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Safety Day 2008 AGENDA (tentative, work-in-progress, updated regularly) 8:30 a.m. Brief meet and greet with Dunkin' Donuts coffee and snacks 9:00 a.m. meeting starts Introduction: 25 minutes -- 2007 wrap-up -- "It takes a whole dropzone to make a safe skydive."
-- Safety Day history at Pepperell -- Fran and Bill Safety and Training: 60 minutes -- Pepperell Safety Report -- Emergency procedures review: freefall, canopy and landings -- Worldwide Fatality Report and Analysis -- Congratulations to our new A-, B-, C-, and D-license holders -- Congratulations to our new IRHs -- Safety Quiz (by the book)
-- 50-50 Raffle (safety and training equipment benefit: A new weather station) Specific Topics of Interest: 90 minutes -- Birdpeople rising: an overview -- Canopy Safety (collision avoidance) -- Equipment: AADs and pre-season checks: Don Mayer -- Equipment issues: pre-jump checks, why you should pack yourself -- Landing out: Eduardo Guillen -- Spotting review Brief break -- Getting ready for Camera flying (Sect: 6-8), Tandem Video Quals -- Pepperell EMT guest -- Aircraft Procedures and Emergencies Announcement and News Items: 30 minutes -- AFF Recurrency issues for students and IRHs -- IAD Instruction -- Coaching: TBA -- Awards -- Recruitment -- Internet assist -- General question, statement and answers session Upcoming Year: 30 minutes -- Calendar of Upcoming Events
-- Notices and Needs
Post Meeting Activities: 30 minutes Coffee and snacks Packing class: AFF Instructors Free gear inspections with a rigger Hanging harness (practice emergency procedures) available at the hanger Handout Package Gear checklist Canopy Risk Quotient USPA Member Survey Pepperell Survey For Your Reading Pleasure 1. Malfunction 101 by Dean Hallal [From Skydiving Magazine]: Last Saturday I had something happen to me that made me stop and think quite a bit about how easy it is to forget how dangerous our sport truly is. I had a malfunction, the first in about 10 years, that scared the daylights out of me. It should have been a no-brainer, but that was not the case. A bit of background may explain a few things, but not excuse it. My old main blew a seam on the top skin a few months ago and so it was time for a new one. After jumping it for nearly 14 years it was an old friend, me knowing every little thing it could or would do opening exactly the same no matter how I packed it. So I've been jumping several different canopies, borrowed or demo, since August. I thought I was pretty sure of one only I was having difficulties with the openings and trying different pack jobs. I also recently had my container updated by replacing some flaps, re-doing the BOC and a general good once over. Part of that was a new reserve handle, I replaced my metal d-handle that kept coming out of it's pocket with a cut-way type pillow handle. The last jump of the day I threw out at a reasonable altitude but felt something wrong from the moment I felt the start of line stretch. Sure enough the main came out in a head locked forward line twist. As soon as I started to try and kick out it started spiraling out of control with no way to catch up. Meanwhile more altitude burned up than I thought and my pro-ditter's death, "pull now or die" warning was making the stress level that much worse. So I reach down and pull my nice new cut-away handle. Expecting that "kachink," free from problem release feeling, not much happened, just a bit of a slow down of the spiral. I'm thinking "why is the main not going away?" Then it hits me, I've just pulled the wrong handle!! "You idiot, your gonna die." Without even looking at what I had above my head (another mistake, or maybe what saved my rear?) I reached down and pulled the right handle, and but by the Grace of God the main cuts away and clears my reserve. By now all I have time for is to pick a spot to land and make it down in one piece, heart pounding, lungs racing to fill with air. For the next hour I was in a state of mild shock, and more profoundly, humiliation. After 21 years in this sport and reading each month of the idiots that blow a simple malfunction I've just missed a date with the reaper. After thinking of little else over the last few days I can only attribute the whole thing to complacency. I've only had 2 cut-aways in my 21 years, a bit less than some, but about average for the sport. I can honesty say I don’Äôt remember the last time I did a practice emergency cut-away/reserve pull walk through with my gear on, or even in my head. I have not been to a Safety Day in about 6 years and that was by accident, and even then I didn't do the harness mockup. It is so very easy to think each jump and opening is going to go exactly the same, especially when hundreds if not thousands actually do, lulling one into an even more false sense of security. This has been difficult for me to share as I have a huge pride issue and like most people can't stand to be a dope. But the fact is I panicked big time in a tense situation and it could have so easily gone the wrong way. My point all this is the hope you will think about your own awareness and learn from my mistake. Let's face it, using our reserves or reacting to a malfunction isn't and can't be practiced in a meaningful, real-life way, so we can't know what we'll do. I know I'll be adding a cutaway/reserve pull sequence to my dirt dives, just like I do with the exits, points, and break offs. Maybe you do this already and hats off to ya, but ask yourself each time you board the plane if you're ready for the worst. 2. Pre-Season Equipment Inspection -- by Tom Noonan. Main Closing Loop: Check for fraying of loop Pilot Chute Spandex: Worn BOC (Bottom of Container) spandex pouch is a leading cause of premature deployments during freefall.¬Ý If your spandex appears loose or fraying, or your pilot chute does not sit firming in the BOC pouch, have it replaced. Minimal cost for maximum BOC safety. Riser Covers: Can you stick your finger under the riser covers and open them with ease? Worn riser covers can cause premature brake-line release on opening that greatly increases your chance of a malfunctioning main parachute/cutaway. Three Ring Flexing: Once a month, your Three Ring Assembly on your main risers should be flexed and rotated to help ensure proper function during emergency procedures. ¬ÝNot sure how to do it?¬Ý Ask the riggers at the Parachute Shop to show you. Riser Inspection: Inspect your risers from top to bottom for any frays or broken threads woven throughout the risers.¬Ý Tensile strength (how much weight your risers can support) can be greatly effected by broken threads and fraying.¬Ý If you notice any substantial wear on your risers, bring it to the attention of a staff rigger. Soft Link Inspection: Soft Links have a tendency to ’Äúrotate’Äù around their point of attachment on the main risers.¬Ý While this situation does not affect the integrity of the soft link, it can create a potential hazard by snagging excess brake line during the deployment sequence.¬Ý A simple ’Äútacking’Äù can be done by your rigger to ensure your Soft Links function properly and decrease your chances of a steering line malfunction. Relining: When was the last time you relined your canopy? Most people these days don’Äôt jump a single canopy long enough to need a reline, but if you’Äôve ever bought a used canopy, you may be approaching the practical lifespan of your canopy’Äôs line set trim. Line replacement is effected by the jumper’Äôs weight, canopy size, and environment. Typical life spans include: Dacron & Microline - 350-500 Jumps, Vectran & Spectra - 400 jumps. The Parachute Shop does re-lining on most canopies. Cutaway Velcro & Reserve Handle Velcro: How well does your Velcro hold your emergency handles to your harness system? Inspection should be done to both handle’Äôs Velcro.¬Ý Weak Velcro can increase the risk of emergency procedure problems. It’Äôs another quick fix for your rigger that will increase the functionality of your gear. Cutaway Cable Cleaning: Once a month your cutaway cables need to be cleaned and lubricated to ensure proper functioning in an emergency situation. Not sure how?¬Ý Ask your rigger to show you. Brake Line Twists: Let’Äôs face it, untwisting brake lines is a bore. But ... it’Äôs also the easiest way to prevent tension knots in your brake lines and it also helps keep your canopy flying and flaring at an optimal level.¬Ý Every year canopies are cutaway (some even get lost in the trees) because of tension knots in brake lines.¬Ý Untwisting once a weekend and proper toggle stowage after landing can greatly reduce this potential malfunction. Excess Brake Line Stowage: Another leading cause of canopy malfunctions results from excess brake line that is unstowed along the riser channels of your container.¬Ý A quick modification to your risers can be done by your rigger or bring it to the Parachute Shop. It will GREATLY REDUCE the potential of snagging your excess brake line on anything during deployment. 3. The Legend of DB Cooper 4. Thing's are looking up: Skydiving's popularity soars Things are looking up for the skydiving industry. According to the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA), 2007 made history as the year skydiving took a dramatic turn upward as one of the most popular adrenaline sports in the nation. USPA reports that '07 was one of the safest on record with only 18 skydiver fatalities- out of more than 2.5 million jumps. That number surpasses a 1962 record for skydiving's fewest accidents. Considering that in the early 1960s the USPA was only about 10 percent of its current size, with just 3,353 members, and the aggregate number of jumps was considerably less than today's 2million-plus jumps, this record stands out even more as a testament to years of strict safety standards, training policies and programs, said Ed Scott, executive director of USPA. USPA membership soared last year, with a significant number of new skydivers joining its ranks. USPA ended the year with more members (31,264) than the previous year for the first time since 2002. The total number of new members in 2007 was 4,900, reversing a five-year downward trend. It's also the highest number of new members since 2003. The skydiving industry also saw an unprecedented upturn. By the numbers: -- The number of A licenses issued in 2007 (2,019) was higher than last year and ends a six-year decline. -- More B licenses (1,182) were issued in 2007 than anytime since 1997. -- The number of C licenses (627) and D licenses (465) issued in 2007 was higher that any year since 2004. -- There were more USPA Tandem Instructor ratings (203) than in either 2005 or 2006. -- USPA issued more AFF (accelerated freefall) Instructor ratings (662) in 2007 than any time since 1997. -- In 2007 USPA issued the most Coach ratings (662) since the program began in 2001. The USPA's comprehensive 2007 Skydiving Review, with additional skydiving stats and demographic details, will be released in early spring. Courtesy of Robert Arends, U.S. Parachute Association |
2007 USPA Safety Day Forms
Checklist | Canopy Risk Quotient
2007 Fatality Report
Fly to Survive Video
Safety Day Tip Page
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