🚀 go-pugleaf

>   Before you discuss  your options of cutaway or not cutaway
>you better ensure the reserve is rigged with a pilot chute. 
>The reserves we used did not have pilot chutes and were intended 
>only for hand deploy malfunctions. On a high speed the proper 
>procedure was to pull reserve ripcord and "punch" the side of the
>chest mounted reserve, I never have tried this myself.
>
>                                         Rick D 6448

I've heard that deployment without pilot chute tension
greatly increases the risk of a blown periphery or
"line over" malfunction.  It seems that pilot chute
tension keeps the periphery even and presented
correctly to the relative airflow.

There is a good photo of the deployment of a front
mounted reserve without pilot chute in Dan Poynter's
"Parachute Manual".  It shows several stages in the
deployment.  At one stage the jumper seems to be
almost completely enveloped in canopy. Yuk!

I've done a cutaway on to a 24' ripstop without pilot
chute.  I remember looking at it sitting in the container
for several seconds before I nudged it out into the
airflow where it realised it's resposibilities !
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