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Posting-Version: notesfiles - hp 1.2 08/01/83; site hp-pcd.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!hp-pcd!kas
From: kas@hp-pcd.UUCP (kas)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive
Subject: Re: Engine failure on t/o (e.g. Caravan)
Message-ID: <41800047@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 20:39:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hpcvlo.41800047
Posted: Mon Nov  4 20:39:00 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Nov-85 05:04:16 EST
References: <476@spice.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 67
Nf-ID: #R:spice:-47600:hpcvlo:41800047:000:4503
Nf-From: hpcvlo!kas    Nov  4 17:39:00 1985



	I believe Dean has made some extremely insightful (is that a word?)
points.  Although nobody will ever know, I'd bet anything that the pilot was
not able to control the Caravan because of a mass shift to the rear of the
plane.  We already know that that is what happened to the Loadstar.  It had too
many bodies bunched up in the rear, and when it stalled it was too tailheavy
for the pilot to regain control--even after several of the jumpers got out
and lightened the load.  Deans' suggestions belie his relative newness to the
sport.  I think it would be a good idea to have a standard procedure worked 
out that would give the pilot a fighting chance to save the plane and some 
lives.  The key point is BALANCE.  If too much weight gets too far back, the
plane ain't gonna fly.  For that reason, the ONLY time anyone should be at the
rear of the plane is when they are lining up at the door.  If it's a big plane
and is dropping more than one group, those that aren't exiting should be 
scrunched up as far forward as possible to help offset the mass of bodies that
is bunched up at the rear door.  Don't move rearward until the first group
is gone.  In the case of aircraft problems, regardless of altitude, Deans'
suggestions of keeping everybody forward probably IS the best solution.  The
pilots' first priority is to get the plane into a stable glide, then and only
then can the jumpers exit in an orderly (but hastily) manner, if altitude
permits.
	OK, now some comments about cutting away T-10's.  I was taught the
same philosophy as Dean -- that is, "Something over my head is better than
nothing, so don't cut away until the reserve is hand deployed".  With a pilot
chute-less reserve, it is generally possible to hand deploy alongside a T-10
with no problem.  BUT, there are a couple of exceptions.  If the 'functioned
main is spinning wildly, a cutaway IS necessary because the reserve will wrap
around it like a barber pole if you don't.  A slowly spinning 'function need
not be cut away first, as long as the reserve is thrown in the direction of 
spin.  The other situation where a cutaway is mandatory is when the canopy
is snagged on the airplane.  Fortunately, this rarely happens, but I did see
it happen once.  The jumper in tow MUST MUST MUST cutaway before dumping the
reserve, otherwise all hell will break loose.  Therefore, it is MANDATORY 
that all jumpers know where those capewells are, and how to use them.  Also,
high wind, water, or tree landings may require releasing the capewells.
	With a high speed malfunction, such as a streamer, the reserve should
be thrown with both hands as hard as possible away from you.  Never throw it
straight down, or it will rise up and wrap around you.  You want to get it as
far out as possible so that it won't rise up into the main, either.  With a
slow malfunction such as a Mae West, the skirt of the reserve canopy should be 
grasped with both hands and snapped in the breeze like a bedsheet.  This will
ensure that the canopy is "big" enough that it won't rise into the main when
you let go.  The reserve is always packed so that the skirt is on the right
end of the container, just under the ripcord handle, so you'll always know
where it is.  I know this method works, 'cause I've had to employ it.
	A word of caution though.  Presumably, since you've made over 20 jumps,
you will be buying your own gear soon.  When you "graduate" to the more hi-tech
gear, you will HAVE to cutaway a bad main.  Thus, when you make that step into
more modern gear, get EXTENSIVE training on cutaway procedures, until you can
do it in your sleep.  I don't just mean have someone TELL you how to do it, I
mean DO IT many times from a suspended harness.  You CANNOT hand deploy a
reserve safely if your main is a garbaged PC or Square canopy.  Besides, you'll
probably have a piggyback rig, so you can't reach the reserve anyway.  Ideally,
you should buy a rig that has single point release (i.e., 3-ring release) which
requires a single motion to accomplish a cutaway.  If you buy an older rig for
your first rig, make sure it at least has the 1-1/2 shot capewells.  They can
be safely cutaway, (they were used successfully for years), but they aren't as
fast as a 3-ring release system.

             *
            / \
       |---/---\---|            Ken Scofield    C-9355
       |   Gone    |            Hewlett-Packard PCD
       |  Jumpin'  |            Corvallis, OR
       |-----------|
			{ucbvax!hplabs, harpo, ogcvax}!hp-pcd!kas