Riding the plane down

[Andy9o8 0]

Once I did, due to low clouds, and once I probably should have, for the same reason, but most of us got out at 1,700. Two novices on the plane, each with about 15 jumps, chose to ride it down. Afterwards, the butthole DZO basically mocked them for "just going on plane rides".

[navaga 0]

once...a long time ago.
wind conditions changed..

[Michele 1]

I've ridden the plane several times down...always because it didn't feel right, or I was too scared to actually leave the plane. I've never regretted it, either. This is a 100% sport; if you're not at 100%, due to fear or gear or just because, then don't leave the plane.

I've also scratched off loads more times than I've ridden the plane down, usually because winds got squirrely and/or fear got hold of me. One time, at a boogie for new jumpers, I scratched off a load because the winds were marginal, but since they kept changing I just wasn't completely comfortable with it. Much to my surprise, most of my group scratched as well...in conversation later about it with the group leader person, it seems they were all concerned but were waiting for someone else to say something first. That taught me a huge lesson...never wait for someone else to say something first.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[popsjumper 2]

One observation ride landing.

Once, our new pilot wanted to do a full-load practice landing...I scratched off of that load.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[cloudseeker2001 0]

Quote

I have done it numerous times due to student refusal in the door and never have liked but the most unnerving time was the 2004 Texas State Record when all seven otters fully loaded had to land in a downpour on an extremely muddy runaway -- and the windsheild wipers didn't work either ------------That Sucked!!!!!!!

Yea! No more mud out there!

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[Fast 0]

We went up in the cessna knowing it was probally only a 50% chance we would get to jump.

Flew around a bit but couldn't find a hole. Clouds were at 1200 and no one was even gonna ask. That's the only time I have landed with a skydiving plane. Was the only load that weekend.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[JumpShipGypsy 0]

Ive come down with the jump plane over 3000 times. Probably closer to 4000. I dont care enough to figure it out exactly.

[valcore 0]

What about people who rode it down once not because they lost their nerve but because the sun set and it was dark outside. So a few of us made a safety call.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I'm from the government and I'm here to help’. ~Ronald Reagan

30,000,000 legal firearm owners killed no one yesterday.

[ntrprnr 0]

Forgetting to turn your Cypres on while still on the ground while still on student status = ride down. Feh. Never done that again. :)

_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

[EricaH 0]

Once, visiting a different dz last winter, we arrived at jump run and the door wouldn't open more than a few inches. A TM climbed to the rear & tried to jigger the door open, it wouldn't budge. The tandems had lots of fun landing but (@ this dz you sit on the otter's floor) the fun jumpers esp me, were white knuckled holding onto the windows.
Everyone stayed in the plane, same TM went out side door fixed the door we climbed back, got to jump run, door got stuck! Same TM came to the back but was able to open it this time w/ some tools brought along just in case.

By the time it was our turn to climb out I was 50/50, wow - i'm really not suppose to do this jump or get me the heck out of this plane!!
The jump went fine & I've since written off winter jumping up north.

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[Andy_Copland 0]

I was on my first consol and we had a rounds student with us, next thing i know the jump master told the pilot to land, rounds jumper got out and we went up again. I have no idea why she couldnt jump, does wind have to be lower for round jumpers?

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[Conundrum 1]

I rode the plane half way down once, back to 5,000ft so I could do the hop-n-pop the pilot forgot about on the way up.

[Deuce 1]

Only once. Cloud cover and rain.

[gemini 0]

Coupla' times:

First was on a very cold, wet winter day. Tom Jenkins was sitting on the back bench facing forward and I am next to him. He usually talks on the way to altitude (if he is not training) so I wondered why he was so quiet. He points at the left wheel of the Otter and I lean over to see. Ice and snow are building up on it and the wing strut. Tom looks at me and says "I'm not getting out." My response was "If you're not getting out, there is no way in hell I am getting out!"

Tom has 25k jumps. At the time I might have had 300.

Second time was at the last Spaceland TSR attempt. Me and 149 of my good friends took off in a 7 plane formation load. At altitude there were thunderstorms everywhere and we couldn't see the ground. As we circled a few times, it got worse and finally whited out! Pilots couldn't see each other and jump was aborted.

