OK Jim, here goes: I was making my 2nd jump on a new main parachute. The freefall and deployment went fine, but I'd made a packing error that rendered the canopy unlandable. A wise man once told me: "when you pack your own parachute you get out of it exactly what you put into it". I guess I put a knot in one of my steering lines while stowing the excess line on the unfamilar risers of the new 'chute. I had plenty of altitude to try and fix the problem, but nothing I tried worked, so I went for "Plan B". I had a perfect cut away and reserve deployment - I bet I only fell 100' before the reserve was open. I even had enough time/'tude to fly back to the DZ. With the help of some friends I found all my jettisoned gear within an hour. I was lucky to find everything completely undamaged. The only downside was my canopy landed in a mud puddle- D'oh!
In fact, it was my first reserve ride of any kind, ever. 
4 comments:
OK JC, how about an explanation?!!
OK Jim, here goes: I was making my 2nd jump on a new main parachute. The freefall and deployment went fine, but I'd made a packing error that rendered the canopy unlandable. A wise man once told me: "when you pack your own parachute you get out of it exactly what you put into it". I guess I put a knot in one of my steering lines while stowing the excess line on the unfamilar risers of the new 'chute. I had plenty of altitude to try and fix the problem, but nothing I tried worked, so I went for "Plan B". I had a perfect cut away and reserve deployment - I bet I only fell 100' before the reserve was open. I even had enough time/'tude to fly back to the DZ. With the help of some friends I found all my jettisoned gear within an hour. I was lucky to find everything completely undamaged. The only downside was my canopy landed in a mud puddle- D'oh!
Thanks for the splainin JC. Glad it worked out so well.
Congratulations and beer!!!! I had the same problem and same solution on jump #13. Next time we meet - you have to buy beer!
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