DISCLAIMER
SKYDIVE PERRIS MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF VALIDITY
This section is an online open-content collaborative encyclopedia; that is, a voluntary association of individuals and groups working to develop a common resource of skydiver knowledge. The structure of the project allows a series of pre-approved people to alter its content. Please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by Skydive Perris members with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information.
That is not to say that you will not find valuable and accurate information in this section; much of the time you will. However, Skydive Perris cannot guarantee the validity of the information found here.
Knowing when to cut away
I have seen and heard a few too many times about skydivers who took too long to decide what to do with a canopy that wasn't working properly after opening. Skydivers landing canopies they should have cutaway or being indecisive and taking too long to cutaway, sometimes with fatal results. We often hear people saying, “I thought I could get out of it”, “I wasn’t sure if it was good or not.” If you have to ask yourself if your canopy is good or not, than it’s not good!
Remember when you were a student. Freefall was fast and loud, your heart was pumping, adrenaline running through your veins. You’d threw out your pilot chute and gently slowed down as your main parachute blossomed open. Hanging underneath your parachute everything was quiet and serene, the opposite of freefall. As you looked up at your canopy it was almost as if it was looking down at you saying “It’s all good, I got you.” It felt like you were getting some love from your canopy, your best friend.
So, if after you deploy you look up at your canopy and you’re not getting any love, CUT IT AWAY!
Dan
Also in this section: