what is the proper technique for deploying your pilot chute?

[outofit 0]

i have heard stories of bridles becoming wrapped around a person's arm or leg and i was wondering what the chances r of this occuring and what is the proper technique to avoid such an incident?

It is better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool!

[HRHSkyPrincess 0]

THROW it like you mean it! Then fly it! As the old cliches goes: He/she who hesitates is lost....

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Attitude is everything!

[darkwing 5]

Yes, throw it out. Don't pull it out, hold on to it, then releast. Pull out and throw in one continuous motion.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[CrazyIvan 0]

Grab the handle FEEL it in your hand and then...THROW the puppy out.

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Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[dex 0]

deploy while on your belly and the back of your hand facing the earth. if you throw it with your palm down you can get caught on the bridal if you try hard....

the pilot chute will pull the bridal up towards the sky so make sure your arm is not between the sky and the bridal.

if you are jumping gear with a throw out pilot chute you should have already received practical training on how to throw it if not find someone at your dz who can show you.

[AggieDave 6]

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and the back of your hand facing the earth

That is important.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[andy2 0]

actually, I've been taught something different than throwing the PC out which got me thinking a lot about it. Its more of a placement type thing. Throwing a PC out in 120 mph wind isnt going to do anything greater than placing it in the correct position. Placing the PC in the airstream as far away from your body as possible, however, will provide a cleaner deployment, i.e. less of a possibility to distort your body position, or get wrapped on any part of your body. Comments?

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let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

[PhillyKev 0]

"placing" sounds like holding. If you are holding the hackey and slowly extending your arm (slowly being not as fast as whipping it out) there's a chance the bridal will catch the air, start flapping around, and knot up or wrap around something. I've done recurrency jumps at a few different DZs and one thing they all had me do during the refresher was practice whipping that pc out (thumb toward the rear, palm facing up) and commenting about how important that is.

[Hazarrd 1]

On my 13th or 14th jump I was doing a hop&pop from 3,500 feet. I was stable on exit, but became unstable and on my back after 1-2 seconds. I had to pull because I was at 2,500 (my hard deck) and the pilot chute wrapped around my leg. I shook my foot for a good 3-4 seconds and it finally gave way. Probably shouldn't have tried to shake it off, but I got lucky. Definitely make sure you are stable when pulling, but don't sacrifice the pull for stability.

.-.

[Zenister 0]

i leave it to someone whos better qualified to speak about it, but isnt "placing" your PC in clean air the basic method of deployment for skysurf dives?

i remember watching skysurf students being given extra points for proper 'clean' deployment procedures

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[wrightskyguy 1]

i leave it to someone whos better qualified to speak about it, but isnt "placing" your PC in clean air the basic method of deployment for skysurf dives?


Don't know about skysurfing but "placing" the pilot chute in clean air is what you do with a PUD. As Nancy from Jumpshack once told me, "pull it out and hang it on a hook".

Jump nice
John

John Wright

World's most beloved skydiver

[riggerrob 643]

Sounds like people are getting confused over terminology.
"Throwing" really means getting it out to arm's length as quickly as possible. The more time you waste, the greater the chances of entanglement.

Two factors are important: stable body and palm towards sky.

[FallenAngel 0]

New jumpers get into trouble when they rush pulling the PC. This can cause one of your legs kicking out, body to jerk and spin while your PC catches air, and possibly come between your legs, or cause a nice riser burn on your hand... Don't forget that you are in a stable freefall while grabing your PC and holding your left hand infront of your head. Many new jumpers think if they take too long they will spin out of control. Simulate a PC throw at higher altitudes to see how easy it is to do it in a nice smooth motion an keep a steady body position.

Take Air.

[tbrown 26]

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THROW it like you mean it!

When I came back this year and took my recurrency training, I resorted to an old bad habit of pulling the PC out to arm's length and just letting go of it. My instructor made himself very clear about this, "I want to see that PC bounce off the wall!" - a good 10 ft away. Throw it like it was a grenade with the pin pulled out, only gracefully, of course.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !