tdog 0 #51 May 20, 2005 QuoteI did an emergency exit from a Balloon at 1700-feet (with skydiving, not BASE gear) after the pilot over-temped the envelope and blew out the top. Another jumper with us refused to jump and almost killed himself when he suddenly later realized he was going to die if he stayed. I don't know if I want to know the answer to this... What happened to the pilot???? Also - made me think... In skydiving aircraft the pilots wear a bail out rig... What about the rules for Balloon pilots... (If I was a balloon pilot, and I had the intention of landing with the balloon every time, I think I would still take my rig just incase... I guess the customers who are going for a nice romantic evening wine and cheese ride would freak out. ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakflyer9999 1 #52 May 20, 2005 Weather permitting, I am doing a balloon jump in the morning from a friend's balloon. He intends to put the balloon into a terminal descent from 6500 and I plan on simply rolling backwards out of the basket facing the video camera still in the balloon. This is my balloon jump, so the DZ will have something in the frig tomorrow evening. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #53 May 20, 2005 So does this make bungee jumping from a balloon a bit precarious for everyone? If just losing the weight of a jumper is bad, the dynamic loading to nothing must be worse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
propilot 0 #54 May 21, 2005 QuoteOh, and the fellow who said he put his slider half way up (or down) is giving bad advice. Generally what happens is during line stretch there's a good chance the slider will be "blown" back up the lines. And if it doesn't and you have a stability or gear problem that delays your deployment you're asking for trouble. Even BASE jumpers using BASE canopies, which are very overbuilt, won’t delay more that 3-seconds with the slider disabled. The "best" opening he ever had stems only from the fact he was going so slow . . . NickD BASE 194 Usually you are going slow when you delpoy immediately right? Anyway, I didnt know about the slider bouncing thing..good info. Like i said, im surprised everything turned out so well. My intent in the story is to show that you need to think twice about it with so little experiance and take along a qualified friend who can answer questions... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NickDG 23 #55 May 21, 2005 >>So does this make bungee jumping from a balloon a bit precarious for everyone? If just losing the weight of a jumper is bad, the dynamic loading to nothing must be worse.<< Balloons used for bungee jumping are not free flying, they are tethered to the ground, and that changes the dynamics of everything. We did it for years when my former girlfriend owned a bungee operation. The pilot of the balloon we did the emergency exit from lived, but he was seriously injured. After he recovered he came to me for jump training and bought a pilot's rig. He vowed to never fly his balloon again without wearing a parachute. The scary part of all this is the only reason he survived stems from the fact his passengers (us) had the ability to leave thus lessening the load. Normally this fellow gave rides to non-jumpers and in that case the outcome would have been much worse and probably fatal to all . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rwieder 0 #56 May 21, 2005 my first balloon jump, we got out at 2500 agl, pure adrenaline!-Richard- "You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freakflyer9999 1 #57 May 21, 2005 QuoteWeather permitting, I am doing a balloon jump in the morning from a friend's balloon. He intends to put the balloon into a terminal descent from 6500 and I plan on simply rolling backwards out of the basket facing the video camera still in the balloon. This is my balloon jump, so the DZ will have something in the frig tomorrow evening. WooHOOOOOO!!!!! I did my balloon jump this morning. We took off and climbed up to about 6000 feet, he then put the balloon in a terminal descent of about 700 feet per minute. I climbed over the edge and went off backwards. The video shows my initial exit and then picks me back up when I'm about 2-300 feet below. She got my opening which put me in the saddle at 4000 feet. So between the terminal descent and the freefall I lost 2000 feet. I then flew back to the same yard that we took off from. I couldn't quite make it back to the front yard but landed in the side yard next to the house. We had some strange winds this morning. The other balloon that took off at the same time we did only climbed to about 500 feet. They went due east. We quickly climbed to above a 1000 and immediately headed due west. The other balloon was supposed to get video of the jump too, but they ended up miles in the opposite direction. Had a blast and hopefully will get to do it again soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites