doll Ash....so what do you think?

[JohnMitchell 16]

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After it inflated it wasn't spinning at all- I just had several line twists. . . . I wasn't going to chop it. I wasn't spinning and I knew i could kick them out with enough altitude to spare.

Until squares got to be higher performance and less directionally stable, line twists were never a reason to chop. They would always untwist. I couldn't believe it the first time I had to chop my Spinetto due to line twists. WTF?

If I'm flying straight and level, I'll take my time with line twists too.

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My other one I had a very ball of shit line over. I can't tell you what I chopped at- because I knew without any doubt I was not going to win that battle- so I chopped quickly.

One day I had a total due to a packing error. Two extra tries to open, then I pulled the reserve. I was on my reserve higher than a few of the others were on their mains. But I stuck with my established procedures.

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Okay- done babbling because my low jump number opinion doesn't really matter.

Hey, you listen to all of us old dinosaurs.
We'll listen to you.

[JerryBaumchen 1,376]

Hi Sparky,

That be her.

You have definitely got some 'old' photos in your collection.

JerryBaumchen

PS) I notice that a lot of people bad-mouth the ParAlert but it was the first beeper on the market.

[BMichaeli 1]

i pull at 4k but thats b/c my canopy snivels for about 1K or more (i'm on and icarus Omega) my hard deck is about 2K but every time i think about i feel that looking at my alt is not really a priority in my head give it like 3 tries and then i'm getting rid of it

I have
RSL
AAD

[Cheach 0]

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After it inflated it wasn't spinning at all- I just had several line twists. . . . I wasn't going to chop it. I wasn't spinning and I knew i could kick them out with enough altitude to spare.

Until squares got to be higher performance and less directionally stable, line twists were never a reason to chop. They would always untwist. I couldn't believe it the first time I had to chop my Spinetto due to line twists. WTF?

If I'm flying straight and level, I'll take my time with line twists too.

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My other one I had a very ball of shit line over. I can't tell you what I chopped at- because I knew without any doubt I was not going to win that battle- so I chopped quickly.

One day I had a total due to a packing error. Two extra tries to open, then I pulled the reserve. I was on my reserve higher than a few of the others were on their mains. But I stuck with my established procedures.

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Okay- done babbling because my low jump number opinion doesn't really matter.

Hey, you listen to all of us old dinosaurs.
We'll listen to you.

I like dinosaurs!

I woke up next to a blowup doll Ash....so what do you think?

[freeflyit 0]

You jump a 210!?!?

I'm shocked.

[linebckr83 3]

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If it's not controllable, and landable at 1500 it's gone for me.

Only ever used that once so far.

No RSL. Speed Cypres.

Far as when I like my container open. Higher the better

The exact same for me, minus the speed Cypres and add an expert Cypres.

"Are you coming to the party?
Oh I'm coming, but I won't be there!"
Flying Hellfish #828
Dudist #52