Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!risky.ecs.umass.edu!umaecs!robbins
From: robbins@ecs.umass.edu
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: my first reserve ride (don't try this at home!!)
Message-ID: <13806.283bc58c@ecs.umass.edu>
Date: 23 May 91 13:37:16 GMT
References: <1991May22.195426.17798@ge-dab.GE.COM>
Lines: 47

In article <1991May22.195426.17798@ge-dab.GE.COM>, coleman@sundae10.DAB.GE.COM (Richard Coleman) writes:
> Well, I got my first reserve ride this weekend.  I thought I would
> bare my soul for some net-wisdom.  I have 16 jumps (8 using hand-deploy).
> I was using a different rig than what I had been using in the past, and
> it had the pilot chute in a *slightly* different place than what I had
> been using.  For some reason (probably stupidity) I did not do any
> practice rip-cord pulls on this jump.  Well, guess what,  when it was
> pull time I couldn't find my ripcord. 


This sounds like another case I encountered at Turners Falls in Ma.
That case didnt have a happy ending.  Mitch was using a "new" used 
rig.  He also was pulling on a piece of webbing.  Pulled on it all
the way to the ground....


The point for instructors:  Teach them to LOOK at evrything they touch.
Dummy rip cord pulls?   LOOK    Reach    Pull.   
Practice emergencies in the harness in the classroom... LOOK at cutaway
reach for cutaway   LOOK for reserve rip cord   reach for reserve
rip cord.  

Oh well, Its always good to hear about people who live to learn!


                                            Fun Jumping

                                                  Steve





 I tried 3 times, then popped
> the reserve (my first time doing this).  Boy was I in for a surprise.
> It came out so hard, it about knocked me out.  Now, I have to go to
> the chiropractor every day for the next 2 weeks because of whiplash.
> It's funny how something as simple as finding your ripcord can become
> a problem when you can't spare the time to think about it.  Has anybody
> else every had this problem?  Of course, from now on,  I will make sure
> to do practice ripcord pulls.  I now understand why they make you do
> so many of these during AFF training!!
> -- 
> Richard Coleman
> GE Aerospace
> Simulation & Control Systems Dept.
> coleman@sunny.dab.ge.com