cutting away, cables fully out?

[parachutist 2]

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I designed the 3-ring to be activated with one hand.

I do agree that the 3-ring release system works well with 1 hand. But in order to activate the 3-ring release, one must remove the cutaway pillow from its velcro attachment point first.... and this is not so easy for some people to do with 1 hand. That is strong velcro on some new rigs, and while they should be familiar with the idea of peel-and-pull, they're not always going to do this under stress of a cutaway scenario. Some people just pull. Give them 2 hands to do it and I believe they're more likely to get that handle pulled completely.

Chris Warnock

[masher 1]

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Also inrelation Erica's intial post , both the cutaway cables should be the same length from the loop to the tip so that both risers release simaltaneously.

Not always. If you've got an RSL, then the RSL side riser should have a longer cutaway cable. The idea being that the other riser should be gone before the RSL has a chance to open your reserve so you have less chance of firing your reserve into your main.

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[Squeak 17]

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Also inrelation Erica's intial post , both the cutaway cables should be the same length from the loop to the tip so that both risers release simaltaneously.

Not always. If you've got an RSL, then the RSL side riser should have a longer cutaway cable. The idea being that the other riser should be gone before the RSL has a chance to open your reserve so you have less chance of firing your reserve into your main.

I didn't know that, my bad

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[billbooth 10]

Having both yellow cables the same length is no guarantee of a simutaneous cutaway, UNLESS your long cutaway housing does not compress. There are two types of cutaway housing available...compressible or extensible (stretchable). You should make sure whoever manufactured you rig used housings that don't compress more than 3%, but stretch to absorb opening shock. If the force required to move the yellow cable through the riser loop exceeds the force necessary to compress the housing, then the long housing will get shorter, and throw off release timing. This is just one primary problem with "soft" housings...they have no rigidity and compress easily...and they don't stretch at all.

[desertsky 0]

I just voted for all the way out. Why? Sunday at my home DZ a 4-jump student required a cut away - she extended her arms all the way, but did not fully pull the cables - so, only her right 3-ring release fully disengaged. Luckily, with the large student main, she survived, and will fully recover. But, if she had fully disengaged, her reserve would have been able to inflate and save her the ambulence ride to the Hospital.

***********************************
lookin' for that old time, friendly, club-like dz

[billbooth 10]

Did she have an SOS system? These require a very long pull, and sometimes small people have to use two hands.

[Squeak 17]

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Having both yellow cables the same length is no guarantee of a simutaneous cutaway, UNLESS your long cutaway housing does not compress. There are two types of cutaway housing available...compressible or extensible (stretchable). You should make sure whoever manufactured you rig used housings that don't compress more than 3%, but stretch to absorb opening shock. If the force required to move the yellow cable through the riser loop exceeds the force necessary to compress the housing, then the long housing will get shorter, and throw off release timing. This is just one primary problem with "soft" housings...they have no rigidity and compress easily...and they don't stretch at all.

Well since the container I just ordered is on it's way from your Factory I'm hoping it's got appropriate housings "that don't compress more than 3%, but stretch to absorb opening shock"

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[billbooth 10]

You got it. It's the little things that count.

[wmw999 2,485]

I had a cutaway this last weekend. I lost the cutaway handle, so I think that means all the way out.

The handle was where I looked for it, but it was beginning to spin fast enough that it took real deliberate effort to use it.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[EricaH 0]

The prospect of a spinning mal is so scary!

Wendy, your cutaway pillow may have fallen out but did you purposley clear the cables fully or did you pull to arm extension & wait for the main to fully disembark before pulling the reserve & the full clear was just a side occurance or did you actually clear the cables? that's the distinction I'm looking for.

I'd imagine, if the cables are properly maintained (cleaned & lubed) once the pillow's been pulled to full arm extension - there's very little cable left in the housing & w/ the right housing - the remainder could easily slip out. Just guessing though.

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[wmw999 2,485]

I pulled the cutaway way out; obviously far enough to clear, and obviously far enough for it to no longer be attached.

