should i watch my PC on deployment?

[Newbie 0]

i was wondering the other day if anyone does this (i.e. at pulltime)

I was taught by my AFF instructor to look to the right to make sure the PC actually has "launched" (i guess so i can make sure it hasn't entangled/got hung up/caught in a burble/actually come out from the BOC) but i've realised since then (not THAT long ago, but about 50 jumps back) i've stopped doing this when i deploy.

Just wondering if anyone does this, if it's good practice, bad practice etc. The reason i ask is because if it's good practice, obviously i want to start getting in the habit of doing it again. My only concern was doing this with a camera - does it make any difference if you cock you head to one side when you deploy? (i'm thinking small PC style side mount). I'm a fair few jumps off using a camera, but just thought i would check now before i got into a habit that i would then potentially have to try and break at a later stage.

Thanks

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I never look over my shoulder on deployment, hell I don't even look at the canopy until I'm slowed right down. I keep my arms out and eyes on the horizon - helps a lot to keep my canopy on heading I find.

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[Faber 0]

i normaly dont look after it.If it dont work then have a look,it then migth got courgth on the buble and will then when you look get free.
Its a bad habit to look after it if you want to fly camera later i think..

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[LouDiamond 1]

The reason you were taught to look over your right shoulder was not to try and look at your PC but to help your pilot chute catch air in the event that is was caught in your burble. Most camera flyers will tuck their chin to their chest , depends how much camera your flying and the setup but as a rule of thumb, thats what works.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
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[riggerrob 643]

I used to watch my pilotchute, but that was back in the days of 4-pin ripcords and spring-loaded pilotchutes.

The last time I watched my pilotchute, my Diablo spun up so bad that I had to cut it away.

The last time I looked to the side while wearing a camera helmet, my neck hurt for the rest of the week.

Conclusion: watching pilotchutes is old school. Modern skydivers keep their heads straight ahead while opening.

[mustard 0]

Quote

Just wondering if anyone does this, if it's good practice, bad practice etc. The reason i ask is because if it's good practice, obviously i want to start getting in the habit of doing it again.

Well, most of us have developed some kind of habit after deployment. I pitch, then wait for the familiar feeling of liftoff and the line stretch. As line stretch is happening, I usually look up, rather than over my shoulder. Looking over the shoulder can cause your body to tilt to one side or the other. Camerapersons would never do this. Most look at the horizon while waiting for the familiar feeling.

If they don't happen, if I've pitched into my burble, the first thing I do is look over my shoulder. If nothing happens and my hands go to my handles, then I change my body position and the PC catches air. I've done this maybe 3-4 times in 3000 jumps. Lazy throw, nothing happens, I freak out and do one of the above.

But getting back to your question, I wouldn't recommend getting in the habit of looking over your shoulder. Best is to look at the horizon and count. We tell students to look over their shoulder to give them a chance to clear the burble before going to EPs.

***
DJan

[fudd 0]

Don't look after it. I used to do it, but it's a bad habit. After I stopped, and rather looked straight forward my opening improved.
It's impossible to watch the pc and still have a good body posistion during deployment.

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[AndyMan 7]

On a high performance canopy, turning your head on deployment will ofset your body position, and possibly cause a spinning malfunction.

On high performance canopies it is critical to have a stable body position at pull time.

But... since you're not jumping a high performance canopy, listen to your instructor. He's telling you to turn your head to CAUSE you to go just slightly unstable - this will help a pilot-chute that's stuck in your burble.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[billvon 2,991]

>I was taught by my AFF instructor to look to the right to make sure the PC actually has "launched" . . .


We teach to pull, count to five, then check. That way a PC-in-burble will clear, and you can see what's going on if you have a PC in tow or something. I can see two reasons for not checking immediately:

1. it causes you to drop a shoulder, leading to line twist on opening

2. if you have a hard opening, it will be that much more painful with your head to the side.

[miniFly 0]

Not sure if this is the problem but I been noticing that since I don't look back anymore my linetwist problems have stopped, what I do now is count 1-2-3-4 not under canopy = problem

Would this be a good approach?

[riddler 0]

Quote

2. if you have a hard opening, it will be that much more painful with your head to the side.

This is a lot of the reason I don't think it's a good idea - opening shock can easily cause whiplash. I don't even think it's a good thing to teach students. I see students taught to immediately look over both shoulders after deployment, which is exactly the time when a normal sequence will deploy and cause your head to bounce up and down.

Now, if you are looking straight forward, your head can get jerked down, then up, then down. This can cause whiplash if it's hard. However, if you are looking to the side, and your head gets snapped down, then up, that will likely cause a minor neck injury (muscle strain) at least, and could easily cause a major neck injury if it's violent.

Your head is certainly capable of turning to the side and bending over (like putting your ear towards your chest), but your neck muscles are not designed to do that with much strength, and they will be damaged if they take a hard snap in this direction.

I learn these things because my g/f is a massage therapist . Getting whiplash while looking to the side is absolutely the worst type of whiplash you can get, and it's the sort of thing that many people never recover from.

Personally, I look straight ahead, shrug my shoulders (to minimize side-to-side motion of my neck), push my arms down about 6 inches (to slow down a bit) and wait for deployment. If nothing happens after 5 seconds, I am going for emergency procedures. Yes, the P/C might be in my burble (due to my own bad throwout), but I'm not wasting time figuring out what went wrong, considering I am probably under 2,000 feet already. It may not be the best set of plans, but it's what I do.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[stuartjl 0]

I started to have problems with off-heading openings and the canopy doing lots of unpredictable things. I realised that it was because i was looking up at the canopy opening far too early. When i went back to a totally controlled, horizon-gazing position the problem vanished. I also recommend a haky-sack throw out as I understand it reduces burble due to the fact it can be thrown further out (i previously had a soft handle- totally crap!)

[Mad47 0]

I like to watch it since turning your head helps to clear up the burble (as was already discussed). It is also nice to know that PC is not towing and the bag left the container next second after you pitch. I also believe that head up body position lessens the chances of neck injuries if your canopy opens fast. Of course, it is important to maintain symmetrical position of the rest of your body in order to prevent line twists and other unpleasant consequences of bad body position.

[sundevil777 102]

I also like to watch it long enough to know the bag is on its way up, then turn my head back straight.

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

[nightjumps 1]

Like LouDiamond says, "you were taught to look to get your P/C outta the burble. Over time, you will quit looking.

As DJan says, I have the "feeling" as to what's going on (a developed sense), I still have the habit of pitching the P/C and counting. I know how long the canopy takes. If I pass my four thousand count and am not sitting up right, I know something is wrong and its hands on handles time.