Against All Odds
When my parachute opened on my last skydive everything worked as planned. I piloted the canopy safely to the ground and tip toe landed in the grass landing field at Skydive Perris, California.
I gathered up the parachute.
As I collected the suspension lines into my hand the slider slipped from the steering toggles to the parachute. I flung the parachute over my shoulder. Walking across the runway to the packing area I looked up and down the asphalt and into the sky at both ends. No aircraft was approaching.
In the packing area I dropped the parachute onto the packing mat and stretched out the suspension lines. Unlatching the chest strap and leg strap buckles of my harness I stepped out of the rig and placed it carefully on the ground.
For comfort and dexterity I removed my helmet, goggles, earplugs and gloves. I knelt over the rig. Pulling up the two steering lines I set the brakes and stowed them in their keepers. Setting the brakes slows the initial opened parachute speed by half. This reduces the tendency of the parachute to surge forward.
With a little grunt, because I am 69, I stood and picked up the suspension line risers, placed fingers in between the lines and walked my hands up to the parachute. The lines were straight and parallel. As I lifted slightly, the parachute swung around to its correct, forward facing orientation and I shook it side to side freeing the fabric from binding folds.
This parachute is equipped with a retractable pilot chute. It will collapse in flight to reduce drag. The pilot chute MUST be cocked or it will likely malfunction. I cocked the pilot chute.
Packing the parachute was accomplished with the following steps:
Flake the fabric pleats.
Make the slider symmetrical.
Count out the air intake cells on both sides of center, stacking them in order.
Wrap the tail around the body of the canopy.
Stretch out the parachute on the ground.
Squeeze the air out of the parachute.
“S” fold the fabric so it will fit into the deployment bag.
Push and shove the folded parachute into the bag.
Stow the lines with rubber bands onto the bag, securing the parachute inside.
Place the bag in the rig.
Route the parachute risers and steering toggles over the shoulder straps of the rig and close the protective flaps over them.
Criss cross the container flaps over the bag with a pull-up cord and closing loop.
Secure the pilot chute bridle pin into the closing loop.
Route the pilot chute bridle under the flaps.
Fold the excess bridle into the pilot chute.
Insert the pilot chute into the BOC (Bottom Of Container) pocket assuring that the deployment handle is visible and accessible.
All these packing steps are critical and take about 15 minutes.
They must be done in the exact opposite order of the parachute opening sequence.
The failure of any step could result in a total malfunction.
I am on my next skydive.
Before boarding I checked pins, buckles, routing and accessories.
We just completed a fun 16 person freefall.
At break off my audio altimeter sounds.
I am tracking away from everyone, flying my body at 120 miles per hour.
I stop my track at 3500 feet above the ground.
I wave my hands over my head in a warning signal, then reach back to the BOC.
I grasp the pilot chute handle, pull it out of its pocket and throw it into the wind.
In the next 3 seconds the following happens:
The pilot chute catches air, snaps open, yanks out the closing pin and snatches the deployment bag out of rig container.
The pilot chute holds as my body continues at 120 miles per hour.
Suspension lines pop loose from the rubber band stows.
Lines stretch taunt, fully extracting the parachute and collapsing the pilot chute.
Air rushes into the nose of the parachute inflating its rectangular shape.
As lines separate, the slider rushes down the lines slowing the parachute opening.
With a “POP,” the parachute is fully open, on heading with no twists in the lines.
I reach up, unstow my brakes and steer the parachute to the ground.
A soft tip toe landing occurs against all odds.
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