From: dbriggs@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs)
Subject: Ravens really do snivel!
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 07:37:07 GMT

It's been said here and elsewhere that Ravens have a real reputation for
snivelling.  It's also been said here, by me, that a Raven with a fast
slider has a perfectly acceptable opening rate.  Brisk, if anything.
But in my heart of hearts, I wasn't really all that convinced that the
slider was all *that* central to my canopy opening quickly.  Surely the
snivel problem had been a bit blown out of proportion.

Well, I'm convinced!

My mesh slider came to me more than a little thrashed, and I'll admit that
I've been meaning to tack down those slider bumpers for quite a while now.
So it got a bit more thrashed while in my possession.  The grommets were
pulling through, and I figured it was high time to get it fixed or
replaced.  So I wandered into Wayne's World at Eloy, and showed Wayne the
problem.  We figured it would cost about the same to replace as to fix, so
why not do it right.  He didn't have a replacement slider of the same sort
handy, but why not try it with a solid slider and see what happens.  We
found one that was the same size and I switched it over.  I pretty much
forgot about it until dump time.  Goddam if that thing didn't take maybe
800 feet or more to open.  A grand maybe?  I dunno.  Hanging under that
thing it sure seemed like forever.  I was looking for handles and starting
to reach when it finally caught air and opened fully.  In retrospect, I
maybe over reacted a little.  I habitually open at about 3 grand, so so I
had plenty of time to deal with it.  Just guessing, I was probably looking
for handles at about 2.1 or so.  I think I was under a good canopy by 1.9.
Hardly a major problem, since many jumpers don't even dump until then
anyway.  But I'm used to dumping while looking at the horizon.  (I like to
check my heading).  I get an opening shock, usually the two stage snatch
and opening, and I look up to see the slider right over my head.  It is
damned scary to feel 1/4 of the shock you expect, and look up to see the
slider solidly wedged against the bottom of the canopy.  Just fluttering in
the wind, and showing no sign or inclination to move.  I almost think I
could have dealt with a bag lock better.  At least then you know that you
go to reserve procedures *right now*, instead of wondering if the damned
thing is going to open or not.  People tell me that canopies "almost never"
snivel all the way into the ground.  Great.  That's a big help.  Do I wait
until 1000' to cutaway on the theory that it'll probably open?  I think I
jumped the gun a little, but when *should* I have gone for it?  (Actually,
I think my first thought was to get my hands on the handles.  I might have
waited a second or two more once I had them.)

Anyway, I went back to Wayne and told him that this was definitely not a
good thing, and he suggested a smaller, solid slider that he had handy.
(Apparently the size front to back makes a big difference in how fast the
slider comes down.)  This time I was a little wiser and dumped a bit higher
still.  Yup.  It did it again.  An itty bitty opening shock, and look up to
see the riser stuck at the bottom of the canopy.  But this time as I'm
reaching to shake the risers it comes down.  Not nearly so bad.  Maybe only
600 feet this time.  I tell Wayne that this slider won't do either, and
could he please see about making me up a custom mesh slider like my old
one?  He could, but it would take a little while.  For the moment, I'd have
to stay with the small solid one.  I did three more jumps with that slider.
And truth be told, once I clued to how to pack for the thing, it wasn't so
bad.  With about one loose roll on the nose, it really opened pretty
nicely, though still a fair bit slower than I'm used to.  I think a camera
man would like it.  But somehow I didn't like the idea of having
slow-but-acceptable openings when the canopy was packed to open fast.  It
seems like it's too close to one edge of the range.  I'd rather have a
canopy that wants to open briskly, and slow it down via packing than the
other way around.  I'll take the occasional too-brisk opening over the long
snivel any day.

The good side of all this is that I think I learned to be a bit cooler
under pressure when dealing with snivelly canopies.  But I'm back to a mesh
slider now, and happier for it.  And yes, old Ravens do have a tendency to
snivel.  :)

-- 
| Daniel Briggs  (dbriggs@nrao.edu)                      |  USPA B-14993
| New Mexico Tech / National Radio Astronomy Observatory |      DoD #387
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