I had a cut away last week on my 175th. I just want to say thank you. This was the second time I have flown my raven II. Both times it has opened smoothly, on heading, and it has flown without a flaw. My first cutaway was on my 53rd jump, and as you can imagine, the procedure was scary since it was after a two year vacation from the sport, and I had only made one other jump before the broken lines that made me chop my main. Even though I had a tiptoe landing, and I kept my handles, my teeth marks in the cutaway pad, that are still visible today, remind me of that horrified feeling I had when my tense hands ripped red and pushed silver. When I landed, I bummed a cigarette from my Aff level 1 instructor even though I hadn't smoked for 3 months, and I took to the bar where four tall rum and cokes settled my shaking hands.
I have been packing my own main for about 20 jumps now. You can imagine how bummed I was when I was spinning hard after opening. When I was under my all white raven reserve at 1800 feet, my packing confidence fell away with my main and toppled to the dry dessert grass about a mile from the runway. I found my main, but I didn't know if I could locate the confidence to pack my parachute and be comfortable jumping my next pack job. After landing I checked my main with Greg, a friend and a school packer. One Brake was unstowed. I tried to correct the spin with my rear risers. All I had to do was grab my brakes. That's it!!! The cutaway did not need to happen. My main was trying to save my life, but I stowed my brake wrong and I was in the red. I lived right? ya, but I had to test your product again. Like I said it past with flying colors, but like most skydivers I do not like testing my reserve. Thanks precision aerodynamics for saving an idiot like me.
