Parachute Accessory

I recently purchased a hook knife to use while paragliding but I also
intend to carry it when wearing my parachute in the sailplane. This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute after landing
in extreme conditions. Some hook knives are better than others and I
have learned that the hook knife of choice is made by Benchmade Knife
Company, www.benchmade.com . I purchased the Hook7 but they make other
hook knife designs that would work. I heard that hook knives that have
double razor type blades can jam. The Hook7 has a single cutting edge
that cannot be jammed.
Steve

At 05:12 02 March 2007, wrote:
This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute
after landing
in extreme conditions.


Wouldn't it be quicker just to undo the harness?

On Mar 2, 7:35 am, Mark Dickson
wrote:
At 05:12 02 March 2007, wrote:

This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute
after landing
in extreme conditions.

Wouldn't it be quicker just to undo the harness?

When it is under load because of high winds you almost certainly won't
be able to do that with your average parachute. You need to collapse
it first but that can be tricky with high winds hence the hook knife
as an emergency - to avoid that what just saved you your life will
drag you to death...

Markus

Far too easy and absolutely not cool!

"Mark Dickson" wrote in message
...
At 05:12 02 March 2007, wrote:
This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute
after landing
in extreme conditions.


Wouldn't it be quicker just to undo the harness?

Bert Willing wrote:
Far too easy and absolutely not cool!

"Mark Dickson" wrote in message
...
At 05:12 02 March 2007, wrote:
This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute
after landing
in extreme conditions.


Wouldn't it be quicker just to undo the harness?

Steve,

These comments are generalized and not personally directed to you:

I have over 2,000 parachute jumps and have landed many times in high
winds both under a round (primary or reserve/emergency) and square
parachute. My direct experience is that you will have a very hard time
using a hook knife in a high wind landing situation. But if you want
to carry a hook knife, fine. Just do not attempt to use it as a first
step to collapse a canopy in this situation.

It is extremely easy to collapse and contain a parachute upon landing
even in extremely high winds. But you have to be thinking about it,
like 'feet and knees together', before your feet hit the ground.
Before you land you keep your hands on the risers, after you land and
roll maintain your grip on your dominant hand's riser and start
pulling hand over hand as fast as you can. As if you life depends upon
it, which it could, possibly. When you get to the parachute itself
keep pulling it into your body and smother it. Assume the fetal
position and say your prayers of thanks that your 'chute opened and
you landed safely. :-)

At California City I have been horizontal under a canopy at less than
10' agl and traveling, who knows?, very fast over the ground. Upon my
impact, horizontally, on the ground I was able to collapse the
parachute and control it with only a brief drag on the ground. I have
had worse injuries sliding into home plate. My wife has had this
happen to her under a round reserve, alone, in high winds. She was not
drug over the ground. How in the world would you successfully use a
hook knife this reliably and sucessfully in this situation?

Another note: If you are in a very high wind situation and you have
confidence in your ability to slightly steer the canopy. (Have you
ever seen the steering toggles on your canopy? Does it have any? Do
you know what they look like over your head? ) I would suggest you
think about NOT facing directly into the wind. That only ensures a
foot to ass landing and I have a fractured tail-bone which will assert
this is not a fun injury. If you can turn and hold slightly off the
wind line without turning downwind! It will help you do the 'feet-calf-
thigh-body' Parachute Landing Fall which will better absorb the
landing energy, both vertical and horizontal, and give you less chance
of a injury. (My first 600+ jumps were with round canopies as my
main.)

If you really think you will ever use a parachute to save your life
you should make at least a tandem jump or better yet go through an
advanced freefall course. But watch out, you just might have too much
fun!





On Mar 1, 9:06 pm, wrote:
I recently purchased a hook knife to use while paragliding but I also
intend to carry it when wearing my parachute in the sailplane. This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute after landing
in extreme conditions. Some hook knives are better than others and I
have learned that the hook knife of choice is made by Benchmade Knife
Company,www.benchmade.com. I purchased the Hook7 but they make other
hook knife designs that would work. I heard that hook knives that have
double razor type blades can jam. The Hook7 has a single cutting edge
that cannot be jammed.
Steve

Steve and I have flown many high aspect ratio ram air chutes to the
ground, usually with stand-up landings. We also both wear square
emergency parachutes in our gliders.
All my round and square chutes have had the thread-through chest
strap and quick-eject leg straps, including a National which normally
comes with some very odd step-through leg loops. You're asking to
become hamburger if you are unable to eject your rig if and when
that's needed.
Jim

On Mar 2, 11:18 am, "Go" wrote:
Steve,

These comments are generalized and not personally directed to you:

I have over 2,000 parachute jumps and have landed many times in high
winds both under a round (primary or reserve/emergency) and square
parachute. My direct experience is that you will have a very hard time
using a hook knife in a high wind landing situation. But if you want
to carry a hook knife, fine. Just do not attempt to use it as a first
step to collapse a canopy in this situation.

