Landing Off DZ Stories

[MyUserID 0]

Anybody have any interesting stories about landing off of the DZ? (i.e. getting chased out of a backyard by a shot gun toting homeowner)

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Remember kids, eagles may soar, but at least weasels dont get sucked into jet engines.

[PhreeZone 14]

Ate a bunch of beans on some.. ate some corn, *Insert crop here*, Landed near some horses about 12 miles off once.. you know the usual

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[AggieDave 6]

Landed at SlumberJay once in Houston, not that big of a deal till I learned what they do. They blow shit up with high explosives in for testing for the government...well, it was either their large happy looking field or the rice plots that surround it. Although, I didn't realize it was rice, until I landed and looked, all I knew is that the fields were glistening, so they were really wet, no landy there, thank you very much.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[hobbes4star 0]

here are a few good ones to.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=36809;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right?

[freeflir29 0]

I really haven't landed off THAT many times. My only cool one was "demoing" a back yard BBQ at Raeford with Steve Lee, Jerrad, and some guy I didn't know. The whuffo's loved it and offered us beer....

[hohonukai 0]

I've taken out one banana tree (don't worry, they're soft! ) the first time I landed in the banana tree field behind the dz under a 200' canopy in ~10-15mph winds and I had around 30 jumps. The second time I nailed down the flying backwards canopy control and landed in an open row instead. After that, I was given a smaller canopy (170' that made the difference in forward speed).

And then later I landed in the polo field near a horse (but not too close). Someday I hope to land on the beach on purpose.

And, one time at band camp....

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

A true work story:
"There I was, no shit", attached to another MFF team to observe and grade their EXEVAL (a mission based exercise that we do in the military at least once a year). This team was short-handed, so for their infiltration jump they had a dude from the "B" team as their MFF jumpmaster. I was already an MFFJM, but could not assist at all, only critique their spot (after the fact) and follow them off the ramp of the C-130. The dropzone was to be a Marine Corps auxilliary airfield (Bogue, for those of you in the know) where jet drivers go and practice touch and go landings. It was a fairly large area, but is surrounded by large obstacles on every side. Drop time was 0300.

Anyway, the JM and the aircraft navigator compare plots and agree on a release point. The spot is over a mile out to sea, but the winds were honking upstairs, so I wasn't sweating it. Now, here is where things got nutty: The JM and the pilots had the right spot, but they chose to fly the jumprun stright downwind. As I said, the winds were honking; over 65 mph at altitude and they were over 35mph down to about 1000 feet. I shake my head, but can't really argue, seeing as how the plan will work, assuming they get out over the spot.

Drop altitude was 18k, so we were on O2. We stood up, moved to the rear, stood by, then went on the JM's "go". Oh well, we only got out about 20 seconds late, on a downwind jumprun...... I knew we were hosed the second we got off the ramp and I could see the airfield lights directly below us. I weigh a buck and a half soaking wet and was jumping a light ruck; maybe 45 pounds (all I had was chow, my bivvy sack, and my note-taking stuff). These dudes had planned for a 4000 pull, but I knew that dumping that high would only hose us worse, so I rode it down until my FF2 fired at 3000, just to try and make the DZ; it didn't work, or I wouldn't have this nice tale to recount to you.
*Disclaimer: no, you are absolutely not supposed to ride your timer in on MFF jumps, but I didn't give a shit in this case, since I knew it was in my best interest to make the DZ or risk severe injury.

Under canopy, I realized that I had opened past the downwind boundary line of the airfield and had absolutely no "safe" outs. I only kept one other canopy in sight, and we seemed to be drifiting at the same rate. In the end, I was blown over 4 miles backward at a speed of at least 45mph from the intended point of impact. Looking backwards over my shoulders, I crabbed left and right to avoid the following: the ocean, the intracoastal waterway, a huge powerplant, 150 foot tall trees, high-tension powerlines running everywhere out of that powerplant, and finally into a neighborhood with very tall trees along the roadways and in the yards. Since I did not want it hanging up on anything, I never lowered my ruck. The last 30 seconds of my canopy flight went like this: "I'm in the trees; NO, I'm on that house; NO, I am on top of a boat in the yard!; NO, I am in the street and flaring to land." I stood up the landing right in the middle of the very-narrow street and was promptly nearly ran clean over by some teens in an old Nova. They slammed on the brakes, gawked at me, then hauled ass! I looked ahead of me about 200 feet just in time to see one member of the team (the lightest guy), hit, then fall away from a set of huge powerlines. No broken bones, but he was knocked senseless. I knew he would not be the worse off. Anyway, I scurried out of the road, dropped my ruck, cutaway my main, and looked around at my surroundings. Unbelievably, the door to the house I nearly landed on was open, and there was a "50-something" couple in there watching a movie and drinking a bottle of wine. Remember, it was 0300 in the morning! NICE!

I walked up to the front door, camo all over my face, and with an MT1-XX still on my back, and knock.....You would have thought these folks thought they were in the middle of the movie "Red Dawn" when the Russians land in the High School parking lot and start shooting the place up! These folks were incredulous when I calmly stated that I was a green beret from Fort Bragg and had just landed WAY off target on a parachute jump, and could they please contact the airfield and the local authorities, since I was SURE there were injured people strewn all about the countryside. Unbelievably, their best friend was a retired guy who just happened to be on duty over at the airfield...

I escaped uninjured, but three guys on that team were badly broken up; one landing backwards in a dried up pond and literally tearing his shoulder blade off his back on a tree stump. It took until 0900 to police all the jumpers up and get them back to the airfield. I dumbly thought they might cancel the mission, considering they lost three personnel to injury on infil, but that was not the case. I stayed ou there in the woods in two separate hide sites collecting data on the activity at the airfield. Three days later, we exfilled via Coast Guard patrol boat.

That, my brothers and sisters, was the absolute scaredest I have ever been on a jump. I am lucky to be alive and that's the God's honest truth.

Chuck

[freeflir29 0]

Quote

was the absolute scaredest I have ever been on a jump

I don't think anyone would blame you...... Did that JM buy like 27 cases of beer when it was all done?

[kingbunky 3]

...or could they even find the jm after that?

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[skypuppy 1]

My favorite one was when Frogman followed out Downwind Sue at Coldwater a few years back. They were so far away they didn't know where the dz was.
Sue sat down and started to cry, so of course, Frog had to console her... One thing led to another and the next thing you know, Frog's at the doctors getting treated for poison ivy on his wee-wee.

Frog had a lot of luck on his off-dz landings. Another time he landed in the backyard of this sun-bathing female and didn't surface again for two days...

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[freeflir29 0]

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Another time he landed in the backyard of this sun-bathing female and didn't surface again for two days...

Now thats what I call "An excellent spot!!!" On another note.....we were lifting off a few months ago and spotted two chicks skinny dipping in a pond off the end of the runway. If we had been anywhere near 2000 Ft I believe several of us would have exited..... Being that we were around 500Ft we all just hung out the door to wave and yell. They waved back.....

[billvon 2,379]

Let's see -

(capsule summaries)

1. Nude jump with one woman, four guys, landed 3 miles from Quincy due to an impending storm that made it impossible to stand up in the CASA before exit (should have been our first clue.)

2. Demo jump that resulted in SEALs wearing green tights landing all over Lake Havasu, AZ - parking lots, backyards etc.

3. Landed with a tandem in the parking lot of a McDonald's. Could have landed in a field nearer to the DZ but I was thirsty.

4. Landed 7-8 miles from the Ranch DZ due to a 100 jump wonder who gave the pilot 90 degrees of left. From that, I learned that when the pilot looks back and asks "where are we going?" the spot might be bad.

5. Spotter mistook a parking lot (only thing visible through clouds) for the airport; exited 3 miles short over 2000 foot mountains. Fortunately everyone pulled high.

