[rec.skydiving] Student in tow

bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) (06/20/91)

In article <35803@mimsy.umd.edu> jerrys@umiacs.umd.edu (Jerry Sobieski) writes:

>... if the student was out of it, the JM was supposed to do this
>Rambo imitation, where, with flip-knife firmly gripped between teeth, he
>would attach a caribiner (sp) to his harnes and the static line, let himself
>slowly down the static line, grab the student's reserve handle, cut the S/L,
>pull the reserve, track off and dump himself.  

Sometime in the last couple of years I remember reading about someone
doing a reality check on this strategy, and they decided that it
was unworkable with a Cessna 182, which loses altitude fast with 
anyone (or two) outside the plane on the end of a static line.  

If you wonder about this, consider the fact that to maintain 60-70 knots
with the power cut (typical static line jump situation), your 182 is
already descending at a good clip, usually about 1000 fpm (depending on
how heavy you are).  
-- 
John Bunda * bunda@cs.utexas.edu * {uunet,harvard}!cs.utexas.edu!bunda

mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Mike Spurgeon) (06/20/91)

In article <1563@needmore.cs.utexas.edu>, bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) writes:
> >... if the student was out of it, the JM was supposed to do this
> >Rambo imitation, where, with flip-knife firmly gripped between teeth, he
> >would attach a caribiner (sp) to his harnes and the static line, let himself
> >slowly down the static line, grab the student's reserve handle, cut the S/L,
> >pull the reserve, track off and dump himself.  
> 
> Sometime in the last couple of years I remember reading about someone
> doing a reality check on this strategy, and they decided that it
> was unworkable with a Cessna 182, which loses altitude fast with 
> anyone (or two) outside the plane on the end of a static line.  
I have a feeling the pilot would add power as soon as he felt the pull of

the person at the end of the s/l.  Our 182 flies quite well with 4 or 5
outside and in the door.  Why would two on a s/l be any more difficult?

I have seen this done 'for the camera' in one of Carl Boenish's films
(although it was just one individual), and have seen a picture of two
at the end of a s/l out of another aircraft (not a 182, maybe a Porter).

MIke Spurgeon

bunda@cs.utexas.edu (John Bunda) (06/21/91)

In article <3535@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Mike Spurgeon) writes:

>  Our 182 flies quite well with 4 or 5
>outside and in the door.  Why would two on a s/l be any more difficult?

Well, as they say, your mileage may vary.  Seriously though,
sure, it *flies* fine, but have a glance at the VSI next time you've
got a 4-way on the step, especially with the power cut back to 12" or
less and maintaining 70-75mph (I do speak as an experienced jump pilot
here).  The airplane appears to be (and is) flying fine - it's just got 
the same descent rate as an open canopy - higher if you insist on
a really deep cut, like s/l jumpmasters often request to reduce the prop
blast for first-timers.

At 10,000 feet, your 4-way can spend a while lounging on the step
without noticing more than a few seconds taken off the top of the
skydive.  Video of an in-tow I've seen, like Wally Gubbins, was done
at high altitude.  However, most real static line jumps are from 3,000
AGL, leaving far less room to play with.  You surely want to get that
student under a canopy above 1000'.  As for the airplane, the jumpers
on the end of the static line plus the ailerons and rudder you need to
maintain wings level are going to make it a draggy, ponderous beast to
fly.  Even adding power, I have my doubts about getting the thing to
climb, though it would certainly help if there were no other jumpers
in the plane.

Having said all this, I admit I haven't tried the experiment with
a static line, I just read about it somewhere, either Skydiving or
Parachutist, or maybe a PIA document, I'm just relating what I
remember reading.  But, at the same time, I have little trouble 
believing it.

-John
-- 
John Bunda * bunda@cs.utexas.edu * {uunet,harvard}!cs.utexas.edu!bunda

SKYDIVE@f15.n233.z1.FIDONET.ORG (SKYDIVE) (06/24/91)

Reply-to: Bill.Caefer@p0.f853.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Caefer)
Fido-To: uiucuxc!cs.utexas.edu!bunda

>... if the student was out of it, the JM was supposed to do this
>Rambo imitation, where, with flip-knife firmly gripped between teeth, he
>would attach a caribiner (sp) to his harnes and the static line, let himself
>slowly down the static line, grab the student's reserve handle, cut the S/L,
>pull the reserve, track off and dump himself.  

 U> Sometime in the last couple of years I remember reading about someone
 U> doing a reality check on this strategy, and they decided that it
 U> was unworkable with a Cessna 182, which loses altitude fast with 
 U> anyone (or two) outside the plane on the end of a static line.  

That doesn't seem like a real problem to me.  After all, we routinely put 4 
and sometimes 5 people out there.  It does decend, true, but there is nothing 
saying you have to leave the power cut either.

The reality check story checks out though.  What I heard as the main 
impediment was the fact that there was no way in hell of sliding down the 
static line slow enough to keep from seriously hurting one or both 
participants.
 


--- msged 2.07
--- eecp 1.45 LM2 

 * Origin: <X> Infinity Ltd. (1:102/853)
--  
SKYDIVE - via FidoNet node 1:233/13    (ehsnet.fidonet.org)

lusty@scan2.tamu.edu (LUSTY WENCH) (06/27/91)

>>... the JM was supposed to do this Rambo imitation ...
>there was no way in hell of sliding down the static line slow enough 

If Wally Gubbins can do it, why can't you?

Diana Stanley
stanley@scan2.tamu.edu
lusty@scan2.tamu.edu

draw your own conclusions

michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au (Michael Henning) (06/27/91)

SKYDIVE@f15.n233.z1.FIDONET.ORG (SKYDIVE) writes:

>Reply-to: Bill.Caefer@p0.f853.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Bill Caefer)
>Fido-To: uiucuxc!cs.utexas.edu!bunda

>>... if the student was out of it, the JM was supposed to do this
>>Rambo imitation, where, with flip-knife firmly gripped between teeth, he
>>would attach a caribiner (sp) to his harnes and the static line, let himself
>>slowly down the static line, grab the student's reserve handle, cut the S/L,
>>pull the reserve, track off and dump himself.  

> U> Sometime in the last couple of years I remember reading about someone
> U> doing a reality check on this strategy, and they decided that it
> U> was unworkable with a Cessna 182, which loses altitude fast with 
> U> anyone (or two) outside the plane on the end of a static line.  

>The reality check story checks out though.  What I heard as the main 
>impediment was the fact that there was no way in hell of sliding down the 
>static line slow enough to keep from seriously hurting one or both 
>participants.
> 

Before I did my first jump, I went to the local library and borrowed
what they had on the subject. I can't remember the title or author, but
one of the books was written by a very experienced British jumper.

He described the student in tow situation in his chapter on emergencies
and mentioned a case where an instructor in England actually *did* have an
unconscious student in tow. He went on to say that the instructor did
climb down the static line, cut it and dumped the student's reserve.
Apparently the student landed still unconscious with only minor injuries.

The author finally mentioned that the instructor was given the St George
medal for bravery for this.

Could someone in Britain maybe check this out ?

							Michi.
-- 
      -m------- Michael Henning			+61 75 950255
    ---mmm----- Pyramid Technology		+61 75 522475 FAX
  -----mmmmm--- Research Park, Bond University	michi@ptcburp.ptcbu.oz.au
-------mmmmmmm- Gold Coast, Q 4229, AUSTRALIA	uunet!munnari!ptcburp.oz!michi

mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Mike Spurgeon) (06/28/91)

>The reality check story checks out though.  What I heard as the main 
>impediment was the fact that there was no way in hell of sliding down the 
>static line slow enough to keep from seriously hurting one or both 
>participants.

What you heard is obviously incorrect.  It's been done, at least simulating
an unconscious student.  I've seen the photo.  Also for one of the Wally
Gubbins flicks, if I'm not mistaken.

Mike Spurgeon
Internet: mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu