What to do in Total Chute Malfunctions

Generally, packs are packed with great attention to detail paid to them and with complete inspection of all equipment and devices. But there’s no doubt that sometimes things don’t go the way they should and you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation. The most dangerous thing that could happen while skydiving is that you have some sort of chute malfunction. While some of these are minor and can be easily fixed, some are considered total chute malfunctions and therefore, it may seem as though there is nothing that can be done. If a skydiver jumps from an aircraft and upon deployment finds that he has a total chute malfunction, it will appear as though he is only free-falling, because nothing will happen. However, because the skydiver is free-falling, it will all happen very fast and so, if this happens you need to know what to do beforehand so you don’t waste precious time thinking about it. Here are the main causes of total chute malfunctions and how you can prevent them, or fix them when they happen.

Having a hard pull is one of the most common total chute malfunctions. This is when you pull on the pilot chute but it doesn’t come out of its container. This can happen for a few reasons but whatever the case, your chute doesn’t even come out. If this happens, pull one more time on the pilot chute handle but only a little more firmly. If it still won’t come out of the container, forget about the pilot chute and try the reserve. You can avoid the problems of hard pulls when you pack the pack by making sure that everything will come out easily and works as it’s meant to.

The other common reason for total chute malfunctions is when the pilot chute is missing its handle. This causes a problem because without the handle, you can’t get the pilot chute out of its container. If this happens, feel with your hands down to the corner of the container and find the pilot chute yourself. Then manually pull it out. This problem can be prevented by making sure before you exit the aircraft that your pack has not become snagged on any seat belts, door jams, or anything else. Always, always inspect your equipment before the jump and never leave the aircraft if part of your equipment is questionable.

How to Land on Target

After making sure that you are going to make your landing safely, the next thing you need to check is that you are going to land where you want to. This will usually be a predetermined location but if you are approaching 1,000 feet and determine that you cannot make the predetermined landing spot, you must find another area to land. Any place that you will not face any obstacles such as trees or traffic, will do but you must find a place to land before you get to 1,000 feet above ground and make sure that you are above the site.

Once you are above the site, you should try to gauge your ground speed while turning into the wind. This becomes of particular importance on days that carry a very high wind. It’s important to know that the more wind speed there is, the less ground speed you will have and if you are running with the wind, your ground speed will also be faster. Once you are properly turned towards the wind, estimate how far vertically you are from your target (i.e. 250 feet.) Imagine an invisible line going straight down between you and your target and follow along it until you get to about 300 feet. Turn towards the target but don’t be alarmed if you are overshooting it - this is what’s supposed to happen. 

Complete a small “S” turn, which consists of turning 90 degrees one way and then 180 degrees the other, and do this until you are nicely aligned over your target. Assuming you have left yourself lots of time, you can continue to do this S-turn until you are in a good position to land.

Freestyle Diving

Many people, especially inexperienced skydivers, believe that freestyle skydiving simply means jumping out of the plane and enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing against your face. While it’s true that this is the main benefit of freestyle skydiving and something that you should definitely take some time to enjoy, going into freestyle skydiving without having at least some basic moves under your belt could mean spinning out of control or getting caught in a position that is difficult to get out of. Here are some basics that you should know before attempting the awesomeness that is freestyle skydiving.

First, you always want to practice in a skydiving tank before trying it out from a plane. These tanks are simulators that will allow you to experience what it will be like up there without any of the danger, should you make a mistake. The first position you should try to attempt is the face-down position. With this technique, the diver’s entire body is facing the ground. It’s a very stable position and easy to get in and out of. A jumpmaster may actually get you into a position where you start to lose control so that you will be able to regain control in the air should that happen. If you don’t actually practice it in the tank, prepare yourself simply by talking it through with the instructor and visualizing it in your head so you won’t panic in the air. If you feel confident enough to get really fancy, try doing a back loop. You can do this by lying on your back and then slowly turning your head and body backward. Don’t worry if you only make it halfway through the loop, it’s still a freestyle skydiving move!

What to do when Your Chute Malfunctions

It’s every skydiver’s worst nightmares and it’s one reason why many people don’t feel brave enough to ever try the exhilerating sport of skydiving - the main parachute has malfunctioned. So what do you do? Well, while you’re in the air is no time to be thinking of strategies so here are the very basics of what to do when something’s gone wrong with your chute.

Don’t panic. Yes, it’s frightening but remember that you still have some options. Panicking will only make you forget emergency procedures and could lead to disaster.

Know your altitude. Many emergency procedures depend on the altitude you are at, as different altitudes require different procedures. A small problem could be made into a major one if you forget you don’t know your altitude and therefore, don’t know which procedure to use.

Only cut-away if you’re above 1,000 feet. For almost every parachute malfunction, it’s recommended that you cut away the main chute and use your reserve. However, if you are under 1,000 feet you will hit the ground before your reserve has time to inflate. Still open the reserve chute but keep the main canopy open just to be safe.

Understanding your Canopy

There’s no doubt that when you’re in the air, your canopy is the most important piece of equipment you have. It’s what allows you to enjoy a scenic glide to the ground, instead of crashing towards it at alarming speeds. So before you strap on your pack, you really should take the time to fully understand your canopy.

The chute you will be flying with is most likely a canopy, a rectangular-shaped chute made from cells of inflated air. These are huge improvements on the balloon-style chutes that were first used in the sport. The canopy uses an angle of incidence, which is built right into the canopy and consists of two lines: the lines in the front, shaped like an “A”, which are short; and the lines in the back, shaped like a “D”, which are longer. These lines cause the canopy to descend down and slightly forwards.

The toggles on a canopy can be used to slow the chute down or to turn it. To slow down and turn right, you pull on the right toggle, which causes the back right corner of the canopy to be pulled down slightly. It’s important to remember when you are making any turns with your canopy, that it will always cause you to fall faster than when you are just gliding alone. Forgetting this can cause you to turn or land far too quickly and is the biggest reason for parachute injuries.

However, pulling down on both toggles at the same time will result in the canopy sloping slightly downward and the entire chute will begin to slow down. Normally chutes are flown ‘toggles up’ so that the maximum amount of air can pass through it and you can get a great dive! Experienced skydivers will sometimes fly ‘toggles down’ and may even completely stall their canopy in mid-air but for those who don’t know what they’re doing, this should not be attempted and the movement is actually restricted on most student canopies.

Before the Jump

The sport of skydiving starts long before you’re in the airplane getting ready to jump and even if you have taken all the required lessons and are simply out for a fun dive, there are still some things that you always need to keep in mind before it comes to the fun of the freefall.

While on the ground, one of the most important things to remember is to never be late. You will most likely not be the only one jumping when you go and the other twenty people in the airplane won’t wait just because you’re running late. Also make sure that you know exactly how the jump will go, whether it’s your first or your fiftieth, before  you get into the plane. When you’re in the plane is no time to be sorting out the details so make sure you can picture it perfectly in your head before boarding. One thing that you can do in the plane is back out and that again is whether it’s the first of fiftieth jump. Sometimes you just don’t feel it when you get up there and it’s perfectly okay to go back down with the plane.

What to do Once You’ve Landed

You may think that once you’ve sailed through the air and are back with both feet planted firmly on the ground that your skydiving experience is finished. Well before you bask in the glorious ride you just had, there are a few things you have to do first.

The first thing is to make sure that you and all of your equipment make it back to the hangar safely. This means looping all of your chains and cords so they don’t become mangled and damaged, packing things such as your ripcord, goggles, and gloves into your helmet and making sure that your canopy doesn’t rip or snag on anything. Be extremely careful with all of the equipment - it is your responsibility until you make it back and any damage could cost you hundreds of dollars!

Once you are out of your gear and have passed off all of the equipment, you want to review the jump thoroughly with an instructor or someone else who was there. This is not only important so that you can take time to review mistakes, focus on what you did well, and allow you a moment of basking, but it’s also necessary if you ever want to earn a license. When you apply for a license, only jumps that have been documented, witnessed, and signed by another party are considered so you may as well start doing it from your very first jump!

The Different Levels of Skydiving Licenses

For those who want to take their love of skydiving beyond just a hobby, you can become a student at a recognized skydiving school and start training to earn a license. Licensed skydivers are much more capable of doing certain things, both while in the air and on the ground, and are also given more responsibilities than just the hobbyist or student skydiver. However, just like most things that are licensed, the licenses for skydivers vary depending on which license the skydiver holds. Here are the different levels of licenses that you can try out for, should you choose to really jump start your love of skydiving!

An A-license shows that the skydiver has taken all of the necessary schooling to become an advanced skydiver and is now recognized by the USPA in the most basic of ways. License A skydivers can perform many tricks in the air including water jumps, basic relative work jumps, they can be their own jumpmaster, and they can assemble their own parachute.

A skydiver who holds a B-license can also be their own jumpmaster, assemble their own chute, and perform the relative work jumps as well as night and water jumps. They are considered to be an Intermediate Level and can also try to break and set records.

C-License is considered to be an advanced level and not only can most of the air work be performed at this level but skydivers can also be other’s jumpmaster as well as their own and can compete in formal competition. Skydivers recognized as having a USPA C license are also eligible for the USPA Jumpmaster rating.

Needless to say that the most advanced license of skydiving is the D License, or the USPA D. Not only can one do all that the above-mentioned licenses can do, they are also eligible for being appointed Safety and Training Advisor, a very respected position!

Get your Kids Involved!

Skydiving is a wonderful hobby and if you’re an avid skydiver, you may want to get your kids interested in your hobby as well but may feel a little queasy at the thought of letting them jump out of a plane. Getting children involved in skydiving is easy, but it’s something that must be done slowly as it can be very scary and intimidating and you don’t want to turn your children off right away. A great way to introduce the subject is to make a toy parachute - it’s super easy and will show your kids how much fun skydiving is!

1.) Get a white handkerchief and have you and your child decorate the outside of it with markers, stickers, and anything else that comes to your imagination.

2.) Gather fishing line or string and cut 4 - 14″ pieces of it. Tie one piece of string to each corner of the handkerchief, being sure to tie them very tightly.

3.) Tie all ends of the string not attached to the handkerchief to a cork. Again, tie them tightly or your parachute may fall apart mid-air.

4.) Stand on a chair and drop your parachute with the cork pointing towards the ground. Watch your child “oohh” and “aahh” as it glides gracefully to the ground.

The Rules of the Sky

It’s unfortunate but as much fun as skydiving it, there are rules here that still must be followed. Although you may be excited about gearing up and running for the nearest plane that can soar you into the skies, it’s important to get your head out of the clouds long enough to see that you are prepared. Here are a few simple tips that could save you headaches and hassles once you get to the site:

1.) It is usually required that skydivers are 18 years of age. This is for any type of skydiving, for most sites and can not generally use a parent’s signature as granted permission to skydive.

2.) Most sites have a weight limit, which is generally around 250 pounds, that should guests weigh over that, they will not be allowed to jump.

3.) Wear clothes that are comfortable and practical. While it may not seem like a huge deal to be sitting in the air with high-heels on, it will become a major problem upon landing. Remember that you are participating in a sport and should dress appropriately so.

4.) If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them along for your jump. You have to wear goggles anyway and so, you’re glasses will not only be kept safe but they will allow you to fully enjoy every beautiful moment!

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