Do you worry about how you'd react to a malfunction?

[Evelyn 0]

I've never had a reserve ride, but a few friends have recently. I worry about if I would react in time. I practice before every jump, look red, grip red, look silver, pull red, pull silver. But it's one thing to practice and another to actually do it. For those who have had a reserve ride, was it just kind of second nature, like getting stable? I think I'd be okay cuz I almost cutaway once, had my hands on cutaway handles at 2500, then took one last look at my canopy and it popped open. Today after I threw out my pilot chute counted to 5, am usually open in about 3, when nothing out at 5 automatically went for red, but then it opened. So I think I could probably react okay, but I still kind of worry if I could. Anyone else worry about this?

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ~ Helen Keller

[billvon 2,991]

I worried a little until my first mal. Now, after 5 real ones and a dozen or so intentional ones, I'm not too worried. BTW a great confidence builder is to get a hold of Relative Workshop's intentional cutaway rig, the one they use to demo the Skyhook. Go up and do an actual cutaway; there's nothing like a real cutaway to get your confidence up.

[Chrisky 0]

Well, i haven't had a malfunction yet, so i'm not the right person to give you an answer...
I'll still post what i think though...

I'm still asking myself that same question, but i have seen some emergency procedures of buddies' reserve rides on their own video (ego-perspective). That was quite reassuring to see how quickly that reserve was out and the situation resolved. Thanks to that and my routine EP drills before each and every jump, i don't worry much anymore.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[par 0]

I had to cutaway on my 41'th jump. I was always thinking about "what if"? And even in my sleep i was dreaming my cutaway - so when situation came, and i saw my canopy not working - i had no doubts and i did it. What help me mentaly, so i was always thinking "if you will not cutaway - you will die. Every second counts." Tellin' myself this everyday i was quite ready for my very early cutaway.

[dragon2 2]

When my Safire spun up on me and flung me on my back, I didn't think at all - just reacted. I had an rsl on that jump, but I didn't have any linetwists etc on my reserve.

When a borrowed Sabre had a lineover, I did think about trying to fix it for a bit, since I was at 4k, but when it started to turn, I just reacted and cut away and pulled silver before it had turned 180o. No rsl this time.

If you really need to cutaway, it won't be a problem. I think the smaller problems, like a stuck toggle for instance, may make you doubt. If you're not 100% sure it'll land you okay, don't doubt, go for plan B!

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[riggerrob 643]

Yes, I too worried about whether I could handle a malfunction properly - until my 45 th jump.

After tugging on the main ripcord 4 times, I finally got it out. Even before looking up, I knew the wind was still blowing past me too fast ....
yada
yada

I landed my reserve with a bad case of the shakes, and a new-found confidence in my ability to pull more handles when I needed to.

[dukekala 0]

I had my first reserve ride at 6th jump (line twists because of an extremely bad exit position). Tried to get them open twice, but couldn't. Then decided to cut away and at that exact moment the fear I felt was gone. I knew what I had to do and just did. Look at red, grab red, look at silver, pull, feel myself falling, grab silver and pull. Just like in training.

My hands where shaking after I landed and the beer (which I bought, it was a first after all) has never tasted as good before :) Still, I was completely calm at the cutaway and others who I talked to said basically the same thing.

[FlyinseivLP2 0]

I wondered the same thing. I had been so used to my main working for me I wondered if I would act quickly if it didn't . I got through 1000 jump without knowing, but on 1001 I found I would react just fine. Now I have had 8 cutaways and it is automatic for me everytime. Don't let these posts get you complacent though, there have been many people who have not reacted quickly or correctly. Most of them aren't around to post about it!

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

Today after I threw out my pilot chute counted to 5, am usually open in about 3, when nothing out at 5 automatically went for red, but then it opened.

Did they train you to look over your shoulder to see what's going on before you pull the handles? That's the first step to handling a malfunction properly. Not looking got me two canopies out at once.

As to your self doubt, that is one of the most common anxieties in our sport. You may not have a malfunction for the next thousand jumps, but just keep practicing and reviewing the procedures. When the big day comes, you'll be amazed how easy it is.

• Quote

[sunshine 2]

When the time comes, your survival instinct will kick in. Practicing your emergency procedures is good, keep doing that. I always wondered if i would react, and on jump #486 i had my chance to find out. It all happened so fast, but i realized my main wasn't there and pulled the reserve. It's normal to wonder how you will react when the time comes. Just keep practicing and you'll do fine.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Jeth 0]

Yes, I worry! I have only had 3 jumps, and on my first solo my biggest fear was if I could handle a mal. That is still going thru my head now -- will I know if the problem is fixable or if I should cut? Will I find the handles? I hope that I won't have a cutaway so early in my jumping career. I hope it will be later when I have more overall confidence in my jumping. But if it does happen on my next jump, I think I will be able to handle it. I know what to do. And I just pray that reserve opens perfectly when I do need it.

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[nightjumps 1]

I've never had a reserve ride either.Hoping to make it to 2,000 without one.

[Frenchy68 0]

My rule of thumb from my almighty 40 something jumps: if I have to even WONDER whether I can fix it or not, CHOP CHOP. Unless I pull at 10k, and know I have few thousand feet to dick around with it. But once people start looking like ants...

