In math, if a = b and b = c, then a = c
In life, if riggers = people and people = sometimes make mistakes, then riggers = sometimes make mistakes
A friend of mine sent this picture to me. This did not happen at Spaceland and had nothing to do with our riggers, but there is a great lesson to be had here…
He recently had a reserve repack and had some minor work done on some of his main canopy lines. When he got his rig back he didn’t do a double check of his gear and after landing from his first jump he discovered this little problem.
What would have happened if that had worked its way completely out, especially if he was low, like on final landing approach?!
Two things:
- Riggers are people, just like you and me. Just like you and me, riggers sometimes make mistakes.
- Double… no, triple… no, quadruple check your gear. For some of you that are new, it may mean that you don’t even really know what to look for. This means that you really need to spend some time with experienced people who can help you become familiar with ALL aspects of your gear. Find time to get with a rigger or an instructor to talk gear. It’s why God invented weather holds and rainy days.
Article by Ben Nelson, written for the excellent Skydive Spaceland Houston Students and New Jumpers Facebook Page
More articles by Ben Nelson
Ben’s sharp eyes spot issues on the flightline and in the packing shed, passed on for everyone to improve safety…
