I ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep Friday night before heading to the DZ on Saturday. I knew I was tired, so I threw back a Monster energy drink, packed up my gear and headed down to the DZ. The caffeine should make up for the lack of sleep, right? Anyway, I got there and still didn't feel 100%, so I decided to do a hop'n'pop to help me wake up a little more. It went fine, so I packed up, threw on a wingsuit, and went up to full altitude to carve around some clouds that were forming. 3 minutes from jump run, I realized I had, in a daze, rigged the wings incorrectly. I was able to fix the problem just in time with the help of one of the other jumpers in the plane. I re-checked my gear. Leg straps: tight. Chest strap: tight. Handles: main, cutaway, and reserve all good. Ok time to fly! The flight was uneventful for about the first minute, but as I was flying around, something didn't feel quite right. Then I noticed a stinging just below my jawline on the left side of my face. Of course, I did remember to buckle my helmet before I jumped...right? I flew to clear airspace, and deployed a little bit high, but as I deployed, my risers knocked my helmet off and I watched $450 worth of gear go tumbling toward the Earth. I watched it fall for as long as I could to get an idea of where to look when I got to the ground, then I said a few choice words, got my shit together and landed. I spent long time looking for it after I got to the ground, but it was no use. Lessons learned: -Crew rest isn't just for pilots, so don't skydive if you know you're too tired. Caffeine doesn't make up for lack of sleep. -If you're tired enough to mis-rig a wingsuit and forget to secure your helmet, you're probably tired enough to forget something REALLY important. -Check and re-check your own gear and the gear of those around you. I'm in no way trying to put any blame on anyone on that load for not seeing that my chin strap was undone (the fault is clearly my own), but I know that I will be much more vigilant about checking myself as well as everyone in my sight next time I jump.
There is a happy ending. After the last load yesterday, another jumper and I went out to search the area where I saw my gear go down. After about 2 hours, we found my helmet in a pine forest. It had landed softly on the forest floor which was about 1' thick with pine needles. My audible was lying about 6' away. Both are in great shape, and the audible still works.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Welcome to the 300th hour club. The staff will be by with your monogrammed robe momentarily.
Due to your confession, we will not charge you a deposit as it is now more likely you will be able to turn the robe back in when your membership expires.
Re: [Iago] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Very good post, and I'm glad I could read it, as a few jumps I've either been:
A. Hungover B. Tired C. Feeling crappy and out of it. ...and jumped anyway.
Caffeine helps to a certain level, but in regards to skydiving, why chance it? You got the whole day. Just take a nap for a couple hours. Glad you didn't end up hurting yourself.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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I've got caught up in the moment and knocked back way too many beers to jump the next morning, however, a dose of fresh air and adrenaline are the cure for a hangover right!?
I bought a bacon sandwich to fill my stomach with something substantial but just coulnd't stop heaving and sweating. Then I had a flash of sense and decided it was madness and took my name off the list. At best I wouldn't have enjoyed it, at worst my shit wouldn't have been quick enough if there was a problem or mal.
I think its important for people, especially about my experience level who have got licenced and have started travelling around to just be careful with the whole party atmosphere thing at some DZs. If you're gonna go mad its probably best to acknowledge your mornings jumping is ruined.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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about a month back, we had canopy course, and after two jumps in the rain, we decided to finish early and started party hardy..
i ended up sleeping at the dropzone, sunday morning i spent reading and drinking coffee in the sun, then did one jump, and called it a day. sometimes its better to know where your limits are. having slept maybe 3 or 4 hours and massive alcohol consumption the night before dont mix too well. especially skydivingwise..
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Glad to hear that you learned a lesson without severe consequences. I did it once too, slept too little and still I jumped because a buddy from belgium came to the DZ here in the Netherlands. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep, I felt a bit nauseaous on the ride up. I exited the plane, fell a bit unstable nothing horribly but still, I was scared.
Man, I was really glad when my feet were on the ground. Everything went ok under canopy, the landing was smooth as butter. But I won't jump again when I am really tired, and don't feel good about it. I can't imagine what would have happened when I've had a malfunction that day.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Reminds me of Sunday. We were on jump run - in the King Air - when I noticed something unusual about another jumper's helmet. Yelled ... Got his attention ... Told him to attach his chin strap before exit.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Couldn't help but notice: 1 year jumping and only an "A" license...in a wing suit? How many jumps do you have? Ummmm. I don't mean to flame you but maybe that has more to do with your mishap than lack of sleep.
