lonely feeling...

[lewmonst 0]

i just had a dissapointing experience. nothing devastating by any means... but to make a long story short, i landed way off after a solo on the sunset load, and no one from the dz even knew i was missing, much less came looking. i'm glad i didn't get hurt, becuase i would have never been found in a field off a farm on a dead end road after the sun went down. but it's a little disheartening to think about if i wouldn't have been able to walk to a road...
should you expect the dz to make sure everyone gets back from every load? i thought so. maybe i expect too much
lew

[PLFKING 3]

That's not good....
I've landed off 5 times, and someone always came and got me...usually before I could even hike out to the nearest road.
Were you at a new DZ where no one knew you, or maybe last one out of the plane .......?
Don

[LittleJumper 0]

Glad to hear you at least made it without injuries. No, it's not too much to expect. Our dropzone makes sure everyone is accounted for. One time, I landed in some high winds...made me drift way off the DZ landing. But since they were already keeping an eye on me...partly because i'm still student status..but mostly because they are concerned for everyone's safety, i landed the MF in a another field fortunately, and they came to get me. Awesome group of people at my DZ.
You have every right to expect them to be there, make sure you get back safely, and especially at dusk!

[AggieDave 6]

At the DZs I've jumped at, people have always gone to find jumpers who land off, regardless of experience level. Maybe you should talk to some of the DZ staff and find out what happened.
AggieDave '02
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Blue Skies and Gig'em Ags!
BTHO t.u.

[PhreeZone 15]

Speaking as one who was on the DZ today when this happened..... I too was dissapointed at the staff.... The spot was a little off and everyone was packing up in the hanger to go home since it was the sunset load, no one noticed the single canopy flying away from the DZ while the rest were on the otherside of the DZ flying back toward the DZ.
Lessons that can be learned... if your on the ground... look in all directions for canopys. Take a few minutes to watch the canopys land before you pack up and take off. 3 minutes might not make that much of a difference to you leaving... but to the person that has to walk for 20 minutes for a ride it would make all the difference in the world.
If your in the plane.... Make sure all of your group is accounted for when you land. If you notice any solos on the plane, keep an eye out for them too. It's not just the staff's job to keep an eye on us, its our job too.
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work

[FallinWoman 1]

That sucks! You have every right to be upset. It is absolutely necessary that we all look out for each other at all times. To land out and not have anyone pick you up is unacceptable!!
I always make a point of looking for the solos on my loads once I am on the ground. When you jump with someone, they will notice if you lnad off, but we all need to keep an eye on the solo jumpers!!!
I am glad you are OK!!
Anne

[Michele 1]

I have watched Jack Gramley (Perris S&TA) radio in to manifest and get the final count from the load. He then stands there and counts, and, only when the last jumper has put down, will he say "that's the end of the day". I asked him if he really stands there all day, every load, and counts, and he replied "not just me, but if I'm doing something, then someone else stands there and counts".
I thought that counting the jumpers down was done everywhere!
Ciels-
Michele
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[lewmonst 0]

to answer your questions... i've been jumping at this dz all summer, i am experienced. i was first one out of the plane, doing a solo on a surf board... i did talk to manifest and staff, and they had called for me on the PA simply to come sign my credit card slip to close up for the day, when i didn't show up, they said they assumed i was in the packing hangar, and even signed on my reciept "signature on file" and left it on the counter. there were several people there, all of which admitted they had no idea i was missing, and i had been gone at least a half an hour after the rest of the load landed...
and blue, to answer your question, yes. i tried to PM you back, but for some reason it doesn't seem to be working
lew

[skybytch 259]

I think I'd be mighty pissed off if that happened to me. I would definitely say something to dz management; imho there's no excuse for not checking to be sure everyone has landed safely, especially on the last load of the day. I can (almost) understand when things like that happen at Quincy, but on a regular day at the dz? Shouldn't happen, period, regardless of if it's a student or an experienced jumper, dz regular or someone just passing through.
pull and flare,
lisa

[mountainman 0]

what was the reason you landed so far out Lew?? Just wondering how you could be so far out that no one saw you in freefall, under canopy, or after to know that you wouldn't make it back.
Also, why didn't the manifest get worried when you didn't come? Wouldn't they suspect something if they called you a couple times? Just think that is weird that they didn't send out the hounds or something since you didn't get there to sign your CC slip.
Curious.
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JumpinDuo.com is here!!!

[lewmonst 0]

bradon,
i landed off becuase i was jumping the board... i opened and had 3 full line twists, which in my safire usually isn't a problem, but with the board, i couldn't kick out of it. so as soon as i saw the canopy not coming out of it and start to dive, i cut away the board, tried to hold it with a toe, but it fell away. i could then kick out of the line twists, and i spotted the board still falling. at this point i was at 1200 ft and at least a mile off the dz already... i decided to follow my board down (since it's a borrowed board in the first place - intermediate worth a couple hundred dollars) and i landed in a field near the board. it happened to be on the other side of a highway, which as it was getting dark, i decided it was better to backtrack the roads to an overpass than to cut through the fields and try to cross the 4 lane highway... even though i was only a mile or 2 out, the trek around was probably 5 or 6 miles... after walking about a mile or 20 minutes or so, finally a kind stranger picked me up. all this put me a half hour late getting back vs. the rest of the load...
and they left the credit card and receipt sitting on the counter, like i'd said, dismissing my absence with "signature on file" on my receipt.
i can take care of myself and don't mind walking, but if i'd busted a leg or something, i can't imagine how long i'd have been out there...
usually they are good at keeping track of everyone, and seeing when canopies land off... but when they relax and assume everythings fine, that's when bad stuff can happen. can we say all's well that ends well? not really. i'm still disturbed by the whole situation. maybe more so i'm just offended that no one noticed... and moreso after the fact that they didn't think it was a big deal. and it wasn't, but it could have been...
keep an eye on your friends
lew

[RemiAndKaren 0]

I hate to say that the Brits DZs have something right (I love you guys, really! ), But at some DZs (I'm sot sure if its a standard rule at all BPA DZs) you have to sign in after every load.
Glad to see you're alright Lew...
Remi
Muff 914

[Emma 0]

God, that's really terrible!
We have someone on DZ control to check everyone back in safely, although I know not everywhere does.
I suppose if you are doing a solo you could mention it to someone before you leave....but it would probably sound a bit weird: 'Hey...man...in case I don't make it back...keep an eye out for me?' etc etc. Don't know how well it would go down.
I think the DZ should take responsibility for that, rather than the onus being on the individual skydiver, anyway. You should maybe mention to them that it worried you. After all, say you'd broken your leg, a femur maybe. You would have probebly bled to death, something that's a lot less likely to happen if you get help asap.
That's the bottom line, really. Most DZ's (regardless of how cool and nice they are and all that), HATE to see fatalities on their ground. It's not exactly good for business. Maybe you should mention that.
Emma

[Merrick 0]

Yeah, that's absolutely unacceptable... It seems there is always someone watching at all the DZ's I've been to.
I've been fortunate to land off only once so far & that was last weekend at spaceland. We were visiting jumpers & three of us landed off, I landed up by the road (about a mile 1/2 from the DZ), & Pam & Hackey landed way out in the next field over. Before I even had my canopy daisy-chained someone from the DZ was there to get me, and it wasn't anyone with our group either. I was very impressed, and I wouldn't expect any less from anywhere else! Glad that you're OK Lew. "Pammi's Hemp/Skydiving Jewelry"

[freeflir29 0]

That stinks! Someone from the DZ staff or at least some of the other jumpers should be looking for canopies. Obviously it's easier for a staff member with a copy of the manifest to do this efficiently. ESPECIALLY ON A SUNSET LOAD! I would be a little pissed off if this happened to me. Glad you're OK!
"Shut up Dummy!"- Fred G Sanford

[abraxas 0]

Hey Lew,
just read your post and re-read your email.I also read all of the replies so far. It is NOT too much to expect a DZ to make a head count after ANY jump, sunset or not. What happened to you was a fubar, plain and simple. Though I am an experienced former military jumper( Lie #1: No wind on a military DZ)the sport scene is a new thing to me.
I would be a bit more relaxed knowing that if I wound up in the woods(or water, or sub-division) someone on the staff would wonder where Abraxas was and start looking.
Hopefully, the DZ staff will see these replies and implement some kind of check/balance so this wont happen again, either to an experienced jumper, or (even worse) a student.
Damn glad you're OK Lew.
blue skies,
Abraxas

[Slappie 9]

It might just be me, if I'm not in the air I try and pay attention to the ones coming in. Since I drive a truck I'm usually the first one to run off after divers out. Our staff does a good job at spotting divers out also. They usually yell "Shawn divers out in the south" ect.. and thats my key to scoot after them My New Website with 24hr Chat

[wildblue 4]

Hey guys..
I've always seen the DZ in question do an excellent job keeping track of people, even during the busy season where they're dropping Casa loads. The staff and most of the jumpers both do a great looking out for each other. I have no idea how this incident happened. I'm disappointed with those there that day to be honest. I've never seen something like this happen there. I'll chaulk it up to a freak occurrence, be glad Lew's ok, and assume it won't happen again.
99.9% of the time isn't good enough in this sport.
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag

[Jessica 0]

That sucks.
I've picked up dozens and dozens of jumpers in the back of my l'il pickup truck. "Jumpers landed out," manifest will announce, and someone will yell "I got it" as she jogs to her vehicle.
Hint: if you're gonna pick up jumpers, don't leave the beer cooler in the back of the truck. It'll be empty.
I'd mention this to the DZO, Lew -- it's simply not safe or acceptable.
Alex wants to see you bleed.

[RemiAndKaren 0]

Quote

I've picked up dozens and dozens of jumpers in the back of my l'il pickup truck

That sounds so dirty!!!!
Remi
Muff 914

[freeflir29 0]

Now I know how to get Jess alone out in the middle of nowhere!!!!!!!!
"Shut up Dummy!"- Fred G Sanford