The Bailout Decision

[Exadios]

The Bailout Decision-Are You Ready?

[facthunter]

Good article. Nev

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Great stuff....big lesson here is practise the actions and become familiar with the gear before you need it.

 

The 'shock' factor that is referred to is real and always there, no matter what experience you may have. There is always the immediate disbelief, which can absorb several valuable seconds, that you may or may not have.

 

When skydiving in the 70s with the gear of the day, we generally expected one serious malfunction in a 100 jumps, as an average.

 

I had about 8 cutaways followed by reserve deployments, (in 1500 jumps) but only 4-5 of those were unplanned, due to the fact that I was also involved in test jumping of new equipment, which often didn't go as expected.

 

The way we learnt to to take care of the shock factor was to straight away say "oh shxx!". Once that was out of the way, it was then down to the serious business of doing what needed to be done. Focusing on the rapidly approaching planet below had to be avoided at all cost, as it would be a major distraction. Rather we practise 'getting in a cacoon' of the immediate area around us, (nothing else mattered) and taking care of business correctly. It always worked for me !!.............................................................Maj...

 

 

[Yenn]

I thought the article was going to be about Greece.

 

 

[facthunter]

They were using "golden" parachutes. Nev

 

 

[eightyknots]

The Bailout Decision-Are You Ready?

Great read, good life saving story. Best of all, the lessons to be ready. Thanks for sharing Exadios. This is very FUL.

 

Also some good follow-up comments, Maj, especially the matter of not focussing on the fast-approaching Earth.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Major you mentioned about all the malfuctions you had test jumping. (i think back then with all the rapid progrees going on at the time we all did a bit of test jumping). Here is an image of the equipment they use now for testing main canopies. Notice all the hard ware. The test main canopy has normal modern 3 ring circus quick release to get rid of it if needed. The reserve a normal set up except it to has it's own three ring circus to get rid of it if it becomes entangled in any way. The jumper also has a front mounted 'tesh', a second reserve that is also fitted with a modified Cypress auto opener