Re: [pilot-one] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Oh, sorry, I forgot my profile needs to say at least a D and 15 years to fly a wingsuit, because wingsuits are scary and dangerous! I'll get right on that.
Honestly, let's focus on the message and not on my profile, please. My jump numbers are my own business. I assure you, jump numbers had nothing to do with my mistake, and everything to do with fatigue. Don't bother flaming me. I have way more than the requisite number, and got the proper training before flying.
(This post was edited by millertimeunc on Jun 17, 2008, 9:16 PM)
Re: [pilot-one] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Couldn't help but notice: 1 year jumping and only an "A" license...in a wing suit?
I was not using an AAD, free flying, jumping wing suits, and swooping canopies loaded at 1.7-1.8 pounds per square foot as a student.
I didn't bother to get a license for 10 years and 1500+ jumps when I was moving to a state where people didn't know me. I would have gotten a pro-rating to demo into my wedding sooner but some muppet landed on a spectator during our city's foot race so they turned down my request so I didn't need the rating.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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I know. Shame on you for not having an up to date profile. The nerve of some people these day I tell ya.
Ill bet this had absolutely nothing at all to do with lack of sleep. It has to be because you dont have a completed dizzy.com profile. Yeah thats it. If I were you I would update as soon as possible. Who knows, it could be way worse next time.
Re: [millertime24] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Interesting comments you share however a profile is all there is to go by on a forum. If you noticed I asked how many jumps the OP had. If he has enough experience then that's great! Obviously though he wasn't experienced enough to call the day of jumping when his body was phyisically challanged. Something that most skydivers learn early on if they don't already have the wherewithal to do such. I'm sorry but the post is consistant with inexperience. IMHO of course.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Honestly, let's focus on the message and not on my profile, please. My jump numbers are my own business. I assure you, jump numbers had nothing to do with my mistake, and everything to do with fatigue.
I take your main point; however I think it's also probably true that most people make The Jump That Tells Them Not To Skydive Fatigued fairly early on, when they are doing things less complicated than a w/s jump.
Re: [pilot-one] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Nah. I actually know the guy and he'll push himself to utter exhastion (sp?) once he sets his mind on something. But he does DEFINATELY have the skills and jumps and license for WS that the UselesSPA reccomends. I just get aggrivated somtimes when people make an instant judgement call based on nothing more than what a profile claims. I mean I could put any number I wanted in my profile then go into the swooping forum and nobody would question me. See what I'm getting at?
Re: [pilot-one] Lesson I learned this weekend
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No, my post is consistent with someone who is a human being. We all make mistakes, they just get a lot more costly when you're skydiving.
Case in point, I personally know someone who, with over 5 times as many jumps as your profile says you have, boarded a jump plane without a rig because he was so fatigued at the end of a long day of jumping that he forgot it. Does that make him less experienced than you because he "didn't learn it early on?"
Your opinon is worth to me exactly what I paid for it. IMHO of course.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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>We all make mistakes . . .
. . . and the smart skydivers learn from theirs. You had a learning experience; it's something most jumpers get once they have enough jumps.
Having 2000 jumps doesn't in and of itself mean much when it comes to safety. However, it does mean that you've probably made most of the common mistakes (such as the ones you made) already, and thus have a better chance of not making them again.
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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and your response's are all to famillar. You are not the first person who thought jump numbers didn't mean anything and would go off the deep end when questioned. Funny how after someone dies you can go back and search how they acted/interacted on DZ.com and really not be surprised they burned in.
As someone much wiser then me said"You are not now nor will you ever be to good not to die in this sport"
Re: [millertimeunc] Lesson I learned this weekend
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Quote
Your opinon is worth to me exactly what I paid for it. IMHO of course.
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Ummmmm. Then why start the thread to begin with if you don't respect other's opinions? If you want an accurate response then represent yourself in an accurate manner. It sounds to me like you don't like what you hear and are becoming defensive. As far as I'm concerned I think you lack the experience to jump a wing suit whether you have the jump numbers or not. I suggest you get with your instructor to go over the basics...like a gear check before you board the plane to start with.
. Yeah thats it. If I were you I would update as soon as possible. Who knows, it could be way worse next time. 
You are not the first person who thought jump numbers didn't mean anything and would go off the deep end when questioned. Funny how after someone dies you can go back and search how they acted/interacted on DZ.com and really not be surprised they burned in. 
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