Cut-away is a skydiving term referring to disconnecting the main parachute from the harness-container in case of a malfunction in preparation for opening the reserve parachute. The 3-ring release system on parachutes allows a rapid cut-away in the event of an emergency.
Modern skydiving harness-containers have two containers; one for the main parachute, and another one for the reserve. These containers are built into a single "backpack", with the reserve container above the main. In case the main parachute malfunctions, it is necessary to jettison the main before deploying the reserve to avoid a main-reserve entanglement. This act of jettisoning the main is called a "cut-away".
Over the years, several different devices have been designed for cutting away the main. Among the most popular were variations of the Capewell release system, until in the 1970s, Bill Booth invented the 3-ring release. Variations of the 3-ring release can now be found on practically all sport and military free fall parachutes.
Cutting away with the 3-ring release is done by pulling a handle placed on the main lift web of the harness. In some cases, parts of the malfunctioning main parachute may be tangled with the skydiver, in which case it may be necessary to use a hook knife to literally cut away the main.
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The 3-ring release system is a parachute component that is widely used by sport skydivers and military freefall parachutists to attach the two risers of a main parachute to the harness that bears the load under the parachute.
CYPRES is an acronym for Cybernetic Parachute Release System. It refers to a specific make and model of an automatic activation device (AAD), a device that automatically activates a parachute under certain circumstances. A CYPRES is designed to activate the reserve parachute at a preset altitude if the rate of descent is over a certain threshold. The manufacturer of the CYPRES is Airtec.
Bill Booth is an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur in the skydiving equipment manufacturing industry. His invention of the 3-ring release safety device has enhanced skydiving safety. He founded the companies United Parachute Technologies and Complete Parachute Solutions, which had 150 employees as of 2015.
In skydiving, an automatic activation device (AAD) is an electronic-pyrotechnic or mechanical device that automatically opens the main or reserve parachute container at a preset altitude or after a preset time.
A malfunction is a partial or total failure of a parachuting device to operate as intended. Malfunctions may require a skydiver to cut away his or her main parachute and deploy the reserve parachute.
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