Thread: FS: Softie Mini
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  #13  
Old July 14th 20, 08:25 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Neal Alders
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Posts: 38
Default FS: Softie Mini

As a skydiver, soaring pilot, jump pilot, test flying, acro etc, who wears both a round and ram air bailout rigs, I offer a few small recommendations....

Go do a couple tandem jumps at your local skydiving center so you can learn to fly the parachute if you haven't flown a ram air parachute already.

It doesn't fly like you think, nor does it open like you think. An emergency bailout, particularly one at low altitude, is NOT the time to learn how to fly a ram air parachute.

Line twists do not undo themselves like on a round, line overs do not clear themselves etc. And you will have line twists. I doubt you will have good body position when you bail out and scramble for the ripcord handle. And as it is your only chute, any potential malfunctions must be dealt with quickly.

Best advice, ARCH! LOOK, REACH, PULL, STRIP, ARCH!

We have a saying among old time skydivers as it pertains to reserve parachutes.... "Round is sound", that having been said, which chute I wear, ram air reserve or round reserve, depends on what I am doing, flying, terrain etc. If I am over primarily wooded areas in low speed aircraft, I am wearing a round. I would rather go through the trees vertical rather than horizontal. If out west over the desert or open plains, or in areas where I can steer myself into a field vs a tree landing, I am inclined to wear a ram air reserve. Honestly, if you are down in the dirt flying the ridge out of New Castle, a chute wont do you a damn bit of good. I would prefer a ballistic chute for the air frame in that scenario. I wear my ram air bail out rig 90% of the time. I kept my old round for that other 10% of the time...

Youtube parachute malfunctions and ram air reserve opening videos on the idiosyncrasies of the parachute design.

Just my humble opinion. I have been flying acro on and off for nearly 30 years and flew jumpers for a career for a decade, as well as a few hundred jumps just so you know my background.