It was very scary (I was in co-pilot seat) flying blind knowing those other planes were out there somewhere. Lightening was flashing, and the booms were very, very loud. We were in the middle of the large storm with lots of turbulance, bumps and other things that scare you in the night!

At about 500 feet we came out of the cloud, made a hard right turn and landed on the runway and were quickly followed by 5 other planes.

After we had taxied to a stop off to the side of the runway, the pilot took out a cig and lite it up. I've only been on a few flights where the pilot looked more scared than me ... and that was one of them!

Then the 7th plane landed going the opposite direction. The pilot said when it whited out, he ran for the blue sky and waited till he knew everyone else had landed.

Blue skies,

Jim

[CornishChris 5]

Once myself. Container opened in the plane.

Knew some guys who had to land because they looked out to Spot and the LZ was on fire!

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Level 5 ... was calm in the plane, got on jump run, but guess we over shot it. So the pilot hard banked the plane. It was something I never experienced. I freaked out. My instructor told me "your not jumping like this" I was so scared at that point because I did not understand planes and flight at all. We landed, I was feeling very ashamed of myself. People put me on a observation ride, Snorre explained so much to me while I rode bitch. Next thing you know I was on another load and smiling on the way up. I have yet to land with it out of nerves again. I do get scared sometimes still though when the plane does something different.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Namowal 0]

I did the observation ride yesterday because have to wait until January before I can jump again. It was more fun than I thought.
One funny detail- when the plane slowed for jump run I found myself getting nervous. I knew I wasn't jumping, but more primitive parts of my brain reacted otherwise....

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[jzzsxm 0]

Once.

I checked the spot and there was just white as far as the eye could see, loooooow white. I said "no way" and backed away from the door. The two free flyers looked out and were like "LET'S DO THIS!" and jumped.

Turns out the ceiling was at 2k and there was a big push at 2.5k. They nearly landed out, I got a lot of "good choice" pats on the back when I got back down.

[fencebuster 7]

I rode the plane down on a hop and pop load when the plane was limited to 2500 due to clouds. I set my non-emergency exit limit at 3k before that flight and chose not to break my rule. At the time I had about 500 jumps. Since then, I have brought tandems down when I felt the clouds or winds were sketchy or out of my personal limits. I am the dzo, so I take the hit for my conservative choices, but I hope my instructors will follow my example. Student safety must be paramount.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[oldwomanc6 38]

I rode it down more than once as a student because I was afraid.

Riding the plane down does not automatically doom you to be unable to make a fair number of jumps.

After that, I rode the plane down a couple times due to weather, and once due to engine problems at a low altitude(I was at the door ready to go, but the plane was going to land, and we were over hills/trees no outs.

Oh! and once due to a loose pilot chute in the plane. THAT WAS SCARY! I should post that to Scary Stories From the Old Days.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[JohnMitchell 14]

Lessee, a couple of times due to winds kicking up, esp. in the round days. A few times when I had a student that wouldn't jump or also when they needed me to put out back-to-back loads of students.

Once I rode the plane down because the engine quit at 500 feet. That was my most memorable time.

[rustywardlow 0]

Did you atleast have a bailout rig?

[Kalrigan 6]

Once due to weather problems. There was a 90% chance we wouldn't make that jump but we still tried. At 2800-3000 feet we realized it's even worse than we thought, we literally couldn't see ANYTHING, so we rode the plane back down. A plane of disappointed jumpers that's for sure, but safety first.

[theonlyski 3]

I've come down a couple times in the plane intentionally. Rode it once just for shits and grins, once because our radio went out (pilot on short final nudges me and says "I'll try to make this one a soft landing", once because the plane lost all electrical systems (including flaps as I realized we were coming in hot and remembered they were electric too).

Once or twice because we forgot a vidiot on the ground too.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[chuteless 1]

When I was training the Special Forces in Ecuador, we all boarded the aircraft, and took off. Then one of the soldiers realized he had forgotten his reserve and his helmet.

I quickly took mine off and give them to him, and he was astounded, that I would miss a jump all because of his careless thinking.

I was almost going to jump without both the reserve and tghe helmet, but since I was there to train them in safe parachuting, I thought I would not be setting a good example, so I went down with the aircraft.

If it hadn't been a situation where someone would have thought badly of my unsafe? training, I certainly woulld have followed them out just to see the look on their faces.

Bill Cole D-41