USE OF PARACHUTES

this is your parachute when you fly over water a para raft kit containing survival equipment is included the plane you fly determines which type is used the standard seat type is used with one or two seat land-based planes the ripcord handle is on the Left where the right hand can conveniently pull it the standard back chute is another type the f8f is one plane which takes this chute to permit you to move about easily in a large plane you may wear only the harness on the qac quick attachable chest the ripcord handle is on the right side that is it will be on the right hand side if you put it on right side up by bringing the snaps up another situation where only the harness is warned is on a flight deck where a flier has to move about among part planes when you attach this shoot the QAS be sure to keep the lanyard forward to the main sling and under the leg strap to prevent fouling when the harness is removed still more convenient is the new quick fit parachute slip into the harness adjust the leg straps by pulling the tab ends toward the crotch and pull the tab ends of the chest straps up and toward the center of the body that's all there is except to get rid of the excess risers pull them back through the shoulder adapters and allow the slack to go down the back here's the friction lock adapter the key to this harness the sliding bar makes adjustment easy but locks tightly for any pole in the opposite direction making a good fit easy a poor fit on the leg straps puts all the opening shock on one leg it can cause injury no matter what type of chute is issued to you the time and energy spent in research and in construction guarantee you the best chute possible what's more your chute is well packed a rigger will jump any chute packed in his shop that's part of his Creed your assurance that the chute has had proper care is found under this inspection flap this one is okay but if the safety thread is broken or if the pins are rusted or bent ask for another chute of course after the chute is issued to you it's your responsibility so don't throw it don't let it get wet and keep it away from acid and grease a pilot's responsibility goes further as skipper of the ship he must be sure that everyone aboard is equipped with survival gear and knows how to use it the big idea in any bailout is to clear the plane go ahead first keeping the body close to the fuselage if you are over a wing dive head first to that wing and slide off the trailing edge headfirst the best way to bail out of an airplane with hatches is headfirst in the direction of flight but if you have to go out feet first use your hands to protect yourself in a normal spin be sure to leave the plane to the inside when clear of the plane pull the ripcord if you have just bailed out from a plane traveling at a high speed and you have plenty of altitude wait until you slow down you lessen your chances of injury from the shock of the opening parachute or if you are at an extremely high altitude delaying your chute opening is a must you'll want to get out of this sub-zero altitude fast not only are you a good target for flak and strafing but you'll run out of oxygen and be subjected to sub-zero temperature if you open your chute at once a freefall for a minute will do the trick if you can hold your breath that long when you jerk the ripcord handle jerk it all the way out of the housing as you come down you may oscillate don't let it worry you when coming down over land stay forward in the harness just as you found yourself when the chute opened that way you're in a good position to hit the ground use your legs as if you were jumping off a table about five feet high don't attempt to stand up but give in the direction of fall in high winds collapse the chute at once by pulling the bottom shroud lines when you pull the bottom lines the air spills out the top keep at it until the canopy is completely collapsed if you are coming down over trees protect your face with your arms and keep your feet together to avoid straddling a limb remember you have plenty of shroud lines to help you down from the tree when there's water below get back farther in the sling hook the thumbs back of the left webs close to the cushion and work yourself into a sitting position besides being more comfortable and in a good position to enter the water you'll find it easy to unsnap your chest and leg straps if you do unsnap your harness keep your arms firmly locked around the risers to add to your security this is no time for guessing ride all the way into the water in your harness then hang on to it or you may find yourself with only a Mae West with your raft and survival kit gone when you enter the water you'll go under only a few feet and bob up quickly your gear will have positive buoyancy for a time in fact that's why the best procedure after ditching is to get out with all gear attached unsnap your chest strap inflate your Mae West and unsnap your leg straps and get clear of the harness why an inflated Mae West will make it hard to release the snap to collapse a canopy in the water pull the top shroud lines the top ones this time because it's easier to pull the canopy full of air than one full of water if the canopy spirals keep on pulling the same lines don't start over wet shroud lines are slippery take a simple bite in the lines and pull until the canopy is down an easy way to avoid entanglement is to work upwind of your gear have the canopy downwind the pair aft kit between you and the canopy the lanyard does more than lead you to the kit pull back the sides of the snap release on the para raft kit container remove the para raft kit and then remove the cover of the para raft kit you'll find that the end of the lanyard takes you right to the co2 bottle there's no need to jerk the raft out of the kit pop the bottle and let the raft inflate it's a good plan to secure your parachute to the large end of the raft to serve as a counterbalance when you go in over the small end this is what happens if you use the wrong technique here's the one two three of boarding the raft one place one hand on the small end the other on one of the handles to kick yourself out horizontal three pull yourself straight forward and twist into the raft [Music] remember your life depends on knowing your equipment and how to use it