I had my hand on the reserve handle when the RSL deployed it. I've opened my reserve a number of times before, so I have no doubt I'd've done it. I'm not a hand-on-either-handle person, and in a way I'm glad. It took a little searching to find the cutaway pud because of the spin, and I'm pretty sure I had both hands on it by then.

I was SO not ready for the reserve to open itself; I completely forgot about the RSL. But it's all good. Folks picked up the main and the freebag, and a cutaway pud is cheap insurance.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[EricaH 0]

Yes, cheap & def worth it. Glad everything went smoothly!

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[HeatherB 0]

Just to add to the whole cable thread:

Had another cutaway the other weekend. This one was a lineover that cleared the wrong way...(no I had not packed it myself, and yes I've been packing for myself unless we're competing)

It was a spinner. Got faster and faster. Toggle input wasn't helping. Was getting dizzy. Again, the cutaway cables didn't clear the housings but it's pretty fucking obvious when your canopy has left you, so it wasn't a problem. I just pull until the canopy leaves.

No RSL and two-hands on each handle method.

My midget-arms aren't a hinderance.

[mjosparky 4]

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she extended her arms all the way, but did not fully pull the cables - so, only her right 3-ring release fully disengaged.

If she pulled her cutaway handle to full arm extension both cables had to be clear of the 3 ring loops. As Bill stated earlier, you have to pull the cable less then 7 or 8 inches to release the risers. If one riser did not release it was for some other reason. She either thought she pulled to arms length but didn't, or rings hung up. It would be a good idea for someone to check the system on the rig for any problems.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[riggerrob 643]

Correct, this concept of "clearing cables" started in Ausland (circa 1980) after a student did a short stroke on an SOS handle and died in the late 1970s.

Ripcord cables on SOS systems are often 4 inches longer than regular ripcords to allow some spacing between main riser release and reserve activation, but in solving one problem, designers created another problem: some students - with really short arms - cannot pull an SOS handle far enough to save their lives.
I saw a repeat of this foolishness in 1984, when SOS was introduced to Nova Scotia. I took up a pair of IAD first jump students - ground schooled by the chief instructor - up to 3,000 feet. The first student suffered a line-over on his Para-Commander and waited a good minute before doing anything about it. He pulled the silver handle "until I felt some resistance" then returned to a stable frog position until Francis Xanier Chevrier saved him!
The "resistance" was the reserve ripcord pins!
Note: this incident occurred before RSLs were mandatory for students.

[mjosparky 4]

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Correct, this concept of "clearing cables" started in Ausland (circa 1980) after a student did a short stroke on an SOS handle and died in the late 1970s.

Ripcord cables on SOS systems are often 4 inches longer than regular ripcords to allow some spacing between main riser release and reserve activation, but in solving one problem, designers created another problem: some students - with really short arms - cannot pull an SOS handle far enough to save their lives.
I saw a repeat of this foolishness in 1984, when SOS was introduced to Nova Scotia. I took up a pair of IAD first jump students - ground schooled by the chief instructor - up to 3,000 feet. The first student suffered a line-over on his Para-Commander and waited a good minute before doing anything about it. He pulled the silver handle "until I felt some resistance" then returned to a stable frog position until Francis Xanier Chevrier saved him!
The "resistance" was the reserve ripcord pins!
Note: this incident occurred before RSLs were mandatory for students.

Rob,

Have you noticed that every time someone has a bright idea and changes one component in the 3-ring “system” they end up creating a problem? Someday people are going to realize that the 3-ring system works, leave it alone.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Joellercoaster 6]

I did AFF twice

The first time was on SOS, and we were indeed taught to get both hands on the handle, pull with the right and clear with the left hand. I guess there's no reason not to, when you don't need another hand to deploy your reserve.

When I was taught again, on "normal" gear, it was each-hand-on-a-handle, peel-punch-pull, and it was explained for the reason you gave earlier - don't want to be looking for that reserve handle once you've already cut away.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?