It is extremely easy to collapse and contain a parachute upon landing
even in extremely high winds. But you have to be thinking about it,
like 'feet and knees together', before your feet hit the ground.
Before you land you keep your hands on the risers, after you land and
roll maintain your grip on your dominant hand's riser and start
pulling hand over hand as fast as you can. As if you life depends upon
it, which it could, possibly. When you get to the parachute itself
keep pulling it into your body and smother it. Assume the fetal
position and say your prayers of thanks that your 'chute opened and
you landed safely. :-)

At California City I have been horizontal under a canopy at less than
10' agl and traveling, who knows?, very fast over the ground. Upon my
impact, horizontally, on the ground I was able to collapse the
parachute and control it with only a brief drag on the ground. I have
had worse injuries sliding into home plate. My wife has had this
happen to her under a round reserve, alone, in high winds. She was not
drug over the ground. How in the world would you successfully use a
hook knife this reliably and sucessfully in this situation?

Another note: If you are in a very high wind situation and you have
confidence in your ability to slightly steer the canopy. (Have you
ever seen the steering toggles on your canopy? Does it have any? Do
you know what they look like over your head? ) I would suggest you
think about NOT facing directly into the wind. That only ensures a
foot to ass landing and I have a fractured tail-bone which will assert
this is not a fun injury. If you can turn and hold slightly off the
wind line without turning downwind! It will help you do the 'feet-calf-
thigh-body' Parachute Landing Fall which will better absorb the
landing energy, both vertical and horizontal, and give you less chance
of a injury. (My first 600+ jumps were with round canopies as my
main.)

If you really think you will ever use a parachute to save your life
you should make at least a tandem jump or better yet go through an
advanced freefall course. But watch out, you just might have too much
fun!

On Mar 1, 9:06 pm, wrote:

I recently purchased a hook knife to use while paragliding but I also
intend to carry it when wearing my parachute in the sailplane. This
will allow a chance of cutting free from the parachute after landing
in extreme conditions. Some hook knives are better than others and I
have learned that the hook knife of choice is made by Benchmade Knife
Company,www.benchmade.com. I purchased the Hook7 but they make other
hook knife designs that would work. I heard that hook knives that have
double razor type blades can jam. The Hook7 has a single cutting edge
that cannot be jammed.
Steve

I understand what you're saying, Go, and I am prepared to collapse the
canopy if and when I ever have to use it. I also realize that the hook
knife probably won't save things if they ever get that dire. But, to
me, it's kind of like wearing a parachute in the first place. You
wouldn't want to need one and not have one. Therefore, since I already
have the hook knife, I might as well carry it. Besides, if I ever land
out in the boonies, it might be handy in snagging dinner! I do have
one question - a Benchmade rep stated that the Hook7 was made for
"military and Para jumpers of all kinds". This implies to me that a
hook knife would be carried at least by some parachutists. Is this the
case?
Steve

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Mar 2, 11:18 am, "Go" wrote:

-- Snip --

one question - a Benchmade rep stated that the Hook7 was made for
"military and Para jumpers of all kinds". This implies to me that a
hook knife would be carried at least by some parachutists. Is this the
case?

Steve,

I have only needed to use a parachute once. It was back in 1970. Upon
landing in the South China Sea and became entangled in the shroud lines, I
cut myself free using a hook knife. In this case, simply releasing the
harness wasn't sufficient to separate me from the chute.

Wayne
HP-14 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/

Wayne Paul wrote:

I have only needed to use a parachute once. It was back in 1970. Upon
landing in the South China Sea and became entangled in the shroud lines, I
cut myself free using a hook knife. In this case, simply releasing the
harness wasn't sufficient to separate me from the chute.

Good point -- we don't think enough about the possibility of a water
landing.

Golden BB, or pot metal motor?


Jack