Gear at freefly speeds

The most repeated freefly gear failure on the Australian record is the premature deployment, and it has recurred for over a decade with a consistent pattern: a worn or loose BOC or spandex pouch, a hackey or pud dislodged during dynamic body positions, a closing loop left too long, a Velcro failure on a cutaway handle in a vertical position, a bridle snagged during a linked climb-out.

The common thread is that none of these items had failed on the owner’s belly jumps. Sit and head-down orientations load the container differently than belly flight does, so a retainer that is invisibly worn on belly jumps lets go on freefly jumps. Hired, borrowed and simply tired gear, particularly a stretched spandex pouch, is the recurring root cause.

The audit

The freefly gear audit is a longer list than a standard flight-line check, and each item earns its place at 250 km/h:

• Hand-deploy BOC or pull-out with a genuinely tight pouch. “Freefly friendly” on the label is a claim; a pilot chute that stays put through a layout is the test. Premature head-up pilot-chute deployments happen fast, and most manufacturers do not rate containers for deployment at freefly speeds.
• Bridle fully covered, riser covers and pin flaps secure, closing loop in good condition.
• A leg-strap-mounted pilot chute is an extreme hazard in any vertical orientation and has no place on a freefly jump.
• Cutaway and reserve handles secure. Velcro that has lost its grip fails in vertical positions, and gripped exits can dislodge handles: brief handle protection on every linked freefly exit.
• Leg-strap bungee. Leg straps can slip behind the knees in a vertical body position, and a jumper hanging by loose leg straps may be unable to reach anything. The bungee item exists in the audit because of documented cases.
• Snug harness and chest strap, secured suit that covers no handles, hard helmet, goggles, visual altimeter, audible set and functioning, AAD recommended.

The habit

Run the audit on your own gear before every freefly jump, and cross-check your partner. In the aircraft, check pins, handles and BOC again before exit; climb-outs and door contact undo gear checks. If you are on hire or borrowed gear, treat the pouch and retainers with open suspicion, because that is exactly where the record says the failures live.

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Advisory, educational content. Gear standards vary by container and manufacturer. Have a rigger assess anything marginal, and comply with your federation and drop zone.