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kcb203

Have you ever chosen not to jump once at altitude? Why?

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On jump #6 yesterday, I started to get a leg cramp about 5 minutes before exit. The plane was so crowded I couldn't really extend my leg to relieve it. I was considering not jumping, but it resolved itself and I had an uneventful jump. Have you ever chosen not to jump (other than clouds rolling in or something else that affected the entire load)? Why?

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Opted not to jump on a low ceiling day; a handful did clear and pulls at 5k, but I wasn't in the mood for that, so I rode the plane down. I've thought about it, though--a few weeks ago I forgot to turn my AAD on but since it was an easy three way CRW jump with two experienced dogs, I went for it. Had it been a freefall jump I'd have ridden the plane down. (I'm aware that things can go ass over teakettle on CRW jumps and require AAD, but the type of jump we had planned made it a lot less likely.)

Only once do I regret getting out. I had just downsized, still below 1:1, and winds were really gusty. I got the ground speed and got out anyway, since I'm somewhat used to wind. I ended up landing in the parking lot and almost getting dragged out to the road, and came very close to landing in power lines. There's no shame in not jumping.
I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

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About ten times, due to weather, lateness, minor gear issues (i.e. I could have probably still jumped) or problems with a student or a group I was organizing.

On one I was the only one who didn't get out of the Skyvan over a solid overcast 20 minutes after sunset.

On several I had students who balked and we rode the plane down while everyone else jumped.

On one I kept my group in the plane due to weather while the tandems still jumped. We got another pass and got out in clear air. The tandems got soaked.

On another everyone was planning to jump, but I had a student and it was about 30 minutes past sunset. It got so dark the lights of Tijuana were getting pretty bright. So I said I wasn't going to take my student, but reserve side (and the rest of the load, mostly RW) could still jump. Everyone else backed out too. Later several people said to me "I'm so glad you said that. Because I was going to jump but I was really uncomfortable because it was so dark."

Moral there - don't be afraid of saying no, because everyone else on the load may be thinking the same thing and not wanting to be the first one to say it.

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I have for many of Bill's reasons. And there are times I've jumped when no one else did. We took up a 182 load of sub 400 jumpers with new sniveling canopies and could only get 2000' with a rain shower ahead. None of these folks had gotten out much below 4000'. With their canopies and inexperience none wanted to get out. I flip flopped and decided I didn't like landing in airplanes. Got out in rain shower at 2000' after telling everyone else to stay. Glad I did.

NEVER get out because everyone else is if you don't think you should. Some people may kid you but secretly they are admiring you and your building up a reputation as a responsible jumper. Always a good thing.
I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

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Call from ground says winds are at XX MPH, who still wants to jump? There are always a few that will jump. Sometimes I jump anyway, but most often, I will ride down if the tandems don't jump.

But always consider compounding factors. If you see several things not ideal, none might tip the balance, but together they might suggest "bad idea". Learn to do that math.
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

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Several times with students who changed their minds, once because I just wasn't feeling it. I have scratched off of group jumps and done solos when we didn't get enough altitude to do the planned whatever and breakoff on time... if I don't trust everyone I'm jumping with to be able to adjust to less time and breakoff appropriately, I don't want to be near them.

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Not in the air but once at the DZ. It was a cloudy morning and then cleared up to be rather windy. Everyone was jumping but a few experienced people told me not to jump because I was just recently A licensed. I could have jumped but followed their advice. It's not quite in the air but as a new licensed jumper its still as frustrating to me since others were going and having fun.

Keep yourself hydrated though to avoid cramps like that.

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If you're ever in doubt, just ask a TI if they'd bother paying for a jump ticket in these conditions. You'll get an honest answer, most likely.

You can also see what your more experienced (D license, AFFIs, etc.) are doing--if they're only doing work jumps, maybe save your money. There have been plenty of times where I called beer early for myself because while I COULD get down just fine, it wasn't worth the jump ticket to have to fight the winds or other conditions. When it stops being fun, why bother?
I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

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Once. I had a twist in the MLW on one side (the leg strap got flipped through), which I didn't catch on the ground, only on the way up. I could have taken it off, corrected, then put it back on, but I decided that 1) "no in-air rigging" is a good rule and I see no reason to compromise it 2) if I was distracted enough to miss that (it was my GF's first tandem, I was in a group leaving before them), I need to own up to that and accept that I fucked up and the safety of the jump has gone out the window. I did and rode it down.
"Skydivers are highly emotional people. They get all excited about their magical black box full of mysterious life saving forces."

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I can't recall ever staying with the plane when others jumped. (When not with a student who needed to stay. And I have asked for and done a go around due to weather.) But I like a bit of adventure -- off landings, lower than legal altitude, clouds, crazy winds (short of an actual thunderstorm) -- so it isn't always the best thing to do.

Plenty of legitimate reasons to decide it might be PRUDENT even if not NECESSARY to stay - gear issues, medical, weather - and the waste of paying for just a ride won't be a big deal in the long run.

It can be tricky when one doesn't want to let a group down -- there it helps if the organizer makes sure everyone is on the same page about possible choices before takeoff.

I've had it where we're doing a 16 way into 100% cloud cover close to dusk with a likely bad spot. That was pushing things as it required off-landings in dark conditions. But I also remember a similar situation where enough people spoke up that the group jump was cancelled, so some stayed and some jumped but solo.

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dthames

Call from ground says winds are at XX MPH, who still wants to jump? There are always a few that will jump. Sometimes I jump anyway, but most often, I will ride down if the tandems don't jump.

But always consider compounding factors. If you see several things not ideal, none might tip the balance, but together they might suggest "bad idea". Learn to do that math.



That's nice of them, usually people just set up lawn chairs along the landing area to watch the carnage, must be some serious wind to actually call the plane so I think I'd ride it down.
"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

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Twice. First time, I was I think B license, but the clouds weirded me out. The rest of the load jumped, one other girl and I didn't. No regrets.

Second time my sinuses blew up on the ride up and I couldn't get my nose to stop bleeding. Rode the plane down for that one too. Still no regrets.

When in doubt, I'd rather ride the plane down and wish I jumped than jump and wish I rode the plane down.

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A few years ago I was at a DZ where manifest radio'ed the pilot to inform him one of the jumpers on that load had an out of date waiver and was not allowed to jump. He rode the plane down. Never seen anything like that before or since.
=========Shaun ==========


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Twice. Once, pilot informed us that winds had completely shifted direction since takeoff and were 30 knots, gusting 37. I was the only person who rode down, and holy wow, was that an interesting landing in crazy crosswinds. Might actually have been safer to jump!! The second time, there was a terrified static line student who turned down. The instructor was also doing a jump with another student. I felt that he should have stayed in the plane, but, you know. So I opted to ride down with the shaking and white-as-a-sheet static line refuser, who I didn't think should be left in the plane on his own.

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A couple of times. Once when the clouds required exit at 2500 feet after I had resolved not to get out below 3000 feet before I boarded the plane. I didn't have many jumps at the time. The next time was at a boogie and there were a lot of clouds below and I couldn't see anything on the ground I recognized between the clouds, so I decided to move aside and let the rest exit. The pilot was cool and dumped me out below the clouds where I had a good view of the DZ before I exited. Again, low jump numbers and my first away game boogie.
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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