Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!eng.ufl.edu!gnarley.eng.ufl.edu!esj
From: esj@gnarley.eng.ufl.edu (Eric S. Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: my first reserve ride (don't try this at home!!)
Message-ID: <1991May24.131353.29231@eng.ufl.edu>
Date: 24 May 91 13:13:53 GMT
References: <1991May22.195426.17798@ge-dab.GE.COM>
Sender: news@eng.ufl.edu
Reply-To: esj@gnarley.eng.ufl.edu (Eric S. Johnson)
Organization: U of Florida Engineering Comuputing Services
Lines: 29

In article <1991May22.195426.17798@ge-dab.GE.COM> coleman@sunny.dab.ge.com (Richard Coleman) writes:
>Well, I got my first reserve ride this weekend.  ...
>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.  ... Well, guess what,  when it was
>pull time I couldn't find my ripcord.  I tried 3 times, then popped
>the reserve 

This must be more common then I would have thought. Back in march I 
watched a friend (and recent AFF graduate) dump a reserve somewhere 
under 1000'. She was using rented gear and had the exact same problem
you did, she couldn't find the throw out. It scared the shit out of everyone
who was watching. She was pretty shaken up too. The rig had a altimeter
mounted on the harness right above the cutaway, and this blocked her view
of the throw out pocket. And she spent to much time trying to find it.

The moral is to be familer with the gear you are using. Know by feel 
where your throw out, cutaway, and reserve handles are. 

Ej
a-12472

P.S.

Two weeks ago, same friend had a hard time getting the throw out 
out of the pocket.. (again rented gear, but different rented gear)
Didn't muck around this time. After two unsuccessfull pulls she dumped 
the reserve. Had it open nearly before I had my main open ;-)
A lesson learned I would say.