Tandem passengers and emergency exits

[sebas 0]

I haven been wondering about this a long time and I couldn't come up with an answer for this one:

I always see the tandem passengers being hooked up around 7000 (?) ft and they exit at 9000.

But what happens when the plane gets into an accident and all jumpers have to exit immediately.
Say all this happens at 5000 ft, so no tandem passengers have been hooked and are blocking the exit.

What is the procedure? Can the passengers quickly being hooked and exit?

greetings

Do one thing every day that scares you - Baz Luhrman: The Sunscreen Song

[Hooknswoop 19]

That is why it is better for the tandems to exit last at altitude, not first, at a lower altitude, which is done for purely economical reasons.

In a serious emergency, one upper hook is enough to have attached prior to exit. It doesn't take very long to make one connection. What can take time is trying to force someone out of a plane that isn't ready and still thinks they haven't been hooked up. Fun jumpers making an emergency exit ahead of a tandem give the tandem instructor time to connect both upper connections, maybe the lower two connections, and tell the passenger what they are doing and what they want the passenger to do.

If there is no video person, who is going to open the door?

Tandems out first is a bad idea.

Derek

[slotperfect 7]

My technique:

-My student and I are ready to exit as far as the rig and the passenger harness are concerned. I.E. we are tightened down and ready to go if necessary.
-Our tandems exit at 13000 FT like the rest of the jumpers, and always exit last so they're not in the way (Twin Otter).
-I have had two emergency exits with tandems and was able to get them hooked up very quickly and had loads of time to exit.
-We hook our students up at about 8500 FT AGL (Twin Otter to 13000FT)

I agree with the "one hooked up will do" in theory, but it takes very little time to hook up all four. Those extra seconds may prevent further problems after exit.

Arrive Safely

John

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Especially under an elliptical tandem main. I, like John, have my passenger in the harness, correctly and ready to exit, prior to setting foot on the airplane. In an emergency exit on reserve (anything above 2500 feet in my book), I will hook up the top left snap, grab the passenger around the waist with my right arm, then bail out with my hand on the reserve handle. If I can get two snaps done, great. If I have time to get all four done, even better. If I feel I am high enough and have at least both top snaps done, then I will get out on the main.

I am absolutely NOT a fan of TM's who let their passengers walk out to and get onto the plane with the harness hanging off their ass, only to adjust them into exit condition at "hook up altitude." I, unfortunately, have to see this every single day from the other people who co-habitate my dropzone.

Chuck

[douwanto 22]

My routine is to hook the 2 lowers up at 2500 when the seat belt comes off then at 10.5 I hook the uppers and tighten the lowers. Exit @ 13.5.

Hope this helps

Chris

Uncle/GrandPapa Whit
Unico Rodriguez # 245
Muff Brother # 2421

[sebas 0]

A good thing to read that the passengers can be hooked up quickly.

Then you just have to deal with freaked out passengers
So they aren't much of a problem when they exit first and an emergency exit occurs...
Do TMs instruct their passengers what happens with an emergency or is this considered unnecessary information?

thanks a lot

Do one thing every day that scares you - Baz Luhrman: The Sunscreen Song

[slotperfect 7]

Quote

Do TMs instruct their passengers what happens with an emergency or is this considered unnecessary information?

I don't discuss it. I have a plan, and that plan is in my head as we take off, so I'm ready to handle it - every time.

AFF students are a different story. They have been given specific training on aircraft emergencies. What I do to reinforce that is tell them that if we have an emergency the most important things are to remain calm and do exactly what the instructors say.

Arrive Safely

John

[feuergnom 28]

Quote

I am absolutely NOT a fan of TM's who let their passengers walk out to and get onto the plane with the harness hanging off their ass, only to adjust them into exit condition at "hook up altitude." I, unfortunately, have to see this every single day from the other people who co-habitate my dropzone.

Chuck

WHAT? i can't believe this is true! i've met some TM's with a kinda relaxed attitude but every single one of them is damn sure that their passengers harness is adjusted correctely and exactely in the way they prefer it to be done before boarding.

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[Tonto 1]

I always have the pax ready prior to boarding. (The goggles are around their necks) At our DZ, Tandem exits first cos we have a bench down the side of the porter and its tricky to hook up someone sitting next to you. It's a big door though, and normal jumpers have plenty room to get by.

I must say that below 4000ft, I's probably stay with the kite short of structural failure or fire. I've had 6 aircraft emergencies (Cessna's), only 1 with Tandem. All worked out fine.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[bclark 0]

Quote

My routine is to hook the 2 lowers up at 2500 when the seat belt comes off then at 10.5 I hook the uppers and tighten the lowers. Exit @ 13.5.

Hope this helps

Chris

I also hook up the lowers as soon as the seatbelts come off. I figure in the event of an emergency it will take very little time to hook up the two uppers and snug up the sides. I know the manufacturers say you can go with just one upper, but I think that would be some pretty scary shit.

[wrightskyguy 1]

WHAT? i can't believe this is true! i've met some TM's with a kinda relaxed attitude but every single one of them is damn sure that their passengers harness is adjusted correctely and exactely in the way they prefer it to be done before boarding.


There are a couple of TMs at my dz that do it that way. The laterals are tightened but they leave the uppers loose and don't tighten them up until after they have hooked up. It makes it easy to hook up, especially with big guys. I don't do it that way and wish that they wouldn't.

John Wright

World's most beloved skydiver

[livendive 8]

I've always had both uppers hooked up before the plane even starts to taxi.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[underdog 0]

Quote

I've always had both uppers hooked up before the plane even starts to taxi.

so what happens if the plane crashes on take off and your unconsious or dead? your student has to try and drag you around to get clear of the a/c. what if it's on fire?

just food for thought

[kflying 0]

The plan? Be calm but fun - nothing keeps a tandem student more calm than their instructor seemingly in control and having fun, regardless of what else is happening.

Never have had to do it, but I think about it. A lot depends on the a/c. In a Cessna or a bench seat a/c I like to have the lowers hooked up (Loosely) when the seat belt comes off - student sitting in front of me. If the need arose I would just lean forward and snap the 2 uppers, then exit on main or reserve, depending on the altitude.

Side seats (like an Otter)? That's one of the reason the student is between me and the door. I could turn them and get the uppers while still assesing the situation. Remember, in most twin engine A/C, even if one fan stops turning, another will (usually) keep turning, and rushing things will not help.

Never had to do it as a jumper - but did as a driver of a Beech 18 - now that's another story, but the 4 TI's, 2 video guys and the AFFI and his student did exactly what they had been briefed on - stay silent, stay calm and wait for directions from the pilot. It all worked out.

A male pilot is a confused soul who talks about women when he's flying, and about flying when he's with a woman.