pilot chute sizes

[claus]

just ran into a stranger on my local objekt ,he tried to jump a 120 meter 300feet)span with a 36 pilot chute any chance of survival here (well he didnt jump it so we made a pca instead ).

claus

[Will]

I wouldn't want to chance it; A 46" would be a better choice. I have a 46" that I use for all my slider off jumps. Any lower jumps I would consider a vented canopy as well as 46- 48" pilot chute; just my personnal preference. Also I personally wouldn't do a PCA without the larger pilot chute as backup just in case you let go of the bridle and pilot chute to soon; turning it into a freefall assist.

[GaryP]

36" is an unwise choice particularly if it's a small-marquee mesh PC or F-111 only.

42" would be the absolute minimum PC in my opinion and a 46" is better. You can do 2 sec from this height no worries and a 42" is a good pc for this. Always eer on the larger side of things so 42"-46".

36" - way too small IMHO. someone else may have a different opinion but this is my view.

g.

[Mac]

36" is an unwise choice particularly if it's a small-marquee mesh PC or F-111 only.

42" would be the absolute minimum PC in my opinion and a 46" is better. You can do 2 sec from this height no worries and a 42" is a good pc for this. Always eer on the larger side of things so 42"-46".

36" - way too small IMHO. someone else may have a different opinion but this is my view.

g.

Dependant on canopy size, I would generally say that a 42 is more consistant in initial inflation and thus preferable over a 46 even for the lower end of freefalls (as I have done myself). I would like to hear any others thoughts about this 42 over 46.

Also as a side note, Faber is here and would like to say "42 & spectra loops - Rock on!!"

but then again he is a dane who does not take things that seriously....... (see attached - also note that the chicken and Faber having the same body position)

[Biff]

Your conversion is a bit off :120m = 393ft. I'd use a 42" PC.

[Maxim]

Seems some people seem to love the 42" for just about anything
and some wont do a low jump without a 46" - 48"

Where does ZP vs F111 come into this?

If people seem to think the initial inflation of a 42" is faster than a 48"

Would then a 42" ZP-mesh apex. be better than a 48" F111 for lower jumps.
as ZP should have a faster snatch force and as its 42" inflate faster??

or is a Big F111 just better cause of Stability and reliability?

[Faber]

Seems some people seem to love the 42" for just about anything
and some wont do a low jump without a 46" - 48"

Where does ZP vs F111 come into this?

If people seem to think the initial inflation of a 42" is faster than a 48"

Would then a 42" ZP-mesh apex. be better than a 48" F111 for lower jumps.
as ZP should have a faster snatch force and as its 42" inflate faster??

or is a Big F111 just better cause of Stability and reliability?

This is how i use my pc's if you copy that DO IT ON YOUR OWN RISK.Many manufactors has their tabels for whath to use were.If your not sure please use thouse tabels.
so far im concerned F-111 pc's aint good for other jumps than jumps were you either expext ruin your gear or get it confiscated...
42'zp AV PC i use from 500ft-250ft to impact(highest delay 3,5-4secs)
46'zp AV PC i use from 250ft-200ft to impact or places whith less than 2 secs delay
46'zp PC i use sub 200ft that inkluded some freefalls but mostlikely SL

I ruined my 48' on a SL jump but it would be the best choice on a sub 200ft freefall.

[GaryP]

Would then a 42" ZP-mesh apex. be better than a 48" F111 for lower jumps.
as ZP should have a faster snatch force and as its 42" inflate faster??

Snatch-force is the speed at which the pack-job is extracted from the container, or more correctly, the speed at which the pack-job decellerates and separates from the falling jumper.

ZP is more efficient in "anchoring power" (drag) than F-111 and this does make a difference to the speed at which the pack-job separates from the jumper (snatch-force) when applied at higher speeds but on the lower jumps (0-1 sec)the separation speed will ALWAYS be low (because the jumper's speed is low when extraction commences).

By that I mean that the snatch-force is always low on very short delays even if you use a S/L (unless it's a really long S/L bridle - that's another matter entirely).

Personally, I'd agree that F-111 has no place on low jumps at all. I have a 50" ZP for everything 0-1 sec.

Hope this helps.

g.
BASE985

[spinerugo]

We are regularly jumping our 125m span with 42(av) pc, and by "we" I mean all croatian jumpers. About surviving the jump with 36, I know a guy that jumped same span with 36, without any problem, so he would probably lived. But 42 is far far better choice.

[BASE_689]

> I know a guy that jumped same span with 36, without any problem, so he would probably lived
Yes, you touched a good point: "he probably lived".
Yes indeed, a 36" from low altitude CAN open the container and extract the parachute in time, but with which margin of safety/with which redundancy in force?
If it opens it just once, does not mean that from that occasion on you start jumping low altitudes with a 36"!!!!!!!!
If something goes OK just once, it DOES NOT make a new rule!!!!!!!!!!!
Safety in BASE is NOT if a certain PC "barely" (and you will NEVER know that.... unless you go in....) opens a container.
Safety in BASE is to know that a certain PC opens the container WITH A CERTAIN MARGIN OF FORCE, because sometimes PC hesitates, sometimes on your back there is more burble than most of other times, sometimes your PC decide to open up unevenly, sometimes the pulling force is slightly lower than other times, and so... why to jump with a PC that just "barely" open your container up and just "barely" extracts your parachute in time?!?!?!?!?
A 36" is good for terminal (or very near terminal). We (Italian community) jump our subterminal wall with nothing smaller than a 38", forget any 36"!!!
Why do we have to reinvent the sport and its "consolidated" parameters and start jumping low altitudes (=no slider jumps) with a 36"? Which are the advantages? I would say very few... Which are the disadvantages? I would say so many!!!!!!
Just my 0.02€

[claus]

thamks to everbody responding ,that guy who tried to jump with a 36 simply
made a mistake (he forgot to change it after a long delay ) i was just wondering if he had a chance here if he jumped that setup and yes i know a 42 is a far better choice .
claus

[spinerugo]

> I know a guy that jumped same span with 36, without any problem, so he would probably lived
Yes, you touched a good point: "he probably lived"...

My response was on his question "...any chance of survival?.."
Just to be clear, I never stated that jumping 36" from that span is good idea.
I personaly think that the anybody with idea to jump 120m span with 36" or anything smaller than 42" is idiot. Yeah, and his mentor or someone that "tought" him how to base is idiot too.

Stay safe,

Sp