crazy8 0 #1 May 12, 2006 my name is levi asprey from sandiego. i learned a lot in a little amount of time last sunday. i have 45 jumps and everything is new still. i was trying freeflying for the first time, and it was fun. until i went for my main and it was not there. i am posting this to help you learn from my mistakes. i spent a long time trying to find it and made probably four attempts. i finally chopped. i was under canopy at 1200feet. the first mistake i made is that i initiated my first pull too low. the next mistake was how long i tried to fix the problem. try twice and chop!!!! not four times. i lost valuable altitude. one more mistake was that i tried to pull my pilot out by the bridal. if i had gotten it out i would have given myself a horseshoe and would not be typing right now because of my altitude. luckily there was one more mistake, thats right luckily, i had routed my bridal wrong and that kept me from pulling out my main by my bridal. i made mistakes because i am new and i was rushing. do not rush things you do not yet know make sure you check and double check don't be afraid to ask for gear check or any other advise. know your gear. be safe and have fun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #2 May 12, 2006 I'm glad you're ok. It might be helpful if you filled out your profile (not just about yourself but also your gear, etc.) so we can know more about your background. Your post is unclear about what happened. What kind of gear were you jumping? What "four attempts" did you make? What was the "it" you were trying to find - your hackey? You say you finally "chopped." (To "chop" usually means to cutaway a main. Is that what you mean, or were you trying to say you went for your reserve handle?) Does that mean you had a main out (or partially out) which malfunctioned and then cutaway? Or did you go straight to reserve? You were under canopy at 1200 feet - main or reserve? Sorry, but none of these answers are clear from your post. Please give us the necessary details. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #3 May 12, 2006 I am glad that it came out as well as it did. Now sit down with someone like you instructor or a jumper whose experience and knowledge you trust and go over the jump step by step and commit the mistakes to memory. As Andy posted, some things seem a bit confusing.My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phillbo 11 #4 May 12, 2006 Hard deck .. know it , live it ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GravityGirl 0 #5 May 12, 2006 You are not the one that had two out last weekend, are you? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisL 2 #6 May 12, 2006 Saying you "chopped" would indicate that you had a cutaway. Sound like you pulled your reserve and saved your butt but never had a main out. If I interpreted your story correctly you didnt "chop". Either way though, thanks for sharing your story and I'm glad you are here to tell it __ My mighty steed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,476 #7 May 12, 2006 >Saying you "chopped" would indicate that you had a cutaway. To me, 'chopping' means pulling the cutaway handle. Many students are taught to _always_ pull the cutaway handle before pulling the reserve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #8 May 14, 2006 Quote>Saying you "chopped" would indicate that you had a cutaway. To me, 'chopping' means pulling the cutaway handle. Many students are taught to _always_ pull the cutaway handle before pulling the reserve. I thought students were taught always to say "chop and pull reserve" or "cutway and pull reserve". I know if I forgot to say the second half of that line in any casual or formal training conversation on the ground, I would be corrected and forced to finish the line... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #9 May 16, 2006 given that I'm still in student status, and daily flight checks begin with testing on pulling reserve, I've been taught that 1. We must have a decision altitude of 2500 feet. Some DZ's say 2k, from what I've read and am told. 2. Procedure is: Look for pillow/cutaway handle, put right hand on it. (look to be sure you've got the handle and not cloth from your jump suit) Look for reserve handle, hook thumb thru it. Pull pillow/cutaway Pull reserve Look to see that the canopy is there and square. Perform any line twist procedures, prep for PLF. More or less straight from the SIM. Dunno if that answers anything, I'd sure like to see a response from the original poster about what happened. My first flight ever was a tandem cutaway, and it was impressive how the TM managed it. It wasn't til I saw the canopy floating away that I knew anything was wrong, his execution was so smooth. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WILDBILLAQR 0 #10 May 18, 2006 This is why I wish we ,as "up jumpers" or instructors, could limit the amount of freeflying that newer jumpers do. I had my 1st mal (a preme @ 9000') on jump #43, my 4th jump as a "licensed" skydiver. I feel that younger jumpers need more experiance in the air, on their bellies, to see what goes on @ break-off! Freeflying is cool! It's a blast (of course I suck @ it) But it's really cool and a lot of fun I know that my mal had nothing to do with breakoff, but it had everthing to do with the added speed of freeflying! In this case w/crazy8, if he would have had an "Dirt Alert" he may not have found himself in this situation. Maybe if he had the time in the air to develop his "internal altimiter" this would not have happend. We need to help our newer jumpers into all the fun that is in the air. WE NEED TOO help them make the right choices so they become old skydivers There are so many ways we can play in the air, there is so much fun out there!! The new skydiver is our future, we must train them and guide them so that they become us, and do the same!---------------------------------------------- "Thats not smoke, thats BUCKEYE!!" AQR#3,CWR#49 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #11 May 18, 2006 my name is levi asprey from sandiego *** Glad you're okay.... By the way, El Cajon is more like Santee than San Diego! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ockers 0 #12 May 19, 2006 "we ,as "up jumpers" or instructors" At 400 jumps WTF??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #13 May 19, 2006 Quote"we ,as "up jumpers" or instructors" At 400 jumps WTF??? Ummmm...yes...I would say that he qualifies for "up jumper" and would be included in the group of "up jumpers and instructors"....and what the said made sense to me although I would put more emphasis on training instead of limiting.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazy8 0 #14 May 19, 2006 san diego as in skydive sandiego (otay/jamul/nicholase feild/ call it what you will) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
