pop 0 #1 February 13, 2008 You know that's how every good skydiving story starts. Let's hear yours.7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 3 #2 February 13, 2008 Originally posted in 2001, but still a good lesson. Luckily, this has been the only instance where I felt in danger. Hey all, Just a note to remind everyone of why the safety rules / guidelines exist. We piled into the Cessna Saturday, taxied out while discussing who would spot, exit order, etc......and two of us (sadly, one was me) neglected to fasten our seat belts. Roll-out, rev up, and down the runway we go. Pilot pulls up, we get 5 feet off the ground, stall light goes on, RPMs drop, and the pilot sets it back down with little runway left and doing about 90 mph. He yells at everyone to assume crash positions, and I can't express the sick feeling I got when I realized I wasn't belted in. After what seemed like an eternity of plane-bouncing, tire-squealing, wheel-hopping chaos, we finally screech to a halt, the pilot hollers to exit the plane NOW, and we pile out to discover 5" of pavement (LITERALLY -- I measured) between our front tire and the end of the runway -- past that, a grassy, down-hill slope....then into the woods. I've been to several larger DZs, and seen Otter and CASA loads on which maybe only 50%-75% of the jumpers were belted in -- I guess I became complacent to the danger, and EVERYONE who jumps either knows or should know that complacency in this sport will eventually kill your ass. So, luckily, a lesson learned without the expense of a hospital stay. Also, I now know that my helmet will NOT fit into my sphincter, although it WAS close...... The belts are there for a reason........wear 'em. The Prince of PLF "When in doubt I whip it out, I got me a rock-and-roll band. It's a free-for-all." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MajorDad 0 #3 February 13, 2008 Let's see..... Lost Prairie 2006 Jump 1413. Nice Mad John 15 way. Sniveler then Spinnetto. Spinnetto which became very Ground Hungry with good G's Very hard to cut away. Very, Very, Very Hard to cut away. The "32" of the runway I was over was getting closer and closer. Used the Mark I Eyeball and Chest Mount Altimeter throughout to check altitude and do the "math" on the situation. Finally got rid of the main and got the reserve out. Rear riser turn into the windline, released brakes and flared. Checked the Pro-Track on the ground ...... "400 Feet" (The download later showed 385 Feet plus a pretty funky curve below 2000') Beat the Cypress but it did fire during the reserve deployment (didn't cut the loop). Although I knew what altitude I was at when I finally got rid of the main, I knew it was going to be close. What was going through my head at 1000 feet under the Spinnetto was that firing the reserve at the rate I was spinning would probably lead to a bad day if I was still attached to the main. Although I walked away from my decisions without a scratch, I was 2 seconds away from major trauma or death. However it wasn't my time yet. The Quad Fours from the Poker Game the night before won enough to cover the repack and new cutter. (Thanks Rich, Kathy and a few others!!!) Major Dad CSPA D-579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madhatter 0 #4 February 13, 2008 Jump # 92, flying back from a weekend visit to a neighbouring dz. Myself & another newb (+-150 jumps) were planning on doing beer jumps (high h&p) once we got back to our dz. Skygod was sitting in the dogbox, having a beer in the plane as his rig wasn't packed. Halway back the pilot said he couldn't climb due to an ATC hold, would we H&P at 2000'? Maybe Skygod's judgement was impaired, but seeing that we were cocksure & wanting to jump, he gave the OK. 2000', what could be so hard?? We ended up running in at 1800' and on climbout, there was no throttle back. I got onto the step, basically planning on doing more of a pop'n hop than h&p and the next thing I knew I was blown onto my back. 2 backflips later & a very short canopy ride (main) to the ground, I was shaking so much i couldn't open the beer I still had tucked into my jumpsuit. Didn't really come close to death, but it sure was a TIWGTD moment!A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! D.S # 125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #5 February 13, 2008 I've had a few.... Here's one: a 10 way out of a caravan. I'm rear float with 5 out. We exit. Somehow I get stuck on the dude in front of me so I push off him. We build the formation, turning 3 or 4 points, all of them with me on the outside. Nothing seems amiss, that is, until breakoff when I turn and start tracking. Then I feel something wildly flapping against my leg. I take a look and HOLY SHIT, my left leg strap's been pulled all the way out to the end! The right one was still tight. I knew I was gonna have a streamer if I deploy my main with my harness like that and my reserve would foul up too, both are 120 s.f. at about 1.5 W/L at the time. It took 3 attempts but I finally got ahold of the wildly swinging strap and then it took 3 tries to finally yank it tight and then I reached back to pull the pilot chute and check my altimeter at the same time - 1000 feet! OH FUCK! Please let my main open right!! It did, and I was in the saddle by 500 feet. No Cypres at the time. A month and a half later my friend and Chicago world record captain Sandy Wambach dies at the 300 way attempts. I got a Cypres within 2 weeks. Now that Cypres will need replacing in about 2 years."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MajorDad 0 #6 February 14, 2008 Quote I've had a few.... Here's one: a 10 way out of a caravan. I'm rear float with 5 out. We exit. Somehow I get stuck on the dude in front of me so I push off him. We build the formation, turning 3 or 4 points, all of them with me on the outside. Nothing seems amiss, that is, until breakoff when I turn and start tracking. Then I feel something wildly flapping against my leg. I take a look and HOLY SHIT, my left leg strap's been pulled all the way out to the end! The right one was still tight. I knew I was gonna have a streamer if I deploy my main with my harness like that and my reserve would foul up too, both are 120 s.f. at about 1.5 W/L at the time. It took 3 attempts but I finally got ahold of the wildly swinging strap and then it took 3 tries to finally yank it tight and then I reached back to pull the pilot chute and check my altimeter at the same time - 1000 feet! OH FUCK! Please let my main open right!! It did, and I was in the saddle by 500 feet. No Cypres at the time. A month and a half later my friend and Chicago world record captain Sandy Wambach dies at the 300 way attempts. I got a Cypres within 2 weeks. Now that Cypres will need replacing in about 2 years. The ground looks REAL CLOSE at 600' when you are not under a parachute, dont it Major Dad CSPA D-579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iceburner 0 #7 February 14, 2008 doing a mr. bill, and getting wrapped in my pilot chute...i managed to catch the bridel before it pulled the pin, and i managed to untangle it from the other jumpers anklegave him the code word to let go (an "OH FUCK fuck fuck") and he lets go, i release the bridal and tuck my arms (can only think of the base jumpers that went in getting tangled in their bridel), then relize im still on my back as my d-bag hits my legsomehow, i got out of it with only about 15 line twists at 7K. landed, had a beer, and relaxed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
