Andy9o8 0 #26 June 23, 2011 Under a main - a couple "planned" hop & pops about 1700, jumping a round, back in the 70s at a certain DZ in Upstate New York, where there's lots of overcast. Also an unplanned exit at the same DZ around 1700 when the plane lost oil pressure & the pilot gave us the choice to jump now or land with the plane. Nothing below 2,000 at terminal. Under a reserve - sub-1,000, at terminal, on a round reserve after a total mal. Under canopy around 500. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weaverd 0 #27 June 23, 2011 Think of the children! That's ONE way of looking at it I guess...on the other hand letting someone with 40, 50, 220 jumps know that you CAN get a parachute open even when the needle on the altimeter is between Oh Shit & You're Fucked...might keep them from just laying in the box position hoping the battery box is on. AMEN, Ive never had a low open situation and hopefully I never will, but if I do you can be damned sure that I will do whatever I can do open my chute and not sit there and "hope" that my AAD works. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mac 1 #28 June 23, 2011 Quotehe actually pulled at 3k but held the PC in hand until 1800. No one thought it was cool, because it wasnt. Its not the pulling at 1,800ft that is worrying in that story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 143 #29 June 23, 2011 Quote These sorts of threads always end up bringing out certain themes. There's the BASE jumps, not really intended for the thread. Then there are the one-upmanship stories of deliberate low pulls (I've got 'em too), the stories from the old days with faster opening canopies, and the stories about losing altitude awareness. The latter are probably the most instructive. I agree, add to the list swapping between metric and imperial altimetersExperienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skypuppy 1 #30 June 23, 2011 on a skydive, between 400-500 feet, after cutting away from a stack and doing some rw with one of the other guys in the stack. We didn't plan on being that low, but once we were, we went for it. Don't really regret it....If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 370 #31 June 23, 2011 QuoteWhat is the lowest altitude you have ever pulled at? Pitched at 1,400 feet trying to get clear air after an 84-way. That was in the days of the 400-500 foot opening. No AAD, of course.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzjunky77 0 #32 June 24, 2011 Pitched at 1200 foot........engine out on a C-182! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crotalus01 0 #33 June 24, 2011 1800' and of course I had a spinning malfunction - under reserve at about 1300'. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calvin19 0 #34 June 24, 2011 Skydive gear, from an airplane, ~900' BASE gear, from an airplane, <200' (exit was <300') Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LongWayToFall 0 #35 June 24, 2011 Did a 3 way helicopter jump from 3k, never really hit terminal. Pulled around 2300, under canopy about 1800. Not smart! That canopy took a looooong time to open too.... hahaha. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarpos 4 #36 June 24, 2011 with awareness of what I was doing...about 1800ft trying to find some space after a biggish way that had no better break off plan than "its 4000ft ...save yourself!!" without awareness, about a 1000ft, just off student status... taking a 3 way low waiting for the flailing 4th member to close those last couple of feet... I doubt 4 canopies have ever opened so close and not collided, due to no more than dumb luck. regards, Steve the older I get...the better I was Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angryelf 0 #38 June 27, 2011 skydiving gear: 1,200 ft. Never heard my dytter, tracked way too long from a freefly jump. Was pretty dumb. Opened fast under the old PD 9Cell... Done a couple of hop n pops from 1,500 ft. Don't recommend it-if anything goes wrong with the main it gets ugly fast. SL square: 1,250 ft exit, fully inflated canopy reaching for toggles at 1,000 ft after a slow as... opening. SL round: 800ft exit, canopy fully open less than 50' later. Base Freefall: exit at 250', threw PC as I stepped. Longest opening of my life :) Base SL: exit somewhere b/t 150-170 ft. 4-5 sec canopy flight, and there are plenty of people who have been lower. Docile canopies with good opening characteristics can open very, very low. It's good to know, not smart to test it. I like pulling around 3,500ft when I skydive. Way more room for error that way. -Harry"Sometimes you eat the bar, and well-sometimes the bar eats you..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #39 June 27, 2011 0ft ..... reserve ... ready testing the pull load before a re-pack. What do I win? (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #40 June 27, 2011 Quote 500' Hey !! i believe i might have been THERE....to witness that..!! or else ANOTHER opening... just like it.. Remember after you landed,, i said to you.. well YOU sure must NOT be using an AAD !!!.... ??? always best (IMHO ) to pull before you can HEAR someone from the ground !! yelling.. "PULL" !!!!!!jimmytavino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
winsor 186 #41 June 27, 2011 Static line from an aircraft, 800 feet. At least that's what they told us, since we didn't have altimeters. Freefall, maybe 1,500 feet. We finally got altitude enough for a hop and pop, and decided to turn some points. Took a line (right hand to left leg grip of the guy ahead) off the step, after ballooning into the haze, at about 3,000 feet. Transitioned to a round on the hill, went to the donut, and tracked. That was in the days of really fast opening parachutes and no AADs. Without turbines, altitude was dear. Anyhow, one key to survival in the sport is what every horror movie aficianado knows - stay the hell out of the basement. BSBD, Winsor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vdschoor 0 #42 June 27, 2011 1100 ft, on my last skydive ever without a pro-dytter (jump 130 or so) I lost altitude awareness, and transitioned from a sit when I saw my friends opening parachutes... I landed, white as a bedsheet, walked up to the dz manager and asked him : do you have any more of those dytters for sale? He smiled and said.. I was going to talk to you, but looking at your face and your reaction you know exactly what you did wrong don't you? Don't ever scare us like that again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #43 June 27, 2011 Quote What is the lowest altitude you have ever pulled at? I once threw out my pilotchute while standing on the ground. I am fairly certain that's the lowest pull of anyone anywhere. HA top that!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #44 June 27, 2011 Quote I once threw out my pilotchute while standing on the ground. I am fairly certain that's the lowest pull of anyone anywhere. HA top that!!!!!!Cool Anyone who's ever BASEd the Cave of Swallows beats you. They pulled under ground. Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #45 June 27, 2011 Damn!!!Ya got me there! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martini 0 #46 June 27, 2011 I used to pull regularly on wingsuit jumps lower than I'll admit here, back then my highest pulls were 1500'. I changed that habit after a PC in tow. Fortunately I had pulled high at 1800' because I wasn't at a local DZ and wanted to be cautious. I pull higher now. Sometimes you eat the bear.............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #47 June 27, 2011 Quote Quote I once threw out my pilotchute while standing on the ground. I am fairly certain that's the lowest pull of anyone anywhere. HA top that!!!!!!Cool Anyone who's ever BASEd the Cave of Swallows beats you. They pulled under ground. I've got about 40 pulls in the basement... -12' AGL Rigging loft in the basement "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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoobrothertom 5 #48 June 28, 2011 Lowest? Almost too low two times. Once on a strato-star 5 cell with a 15 second ride. Second on a subterminal cutaway at about 700' on a very snively Swift 5 cell reserve with about a 10~15 second ride. Both stupid. There have been other times low, but not with such ground rush as you look from chute to ground hoping it opens in time.... ____________________________________ I'm back in the USA!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
warpedskydiver 0 #49 June 28, 2011 We saw a friend (RIP) go past the roof of the hangar (looking upwards over it) with nothing out. IIRC it was around 1988 I can't say for sure how low that was but is was so freaking low everyone ran to the other side to see if he was dead. He was walking with his canopy over his shoulder. He had a T-shirt with his FAA violation on the back of it from another occasion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpsalot-2 2 #50 June 28, 2011 1750' exit, 200' open canopy, in the dark.........here is a fun vid for you ( not me ) ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtPDjGE8RU .Life is short ... jump often. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