Nick

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Evelyn 0]

Quote

Quote

Today after I threw out my pilot chute counted to 5, am usually open in about 3, when nothing out at 5 automatically went for red, but then it opened.

Did they train you to look over your shoulder to see what's going on before you pull the handles? That's the first step to handling a malfunction properly. Not looking got me two canopies out at once.

Yeah, I was looking up as I went for red. Didn't pull, just got ready to if necessary.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ~ Helen Keller

[Lindsey 0]

I always worried about "what if I pulled the wrong handle first...." Even though I practiced over and over, went over different scenarios in my mind, and basically thought about "what if" a lot, until my first malfunction I worried. I learned that I was more cool-headed about it than I thought I might be. On the 2nd even more than the first (both were spinning mals). So I do have a lot more confidence now than I did before. I do think about how quick I'd be with a high-speed malfunction. I believe that while it's better to think about it than not, I also think you can worry too much and create more problems for yourself than you resolve. (lol...sometimes I tend to do that too...)

lindsey

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Pia 0]

No reserve ride yet, but the pulling the wrong handle first is what bugs me too.. even though my drills are drilled into my head

**Those who refuse to live and learn simply exist**

[peregrinerose 0]

My biggest fear is my own physiology. I can't look either red or silver, as both are right under my freaking way too ample boobs. I practiced by touch, but not sure if that's good enough or not, though I hope I never have to find out. Anyone have any suggestions on getting around that other than gaining xray vision or having a boobectomy?

Jen

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[ianmdrennan 2]

Normal concern, just keep practicing it.

Word of caution though - practice the drill at a reasonable speed. I used to practice the drill really quickly (peel, peel, punch, punch) and when I had my baglock I did the procedure at that speed. Nothing eventful happened but I think back and wonder what would have happened if my han slipped off my cutaway and fired my reserve prematurely. It's good to practice it at the speed you intend to do it as you're most likely to do it that exact way (or faster) when you need it.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[bigway 4]

always worried as you would be but when i realised at 1000ft hanging off the door to a cessna that if i get off this door i will be having to cut away i chilled. while freefalling to 4000ft and clearing my lines i actually thought okay so here i get to practise that other part off aff i learnt. you know the part you always practise but hope you never need it. well i was quite calm. i actually opened my main and looked at the mess and put my hands on my handles took a couple of deep breaths. then thought i would have a look on the ground and see what i would hit if this did not work. then took another deep breath looked up at the canopy just in case i could fix it. took another deep breath cut away, arched and kicked like a swimmer a bit pulled reserve. counted to 3 in about half a second strated worrying and bam there was the reserve. am glad this happened as i know it works now.
one important thing. keep calm and do not drop your handles.
talk to your instructor about different emergency situations. ask him to give you verbal tests about different scenarios.
blue skies.
sorry for the long post.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[bigway 4]

if you pull at 10,000ft you would ride it in would you not? right hand turns? i doubt i would cut away a good canopy at any height.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[bigway 4]

i was taught that if you have your hands on your handles you pull them. cause if you have your hands on them when your main comes out you could jolt your pin out.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[riddler 0]

For me the best way to deal with stress is to have a plan. That doesn't work for everyone, but it may work for you.

If you are worried, think about what you would do in many different emergency situations. For most major malfunctions, the standard emergency procedures will correct the problem. That's why I spend a lot of time practicing the EPs.

The ones that scare me are the ones that I don't anticipate. I don't always think very quickly in new situations, and I don't want to have to become creative in a sport where seconds make a difference. I prefer to think of as many possibilities as I can beforehand, and have a plan for the different eventualities, then practice them in my mind or even with my body (pantomime?).

Most malfunction situations are covered with standard emergency procedures. But what would I do if I could only cutaway one riser? What would I do if my steering toggle got stuck in a full turn? What would I do if I landed on a rooftop? What would I do if I hit the plane on exit and broke one arm? These aren't everyday situations, and they require a different set of procedures. You can't think of every possibility, but by studying and learning from other's mistakes, you can have a plan for the most likely possibilities.

Keep reading dropzone.com. There is a lot of good information here. Listen to the stories of the other jumpers around the bonfire - the things that happened to them may also happen to you someday. Or even better, you might realize that with a procedural change or equipment change, you can prevent it form happening to you in the first place. Practice your procedures - the standard EPs as well as the unusual ones.

Good plans and good equipment and good procedures will reduce the chances of getting hurt.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[Push 0]

Quote

What would I do if I hit the plane on exit and broke one arm?

It just occured to me. Is this one of the reasons why the reserve deployment handle is on the left side of the harness? So that if you break your right arm you can still pull it?

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Do you worry about how you'd react to a malfunction?

Nope. But then I've been through a couple. One real early. I found it to be automatic, just the way I'd been practicing for. Then 2600 odd jumps later, same thing, automatic.

Make it part of your practice procedure on the way up. Same as getting (or giving yourself) a pin check, checking your harness, whatever else you do prior to getting out of the plane. When the time comes, no problem.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Chrisky 0]

What if you break your left arm?
I think the handles are where they are so you can operate the handles using one hand if necessary... Left or right doesn't matter.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...