Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP 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