How to untangle a parachute

[hotrod]

Has anyone tried building a large "comb" out of hard wood and dowels that you could walk down the lines with from the anchor point to keep them sorted as you work out the tangles.

I  am visualizing something about the size of a child's lawn rake. A 2 x 3/4 piece of hardwood and however many 3/8 wood dowels in it to allow each line to be separated at the anchor point. Then just walk down the lines toward the canopy and as mentioned above either have a helper walk ahead of you getting things sorted out or periodically set the rig down and do the sorting your self. If you wanted to get fancy, you could even build a top for it that would keep the lines running through the comb even if you set it down.

I was puzzled about that last year as I was watching folks pack chutes, it seems there is no one "system" being used.

Larry

[JackD]

Chute packing is every bit important as the need to have one in the first place.
Failure to deploy a fully blossomed chute can cost more than just about anything you do.
It sorta makes you wonder.

[ack]

Bob Stroud at Stroud Safety designed our chutes. They don’t tangle and have worked perfectly since we began using them.  Packing is easy just fold them and stuff them in the bag.  Just bring extra bags and pilot chutes though, as Bonneville is very rough on those parts. Can’t say enough good about these chutes every other M/C streamliner I know of has chute problems but ours worked from the start.  Both Max and Denis are having Bob make chutes for them now.   

[836dstr]

Hey Jim,

If you didn't go so fast you wouldn't need the chute.  Just kidding.

One thing that I have found very helpful in straightening and packing a chute (I also use a Stroud Crossform) is to clamp the lines every couple of feet as I "comb" them just using my fingers. I use the cheap plastic ones you can get at Harbor Freight, but any type would do.

As you get back to the attach points of the panels the clamps keep the lines straight then you can use both hands to sort out the chute. Makes it a one man operation.

Tom

[JackD]

WWSD
Use a wrap of masking tape, not duct tape, leave it on, and give me the clamps.
The tape will blow away when the chute is deployed and helps all the time you are packing it.
Did I tell you Ferd has masking tape on sale ?

[Nortonist 592]

I came in a bit late to this thread.  I hope the question was asked at El Mirage and not somewhere over Perris Valley.

[JackD]

Perris Valley is south of EM.
Ahh Chute trouble would be more Easterly.

[DallasV]

Wow 2 pages on untangling chute lines. If ya'll would drive roadsters you wouldn't have this problem. Bail out of the throttle and you have over 500 sq inches of chute right out there in front of you. But if for some crazy reason we do pull the chute here is the plan I go with for untangling. 3 people,  PERSON 1: yanking on the pilot to keep the chute and lines taught.  PERSON 2: start at the car, 5 fingers/4 lines, put lines between fingers (I did the math and it works out) walk towards the pilot sliding lines in fingers. PERSON 3: The untangler, find where the twists are, separate those two sections, pull pilot chute thru the twist and pull the chute back taught. Rinse and repeat until the tangles are gone. It works for me. and if all else fails put a 32 grill on the front of it. Hope to see some of you at the 2 club party Saturday.
Cheers,
Dallas

[JackD]

Yer Dad says yer all thumbs.
Does it still work ?  LOL

[fastesthonda_jim]

Yeah, Dallas, roadsters are a problem.  I'm not sure God meant for parachutes to deploy out the front of the vehicle.  Leads to all sorts of "attitude" problems, even after you get the things stopped.

Come to think of it, hooking the chute to the front just might be the "correct" way to do things.  I mean the dern things seem to want to go backwards at the Big End anyways so why not just have it be so?  And that way you'd get to look at the course twice each run.

But, hey... thanks for the first real "how to" response in two pages of e-mails.  I'll give it a try as soon as I can find two friends. 

Maybe JackD will loan me his friend... and then if I can find 1 1/2 others...

[JackD]

"A tangled chute is a suitable reward for the deserving." (me)
Sean can educate you for a small fee.
"Start them early so nobody has to stay late." or something like that.

[wolcottjl]

I spent a day a Long time ago watching parachute riggers at Ft. Benning.  My zero week detail in Jump School.  The riggers used a line separators as they worked down the chute sorting out the lines.  The separators were 3 or 4 inch high pieces of angle (about 2 feet long) with slots cut on the upside.  The rigger would comb out the lines with their fingers and start at one end sorting out the lines into the slots.  Then go back to the canopy end flipping and twisting, then go back to sorting lines working their way back up.  If I ever get to the point of needing a chute I think I might find a local parchute rigger at a jump school and ask if I could watch them pack a few chutes.  Some of these guys or gals have probably packed a couple thousand chutes - Pick up some pointers on doing it quickly.  I know at Benning the riggers were doing a chute in 5-10 min with inspections.

[JackD]

By the time a rigger gets the chute it has been wadded and stuffed into a bag.
It sure wasn't tangled when it hit the ground over the wearer.
A drag chute behind a jet gets tangled when it is released in the designated area and the jet blast blows it off the runway.
That is gonna wad for sure.
The gentle lay down behind LSR cars as they slow, offers no excuse for tangled lines.
It is the lack of careful handling that causes the grief.

[John Burk]

The 6 panel Chute Metal parachute on the dragster used to get really tangled now and then . Working one paned at a time if you took a line in each hand and worked toward the canopy it easily untangled itself .
John Burk

[JackD]

The 6 panel Chute Metal parachute on the dragster used to get really tangled now and then . Working one paned at a time if you took a line in each hand and worked toward the canopy it easily untangled itself .
John Burk

That indicated it was picked up carefully, not wadded and dumped in a pile with the lines now wrapped over, under, around, and through.