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From: michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au (Michael Henning)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: malfunctions
Message-ID: <232@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au>
Date: 3 Dec 90 23:23:17 GMT
References: <3812@mindlink.UUCP> <2524@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> <8412@adobe.UUCP> <2609@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> <224@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au> <8775@adobe.UUCP>
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation
Lines: 54

jackson@adobe.COM (Curtis Jackson) writes:

>In article <224@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au> michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au (Michael Henning) writes:
>}At least for straightforward malfunctions, such as bag lock, line over,
>}pilot chute in tow and streamer, I think the best thing is to count to six,
>}and if it isn't flying by then, go for the cutaway and the reserve handle. 

>Count to six.  Tres scientifico.  Sorry to be so sarcastic, but the
>key is not "count to" anything, it is altitude.  When I was taught,
>it was drilled, beaten, and drummed into me that my first, best,
>and last defense against death was altitude awareness.  That's why
>the BSRs say "decide to cutaway by 1800, cutaway by 1600" and not
>"count to six before you cutaway".

I have to agree, of course. The above assumed that you dumped at 2500 ft,
and a count of six (at least if you count at "normal" speed) makes it six
seconds, or about 1200 ft of descent at terminal velocity. Of course,
if you didn't get around to dumping until 1200 ft, counting to six would
probably be a bad idea :-)

>}around limbs are probably the most critical ones. The question is, if you
>}*do* find yourself in such a situation, does thinking about the problem
>}and trying to find a better course of action actually improve your chances ?
>}Are you not much more likely to make matters worse by losing time ?
>}How experienced does a jumper have to be before an instructor can safely
>}suggest alternatives ?

>I don't know about Bob, but I was speaking personally when saying that
>absolutes are bad.  I happen to know from many occasions, very few of
>them in skydiving, that when things get bad really fast my brain goes
>into overdrive -- it's like everything is happening in slow motion.

Yes, that may be so for you, but I do not think it generalizes to the
average jumper. For inexperienced skydivers, in particular, a simple rule
to stick with seems to be a lot safer than trying to decide on a course of
action whilst the malfunction is happening.

The point I was trying to make was that alternatives are certainly possible,
and they may save your life where a normal cutaway would have killed you,
but these alternatives are hard to teach, and certainly not student material.

>Enough babbling:  I feel that the 1st defense is altitude awareness,
>the 2nd defense is a thoroughly internalized set of emergency
>procedures, and trying to think about the situation a lot is an
>often-worthy, if 3rd-class, level of defense.

Agreed, no argument.

						Michi.
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