Sigma TANDEM VECTOR - Reserve Activation

SIGMA TANDEM SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL
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Section 2: Equipment • Chapter 2 - Operation 11301 - 00.00.0000
OPERATION
NOTE: This section will explain the special operational requirements of the different components on the Tandem
Sigma. The components which will be explained are:
Main Activation
Reserve activation
Canopy brakes and steering system
The Tandem Sigma is a very different system from any sport skydiving system. There are more handles on the
Tandem Sigma, and they are all in different places. In particular, the reserve and cutaway handles are mounted
outboard (otherwise they’d be blocked by the student). Because of this, no amount of jumps on solo sport gear will
prepare a jumper for the Tandem Sigma.
Every Tandem Instructor, no matter the number of jumps, must practice reaching for handles repeatedly on the
ground and in the air. It is further recommended that the Tandem Instructor reach in and touch both drogue release
handles, cutaway handle and the reserve ripcord handle during droguefall on each and every jump. This will help with
memorization of exact locations and assist the Tandem Instructor in identifying problems while there is still plenty of
time to deal with them. (See fatality reports.) We highly recommend you grab each handle as if you intend to pull it.
RESERVE ACTIVATION
A. Cutaway and reserve handle practice
A. Cutaway and reserve handle practice:
The breakaway and reserve handles are in slightly different positions and are more securely held in place than on solo
rigs. Therefore, it is mandatory that each Tandem Instructor practice several handle disengagements on the ground.
Please note that the handles peel away easily in certain directions but are much harder to pull in others.
For an easy pull, the reserve and breakaway handles must be peeled upward and outward and THEN pulled down. This
technique MUST be practiced on the ground so you will not be surprised in a real emergency.
The reserve handle/pocket configuration was chosen because conventional D-handles are easily knocked out of their
pockets; especially when mounted out-board. While a floating handle on a solo rig may be fairly easy to find and pull,
the same task is considerably more difficult on a Tandem rig. In Tandem, the student’s body is directly in the way,
meaning it is very difficult to see any handle, and even harder to reach across for anything.