dorbie 0 #58 May 22, 2005 Quote The scary part of all this is the only reason he survived stems from the fact his passengers (us) had the ability to leave thus lessening the load. Normally this fellow gave rides to non-jumpers and in that case the outcome would have been much worse and probably fatal to all . . . He he, I'm just trying to picture what would happen if you showed up for a fun balloon ride with your rig. Would the pilot take you up Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites dorbie 0 #59 May 22, 2005 QuoteThe pilot of the balloon we did the emergency exit from lived, but he was seriously injured. After he recovered he came to me for jump training and bought a pilot's rig. He vowed to never fly his balloon again without wearing a parachute. Oh, and what about the passengers on his next incident. Can you imagine it, pop goes the balloon and the pilot starts strapping on a rig as his customers watch in forlorn hope. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites scrublink 0 #60 May 24, 2005 I have made a few balloon jumps and also did quite a bit of balloon flying as I was thinking of adding on that rating to my fixed wing license. A prudent ballonist will drop jumpers in a descent to cut down the stress on the envelope. The rate of descent depends on how much weight is leaving and the size of the envelope. As for landing off if you aren't comfortable landing in small places including backyards you might want to rethink this jump. If you are in an area with wide open space (midwest and Arizona come to mind) then this isn't that critical. The ballon itself is the best wind indicator around. Just keep track of which direction the balloon was flying for the first five hundred feet or so. Since winds have to be fairly light to fly a balloon even if you land downwind it shouldn't be a big deal. Be prepared to do a PLF. Sometimes landing out no matter how well planned can get a bit hairy. I would suggest that you make a couple chopper jumps with little or no forward speed to get a feel for the lack of relative wind or take a base course. Ballon jumps are a hoot and are relatively safe provided you know what to expect have a plan and don't panic. Get advice from a local jumper you trust that has done one before or take them with you. Carry a cell phone just in case you get hurt or need to call for a ride. Hope some of this helps. Have fun be safe and Blue Skies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Guest 1010 #61 December 17, 2005 --bump-- and here is some more balloon info You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Salsa_John 0 #62 December 19, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! Quote If you ever do that with a modern skydiving rig and a normally sized PC, be prepared to tow it for a while. It will definitely add to the rush. Enjoy the suspense as your wait for the airspeed to build enough to pull your main pin. Then, feel the rush as the D-bag lazily leaves your back, and teeters in the air while your tight, skydiving line stows slowly pop loose. Betcha get aline twist or two to add to the fun, as well. Remember, a good stable exit will be helpful. "You did what?!?!" MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Scrumpot 1 #63 December 19, 2005 Why would you "hop-n-pop" from a balloon at 6k AGL? Just wondering. With no (real) "relative wind"... either via "throw"/"drive" into the uppers (the balloon, and therefore YOU are drifting pretty much WITH the wind at point of exit), prop-blast (none of those on a balloon, eh?) or allowing 1st acceleration (if not even to terminal), ...IMHO you may have been just "asking for trouble" if you were pitching, literally right as, or immediately after your feet have just left the basket (as your post seems to imply). Besides, in doing so, you really "ruin" the whole "balloon experience" of falling away (read: taking a DELAY, and accelerating away) from something "unpowered" and (relatively) stationary, beautiful, quiet and serene as a balloon jump OTHERWISE is!!coitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Bigwallmaster 0 #64 December 19, 2005 Hi I've been offered a balloon jump of agl between 3000ft and 5000ft. I was a little concerned about exiting at the lower end as getting out at 3000ft is my normal pull altitude! Is this normal, to people just hop and pop? ---------------------------------------------------------- I'm not necessarily proud of this, but the last balloon jump I did was from 1,800' using skydiving rig. In hindsight, I should not have done the jump nor should any of the other jumpers. The balloon pilot was an ass. First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! I don't know anything about flying balloons, but I will say that if a balloon pilot accepts your money, he should be willing to take you to at least 2500' for safety sake. So to answer your question. . . .3000' should be fine!! Pack carefully; pull stable . Have fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites FrogNog 1 #65 December 19, 2005 1,800'? Did he at least hold your PC for you when you jumped? -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Bigwallmaster 0 #66 December 19, 2005 ha ha. Yeah he should have. . . . .overall it was still fun, and I wasn't afraid during it. But a few days later I thought to myself "ya know that was probably dumb!" Oh well everything worked out fine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites murps2000 86 #67 December 20, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! *** HAhahahAHAahahaha!! COol! Was it a real hop & pop? I mean, like a one second delay? How long did it take from pitch to line stretch? That spectre must have opened slowly. The only thing that would be cooler than you simply doing that shit would be if you read my post first, and then went out and did it. I always knew I had something to contribute here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VectorBoy 0 #68 December 20, 2005 First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! Been there heard the same words, was the first to get out 3200. Next time I'm going to grab the gas trigger and hold it tight and find out for myself if it will go any higher. Sick and tired of balloon operators treating skydivers as "champagne breakfast 500 foot AGL discovery flights" for tourists knowing they overbook after they promise full altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites FrogNog 1 #69 December 20, 2005 You should contract for altitude and only pay pro-rata for what you get. Better yet, establish a minimum opening altitude and contract and pay only for what you get over that. (After all, if you wanted a zero-second delay, you can get that for $7 out of a C-182. Then afterwards for free you can jump into the river for a couple seconds of dead air. ) -=-=-=-=- Pull. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ScottyInAus 0 #70 December 20, 2005 Quote G. Minimum opening altitudes Minimum container opening altitudes above the ground for skydivers are: 1. Tandem jumps--4,500 feet AGL 2. All students and A-license holders--3,000 feet AGL 3. B-license holders--2,500 feet AGL 4. C- and D-license holders--2,000 feet AGL Wow heaps of difference Aus Op Regs. 5.2.2. Other than allowed by 5.7.15, the main parachute must be open at a minimum height of 1800ft AGL, However, Students that have not completed Stage 7 must have the main parachute open by 2200ft AGL (Canopy Open NOT Activation Height) 5.7.15 The exit height may not be lowered to less than 1500ft AGL for the holder of a Display "A" or Display "B" Licence on display decents and parctice decents. Seperate exits with immediate openings are required. Sorry about the quick Hi-jack Cheers, Jason. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chuteless 1 #71 December 20, 2005 I have over 1000 hrs flying balloons. I have droppped skydivers, but can tell you it is very seriously tricky. The balloon must be in a high rate of decent when the jumper(s) leave, and after losing the ballast of the jumper's weight, the balloon will then slow down and want to start back up. Three jumpers left a balloon in Florida a few years ago. The pilot was a skydiver, but didnt take his equipment with him as he had to land the balloon. The three jumpers left the balloon during the ascent, and having lost the ballast going UP, the top of the ballloon punched out and into the envelope. It then streamered the balloon all the way to the ground, and the pilot was killed. Be careful....its a dangerous game if you don't know how things work. Bill Cole D-41 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Salsa_John 0 #72 December 20, 2005 True hopnpop 2 sec delay. the pc stretched the bridle immediately. I fell for about 4 secs before the pc pulled the pin. the canopy took about 10 secs to fully open. I pulled high because I wanted to practice my canopy skills. It was my first pack job in a corn field. Wanted extra time in case of mal. It was really cool. "You did what?!?!" MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Scrumpot 1 #73 December 20, 2005 QuoteTrue hopnpop... From 6,000 AGL... QuoteWanted extra time in case of mal. If that's the case, then you just did, nearly exactly, the OPPOSITE of what you should have done. AND induced exposure to yourself to have actually even potentially "worsened" (your intended result) situation. Please pick up on what is being said here and learn for future purposes and benefit. Glad that everything (regardless of your "best efforts" there anyway ) worked out okay for you. This time. Blue Skies, -Grantcoitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VectorBoy 0 #74 December 25, 2005 QuoteYou should contract for altitude and only pay pro-rata for what you get. Better yet, establish a minimum opening altitude and contract and pay only for what you get over that. The local balloon operators Know what we want and need. But the owners like to overload if one of their loads is a partial rather than break the load into two better managed drops. I've watched the owner "stiff" the pilot because he did just that. To them skydivers are a hassle and they'd much rather have wuffos who will marvel at 500' alti. If they don't want skydiver business they shouldn't go after it. These are the local operators. Other dropzones that have very experienced skydiver balloon drop operations give a much more rewarding experience. Burner at Eloy has a class-A-ride operation as an example. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 3 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
NickDG 23 #55 May 21, 2005 >>So does this make bungee jumping from a balloon a bit precarious for everyone? If just losing the weight of a jumper is bad, the dynamic loading to nothing must be worse.<< Balloons used for bungee jumping are not free flying, they are tethered to the ground, and that changes the dynamics of everything. We did it for years when my former girlfriend owned a bungee operation. The pilot of the balloon we did the emergency exit from lived, but he was seriously injured. After he recovered he came to me for jump training and bought a pilot's rig. He vowed to never fly his balloon again without wearing a parachute. The scary part of all this is the only reason he survived stems from the fact his passengers (us) had the ability to leave thus lessening the load. Normally this fellow gave rides to non-jumpers and in that case the outcome would have been much worse and probably fatal to all . . . NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rwieder 0 #56 May 21, 2005 my first balloon jump, we got out at 2500 agl, pure adrenaline!-Richard- "You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakflyer9999 1 #57 May 21, 2005 QuoteWeather permitting, I am doing a balloon jump in the morning from a friend's balloon. He intends to put the balloon into a terminal descent from 6500 and I plan on simply rolling backwards out of the basket facing the video camera still in the balloon. This is my balloon jump, so the DZ will have something in the frig tomorrow evening. WooHOOOOOO!!!!! I did my balloon jump this morning. We took off and climbed up to about 6000 feet, he then put the balloon in a terminal descent of about 700 feet per minute. I climbed over the edge and went off backwards. The video shows my initial exit and then picks me back up when I'm about 2-300 feet below. She got my opening which put me in the saddle at 4000 feet. So between the terminal descent and the freefall I lost 2000 feet. I then flew back to the same yard that we took off from. I couldn't quite make it back to the front yard but landed in the side yard next to the house. We had some strange winds this morning. The other balloon that took off at the same time we did only climbed to about 500 feet. They went due east. We quickly climbed to above a 1000 and immediately headed due west. The other balloon was supposed to get video of the jump too, but they ended up miles in the opposite direction. Had a blast and hopefully will get to do it again soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #58 May 22, 2005 Quote The scary part of all this is the only reason he survived stems from the fact his passengers (us) had the ability to leave thus lessening the load. Normally this fellow gave rides to non-jumpers and in that case the outcome would have been much worse and probably fatal to all . . . He he, I'm just trying to picture what would happen if you showed up for a fun balloon ride with your rig. Would the pilot take you up Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites dorbie 0 #59 May 22, 2005 QuoteThe pilot of the balloon we did the emergency exit from lived, but he was seriously injured. After he recovered he came to me for jump training and bought a pilot's rig. He vowed to never fly his balloon again without wearing a parachute. Oh, and what about the passengers on his next incident. Can you imagine it, pop goes the balloon and the pilot starts strapping on a rig as his customers watch in forlorn hope. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites scrublink 0 #60 May 24, 2005 I have made a few balloon jumps and also did quite a bit of balloon flying as I was thinking of adding on that rating to my fixed wing license. A prudent ballonist will drop jumpers in a descent to cut down the stress on the envelope. The rate of descent depends on how much weight is leaving and the size of the envelope. As for landing off if you aren't comfortable landing in small places including backyards you might want to rethink this jump. If you are in an area with wide open space (midwest and Arizona come to mind) then this isn't that critical. The ballon itself is the best wind indicator around. Just keep track of which direction the balloon was flying for the first five hundred feet or so. Since winds have to be fairly light to fly a balloon even if you land downwind it shouldn't be a big deal. Be prepared to do a PLF. Sometimes landing out no matter how well planned can get a bit hairy. I would suggest that you make a couple chopper jumps with little or no forward speed to get a feel for the lack of relative wind or take a base course. Ballon jumps are a hoot and are relatively safe provided you know what to expect have a plan and don't panic. Get advice from a local jumper you trust that has done one before or take them with you. Carry a cell phone just in case you get hurt or need to call for a ride. Hope some of this helps. Have fun be safe and Blue Skies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Guest 1010 #61 December 17, 2005 --bump-- and here is some more balloon info You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Salsa_John 0 #62 December 19, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! Quote If you ever do that with a modern skydiving rig and a normally sized PC, be prepared to tow it for a while. It will definitely add to the rush. Enjoy the suspense as your wait for the airspeed to build enough to pull your main pin. Then, feel the rush as the D-bag lazily leaves your back, and teeters in the air while your tight, skydiving line stows slowly pop loose. Betcha get aline twist or two to add to the fun, as well. Remember, a good stable exit will be helpful. "You did what?!?!" MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Scrumpot 1 #63 December 19, 2005 Why would you "hop-n-pop" from a balloon at 6k AGL? Just wondering. With no (real) "relative wind"... either via "throw"/"drive" into the uppers (the balloon, and therefore YOU are drifting pretty much WITH the wind at point of exit), prop-blast (none of those on a balloon, eh?) or allowing 1st acceleration (if not even to terminal), ...IMHO you may have been just "asking for trouble" if you were pitching, literally right as, or immediately after your feet have just left the basket (as your post seems to imply). Besides, in doing so, you really "ruin" the whole "balloon experience" of falling away (read: taking a DELAY, and accelerating away) from something "unpowered" and (relatively) stationary, beautiful, quiet and serene as a balloon jump OTHERWISE is!!coitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Bigwallmaster 0 #64 December 19, 2005 Hi I've been offered a balloon jump of agl between 3000ft and 5000ft. I was a little concerned about exiting at the lower end as getting out at 3000ft is my normal pull altitude! Is this normal, to people just hop and pop? ---------------------------------------------------------- I'm not necessarily proud of this, but the last balloon jump I did was from 1,800' using skydiving rig. In hindsight, I should not have done the jump nor should any of the other jumpers. The balloon pilot was an ass. First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! I don't know anything about flying balloons, but I will say that if a balloon pilot accepts your money, he should be willing to take you to at least 2500' for safety sake. So to answer your question. . . .3000' should be fine!! Pack carefully; pull stable . Have fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites FrogNog 1 #65 December 19, 2005 1,800'? Did he at least hold your PC for you when you jumped? -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Bigwallmaster 0 #66 December 19, 2005 ha ha. Yeah he should have. . . . .overall it was still fun, and I wasn't afraid during it. But a few days later I thought to myself "ya know that was probably dumb!" Oh well everything worked out fine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites murps2000 86 #67 December 20, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! *** HAhahahAHAahahaha!! COol! Was it a real hop & pop? I mean, like a one second delay? How long did it take from pitch to line stretch? That spectre must have opened slowly. The only thing that would be cooler than you simply doing that shit would be if you read my post first, and then went out and did it. I always knew I had something to contribute here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VectorBoy 0 #68 December 20, 2005 First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! Been there heard the same words, was the first to get out 3200. Next time I'm going to grab the gas trigger and hold it tight and find out for myself if it will go any higher. Sick and tired of balloon operators treating skydivers as "champagne breakfast 500 foot AGL discovery flights" for tourists knowing they overbook after they promise full altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #59 May 22, 2005 QuoteThe pilot of the balloon we did the emergency exit from lived, but he was seriously injured. After he recovered he came to me for jump training and bought a pilot's rig. He vowed to never fly his balloon again without wearing a parachute. Oh, and what about the passengers on his next incident. Can you imagine it, pop goes the balloon and the pilot starts strapping on a rig as his customers watch in forlorn hope. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scrublink 0 #60 May 24, 2005 I have made a few balloon jumps and also did quite a bit of balloon flying as I was thinking of adding on that rating to my fixed wing license. A prudent ballonist will drop jumpers in a descent to cut down the stress on the envelope. The rate of descent depends on how much weight is leaving and the size of the envelope. As for landing off if you aren't comfortable landing in small places including backyards you might want to rethink this jump. If you are in an area with wide open space (midwest and Arizona come to mind) then this isn't that critical. The ballon itself is the best wind indicator around. Just keep track of which direction the balloon was flying for the first five hundred feet or so. Since winds have to be fairly light to fly a balloon even if you land downwind it shouldn't be a big deal. Be prepared to do a PLF. Sometimes landing out no matter how well planned can get a bit hairy. I would suggest that you make a couple chopper jumps with little or no forward speed to get a feel for the lack of relative wind or take a base course. Ballon jumps are a hoot and are relatively safe provided you know what to expect have a plan and don't panic. Get advice from a local jumper you trust that has done one before or take them with you. Carry a cell phone just in case you get hurt or need to call for a ride. Hope some of this helps. Have fun be safe and Blue Skies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 1010 #61 December 17, 2005 --bump-- and here is some more balloon info You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salsa_John 0 #62 December 19, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! Quote If you ever do that with a modern skydiving rig and a normally sized PC, be prepared to tow it for a while. It will definitely add to the rush. Enjoy the suspense as your wait for the airspeed to build enough to pull your main pin. Then, feel the rush as the D-bag lazily leaves your back, and teeters in the air while your tight, skydiving line stows slowly pop loose. Betcha get aline twist or two to add to the fun, as well. Remember, a good stable exit will be helpful. "You did what?!?!" MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scrumpot 1 #63 December 19, 2005 Why would you "hop-n-pop" from a balloon at 6k AGL? Just wondering. With no (real) "relative wind"... either via "throw"/"drive" into the uppers (the balloon, and therefore YOU are drifting pretty much WITH the wind at point of exit), prop-blast (none of those on a balloon, eh?) or allowing 1st acceleration (if not even to terminal), ...IMHO you may have been just "asking for trouble" if you were pitching, literally right as, or immediately after your feet have just left the basket (as your post seems to imply). Besides, in doing so, you really "ruin" the whole "balloon experience" of falling away (read: taking a DELAY, and accelerating away) from something "unpowered" and (relatively) stationary, beautiful, quiet and serene as a balloon jump OTHERWISE is!!coitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bigwallmaster 0 #64 December 19, 2005 Hi I've been offered a balloon jump of agl between 3000ft and 5000ft. I was a little concerned about exiting at the lower end as getting out at 3000ft is my normal pull altitude! Is this normal, to people just hop and pop? ---------------------------------------------------------- I'm not necessarily proud of this, but the last balloon jump I did was from 1,800' using skydiving rig. In hindsight, I should not have done the jump nor should any of the other jumpers. The balloon pilot was an ass. First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! I don't know anything about flying balloons, but I will say that if a balloon pilot accepts your money, he should be willing to take you to at least 2500' for safety sake. So to answer your question. . . .3000' should be fine!! Pack carefully; pull stable . Have fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #65 December 19, 2005 1,800'? Did he at least hold your PC for you when you jumped? -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bigwallmaster 0 #66 December 19, 2005 ha ha. Yeah he should have. . . . .overall it was still fun, and I wasn't afraid during it. But a few days later I thought to myself "ya know that was probably dumb!" Oh well everything worked out fine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murps2000 86 #67 December 20, 2005 hopnpop at 6k. I did just this. It was wild! I could feel everything. I felt the PC "in tow". I felt the pin pull and the bag deploy. what a rush! *** HAhahahAHAahahaha!! COol! Was it a real hop & pop? I mean, like a one second delay? How long did it take from pitch to line stretch? That spectre must have opened slowly. The only thing that would be cooler than you simply doing that shit would be if you read my post first, and then went out and did it. I always knew I had something to contribute here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #68 December 20, 2005 First off, it seemed he put too many people in the balloon; he had jumpers plus 3 non-jumpers. Secondly, he claimed he couldn't go any higher until one of us got out! Been there heard the same words, was the first to get out 3200. Next time I'm going to grab the gas trigger and hold it tight and find out for myself if it will go any higher. Sick and tired of balloon operators treating skydivers as "champagne breakfast 500 foot AGL discovery flights" for tourists knowing they overbook after they promise full altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #69 December 20, 2005 You should contract for altitude and only pay pro-rata for what you get. Better yet, establish a minimum opening altitude and contract and pay only for what you get over that. (After all, if you wanted a zero-second delay, you can get that for $7 out of a C-182. Then afterwards for free you can jump into the river for a couple seconds of dead air. ) -=-=-=-=- Pull. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottyInAus 0 #70 December 20, 2005 Quote G. Minimum opening altitudes Minimum container opening altitudes above the ground for skydivers are: 1. Tandem jumps--4,500 feet AGL 2. All students and A-license holders--3,000 feet AGL 3. B-license holders--2,500 feet AGL 4. C- and D-license holders--2,000 feet AGL Wow heaps of difference Aus Op Regs. 5.2.2. Other than allowed by 5.7.15, the main parachute must be open at a minimum height of 1800ft AGL, However, Students that have not completed Stage 7 must have the main parachute open by 2200ft AGL (Canopy Open NOT Activation Height) 5.7.15 The exit height may not be lowered to less than 1500ft AGL for the holder of a Display "A" or Display "B" Licence on display decents and parctice decents. Seperate exits with immediate openings are required. Sorry about the quick Hi-jack Cheers, Jason. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuteless 1 #71 December 20, 2005 I have over 1000 hrs flying balloons. I have droppped skydivers, but can tell you it is very seriously tricky. The balloon must be in a high rate of decent when the jumper(s) leave, and after losing the ballast of the jumper's weight, the balloon will then slow down and want to start back up. Three jumpers left a balloon in Florida a few years ago. The pilot was a skydiver, but didnt take his equipment with him as he had to land the balloon. The three jumpers left the balloon during the ascent, and having lost the ballast going UP, the top of the ballloon punched out and into the envelope. It then streamered the balloon all the way to the ground, and the pilot was killed. Be careful....its a dangerous game if you don't know how things work. Bill Cole D-41 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salsa_John 0 #72 December 20, 2005 True hopnpop 2 sec delay. the pc stretched the bridle immediately. I fell for about 4 secs before the pc pulled the pin. the canopy took about 10 secs to fully open. I pulled high because I wanted to practice my canopy skills. It was my first pack job in a corn field. Wanted extra time in case of mal. It was really cool. "You did what?!?!" MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scrumpot 1 #73 December 20, 2005 QuoteTrue hopnpop... From 6,000 AGL... QuoteWanted extra time in case of mal. If that's the case, then you just did, nearly exactly, the OPPOSITE of what you should have done. AND induced exposure to yourself to have actually even potentially "worsened" (your intended result) situation. Please pick up on what is being said here and learn for future purposes and benefit. Glad that everything (regardless of your "best efforts" there anyway ) worked out okay for you. This time. Blue Skies, -Grantcoitus non circum - Moab Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #74 December 25, 2005 QuoteYou should contract for altitude and only pay pro-rata for what you get. Better yet, establish a minimum opening altitude and contract and pay only for what you get over that. The local balloon operators Know what we want and need. But the owners like to overload if one of their loads is a partial rather than break the load into two better managed drops. I've watched the owner "stiff" the pilot because he did just that. To them skydivers are a hassle and they'd much rather have wuffos who will marvel at 500' alti. If they don't want skydiver business they shouldn't go after it. These are the local operators. Other dropzones that have very experienced skydiver balloon drop operations give a much more rewarding experience. Burner at Eloy has a class-A-ride operation as an example. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
