[rfh12345]

I have seen a bunch of deployments online & saw 1 in person. Basically the glider breaks and the laundry is tossed. Sometimes it goes great, sometimes it tangles up in the mess, sometimes it opens partially or not at all because it got tangled in the mess. Occasionally it opens well, but as the glider spins, which they seem to do a lot, the lines twist up and the chute gets smaller and smaller until it isn't effective at all.

Anyway, I just watched a deployment on YouTube where the glider snapped and within about 3 seconds the guy cut away from his glider, did a short freefall, (possibly to distance himself from the wreckage) THEN threw his chute. He came down so slow he likely landed on his feet and walked away.

It got me wondering if that might be the way to do it? I would think if you have some altitude, aside from a tumble, it shouldn't be TOO difficult to cut away before throwing your chute. The guy in the video did it and made it look easy. Then you have a clean deployment and a soft landing, providing you don't drift into high tension lines. I have no idea. For the majority of deployments the pilot might be totally freaked, spinning wildly, and just wanting to get his chute thrown. Sad to say, I haven't practiced deploying with people spinning me around on a simulator

Any thoughts?

PS. The deployment I saw ended almost without a scratch, (I think his calf got "A" scratch) The glider was on tow, down low, (500'?) and snapped in half. The laundry was thrown almost instantly, followed by a pretty loud "POP" as it fully inflated. He drifted over a small residential area, went through some trees, (which helped bring the fall to a stop just before reaching the ground) and walked away. (I am constantly amazed at how lucky the vast majority of us seem to be when bad things happen.) I never found out exactly why the glider broke.

PPS. That was the FIRST time my wife had ever come with me. It was a fly-in type thing. I had to convince her that what she saw was rare and hardly ever happened. I guess she believed me because she did an aerotow tandem on our next visit.

[Spark]

Hey RFH,

The 'paraswivel' was designed to mitigate the risk of the reserve 'spinning closed' and collapsing.

There are many issues associated with 'cutting away' from the wing.

One is the requirement for a release that would not release prematurely. I guess you could use a hook knife to cut your hang loop... but that could be much more difficult than deploying a reserve (see below).

In free fall you can quickly accelerate to speeds that would cause a standard HG harness to fail under the opening load. If the harness didn't fail, taking that kind of a load in a prone position could cause spinal injuries. I'd want to have a different harness and possibly a different reserve (i.e. skydiving or basejumping rig).

IMO, this would complicate things significantly.

I've deployed a reserve (due to turbulence-induced structural failure) on two occasions, and I will tell you that when a glider breaks, you can get your ass handed to you in a heartbeat. Just being able to see clearly to throw a reserve is a challenge if you are tumbling or spinning and being repeatedly beaten in the head and face by the wreckage.

I would really like to see that video. Could you post the Youtube link?

[NMERider]

[PilotGuy]

I would think that if I wanted to get away from my wrecked glider for whatever reason, I would throw my chute FIRST, make sure that it opens, and THEN cut the glider away from me.

[Jason]

take it from someone that has been there, you do not have time to grab a knife and find your hang loop and cut it, in addition in a spinning situation its realisitically not physically possible, sort of like trying to perform surgury while getting raped by an 800 lb gorilla(and no I haven't been there)

i think i know the video you mention and his detachment i don't believe was in any way intentional.

put a swivel on your bridal, i beleive all new parachutes come with swivels these days

[michaelb51]

I suspect the majority of deployments involving prior separation from the glider result from keel, hang or main strap failures. If my memory serves me, that one video NMERider linked to was a keel failure. You can see a section of it attached to the pilot under canopy.

Spark 'n Jason are right for sure. The idea of emergency cutaway with a hook knife is spooky from another point of view. One or more of those hangy things is attached to the canopy bridle, and one or more to your harness. And the one we'd need to cut is normally backed up by another. It would be a real butt to end up thumping ,and have the parachute save the glider.

Although a purpose-built release might ease that fear, the more intense fear of "Oops;" allows my mind to wander quickly on to other subjects. Bad idea IMO.

I'd speculate also a suitable place from which to get that bag into clean air might be more likely found in the middle of the wreckage. Any "cutting away" for me would wait until I gave clear deployment a fast shot at working. Knowing clearly which actions should follow the first thoughts of "Deploy!" is what brings pilots home.

And I will hopefully further avoid the excitement in the videos by keeping my pointy end forward and dirty side down.

[rafaelcjr]

[Jason]

[HangDiver]

I would have to say that both Spark and Jason are the experts on this topic. I've watched three gliders break with subsequent chute deployments (two from aerobatics). In two of the deployments the chute opened successfully. In the third, the spinning glider tangled with the chute bridle and pulled the canopy back in to the mess. That whole bundle of laundry however came down so slow, the pilot walked away.

[noman]

i did a chute clinic with betty .f and she said after the chute is depolyed,to try and climb up into the control bar and let the glider take the first impact.When you have 2 deploy your chute,you look for the handle,grab the handle,pull the chute container out,look for a open spot(blue sky),then you throw your chute with the spin ,NOT AGAINST THE SPIN.Throwing your chute against the spin will more than likely wrap up your chute in wreckage,after you have thrown the container you yank on the bridal to help the chute clear its container.


that is all

[rfh12345]

[Love2Glide]

In an emergency you don’t want to do anything to make things worse.

If you throw your reserve and are coming down fine, don’t change anything.

I would not cut the wing away unless I saw no other option. What if the cut away wing comes back and hits you or your canopy? That would suck!

Tony

[noman]

love to glide i love what you said,and i feel you r right sir,if it aint broke dont fix it

[Jimmy D]

Great thread, thanks Spark and Jason

[Spark]

My last deployment was in 1991 (or thereabouts). I used a second chantz rocket deployment system. A pilot on launch heard the ballistic rocket fire and took this photo.



In the far distance (to the SE) are the Hurricane cliffs.

[danG]

OK, spark, what's the story on this deployment? I want to learn as much as I can about this topic, since I know flying in desert air (Utah mountains, Idaho mountains) has a tumbling-chance, even in my H2-Horizon.

[Spark]

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[LaunchPotato]

There ya go. There is another good reason not to try and detach yourself from the glider. Landing with the glider gives you or your eventual rescuers a ready supply of materials to make a make shift crutch, splint, stretcher, shelter or body bag depending on your condition after impact.

Glad all you needed was a crutch Spark. Tell us about your other deployment.

[Jason]

another reason to stick witht eh glider

my canopy was olive green(think camo) and i went down in trees, if someone starts looking for you from the air a 40 ft glider is a hell of a lot easier to see should you need a "lift"

when i was under canopy the glider was inverted and my hangstrap/hangloop were wrapped around the keel, I attempted briefly to control the glider and put as much as it between me and the impact as possible, it wasn't going to happen but the glider shielded me from the trees fairly well, at that point adding damage of a broken leading edge and some holes to the glider was completely ok by me.

[Spark]

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