[froglady 0]

Almost dark landing in small back yard about 2 miles from DZ, only choice due to trees. Walked up to the farm house, an old man was on his porch with a shot gun waiting for some deer which I sure I scared away with all my screaming as I landed. He had know phone and didn't think he could direct me down the right dirt roads. He offered to use his 4x4 to take me to the main road. As we drove out I noticed a lot of run down houses/shacks with tombstones in there front yards. When we got close to the main road he said "I'd have to give him directions to the airport". Very scary, how could you miss all the planes and parachutes 2 miles from you house.

I have a friends story thats even better. She landed on the other side of the river at Sebastian. Same thing no power or phone, the guy to her in his canoe to a friends house that had a phone.

FrogLady

[TEB6363 0]

Out flying around doing CReW, We landed about 1.5 miles short of the DZ. Not that exciting, but there was an ambulance crew eating lunch next to the open field where we landed.

The five of us all got a ride TO the DZ in the back. The other jumpers thought it was great..

Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!!

[Faicon9493 114]

I once had a cutaway on a tandem jump in East Troy, WI. and I followed the main down. It came down in a cemetary not too far from the DZ. While I was gathering everything up, a guy who was flying a helicopter in the area landed, picked us up, and flew us back to the club house.

[Yoshi 0]

nothing too exciting but last year at richmond skygod777 had a cutaway and I followed him down with his main.. we found everything later , but when we were headed back to the DZ I had to cross some fences into the cow pastures I climbed the fence reached back over it when kelly was handing me my gear and ZAP! the damn thing was electric! no more than 15 seconds later the owner of the farm came out and yelled "be careful of those fences they have barbed wire..dont worry though I JUST turned off the power so your shouldnt get SHOCKED!..ahh well my leg was numb for a few minutes, but all feeling is back now:)
-yoshi

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this space for rent.

[skypuppy 1]

Back in the days of round parachutes the Frog was jumping with Bill Cole's Paradescenders team at the Canadian International Airshow. It's one of the biggest shows in Canada with crowds of about 250,000 a day showing up on the Toronto waterfront over the four-day Labor Day weekend. (That's a million people over the weekend.) The landing site is a small slope on a man-made island in between the water and the various buildings/bars/restaurants on Ontario Place.
In those days there were a lot of shallow wading pools on the island, which was ok except that they had green bottoms that looked, from the air, like grass. Surrounding them were a number of venues such as patio bars and a bandstand.
The Frog was under his Paracommander when he realized he wasn't going to make the landing area and started looking around for alternates. Seeing a green area below him he headed for it. Realizing at the last minute that it was one of these wading ponds, he hauled down on a toggle to avoid getting wet.
Next to the pool was a sunken outdoor bar. Frog's feet hit the top step, then his body swept across the front table sending drinks, food and patrons flying. He ended up curled up against the back wall covered in plastic beer cups, feeling a bit battered and bruised.
As he contemplated getting up he saw the bouncer streaking across the joint toward him. He was thinking to himself, 'here we go. I don't know if I'm up to fighting right now.'
The bouncer grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him up. "here we go,' thought Frog as the guy started shouting at him.
"Are you alright?" the guy screamed... "Do you need a beer?" as he shook Frog like a rag doll.
'Man would I like a beer!' answered the Frog, and within two or three minutes they had him seated at the once again upright table with enough beer and rum and cokes in front of him to last any decent man for an entire long weekend, and his fellow bar patrons peppered him with questions.
About an hour later Frog saw Bill Cole wandering around looking for him. He knew they were supposed to meet up after each jump to debrief and Cole would be madder than hell at him, but he'd made a good impression in the bar and still had a pile of drinks to go through.
When Cole finally spotted him sitting facing the steps he came in and demanded to know where Frog had landed. 'Right here', Frog said, nodding at the table. 'But where?' Cole demanded. 'Right fudding here!"said Frog.
Another successful demo.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone