Basejumper.com - archive

What is a McConkey ?

I've seen the term used a lot in this forum, and am unable to find a definition. Tom posted some pics of one - which I can't open. There are some clips on Skydivingmovies - which I can't open.

WTF ?!!

Very good pictures on this page.

This is an advanced maneuver. Please don't try it without really understanding what you are doing, and preferably having instruction from someone with experience at it. There is a very real potential that you will entangle yourself in the canopy, resulting in serious injury or death.

Edited to add: While the photos on this page are good, and illustrate the general idea, the jumper is a paraglider, so the technique is slightly different. Having that much slack in the lines on a BASE McConkey would be very bad form.

Regardless of the technique, that's an interesting canopy. Paraglider? Are they used in base often?

Actually, this web page (and these pictures) were what originally started BASE jumpers doing McConkey's (and a whole bunch of other, silly, unpacked jumps). The paraglider in the picture was the first person I know of to attempt such a maneuver.

A novice BASE jumper, who was also a very experienced paraglider, posted the pics on the BASE board. The rest is history...

Hey Tom,

Does a mcConkey take less altitude till opening than pca? And what about the headings, we did several pca jumps and mostly straigt heading. I would think when your shoulders are on level, a straigt heading for sure.

Ferry

The jury is out on McConkey altitudes. I've heard several people say they think they are faster than PCA's. I tend to think they're a tad slower (somewhere between a PCA and a free fall). I don't know anyone who's done real research (i.e. cameras and lasers) into it to find out.

McConkey heading is usually very good, if you maintain line tension. If you don't, anything can happen (cue wisecrack from a nameless DZ.commer, on Tom's latest building McConkey off-heading).

Typically, I think that a [slider down] "over" will open a tad bit slower than a PCA, with less predictable heading results. Personally, I prefer them slider up, which obviously eats up a bit more altitude. Of course, the vertical altitude it takes to open your parachute is mostly dependent on the strength of your horizontal launch, and how fat you are, IMHO.

Also for you young, dumb impressionables who are unpacking your stillettos right now I would like to mention that [present] conventional wisdom suggests that you use a closed tailgate on your slider down/off overs (McConkeys). Unpacked jumps look much easier than they are scary.

See Dick try to jump over his unpacked parachute.

See Dick flail.

See Dick fall into his open canopy and die.

Don't be a dick.

Dude! You gotta call 'em McConkeys! He hates it when you call 'em McConkeys!

It wasn't THAT off heading When are you heading this way again? Perhaps it's my turn to McConkey something.

roger...that's a big 10-4 good buddy...I'll call them McConkeys from now on...over.

My experience is that rollover's (excuse me, McConkeys) open somewhere in between a PCA and go'n'throw.

Some other points:

1) Using a vented/valved canopy opens quicker
2) Using a tailgate/slider MAY prevent lineovers...but my preference is good pre-jump line management and a strong launch to minimize line slack...so I go without. Tailgate (and obviously a slider) definitely impede opening times!
3) Spreading the risers (and in turn the deflated cells) prior to launch promotes early inflation (doesn't work when using a tailgate)
3) Good launch OUT is paramount!
4) Getting on the toggles TOO early can make the canopy surge down in front of you.

I don't really like to say how low I've gone from since this is a 'beginners' forum....but I've got it down to reproducible 'safe' 3-3 1/2 second flights from toggle release w/standup landings.