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Divalent

Watching a Hop-n-Pop leave: what not to do

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That's actually what really got me interested in skydiving. This was about 15 years ago while working on a potato farm in Elberta, AL. I was pulling weeds in a field near Emerald Coast Skydiving when I stumbled across a helmet. First thought was how the hell did this helmet end up randomly out in the middle of a potato field. My neighbor also happened to be a tandem instructor so I told him about my finding and he found out who the owner was. Helmet got returned and the DZO let me go up in the otter for my very first airplane ride. I was too young to jump at the time.

If I remember correctly, the helmet came off during deployment. No damage.

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When the door opens I am ready to exit. Even if I'm not planning to. Hadn't really considered this scenario...more likely what if hop'n'pop hits the tail or has a premature opening and wraps the tail. Be ready to go. Goggles I don't worry about.

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When the door opens I am ready to exit. Even if I'm not planning to. Hadn't really considered this scenario...more likely what if hop'n'pop hits the tail or has a premature opening and wraps the tail. Be ready to go. Goggles I don't worry about.

he WAS ready, he had planned to avoid visor fogging :D
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

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I used to skydive in a maplus s8 snowboard helmet (solid ear job, holds audibles and offers genuine head protection!) and was doing a tandem with it on one day...rocked out of the plane and felt my neck pull...Mother F*cker! helmet gone, ok through the drogue, spend the next 50 seconds laughing, open...curse some more to myself...land, laugh some more. Never was sure if the strap was undone or if the tiny crack just above the strap that I never worried about decided to fully explode, never found it (was last out over a corn field...never really tried):)

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When the door is opened you should be ready to roll. End of.

If someone's reserve goes over the tail (especially on a 3.5k - 5k hop&pop run-in) you better be ready to get the fuck out of dodge without standing in the door pissing about with a strap on your helmet or you might just find the thundering herd up the front of the plane makes up your mind for you.

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When the door is opened you should be ready to roll. End of.

If someone's reserve goes over the tail (especially on a 3.5k - 5k hop&pop run-in) you better be ready to get the fuck out of dodge without standing in the door pissing about with a strap on your helmet or you might just find the thundering herd up the front of the plane makes up your mind for you.




When the door is CLOSED at take off you should be ready to rock!


What happens if the PIC say GET OUT before any planned exits...if ya think I'm gonna wait until ya get dressed you are wrong.

If you are between ME & the door...I'm tossing you out or chewing through you! ;)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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When the door is opened you should be ready to roll. End of.

If someone's reserve goes over the tail (especially on a 3.5k - 5k hop&pop run-in) you better be ready to get the fuck out of dodge without standing in the door pissing about with a strap on your helmet or you might just find the thundering herd up the front of the plane makes up your mind for you.




When the door is CLOSED at take off you should be ready to rock!


What happens if the PIC say GET OUT before any planned exits...if ya think I'm gonna wait until ya get dressed you are wrong.

If you are between ME & the door...I'm tossing you out or chewing through you! ;)


+1

When I was a newbie jumping at Z-Hills I remember seeing a chick who would not step into her leg straps until jump run. I am sure she thought she looked really cool, wearing the rig a bit like a ruck sack.

At the time I thought she was stupid.

Now I KNOW just how stupid she was.

***********************************************
I'm NOT totally useless... I can be used as a bad example

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When the door is CLOSED at take off you should be ready to rock!



I absolutely agree with both of you - ready to go the whole ride up. However, I've thought about it, and I consider my helmet to be non-essential gear in the case of an emergency, and I am more than willing to jettison it if necessary for an emergency exit. I will not stop to put it on if there's a GTFO situation. So I sometimes choose not to wear it above the "belts off" altitude.

Leg straps, chest strap, all the "mission critical" stuff is set before I even climb into the plane, though.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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When the door is CLOSED at take off you should be ready to rock!



I absolutely agree with both of you - ready to go the whole ride up. However, I've thought about it, and I consider my helmet to be non-essential gear in the case of an emergency, and I am more than willing to jettison it if necessary for an emergency exit. I will not stop to put it on if there's a GTFO situation. So I sometimes choose not to wear it above the "belts off" altitude.

Leg straps, chest strap, all the "mission critical" stuff is set before I even climb into the plane, though.



+1

I am still young in the sport, but I get so hot with my helmet on riding to altitude I can't stand to wear it after "belts off".
Lovin every second of it!

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When the door is CLOSED at take off you should be ready to rock!



I absolutely agree with both of you - ready to go the whole ride up. However, I've thought about it, and I consider my helmet to be non-essential gear in the case of an emergency, and I am more than willing to jettison it if necessary for an emergency exit. I will not stop to put it on if there's a GTFO situation. So I sometimes choose not to wear it above the "belts off" altitude.

Leg straps, chest strap, all the "mission critical" stuff is set before I even climb into the plane, though.



You're a smart woman...time to re-think that one. ;)

I wear my helmet screwed on tight from the time I approach the aircraft until well into the climb...at which time I only take it off to check the cameras or clean my eyewear. If I'm not wearing a camera helmet I don't take it off period.

Anyone that's ever had their melon smacked knows it can be very debilitating...ask any of Mike Tyson's opponents.

IF something should happen emergency wise, there is a strong likelihood people or objects may be ricocheting around inside the cabin...catch one of those in the 'off switch' and the rest of your gear isn't a lotta good if you have to exit.

I speak from experience...I've been inside that metal tube when things start to get sporty, you really want to have the hard-drive working at full speed!










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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+1

I am still young in the sport, but I get so hot with my helmet on riding to altitude I can't stand to wear it after "belts off".


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I'm old in the sport and I get hot too...SIUCC! ;)



I guess I forgot about something/someone smacking you in the noggin. I'll keep that in mind next time I go to remove my helmet..:S:)
Lovin every second of it!

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You're a smart woman...time to re-think that one. ;)

I wear my helmet screwed on tight from the time I approach the aircraft until well into the climb...at which time I only take it off to check the cameras or clean my eyewear. If I'm not wearing a camera helmet I don't take it off period.

Anyone that's ever had their melon smacked knows it can be very debilitating...ask any of Mike Tyson's opponents.

IF something should happen emergency wise, there is a strong likelihood people or objects may be ricocheting around inside the cabin...catch one of those in the 'off switch' and the rest of your gear isn't a lotta good if you have to exit.

I speak from experience...I've been inside that metal tube when things start to get sporty, you really want to have the hard-drive working at full speed!



Fair enough - I can appreciate your points and will give them some thought and weigh them against my primary reason for taking off the helmet, which is that I have found that I will significantly increase the likelihood of fogging on my full-face if I wear it all the way to altitude, even with the visor up, especially in colder weather. So it's not a "wah wah it's too hot" reason, it's a "I'd really like this visor to be fog-free when I'm in freefall" reason.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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http://youtu.be/e1YXV0Ve9Nc

Did ya see it? (Yes, something unusual. Look again.]

If you give up, check the comments.



:D:D:D Dumbass!

Hey, been there done that, but it wasn't a helmet/cam, it was my $200 prescription glasses that weren't secured. I was doing CRW and had forgotten to change to my skydiving glasses. One look out the door to check the spot and they just flew off. All I could do was go "FUCK!" and jump. :D
"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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