Hung out to dry

[Yoshi 0]

So this past weekend I was doing some video for 4 way teams (scrambles)... I was on my 6th jump of the day and the door opens. my group is the first out. The winds were a little high and we were having issues with the spots all day, so one of the jumpers stuck her head out the door to take a look (as she should have) and waited a few seconds after green to start the climb out. I swung out to the camera step..grab onto the little bar and waited for the key.. it was a long formation, so my plan was to leave a split second early so i would be able to see the entire piece with all of the grips.. so I am waiting there for the key (about 10-15 seconds has gone by) and I see some shuffleing in the door. Then, one of the 4 way members goes back in the plane, then another, and another... then all of a sudden (after hanging out there for about 30 seconds now) the pilot decides to do a go around. Now i am hanging there with the prop blast about to rip me off the side f the plane, (luckily one of the team members -jumperconway- stood half way out the door to block some of the wind for me.) now i have been out there for about 1.5 minutes and my hands are white and my arms are so tired i almost feel like just dropping off and saying screw it, they can get another dive out of this.. but I hang on. I tried to climb back in a little earlier, but when i got my left hand back to the door I started to slip and i had to reach back with both hands on the top handle for the camera slot jsut to hang on. They eventually got back around and everyone was in place..I was pretty worn out at this time since i spent roughtly about 2 minutes on the outside of the plane. I saw the key, and started to go...the wierd thing was as soon as i let go, it felt as if my arms just shriveled up into little raisins and I fell out of control for a split second-taking out jumperconway on exit. I regain control and flew the rest of the dive as I was intending to. I felt horrible that I took out the dive (especially since it was in a competition)... luckily the team was very understanding and made me feel like it was no big deal after what happened. The next day the pilot even came up to me and gave me a sincere appology as he "made the wrong call" and shouldnt have gone around, and it wouldnt happen again.

I just thought I would share my story.
What would you do? go ahead and exit since you were already out there? try to hang on to stay with the group?
anyways...

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[Unstable 8]

Do enough of those & you'll get pretty buff....

=========Shaun ==========

[flyangel2 2]

I saw JP, John, and Garth hang on to an Otter for over a mintue before they fell

And I know I heard JP yell as he fell away: Help, I've fallen and can't get back up

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[sunshine 2]

Damn, there's no way i could hold on that long. Kinda funny to hear it happening to someone else though.

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meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[wmw999 2,175]

You should have been filming us; we helped pull Matt in on a similar jump run. I guess we were just nicer, huh? And you weren't the only camera guy to hit the formation, either.

The camera guys in general did a great job on the scrambles.

And I've seen static line students hanging on the strut have to be popped off by the pilot because they wouldn't let go. Not quite the same, but impressive nevertheless.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[jumperconway 0]

Yea, I was a little sore the next day. What Yoshi forgot to say was the pilot tried to pop us off the plane going full throttle and banking hard as we were in our count on the first pass. When my teammates went back inside I couldn't even get my outside leg back in the plane without some help as I was strung out at tail. I just couldn't let my bud hang out there all by himself with no wind break!
I got the "sincere" apology Sunday also.

[Yoshi 0]

I do have to say I was kindof suprized by myself that I did hang on that long. For those of you that were on that load, I am not over estimating about the time I was out there am I? I am glad to hear I am not the only camera guy to hit the formations... I felt so bad about it. I have done about 100 video jumps for tandems and never had a problem, and about 25 or so 4way and aff videos. I got pretty down on myself about hitting them. that is one of the worst things to do (in my opinion) when flying video. I would rather not get any shot at all than hit a formation... I guess it is in the past now. I jsut want to say again to those on that jump that I am really sorry. I know it wasnt all my fault, but I feel like I should have done something else to not hit you. I appreciate your light heartedness and not blaming it solely on me.

talk about being soar the next day. I did a tandem (only 3 more to go to get my rating on sigma) and I had to go home for a hot bath after 1 jump....

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[Yoshi 0]

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You should have been filming us; we helped pull Matt in on a similar jump run. I guess we were just nicer, huh?

conway did try to help me back in, but after I started to slip (and his visor flipped open on his full face helmet) he prob thought it would be better jsut to block the wind since I was hanging in the ok. If I would have tried to make it back in I prob would have fell...and with my luck I prob would have taken 1 or 2 of the 4 way with me:)

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[wmw999 2,175]

He did mention the visor. All in all there was some excitement Saturday, wasn't there.

Anyway, everyone's nicer than Conway (and Conway, you know I'm kidding, right? )

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[boxingrrl 0]

It's great that you were able to hang on for that long. I think I probably would've bailed.

If you don't take 'em out every once in a while, they just take you for granted... or, as I was told when I first started-- If you don't fall through the formation every now and again, you're not trying hard enough.

[pilotdave 0]

Hey at least they didn't close the door!

Dave

[psuCory 0]

No, that isn't an overestimation! After 30 seconds of hanging by 1 hand and 1 foot... (hoping that the pilot would resume a steady course soon) the jumpers in the door rearranged a bit - getting a second foot on the floor helped. Another 20 seconds and we were back inside the plane, with the exception of yourself (stuck and struggling) and jumperconway who served as a windblock for as long as his shoulder could take it!

As it turns out.... even had you let go... we would have only lost 1 point frickin' jump 5 heheheh.

Needless to say, there were many jumpers impressed that you actually hung on! Way to go Yoshi!!!!!

Peace

[Yoshi 0]

I almost made it. when exiting I let go jsut a hair late and then my arms went limp..I started to fall towards the formation when I got the strength to open my wings..the video show that I came within about 1-2 feet of hitting the formation dead center and then I started to pop up.. then I must have caught some burble cuz I immediately fell right back down (the formation had now shifted a little and I travelled backwards a bit) so when I came down I pretty much got conway square on his back. he didnt really seem phased by it as he popped back up and got to his slot and started the dive within about 2-3 seconds after me hitting him.

the funny part was in the plane I kept telling conway I was going to take him out (joking at that point) and then I DID! I was saying on the ride up "I can just take you all out so when it comes time to add up the points you can blame it on me"

ohh well
life goes on..at least none of us were hurt (physically anyways)

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[psuCory 0]

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..at least none of us were hurt (physically anyways)

I am however emotionally scarred from being forced to wear a bumper suit for an entire day .

[Kramer 0]

Dang! That's one helluva story. Glad to hear you're a'ight. So was the plane banking really sharply on the go around? G-forces mush you into the side of the plane?

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[Yoshi 0]

I must admit it was really funny seeing a fellow freeflier/hop and popper all dressed up in gripper gear. As long as you had fun I wont make too much fun of ya!

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[Yoshi 0]

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Dang! That's one helluva story. Glad to hear you're a'ight. So was the plane banking really sharply on the go around? G-forces mush you into the side of the plane?

The plane was banking pretty hard. the people inside the plane said they were amazed to see me still outhere after the bank. I wasnt pushed against the plane really.. more like I was pushed down (respectively) durring the bank...made it hell to hang on. mu knuckles were white for about 30 min after that dive...

good thing my forearms are somewhat still in tone from rock climbing or I would have never been able to hang on. I am not really a buff person... but it definately gives me reason to start working out more..then I wont struggle as much if I am ever caught in that position again.

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[wmw999 2,175]

We knew you could do it -- after all, I seem to recall you had an SCR load, too
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Yoshi 0]

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We knew you could do it -- after all, I seem to recall you had an SCR load, too

Please excuse me for being dumb... I hear people all the time say SCR...but I have no clue what it means... please enlighten me

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[psuCory 0]

Heheh... yea and I have about 3 belly jumps in between my SCR jump (jump number 23 for me .

Yoshi, SCR = Star Crest Recipiant. 8 way or larger start, having each participant leave the plane unlinked, and held for at least 8 seconds. It's a tradition that is upheld regularly at Spaceland. Eventually you will see an initiation or two , perhaps even your own
I was lucky enough to have 9 extremely competent flyers, come and save my flailing ass. They proceded to hold me in place for a 3 point 10 way!! Not bad for jump #23 .

[diablopilot 2]

Personally I'd be pissed off at the 4 way team. They should realize that the team is 5 people, it one person has climbed out, its a go.

Same with tandems. If the camera is out. It's always a go.

I have been forced to climb back into an A/C. It's not fun or safe. Communication before hand is important. If you're working for a team and they want to be responsible for the spot, let em tell you when to climb out. In fact wait for front float to climb out and save your muscles!

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Yoshi 0]

Quote

Yoshi, SCR = Star Crest Recipiant. 8 way or larger start, having each participant leave the plane unlinked, and held for at least 8 seconds. It's a tradition that is upheld regularly at Spaceland. Eventually you will see an initiation or two , perhaps even your own .

ahh I see.. I have been on a few 20 ways and stuff.. (one an two point dives) but I never actually made a point of getting my SCR. we will have to go do that sometime.. and what?! do I get pied or something?!?

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[psuCory 0]

Just think of it this way... the results are much easier to handle than the recipiant of that nefarious sit-up introduced to us southerners recently .

[Brains 2]

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ahh I see.. I have been on a few 20 ways and stuff.. (one an two point dives) but I never actually made a point of getting my SCR. we will have to go do that sometime.. and what?! do I get pied or something?!?

Even better

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Paige 0]

Shit, my little arms would have given out way before yours did. I would have just said fucke 'em I can't do this anymore. Esp. if they weren't going to help bring me back in the plane.

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