Even if you rely on the lanyard, you'll still be spinning like a top. As
soon as you exit the glider, you will be unstable, spinning and tumbling
around. There is a very good chance the lanyard will wrap around you,
perhaps tying you to the glider.

I question whether a first-timer in freefall would have the environmental
acuity to recognize their altitude, especially since he'll be spinning and
tumbling wildly.

Do an AFF or just take the risk.

"Rory O'Conor" wrote in message
...


So if I am inexperienced, untrained glider pilot jumping out of my glider
a=
t 10,000 feet should I freefall for 30 secs down to around 3-5000 feet and
=
then pull the ripcord when I am spinning like a top and travelling at 120
m=
ph, or should I just allow a few seconds to clear the wreckage and then
pul=
l the cord, and hopefully prepare myself for a long and cold, but safe
desc=
ent. (How long?)
=20
I anticipate the later option. But I can anticipate having to freefall if
I=
was above, say 18000 feet because the hypoxia and cold might be worse
than=
the spinning.
=20
If I attempt to open my parachute when I am spinning round and round at
120=
mph, is it liable to open properly or is there a good chance of it all
tan=
gling up?
=20
Rory
=20
=20
Yeah, those are some questions a non-jumper might asks. It takes about
6=
0 seconds to freefall for about 10,000 feet. And I don't want to go to
may=
be 55 sec. or maybe a 1 min. 05 sec. argument, but a good number is 60
sec=
onds. In the US or Europe, flights above 18,000 ft are not really that
unu=
sual. In many cases pilots will go to 30,000 ft levels or even higher.
So,=
if you have to bail out at that altitude would you pull the ripcord
right=
away? I would not. I would freefall for at least 60 seconds or a time
tha=
t is is necessary to deploy my parachute at or below 15,000 ft. In a case
=
of non jumpers that initial acceleration is horrifying, but after you
acce=
lerate to about 120 MPH the sensation of speed goes away. The only thing
r=
emaining is that everybody who exits an aircraft without a training, will
=
be spinning in the freefall. Guaranteed. That is why I did recommend to
ta=
ke a
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