Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!munnari.oz.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!lance!ptcburp!michi
From: michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au (Michael Henning)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Student in tow (was Re: oops (urban folklore)
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.061241.14360@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au>
Date: 27 Jun 91 06:12:41 GMT
References: <3086.2868B7F8@ehsnet.fidonet.org>
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation
Lines: 43

SKYDIVE@f15.n233.z1.FIDONET.ORG (SKYDIVE) writes:

>Reply-to: Bill.Caefer@p0.f853.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Caefer)
>Fido-To: uiucuxc!cs.utexas.edu!bunda

>>... if the student was out of it, the JM was supposed to do this
>>Rambo imitation, where, with flip-knife firmly gripped between teeth, he
>>would attach a caribiner (sp) to his harnes and the static line, let himself
>>slowly down the static line, grab the student's reserve handle, cut the S/L,
>>pull the reserve, track off and dump himself.  

> U> Sometime in the last couple of years I remember reading about someone
> U> doing a reality check on this strategy, and they decided that it
> U> was unworkable with a Cessna 182, which loses altitude fast with 
> U> anyone (or two) outside the plane on the end of a static line.  

>The reality check story checks out though.  What I heard as the main 
>impediment was the fact that there was no way in hell of sliding down the 
>static line slow enough to keep from seriously hurting one or both 
>participants.
> 

Before I did my first jump, I went to the local library and borrowed
what they had on the subject. I can't remember the title or author, but
one of the books was written by a very experienced British jumper.

He described the student in tow situation in his chapter on emergencies
and mentioned a case where an instructor in England actually *did* have an
unconscious student in tow. He went on to say that the instructor did
climb down the static line, cut it and dumped the student's reserve.
Apparently the student landed still unconscious with only minor injuries.

The author finally mentioned that the instructor was given the St George
medal for bravery for this.

Could someone in Britain maybe check this out ?

							Michi.
-- 
      -m------- Michael Henning			+61 75 950255
    ---mmm----- Pyramid Technology		+61 75 522475 FAX
  -----mmmmm--- Research Park, Bond University	michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au
-------mmmmmmm- Gold Coast, Q 4229, AUSTRALIA	uunet!munnari!ptcburp.oz!michi