RogerRamjet 0 #26 January 28, 2005 Quote...I truly believe the QUALITY (i.e. newness) of the gear is an issue... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Not necessarily... My most recent (3rd) reserve ride was more than seven years ago on a Wonderhog with a Strong lopo reserve. After realizing that the streamering main was a malfinction, rather than another snivel, I pulled the handles and, after waiting about 15 minutes, had an open reserve above 1000'. The system worked just fine. It was about 20 years old at the time. The landing was quite soft (or was I comparing it to the alternative?....) A witness described the incident as a "textbook cutaway." Too bad they didn't see me steer that round into a small clear spot in a neighbor's backyard. (Pause while reaching around to pat myself on the back.) I noticed the same helpless feeling mentioned elsewhere here - That moment after pulling the final handle and, having done all I could, just watching the neighbor's backyard pool getting bigger. Cheers, Jon S. (Reporting from the local library while the job search continues...) My only cutaway was on a Wonderhog. It was just before we came up with the hand deploy system (I was working for Booth), so I had TWO PLASTIC RIPCORDS, one for the wrap-around pilot chute on the main and one for the reserve (no handle for 3-Ring, they were just a glimmer in Bills mind at this point, I had 1-Shot Capewells). Pull main, hardest cheapo opening of my life! Look up and several lines over. Throw main ripcord away, pull down one-shots, pull reserve and look over my shoulder. Boy, one ugly mess of 26' white Navy Conical reserve fabric coming off my back followed by lines paying out of the stows (in the container tray, no free bag back then). I couldn't believe how un-orderly it looked, but it opened perfectly. I did a stand-up landing right next to the Z-Hills loft. Didn't start shaking for a couple of hours when I realized I was down to my last chute. I had done two intentional cutaways before that and they really payed off, very smooth. I came back two weeks later with my brand new hand-deploy and brand new Strato-Star which Bill and I had to learn how to pack from the directions and a couple of phone calls since no one had one in Florida yet. You guys with free-bags and square reserves don't know what a mess really looks like :) ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
docjohn 0 #27 January 28, 2005 I've had 4 cutaways in 2600 dives. Each reserve ripcord pull starts with "please please work" followed by and incredible high when you see that awesome reserve above your head. If you want to peek at something you hope to NEVER see above your head, go to skydivingmovies.com, go to the MALFUNCTIONS section and watch UNFALL2.MOV. Its a sickening main/reserve entanglement that I hope to never see first hand. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. Doc http://www.manifestmaster.com/video Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #28 January 28, 2005 QuoteMy only cutaway was on a Wonderhog. It was just before we came up with the hand deploy system (I was working for Booth), so I had TWO PLASTIC RIPCORDS, one for the wrap-around pilot chute on the main and one for the reserve (no handle for 3-Ring, they were just a glimmer in Bills mind at this point, I had 1-Shot Capewells). Haven't seen one of those in a long while. I bet most do not even know what you are referring to. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #29 January 28, 2005 QuoteI have had your variety of low speed partial malfunctions. QuoteI have 130 jumps. If you have had all that happen in just 130 jumps, maybe you should look into a packing class. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #30 January 29, 2005 QuoteQuoteMy only cutaway was on a Wonderhog. It was just before we came up with the hand deploy system (I was working for Booth), so I had TWO PLASTIC RIPCORDS, one for the wrap-around pilot chute on the main and one for the reserve (no handle for 3-Ring, they were just a glimmer in Bills mind at this point, I had 1-Shot Capewells). Haven't seen one of those in a long while. I bet most do not even know what you are referring to. Sparky Yeah, probably right about that. Let's see, if you take the standard pilot chute used in those days (spring loaded, I believe they where MA-12s) and sew a rounded diamond shaped piece of pack material on the cap with a couple of gromments in the ends, you might visualize what it looked like. You'd compress the spring directly on the main container and wrap the ends of the diamonds around the container and under the back pad. There is where the two grommets meet a loop on the underside of the pack. Pull the loop through the gromments and secure with the end of the plastic ripcord. It worked very well and avoided the inherent problems of the internal pilot chutes of the time (I.E. usually involving bungie cords to assist in pack opening, pilot chute having to clear top/bottom/side flaps, etc.). Then one day I'm reading the "Parachute Manual" by Dan Pointer and see a picture of a guy from way back leaving a bi-plane with a pilot chute attached to his helmet?!? I point this out to Bobby Gray and we decide a pilot chute not attached to the container is a cool idea. Eventually Bill comes home and we figure out a way to make a springless pilot chute and come up with a tube on the belly band to hold it. The container is already closed with an elastic loop and a bight of the bridle, so just add some velcro to hold the bridle to the belly band and sew on a flap to cover the pack closure and viola, we have hand-deploy. The rest as they say, is history. Not long after that, we got a report from Casa Grande that a plastic ripcord had broken. Now you would not believe the tests Bill put that stuff through and it is still hard to believe it just broke, but... Bill ordered the alteration of the rig to use a metel housing and standard cable type reserve ripcord right then. He never messed with safety issues, they got his full attention until resolved. When I left Bill Booth's operation to go to work for Bill Buchman, he was just messing around with the 3-Ring stuff, and once again, the rest is history. I consider it an honor to have built the first 100+ Wonderhogs for Bill and to have been able to be involved with his shop which has done so much for the safety of this sport. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scrumpot 1 #31 January 29, 2005 QuoteIf you have had all that happen in just 130 jumps, maybe you should look into a packing class. Shhhhhh.... Sparky, now quit being "disparaging" and "condescending" with your observations like that! Was that called for? coitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
