Static line vs. hand deploy

[Nicholas Kennedy]

Gents
After Dave Nadlers deployment where he got knocked out [ that may explain a few things BTW ] and he deployed about 1 sec above the ground, I'm seriously considering a static line added to my 'chute.
Any good reasons not too?
I realize you have to remember to hook it up and disconnect it after flight, and if you bailed under a very strong Cu Nim, but other than that??
Nick
T

[Jonathan St. Cloud]

My rigger (Robert Marshall) had a bunch of good reasons and examples. He did say if you would need a static line that it should be greater than wingspan. He also had a horrific example of what could happen.
I for one looked at static lines and decided I would rather give fate a chance without getting screwed by a static line in an effort of greater safety.
On Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 1:06:13 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> Gents
> After Dave Nadlers deployment where he got knocked out [ that may explain a few things BTW ] and he deployed about 1 sec above the ground, I'm seriously considering a static line added to my 'chute.
> Any good reasons not too?
> I realize you have to remember to hook it up and disconnect it after flight, and if you bailed under a very strong Cu Nim, but other than that??
> Nick
> T

[David Shelton[_2_]]

Maybe the best solution would be a static line with a quick-release knob, allowing you to optionally disconnect it on the way out. In any low altitude scenario, a static line is probably better, because it will deploy the canopy much faster than a pilot chute. If you had to bail out at high altitude, then you should have time to disconnect the static line if you determined that to be the best option. The obvious downside is that the bail-out decision would be a bit more complicated. I guess the ultimate solution is BRS.

In any event, I recommend doing a few AFF jumps. Personally, I feel that skydiving has made me less hessitant to bail out of my sailplane. I'm more likely to bail out if I need to, and I'll probably make that decision a little quicker. Plus... AFF training was fun!