shunkka 0 #1 July 13, 2004 One of my friend had this incident in the past. Jumping at 1000m going very low: 200-250 m. Decide to go directly to the reserve. Land without problems In this case is ok or not to do it? ------------------------- "jump, have fun, pull" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #2 July 13, 2004 How did our friend get so low? Did he or she have an AAD. Does he or she have ADD? Glad your friend is okay, and probably did the right thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #3 July 13, 2004 QuoteOne of my friend had this incident in the past. Jumping at 1000m going very low: 200-250 m. Decide to go directly to the reserve. Land without problems In this case is ok or not to do it? 200-250m = 600 to 750 feet... Below 333M or 1,000 feet go to the silver. If they are alive they did the correct thing."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #4 July 13, 2004 who said no ?? In my case I say yes, cause my main takes that (or more) altitude to open.scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #5 July 14, 2004 If you're that low, you got anything BETTER to pull ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #6 July 14, 2004 yeah my reserve... might open on time....scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdD 1 #7 July 14, 2004 I'd go for my reserve at anywhere below 1500... They tend to work, and if it doesn't at least St Peter will pat you on the back for making the right choice. My thinking is that if my main didn't work at that alt I'd be dead pretty soon anyway, so take the faster opening option.Life is ez On the dz Every jumper's dream 3 rigs and an airstream Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lowhook 0 #8 July 14, 2004 A reserve must open in the lesser of 300 feet or 3 seconds. My main takes about 700 feet to open. The math makes the choice easy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #9 July 14, 2004 With a main canopy that can snivel up to 800 ft, I have convinced myself that I should go for silver if still in freefall below 1500ft. Am I wrong? Feedback more than welcome (needed actually). N. "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." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #10 July 14, 2004 Read the SIM some time. (not word for word) For a malfunction, decide to cutaway by 1800 feet and do the deed by 1600. Those are suggested minimums and they are pretty darn low for a skydiving rig. Does that make your choice easier? Start from the ground up. What altitude would you like to be flying your reserve? Now add at least 500 feet. then add another 1000 feet for the main deployment. I come up with 1500 feet flying my reserve, adding 500 to open it. Then another 1000 for the main. That's 3000 feet. Passing through 2000 with nothing out is already low to actuate a main. 1500 feet is really low. At 1500 feet, and all goes well, you're flying at 800 feet. If you have a mal, you've got 800 feet in which to recongize it and perform your emergency procedures and find a safe landing area.My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #11 July 14, 2004 QuoteWith a main canopy that can snivel up to 800 ft, I have convinced myself that I should go for silver if still in freefall below 1500ft. Am I wrong? Feedback more than welcome (needed actually). N. but 5 people still voted no... Either they would use their main, or just pull nothing... scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #12 July 14, 2004 great answer tbrown, you summed it up in one sentence Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #13 July 14, 2004 Tim, I have read the SIM. It actually has different deployement initiation altitude for Students and A license holders. I do pull at 4,000 ft with a hard deck of 2,500 ft. My post was in answer to the original question whether going straight to silver under 1,000 ft was the right thing to do. I would imagine the SIM does not recommend going that low without anything out Agree with everything you wrote. Thanks for the feedback. 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." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shunkka 0 #14 August 5, 2006 after more than 2 years this thread is back but with sad news a friend of mine died incident here http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2358221;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread NOONE ever told us (when students) to open the reserve if we are to low NOONE ever told us if we have an AAD the chance of double out in freefall is BIG (when we are to low)... it`s about 2 years since i start this thread because i had and still have questions... ------------------------- "jump, have fun, pull" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #15 August 5, 2006 it's worth noting the experience of many veteran jumpers that many (most?) people faced with low altitude still go for the main, as the practice is ingrained in physical memory. Even if they thought they had a plan to pull silver instead. Going low is more dangerous. Doing it with an AAD invites the two out scenario. Going without the AAD has its own risks. No free lunch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #16 August 5, 2006 QuoteNOONE ever told us (when students) to open the reserve if we are to low NOONE ever told us if we have an AAD the chance of double out in freefall is BIG (when we are to low)... If that's really so, it's appalling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orange1 0 #17 August 6, 2006 QuoteQuoteNOONE ever told us (when students) to open the reserve if we are to low NOONE ever told us if we have an AAD the chance of double out in freefall is BIG (when we are to low)... If that's really so, it's appalling As a student we were taught for emergency exits, if you exit below 3000' you go to straight to silver. I would extrapolate that to any other instance of being low. But even more than that was drummed into us to be altitude aware and pull at the right altitude...Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skysmurf2 0 #18 August 7, 2006 Having pulled low, as a result of loss of altitude awareness and extremely cold hands which resulted in a long fumble with the cutaway. I can (from my own experience) say if low and there is nothing above your head go straight to silver, as it will save time and maybe your life. I can also say as a low jump number skydiver during training we are ingrained to do one and only one cutaway procedure. When the ground is speedily coming towards you and all the red lights in your head are flashing "do something do something" it is incredibly hard to deviate from what has been drilled into you. Obviously, I am typing this so it can't have gone too wrong (and it didn't) but I would give anything to not have wasted precious seconds fumbling with the cutaway pad when there was no need. Many lessons learned on that jump but amongst them: below 2000 ft. if there is nothing above your head go straight to the reserve. Sorry for your loss, too many of us know how that feels. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #19 August 7, 2006 QuoteAs a student we were taught for emergency exits, if you exit below 3000' you go to straight to silver. Really?....what about a non emerengcy exit at 3k or below? Sorry for your loss Shunkka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #20 August 7, 2006 QuoteAs a student we were taught for emergency exits, if you exit below 3000' you go to straight to silver. I would extrapolate that to any other instance of being low. But even more than that was drummed into us to be altitude aware and pull at the right altitude... Now that you're not a student, I hope you've reduced that 'exit on reserve' threshold altitude a bit.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy556 0 #21 August 8, 2006 Quote Now that you're not a student, I hope you've reduced that 'exit on reserve' threshold altitude a bit. My canopy takes 900-1000 feet from PC throw to in the saddle when doing a subterminal opening so my exit with silver altitude is <2000. Is this correct? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #22 August 8, 2006 QuoteQuote Now that you're not a student, I hope you've reduced that 'exit on reserve' threshold altitude a bit. My canopy takes 900-1000 feet from PC throw to in the saddle when doing a subterminal opening so my exit with silver altitude is <2000. Is this correct? Am I right to assume that's about 10 to 11 seconds from pitch to saddle? That seems like an awefully long time... "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." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremy556 0 #23 August 8, 2006 Quote Am I right to assume that's about 10 to 11 seconds from pitch to saddle? That seems like an awefully long time... You are correct. That is on a Sabre2 210 loaded at 1:1 and packed without tucking the nose and a couple of loose rolls on the tail, slider quartered. If the packers pack it and tuck the nose it takes even longer. It takes about 800 feet on a terminal deployment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwynne 0 #24 August 8, 2006 The last alarm on my dyter is set for 1500ft. My emergency procedures include, if I ever hear that alarm and haven't alreay pitched my pilot chute, go for my reserve. I'm too close to the ground, and with a cypres, at that point there's a high risk of a cypres fire. I've never been in that situation, but that's how I practice it. Deploying a main below 1500 feet with a cypres put's you very at risk for 2 canopies out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites