Parachuters ?

[gbb]

Anyone out there can enlighten me and perhaps put my mind at rest....
Work today, there's a parachuting centre maybe 2 or 3 miles away across flat fields. Been a lot of jumpers today but late on I was looking across the fields and saw a group of 6 or so coming down and I said to mu colleague....that doesnt look right. Chute seemed to be flapping vertically, falling vertically and much faster than the rest of them. No drop in speed (it wasnt going super fast but too fast to avoid probable injury I'd have thought) as it neared the ground.

Question...if you were forced to deploy emergency chute, would you jettison ypur main chute...is that what I possibly saw ?

We did ring the centre to tell what we'd seen...I couldnt let it go unsaid in case someone was laid injured in a field. They did mention an emergency chute but the conversation was a bit garbled.

 

[Moon bunny]

It depends, "nothing out" just pull the reserve. Otherwise break or cut away, unless too near to the ground, then it's pull the reserve and hope. Sometimes it is one action to break away and pull the reserve.

 

[Moon bunny]

Scary video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRYa_pXJ_p4

 

[classic33]

You'd have to let the failed chute go before being able to deploy your reserve. Both would get tangled otherwise.
Never had to do it, but I know it's to be done.

I'd also say you did the right thing in phoning the airfield, with what you'd seen.

 

[Levo-Lon]

If its Sibson @gbb there pretty hot on safety and procedures..

 

[dan_bo]

Ive figured out a straightforward way of sidestepping these conundrums....

Stay on the farking ground.

 

[ColinJ]

If its Sibson @gbb there pretty hot on safety and procedures..

Are there some parachuting clubs that are lukewarm on safety and procedures ...?

 

[stephec]

Many years ago I did a few static line jumps.

In training we were told that the parachutes we used were designed so that even if your main chute was open, if you opened the reserve they would fly together.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Are there some parachuting clubs that are lukewarm on safety and procedures ...?

Probably but Sibson is very good..

 

[gbb]

Wimblington, near Chatteris not Sibson.

I often cycle right past Sibson. The blast of exhaust when the aircraft take off right over the road to Wansford is phenomenal...hot and a heavy smell of kerosine.
Once I was riding past and I suddenly heard a distant...WWWWAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAAAY.
Eh ?...I looked round, nothing, I looked up and there he was, floating down.

 

[classic33]

Are there some parachuting clubs that are lukewarm on safety and procedures ...?

I've seen the aftermath of both chutes failing, and then the women going back for her refund as signed on the door. " Free jump(parachute) if your chute fails". Presumably she got two I don't know.

 

[Fnaar]

I parachuted at Sibson three times... 31 years ago

 

[ColinJ]

I've seen the aftermath of both chutes failing, and then the women going back for her refund as signed on the door. " Free jump(parachute) if your chute fails". Presumably she got two I don't know.

!!

 

[classic33]

!!

Sign I believe is standard on all issue counters.
Fair play to her for getting her "refund" though. Can't have been easy, but it was one thing that kept her going.

 

[ufkacbln]

When there is wind and this can affect the drop, there is a need to test for the drift and position the aircraft to optimise the jump. It can also be dropped with the drop to allow alterations whilst dropping

This is a weighted object with a "partial chute" so it descends quicker and spirals.

Has been mistaken before as a failed parachute