Twice
in One Weekend!... Boy, did I feel stupid!
Date: Tuesday, 15 October, 1996 12:18:01 -0500
From: Robert haig To:
gg@precision.net
Dear
George,
We'd
just finished an uneventful 8-way and on breakoff
I looked down and decided the spot was less
than desireable, so I made sure I had clear
air, waved off and dumped around 2800. Boy
was I suprised when nothing happened! Looking
over my shoulder I saw my bridle with my collapsable
pilot chute just flailing in the breeze behind
me. At that point, my guts took over and I
went left handed. There was the solid yellow
Raven 1.
The only decision I had left to that saved
my life. The opening didn't rock me as much
as I thought it would, maybe that's just because
I was glad it was there. I cut away my main
and saved my handles then reeled in my PC.
During the ride back to the DZ I thought about
how I packed my main. I was watching TV that
morning when I packed it and clearly did NOT
remember cocking my PC.
Boy
did I feel stupid!!
It
gave me a nice landing and I found my freebag
about 1/2 mile upwind (guess the spot was
a little long).
Two
Days later we were doing a 16way tube from
the skyvan. We held it for a while, and as
it started getting pretty hairy my pilot chute
came loose. All of a sudden I was open at
9500ft under 7/9ths of my Sabre 170. I'd blown
out the tops of the 2 cells left of the center
cell. I could steer it, but there was no way
I was landing it. The fact that I'd already
ridden my Raven
mad the decision more comfortable. At about
3200ft I cut away and rode my Raven
to the landing area.
Twice
in one weekend! My confidence in my Raven
is now confirmed.
Thanks
for making a great product!
--
Robert Haig 11900 Hobby Horse Ct #612 Austin,
TX 78758
