Posted on May 29, 2017
During a jump, have you ever had to deploy your reserve parachute?
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I'm a 5 jump chump and all my jumps went fine, thankfully. I was wondering who here on RP ever had to pull their reserve chute during a jump, and what that experience was like. Or, if you saw this happen to a friend, etc. Would enjoy some stories.
Airborne School
Parachute Rigger
Jumpmaster School
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 33
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I would think that number will rise a good bit with the introduction of the square chute in static line jumping, maybe? what y'all think?
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LTC Stephen C.
LTC Jeff Shearer, I've been retired since '98 and off jump status since forever, so I can't give any firsthand observations about jumping the T-11. I still have Army buddies who jump and I've tried to read about the new canopy/container system. From what I've heard, there have been many issues, injuries and a number of fatalities associated with the T-11. Hopefully, they'll get the kinks worked out sooner than later, and not at the expense of the paratrooper (injuries and death).
Personally, the idea of transitioning from a steerable canopy to a non-steerable canopy seems regressive, but maybe that's just the old skydiver in me and there's "method to the Army's madness" that's unknown to me!
Personally, the idea of transitioning from a steerable canopy to a non-steerable canopy seems regressive, but maybe that's just the old skydiver in me and there's "method to the Army's madness" that's unknown to me!
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Not i, but i did watch a British paratrooper burn in with a total malfunction and survive
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Two jumps ago we were doing a night combat masstac, and a fellow jumpers canopy deployed inside of mine. We both pulled our reserves which ended up tangled underneath us, and the other jumpers canopy collapsed. We rode mine all the way in, packed our stuff and Charlie miked.
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Never had to pull my reserve or seen it *have* to be pulled, but I have seen it pulled nonetheless. Just an accident where the reserve deployed on the jumper after his main canopy had already deployed. So the the reserve did not actually deploy itself but just shot out.
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I've pulled twice. One was an AWADS jump and I blew past at least one other jumper. The other time, I had a slow opening and at 7 I pulled only to end up with two full canopies.
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Never deployed it on purpose or on accident with 30+ jumps...However the one time I needed to my chute collapsed at what is estimated at approximately 80 ft off the ground landed like a sack of bricks. Broke my back hip and ankle discharged shortly after.
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My fist jump in school I almost did. I noticed I was descending at a greater rate of speed compared to those I could see around me. I only weighed 210, but I guess that was the reason because it was the same case in every other jump I did.
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Once, as a PFC. Looked up to check canopy and saw (what I thought was) a ruck-size hole in my canopy. Wasn't willing to take the chance of the Gore blowing out. Training kicked in and I did the old down and away. Rode the main and reserve down. Landed FLAT on my back due to the 2 chutes doing their thing. People tried to give me shit until they saw the hole. It was MUCH bigger than a Ruck.
The Commander made me be a strap-hanger on a Hollywood jump within a week. I guess they didn't want that experience stuck to fester in my head until the next Unit jump.
I retired as a Master Parachutist with 97 total jumps.
The Commander made me be a strap-hanger on a Hollywood jump within a week. I guess they didn't want that experience stuck to fester in my head until the next Unit jump.
I retired as a Master Parachutist with 97 total jumps.
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
Wow that's a crazy story. IOU a beer if we ever meet up sometime. Damn wow, lol...
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I've been fortunate enough not to do that. Then again I only have 16 jumps under my belt which is not much.
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Thanks for asking an interesting question CPT Aaron Kletzing. I also only went through the five required military parachute jumps to be airborne qualified at Fort Benning in August 1979.
Thanks fro mentioning me LTC Stephen C.
Thanks fro mentioning me LTC Stephen C.
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Not me but a fellow student in BAC pulled her reserve for no apparent reason, I think, on our 2nd or 3rd jump. She was dropped from the course.
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I've seen a Jumper land with a reserve on Sicily DZ back in the mid 2000s. Scary to see.
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CPT Aaron Kletzing thankfully I never had to. I have seen a few pull while I was on the ground looking up. All thankfully ended up ok. I did however have a "funny" story from Airborne school. We had a guy pull his reserve every jump at school just because he was so nervous he pulled all five times. He said he never dropped the handle as it would have cost him money....
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...I dont know how to explain it was scary but I loved and I hated it. I don't miss it hahaha
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