sunday cutaway

[Staso 0]

got my first cutaway yesterday. well, unintentional first, since i got
intentional cutaway 3 months ago.

jump number 413. speed dive, usual training. broke off at 5K, got flat,
slowed down and pulled. usual opening. opened my visor (Z1), loosened
my chest strap and collapsed my slider. released my breaks and started
spinning right away. i saw there was some knot on my right break line
and the line stuck on my toggle. didn't try much to fix it, since double
gloves are not big help and i was in the spin. so i said "f$%k it" and
just chopped. i had to use to hands to pull cutaway handle since velcro held
it pretty tight. i actually pulled top of the pillow and then got my
thumb between cables and harness and pulled it all together.

it took me probably 3 seconds to find my reserve handle since i let it go
when i used to hands to cut. since my chest strap was loosen all the way
i couldn't locate reserve right away. funny, while feeling for reserve handle
i was thinking "damn, i'm gonna find and pull it, but i'm so glad i had
cypress". and now i think it's good idea to loosen the chest strap last.

thanks to the good spot, everything landed right next to the landing zone.
on the ground it turned out that top of the toggle was too deep in the line
loop and loop was actually below the grommet. with some tension after opening
it got pretty tight. afterwards i was thinking that i could've spent more
time trying to fix it but i kept thinking while dealing with it that that was
exactly how people get killed - trying to fix small things too long. another
thing is that i don't have visual altimeter - i have two pro-dytter in my
helmet and pro-track on my harness. so i wasn't really keen judging my
altitude visually and while in spin. i turned out that i opened about 2.5
and was under reserve around 1.5.

my main canopy is icarus safire2-149 (wing load - 1.4), reserve - PD-143
(wing load - 1.46). very easy and soft landing. got beer for everybody at
dz and huge absolute bottle for my rigger. thanks Brian !

the lesson - pay more attention to breaks stowing.

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[diverdriver 5]

Quote

i had to use to hands to pull cutaway handle since velcro held
it pretty tight. i actually pulled top of the pillow and then got my
thumb between cables and harness and pulled it all together.

That's why it is best to peel the cutaway handle UP first. Then pull down to cutaway. Just trying to pull across the velcro is the hardest thing. Guys have the upper body strength to overcome it usually. Some female jumpers end up spending valuable time trying the cutaway the hard way.

Chris Schindler

[Staso 0]

Quote

That's why it is best to peel the cutaway handle UP first. Then pull down to cutaway. Just trying to pull across the velcro is the hardest thing. Guys have the upper body strength to overcome it usually. Some female jumpers end up spending valuable time trying the cutaway the hard way.

Chris Schindler

totally agree, it was my mistake. and i glad that i do weight lifting three days a week :)

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[billvon 2,990]

>the lesson - pay more attention to breaks stowing.

Some other lessons that might be learned from this:

-One hand per handle procedures have some risk to them; specifically, if you have to use two hands on the cutaway handle, you have put yourself in a situation you haven't trained for.

-RSL's can help when the shit hits the fan.

[Staso 0]

Quote

-RSL's can help when the shit hits the fan.

i don't know about RSL for speed skydiving. if i have (knock-knock on the wood)
premature deployment and RSL is hooked up, i'm not sure what would happen
when my main blows up at high speed.

but definetely RSL has it's own advantages.

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[JDBoston 0]

Good job, Stan! I was actually thinking about coming out there on Sunday, but decided I was way too hungover and it was cold also. Too bad, I guess I missed the excitement. Anyway, glad you're OK and here's hoping it's a long time 'til the next one!

Joe

[Staso 0]

Quote

Good job, Stan! I was actually thinking about coming out there on Sunday, but decided I was way too hungover and it was cold also.
Joe

thanks. come to thanksgiving boogie! find tall russian dude and tell him you're from dz.com :)

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[weegegirl 2]

Chris -

Thanks for pointing this out. I haven't had a cutaway yet, but when I do, this will be great knowledge to have. I never really thought about it that way before. That should be mentioned in FJC.

