Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
I've got some mixed emotions. Someone I know had a bad accident that was completely preventable. She has a broken back and is in the hospital. Naturally I am very glad she is alive and has a positive prognosis to make a nearly full recovery. However, I'm also feeling like she needs a good lecture about making good choice.
There are very specific rules in skydiving, and she continues to break them. From the time I first met her, I had a feeling she was going to get herself or someone else killed. Though it was a serious accident, it didn't come to that thankfully. There were many times through out the accident where a good choice could have prevented it. But the bad choices were made and she is paying a very serious price.
As an inexperienced jumper, who is not licensed to jump with other people, she attempted a jump beyond her skill level with another diver. The rule is everyone needs to be under canopy by 2200 ft. Personally, I pull at 3500 ft, regardless of the fact that I am licensed to pull much lower. But I digress, an AAD (automatic activation devise) measures speed and altitude. If you are still in free fall speed by time you hit the hard deck (1500 ft) it will arm itself and deploy your reserve by 1000 ft. (give or take individual settings) The reason for this, is many parachutes can take up to 1000 ft to open, and when you are that low, getting under canopy successfully might not happen. That's how people die.
These divers sucked their dive low and both of their AAD's deployed. They ended up in a 2 out situation, both the main and reserve parachutes are deployed at the same time.
This situation can be stable, or EXTREMELY unstable. A stable 2 out is called a biplane. Where one canopy flies behind the other. As stable as that situation gets, but gentile corrections and guidance is required to land. The experienced jumper ended up with a biplane. A side by side is where both canopies are quite literally flying beside each other. This is extremely unstable, as the canopies "fight" for position, eventually putting you in a down plane... that is they go to opposite sides of each other and start spinning you straight at the ground. When a 2 out is a side by side, you cut the main away... she didn't. As is the case with the unexperienced jumper, she didn't give herself enough time to react, and didn't react the way she needed to. And now she is in the hospital.
Bad choice, doing a jump beyond her skill level, bad choice ignoring safety regulations regarding pull height, bad choice regarding reaction. One good choice could have changed things dramatically.
Some of my friends are blaming the experienced jumper, as if it's his fault. Though I agree he should have known better, and it's half his fault, she also should have known better and is equally responsible. She has been spoken to repeatedly about the reckless choices she makes and the danger she puts herself and others in. She has been given guidance, correction, and on occasion, been removed from loads. Maybe now she will learn to listen to the people who care about her and understand that they aren't holding her back, but trying to keep her and others safe.
Time will tell I guess
There are very specific rules in skydiving, and she continues to break them. From the time I first met her, I had a feeling she was going to get herself or someone else killed. Though it was a serious accident, it didn't come to that thankfully. There were many times through out the accident where a good choice could have prevented it. But the bad choices were made and she is paying a very serious price.
As an inexperienced jumper, who is not licensed to jump with other people, she attempted a jump beyond her skill level with another diver. The rule is everyone needs to be under canopy by 2200 ft. Personally, I pull at 3500 ft, regardless of the fact that I am licensed to pull much lower. But I digress, an AAD (automatic activation devise) measures speed and altitude. If you are still in free fall speed by time you hit the hard deck (1500 ft) it will arm itself and deploy your reserve by 1000 ft. (give or take individual settings) The reason for this, is many parachutes can take up to 1000 ft to open, and when you are that low, getting under canopy successfully might not happen. That's how people die.
These divers sucked their dive low and both of their AAD's deployed. They ended up in a 2 out situation, both the main and reserve parachutes are deployed at the same time.
This situation can be stable, or EXTREMELY unstable. A stable 2 out is called a biplane. Where one canopy flies behind the other. As stable as that situation gets, but gentile corrections and guidance is required to land. The experienced jumper ended up with a biplane. A side by side is where both canopies are quite literally flying beside each other. This is extremely unstable, as the canopies "fight" for position, eventually putting you in a down plane... that is they go to opposite sides of each other and start spinning you straight at the ground. When a 2 out is a side by side, you cut the main away... she didn't. As is the case with the unexperienced jumper, she didn't give herself enough time to react, and didn't react the way she needed to. And now she is in the hospital.
Bad choice, doing a jump beyond her skill level, bad choice ignoring safety regulations regarding pull height, bad choice regarding reaction. One good choice could have changed things dramatically.
Some of my friends are blaming the experienced jumper, as if it's his fault. Though I agree he should have known better, and it's half his fault, she also should have known better and is equally responsible. She has been spoken to repeatedly about the reckless choices she makes and the danger she puts herself and others in. She has been given guidance, correction, and on occasion, been removed from loads. Maybe now she will learn to listen to the people who care about her and understand that they aren't holding her back, but trying to keep her and others safe.
Time will tell I guess
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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