Worst place to be a skydiver...

[aj_richo]

Sorry if this has been posted before.. another reason not to jump out of serviceable aircraft!

 

 

Edited to go straight to youtube

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Amazed at how fast this vid has spread. Nothing wrong with jumping out of perfectly serviceable aircraft just the peckerhead driving it is the worry.

 

For those that really don't understand what exactly happened ... yeah the aircraft came really close and missed actual physical contact, The aircraft did cut the 25ft long bridle of the drogue pilot chute in half. This drogue not only helps keep them stable if the student thrashes around like a cut snake, it also keeps them from accelerating into tandem terminal that is around the 200 to 250 mph. The drogue is also a major player for deployment of the main canopy. The tandem master did a fantastic job to really understand what had happened as the aircraft passed. Of course he would have felt the acceleration as the drogue was cut and he went straight into his emergency procedures to deploy the reserve before the speed became critical within several seconds. If the speed increased much above 150mph (normal is 120mph) both physical injury (back/neck) to both the TM and pax and damage to the reserve canopy would have occurred. Luck played a big part as you can see the remains of the drogue bridle dancing with the reserve lines as it deployed. If it half hitched around the lines then it would have been a different outcome. This drop zone apparently uses military pilots and follows a strict safety system. No doubt under review. Beer would have tasted great that night i bet.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

old mate is pointing to the plane saying "check this out"

 

 

[ayavner]

he's so good, she seemed oblivious as to what happened

 

 

[cooperplace]

Amazed at how fast this vid has spread. Nothing wrong with jumping out of perfectly serviceable aircraft just the peckerhead driving it is the worry.For those that really don't understand what exactly happened ... yeah the aircraft came really close and missed actual physical contact, The aircraft did cut the 25ft long bridle of the drogue pilot chute in half. This drogue not only helps keep them stable if the student thrashes around like a cut snake, it also keeps them from accelerating into tandem terminal that is around the 200 to 250 mph. The drogue is also a major player for deployment of the main canopy. The tandem master did a fantastic job to really understand what had happened as the aircraft passed. Of course he would have felt the acceleration as the drogue was cut and he went straight into his emergency procedures to deploy the reserve before the speed became critical within several seconds. If the speed increased much above 150mph (normal is 120mph) both physical injury (back/neck) to both the TM and pax and damage to the reserve canopy would have occurred. Luck played a big part as you can see the remains of the drogue bridle dancing with the reserve lines as it deployed. If it half hitched around the lines then it would have been a different outcome. This drop zone apparently uses military pilots and follows a strict safety system. No doubt under review. Beer would have tasted great that night i bet.

drop zone follows a strict safety system? review indeed needed.

a relative who flew >100 fighter missions over occupied Europe and Germany in WW2 told me that, getting back, "there is no such thing as bad beer"

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

I'd say that the pilot usually swoops by the last tandem out the door but somehow messed up. when the TM was pointing he was expecting the aircraft to be where it was but it closed that last 20/ 30 mts really fast. I was actually thinking that the Pax was pretty aware that it was way to close and that they opened much earlier. she would have been told to expect at least 45 sec of freefall she says to the camera that 'we are safe now' just after they open. She seemed pretty aware.

 

I have videod several hundred tandems and I've seen some scary stuff like drogues wrapped around feet or pax grabbing the TM's hands. And have had the drogue thown in my face after unstable exits. But that was gold.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

always worth a look

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

So not a good idea to manually deploy the main Oz without the drogue to pull it out ?.....is that the story

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Complicated to describe. The drogue bridle consists of a 2 inch hollow nylon tube called a 'snake skin' that has a 1 inch inner bridle running inside it from the crown of the drogue chute to the closing pin of the container. The snake skin is attached to the container via a 3 ring release this 3 ring takes all the load during freefall. When the jumper pulls the handle the 3 ring releases and the snack skin and drogue detach from the container and the drogue collapses and pulls on the inner bridle that pulls the closing pin that opens the container and the drag of the collapsed drogue chute extracts the deployment bag and the opening sequence starts.paying attention class?

 

So when the bridle got cut pulling the handle would have done diddly except maybe allowing the remaining bridle to flap around more. I'm surprised that the pin did not get pulled when it was cut. Looks cleanly sliced in the vid. If the container did open the bag would have just flopped out and be just a mess off lines as several feet of lines payed out. No tension so no deployment. That would have created big problems and would have required pulling the cutaway handle to try and get rid of the whole mess that would have been hard with nothing pulling on the bag. In the meantime tandem terminal is approaching. The whole tandem rig and jumping it is complicated and if you want to understand it go and visit your local DZ and have a look at how they pack and close the rig, ask the packer, they will be more than pleased to explain.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

seemed to deploy ok

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Right action at right time with right bit of luck.

 

Further update: Tandem master quit, pilot whilst mortified still flies there and you can still see the burn mark made be the bridle in the leading edge of wing.

 

 

[ayavner]

Geez, odd timing this video because I had just been recently discussing giving this a go with a friend... doesn't do much for the confidence... i'd have thought the pilot would as a matter of policy stay at altitude and get well away from the area, not plunge straight down through it... are they in that big a hurry to get back?

 

I'll probably still give it a go (maybe)

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thanks for the explanation Oz........got it all.... so some quick and most importantly correct decision making by the tandem master to avoid even more nasty stuff...for those not sure it was the reserve ( emergency) chute that was deployed with the main chute still in its pack on landing......well done that tandem master !........

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Geez, odd timing this video because I had just been recently discussing giving this a go with a friend... doesn't do much for the confidence... i'd have thought the pilot would as a matter of policy stay at altitude and get well away from the area, not plunge straight down through it... are they in that big a hurry to get back?I'll probably still give it a go (maybe)

Don't get too wound up over it, there are probably a couple thousand Tandoooms successfully completed every weekend in Australia alone. Malfunctions are rare but they do happen, that is why regular training of Emergency Procedures, that also include aircraft problems like that experienced in Taupo recently, are conducted. All of your pre jump briefing will be mostly EP's. Personally i do not like tandems they compete for fun jumpers slots on aircraft and i believe that every one should be responsible for pulling their own handles. Go do a first jump AFF course for a few dollars more. More fun and a greater feeling of achievement.

 

As for the decent of the aircraft they don't usually go anywhere near the jumpers but as usual pilots can get carried away. Yes they have to get down as quick as the aircraft allows, time is money and jumpers are waiting for the next load. Waste a few minutes each load and it cuts in to the days total loads. Charging 400 plus a tandem 5 per load it adds up to a huge lose at the end of the day. Our Porter would land load and be going back through a thousand feet before the last tandem landed and did it easily.

 

 

[ayavner]

I actually think that is something I'd like to do one day, at least for a little while. I am sure there is a great deal of competition and networking involved, but I think it'd be great fun to fly the jump plane one day. Going to work on my CPL soon, but not in a huge hurry... just enjoying the freedom i have for now :-)

 

Oz, i didn't know there was such a thing, I thought for some reason you always had to go tandem until you logged a certain number of jumps. I have no basis for that other than assumption... That's cool, thanks :-)

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Go for a run to the Picton DZ. Talk to Phil Onis. Ask what he requires for his aircraft. you will have to do the APF jump pilot course. Regs say around 100hrs in command but insurance companies call the shots on min hours. Phil also has a hanger on Tower rd Bankstown. Once you have a few hours and done a few jumps you can travel the world going from DZ to Dz nice lifestyle.