-Liz

[Luminous 0]

Quote

if i have (knock-knock on the wood)
premature deployment and RSL is hooked up, i'm not sure what would happen
when my main blows up at high speed.

Probably nothing since it's attached to the main riser, and designed to pull the reserve pin as the riser departs when the cutaway handle is pulled.

"Probably nothing" refers to the rsl & reserve deployment, blowing up main at high speed is probably going to hurt a LOT! So don't do it.

Glad your here to tell us about this. and KUDOS to you for buying your beer.
BSBD

'In an insane society a sane person seems insane.' Mr. Spock

[CanEHdian 0]

Quote

it took me probably 3 seconds to find my reserve handle since i let it go
when i used to hands to cut. since my chest strap was loosen all the way
i couldn't locate reserve right away. funny, while feeling for reserve handle
i was thinking "damn, i'm gonna find and pull it, but i'm so glad i had
cypress". and now i think it's good idea to loosen the chest strap last.

Been wondering about this quite a bit.... having to do emerg proc AFTER loosening the chest strap.

Loosening it last has issues as well...

Would the more experienced care to recommend the safest order of steps?

Cheers,
CanEHdian

Time's flying, and so am I...
(69-way, 108-way and 138/142-way Freefly World Records)

[bobsoutar 0]

Check for other traffic and steer away using rear risers if necessary. Get onto correct heading. Collapse slider and pull down past brakes. Loosen chest strap. Release brakes and fly home.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"i don't know about RSL for speed skydiving. if i have (knock-knock on the wood)
premature deployment and RSL is hooked up, i'm not sure what would happen
when my main blows up at high speed. "

I don't want to hi-jack the thread on yet another RSL debate, however.....

If I had an RSL on my rig, I would want it hooked up for speed, the fear being that the lanyard could work loose, and either beat you about the face, or worse, cause a prem. deployment of the reserve.....
But I removed my RSL for other reasons....camera flying being the main one.....

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[skyflybabe 0]

I had my first cutaway last week (2nd reserve ride but last time it was a complete total...another story!).
This time the canopy came out a bit wishy-washy and when it inflated it started turning and was getting faster etc so I carried out my reserve drills. I remembered to 'peel' the cutaway pad before pulling it and I must say that both handles were very easy for me to pull. I think it would have been very hard to pull the cutaway pad without peeling it first, but I remembered a friend of mine having a problem before due to not peeling it, so luckily I stuck to the drills they drum into us as students!
Then whilst under my reserve (which was perfect - a decelerator 120) I was trying to think of what might have caused the problem with the rotating main (which incidently looked ok!)...then it suddenly dawned on me...it must have been a brake fire!(When I recovered the canopy, this appeared to be what had happened) Now I felt a bit of an idiot for not taking my brakes off and finding out if I could control it first!
Although everyone said I had done the right thing, if I had spent a couple seconds (I opened at 3K on a fun hop and pop lift) doing the 'control checks' that we learn - can you control it? Can you land it? then I might have avoided an unnecessary cutaway.
It goes to show that even with over 1000 jumps under my belt, we sometimes forget the basics...still all was ok and I am here to tell the tale!

[Staso 0]

Quote

If I had an RSL on my rig, I would want it hooked up for speed, the fear being that the lanyard could work loose, and either beat you about the face, or worse, cause a prem. deployment of the reserve.....

you mean you would NOT want it hooked up for speed, right ?

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[Staso 0]

Quote

Check for other traffic and steer away using rear risers if necessary. Get onto correct heading. Collapse slider and pull down past brakes. Loosen chest strap. Release brakes and fly home.

that's what happend. i loosened it before releasing my brakes, then i after i released the breaks
i had to cutaway with my chest strap very loose. now i think i would release my breaks first and then
loosen the chest strap.

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[bobsoutar 0]

You can do but I don't like the idea of being on full drive and then having to let go of the toggles to loosen a chest strap. Probably better to loosen first and then pay plenty of attention to what's happening when you release the brakes.