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SIGMA TANDEM SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL
11301 - 00.00.0000 Section 3: Instructor Techniques • Chapter 3 - Freefall / Drogue-Fall
NOTE: It is very important to retain stability throughout the exit sequence of every Tandem jump. In the past few
years of the Tandem program, disturbing stories have come forth of Tandem Instructors having difficulty making
stable exits or of keeping drogue fall smooth. There are even cases of the Tandem Instructor routinely using the
drogue to gain stability after exit. The fact is, the ability to make a stable exit should be a very basic one for every
Tandem Instructor.
Therefore, any Tandem Instructor who throws the drogue before being stable and face to earth should be immediately
grounded. This is a potentially dangerous practice which cannot be tolerated. Likewise, anyone who witnesses such
practices should immediately report the Tandem Instructor to the Relative Workshop and the USPA.
C. Drogue deployment:
As practiced in the equipment operations section of this manual follow these steps:
1) Locate drogue handle and grasp firmly using proper technique.
2) Pull drogue from pouch and throw aggresivley to your side at full arm extension.
3) Release immediately once forward of the line of your shoulders.
4) Watch drogue inflate over your right shoulder.
5) Once drogue is inflated immediately check the drogue release, both primary and secondary cutaway, and reserve
handle position.
You may or may not feel the drogue deploy. We recommend you glance over your shoulder just after you’ve thrown
it so you’ll know it has deployed and inflated correctly.
DROGUE FALL CONTROL TECHNIQUES
The drag of the drogue on your harness will place your body in a certain attitude in freefall. The drogue will resist your
efforts to change this attitude. If you try to change your pitch attitude (head high/head low) too much, you will rock
up and down. Excessive rocking may be uncomfortable, unnecessary, and if it becomes extreme, can actually open
the main container while the drogue is still attached. It can also cause the student's feet to become entangled with
the drogue bridle.
There are four things you can do to minimize rocking:
1. Tandem Instructor corrects body position. The best way to stop rocking is for the Tandem Instructor to simply relax
and lie still in freefall not moving the legs back and forth.
2. Teach the student correct body position on the ground (head back, hands on harness, back arched from shoulders
to knees, and feet tucked up).
3. Wear a big, baggy jumpsuit and put a tight suit on your students. The air hits the student first. If the body position
is not perfect, you cannot adequately control exit or drogue fall unless you wear a big suit. As you gain experience,
suit size is much less critical.
4. Snug down the hip straps so they are comfortably tight. Straps that are too tight or too loose can cause the
rocking action as well.
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