{"id":28342,"date":"2020-09-28T11:52:17","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T11:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=28342"},"modified":"2020-12-29T18:12:12","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T18:12:12","slug":"an-aad-is-like-a-coffeemaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/an-aad-is-like-a-coffeemaker\/","title":{"rendered":"An AAD is like a Coffeemaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It has two simple jobs \u2013 and if either fails the results can be catastrophic…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2 canopies out
Image courtesy of Performance Designs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a newly licensed skydiver that had experienced an unintended AAD activation that led to a 2 out scenario rather low to the ground. The incident ended safely, with the jumper walking away from it uninjured. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we spoke about what happened, I started to wonder how many other new jumpers could benefit from this conversation and decided to share the story (with the jumper\u2019s permission) in an effort to raise awareness of the many roles that AADs play in our sport.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Casestudy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A relatively new skydiver operating a relatively large main parachute experienced an AAD fire while descending from 1,200ft into the pattern by making a deep spiraling toggle turn to enter their pattern altitude. The AAD was an M2 set in student mode, and it correctly activated at the appropriate altitude as the jumpers descent speed exceeded the operating parameters of the unit at the activation altitude, and it released the reserve pilot chute into the air after activation, resulting in a two-out scenario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yes, amazingly enough AADs and coffeemakers have at least 2 things in common… <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My AAD\/coffee pot analogy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour AAD is like a coffee pot\u201d.<\/strong> That was my first statement. \u201cCoffee pots, like AADs have 2 jobs to do. We are all aware of the primary job of our coffee pot, to make coffee\u2026for your AAD, it\u2019s to activate (starting your reserve deployment sequence) if and when needed. But there is a second job for the coffee pot and the AAD, one that we don\u2019t always think about\u2026For your coffee pot, it\u2019s not to burn the house down when it\u2019s not making coffee\u2026And for your AAD? It\u2019s second job is not to activate when it\u2019s not needed.\u201d Both jobs are equally important, because if either job fails, the results can be catastrophic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s open the case of your AAD (theoretically speaking) and look inside to see what we find. What do you see? It\u2019s essentially just a calculator. A really advanced, really good calculator. It\u2019s a mechanical device mated with an onboard computer of sorts, and all it does, all it\u2019s intended to do, is to measure changes in air pressure and calculate those changes into descent rates (altitude) and speed (climb or descent speeds). Then, it really has only one decision to make, decide if those calculations meet or exceed a predetermined descent speed at or below a predetermined altitude, and if YES, then the unit will initiate an activation. The problem, if you will then, is that skydivers are capable of putting their AADs in scenarios that generate unintended activations with their deliberate actions, rather than in emergency life-saving scenarios. They can create activation scenarios through deliberate, purposeful acts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some steps in the production process of a Cypres AAD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common example of \u201cburning down the house\u201d, so to speak, is the swoop activation. We know without question that today\u2019s modern high-performance canopies can generate speeds in excess of activation speeds for all AAD brands with standard \u201cExpert or Pro\u201d mode profiles. And as a result, every major AAD brand out there today now has some form of \u201cswoop mode\u201d, to prevent this activation scenario from occurring. Yet, year after year, we still see swoop-related AAD fires, some resulting in severe injury to the jumper. We know this can happen, yet it continues to happen each year. How then does this continue to happen? Typically, it\u2019s simply that the multi-mode AAD is set in the wrong mode. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, undesirable swoop-related AAD activations happen simply because the multi-mode AAD is set in the wrong mode”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I wish there was a way to sugar-coat that statement, but there really isn\u2019t. It\u2019s become an unfortunate growing trend these days to turn on an AAD but not wait until it finishes its set-up sequence to verify that it is in the correct mode, before moving on to something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumping an AAD in the wrong mode causes accidental activations every year. And it\u2019s not just swooping. I was recently shared a story by a good friend that had an AAD activation after an AFF instructor jump. His AAD was still in wingsuit mode, and as he spiraled down to land, he initiated an AAD fire. Thankfully he was okay. But the results could have been catastrophic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s get back to the story at hand. As new jumpers enter the sport, from a training perspective, we tend to learn at first the \u201cneed to know only\u201d to save our lives. We learn to turn on the AADs, but rarely do we get exposed to the inner workings so to speak, because we are under highly supervised situational control from our instructors. And as we get better and progress onwards to becoming licensed skydivers, we take on more and more responsibilities of our gear and our gear knowledge. As it relates to AADs, we learn more and more about their modes: student versus expert\/pro, activation altitudes and activation speeds. We learn that while every AAD out there has similar activation parameters, they are all slightly different. But not everyone walks away with the same understandings of how their AADs work, or at what point the full responsibility of knowing how your AAD works, falls on to the new skydiver as they progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2 canopies out (in a Biplane configuration)
Image courtesy of Performance Designs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Casestudy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we look at the causality of the incident described above, it can be summarized as a lack of understanding of the parameters of the AAD being used, in this case, in student mode, by the user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key point here is that this information is readily available by all AAD manufacturers<\/strong>. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We just need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. that it exists<\/li>
  2. where to find it: in the manuals, and <\/li>
  3. that it is our jobs to know the parameters of the gear we use. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Point 3 is the most critical, as we (the sport skydiver) are the sole stakeholder in our own safety when we put a parachute system on our back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We are the sole stakeholder in our own safety”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Student Mode (Under canopy):<\/p>\n\n\n\n