shah269 0 #1 May 6, 2010 I just scheduled my first jump, AFP, for this Saturday. It will be my first jump after i FURBARed my tib fib after an AFP jump went bad on landing. I'm looking forward to being happy again and hopefully a safe and soft landing. Please wish me luckLife through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 2 #3 May 6, 2010 Good luck...watch the other leg. Seriously Shah...nice to see you going back in the sky. Good luck, be careful and be safe. The sky will always be there regardless of how long it takes you to come back and be comfortable jumping. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shah269 0 #4 May 6, 2010 Well i can do jumping jacks and even run....though i hate running. And practiced PLFing off of some things. I'm nervous but I trust my instructor. I've spoke with the rigger and have kindly asked him to make sure that the gear is in proper shape. So this time I should have full flare capabilities. And yes, knees and toes together and be ready to PLF like my bones depend on it!Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #5 May 6, 2010 QuoteI've spoke with the rigger and have kindly asked him to make sure that the gear is in proper shape. No F-111. Even F-111 in great shape isn't for you. Demand the finest in 1991 technology, and go with z-po. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BDashe 0 #6 May 6, 2010 Get video.So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygnat 0 #7 May 7, 2010 Shah, you alluded to not having full flare capabilities and getting busted up as a result. Would you care to share your experience? It may be helpful to others. Oh, and good luck and smooth landings on Saturday... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #8 May 7, 2010 and no fancy-pansie gadgets to save your ass.. honestly, good luck and a safe and soft landing! “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #9 May 7, 2010 QuoteI just scheduled my first jump, AFP, for this Saturday. It will be my first jump after i FURBARed my tib fib after an AFP jump went bad on landing. I'm looking forward to being happy again and hopefully a safe and soft landing. Please wish me luck I jumped about 6 weeks after my second surgery to repair a tib/fib/ankle fracture. With all that metal in my leg/ankle I figured it was stronger than before the broken bones. You will want to favor your other leg. Don't do that, it could cause problems resulting in injury. I can also say after 12 1/2 years I have had no problems with it.Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #10 May 7, 2010 yay for 12yrs in the sport, 500 jumps AND an instructional rating.. “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drdive 0 #11 May 7, 2010 That comment shows that you take your "interests" listed in your profile seriously - "causing trouble" "We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub" " Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #12 May 7, 2010 Do you have something personal against me VB? Yes. I have 13 years in the sport now. I stopped jumping when I had my two gorgeous daughters (after about 300 skydives). I took 7 years off... and started jumping again a couple years ago. I owe you NO explaination, but my numbers are what they are. Time in sport matters. I may not have been actively jumping, but I was actively involved in the sport. I am an instructor and have been for more years than you have been jerking off. You want to make this a pissing contest of my worthiness as a skydiver? Instructor? Bring it on. Jeez, you must have a really small dick.Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #13 May 7, 2010 you just owe me a new keyboard! ey, lets check it out; if i can stick my small in dick in your asshole by surprise, it really must be small! dare!? “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shah269 0 #14 May 7, 2010 QuoteShah, you alluded to not having full flare capabilities and getting busted up as a result. Would you care to share your experience? It may be helpful to others. Oh, and good luck and smooth landings on Saturday... As you can see I only have 7 jumps thus far so I'm not sure if i can explain what happened. All I know is that I jumped the big old green rig about 6 of the 7 times and on jump #8 it broke me. Long story short it was a great opening parachute! Soft stable and always reliable. But she lost altitude rather quickly even for a 265 and the landings were always very hard and flare was accomplished by placing my hands down by my knees. I jumped an newer 260 which also opened rather softly but was able to float better. And in fact floated so well that the only time I jumped her I had an unintended swoop in that she came down and just wouldn't come down! and when she did it was a soft landing which I was not use to at all. As for the accident, it was rather windy and I really shouldn't have jumped but i was just too excited. So i jumped. Had a great opening but the winds were kind of high and i was hitting turbulence at about 800ft. And when I came in for my final I cam in kind of hot and when I went to flare, hands by my balls, I had nothing. so i sort of freaked and instead of having my feet together in PLF form I was doing a ginger bread man landing and my inner right foot hit the ground and SNAP. Long story short, 1) Feet and knees together on all questionable landings. 2) Trim and line lengths need to be checked on all student rigs by a trained professional. 3) shit just happens. I can't say enough about the guys and gals of my DZ and the doctor who roded my leg. and at first I actually thought it was a blessing in that it would save my marriage but....sadly it didn't. Hence why I really really want to jump to clear my head.Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #15 May 7, 2010 Quote As for the accident, it was rather windy and I really shouldn't have jumped but i was just too excited How windy? Over a certain point and your instructors should have made that call for you."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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jsreznor 0 #16 May 7, 2010 Where are you jumping? I'd love to watch this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #17 May 7, 2010 so the thing with your hot-ass engineering wife went down the toilet; got a phone-number to verifiy this with her!? “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygnat 0 #18 May 7, 2010 It is far less likely the accident occurred because “shit happens”, and much more likely the culprit is “pilot error”. I myself would not jump again until I had a reasonably good understanding of what caused the accident and how to avoid it in the future. If there were any issues with the student rig it is likely there would have been complaints from other students. If not, there should be little reason to question the rigging or rigger. If the school says the rig is fine, you should be looking elsewhere for the cause of your accident. If you had some bad landings or questions about the parachute, then you should consult with your schools instructors to try to determine the root cause of this. Winds should not have been cause of your problems, as I believe good schools err on being conservative and not allowing students to jump in high or gusting winds. I know where you are coming from, because I am returning to jumping later this summer after getting a little busted up on my 18th ‘landing’. That resulted in a realy sore tailbone and minor compression spinal compression fracture which healed completely. I had plenty of time to analyze and learn the root cause of my accident. At that time I did not really understand the cause and effect of “forward surge”, but I sure as heck do now. Brian Germain’s book ‘The Parachute and Its Pilot’ explained this, and other things, very well. I was on final approach intent on landing on target, with my toggles at shoulder height to slow me down so I would not overshoot my target. When I was under 50’ I quickly raised my toggles thinking this would give me more flare on landing. What this did was lunge my chute forward, which in turn swung me forward, and I was on the ground much quicker and much harder than expected. But good luck on your next jump and I hope you have a smooth landing… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shah269 0 #19 May 7, 2010 I was the only fat turd flying that particular canopy. And all of my landings were "hard" landings. But I have strong legs and thought that was "normal" it was only after the broken leg and watching other students land that i realized that perhaps hands all the way down to one knees didn't qualify as full flare rather....sweet mother of god there is no flare! As i'm told my instructor did take the rig out for one jump and he weighs a lot less then me and he had to PLF it. Either way the rig is not grounded and I'm told I may get a piece of it. As for the wind, maybe 10mph? give or take. Enough to be significant for a new guy but you older guys would be ok with it. And yes Mr. Germians class and book really helped me significantly in understanding of what went wrong and what I should look for in a properly trimmed canopy. Hey i didn't know any better because I was new and they didn't know any better because i was the only one jumping that rig. I suggest all DZ's regularly allow either a packer and or a rigger to jump every student canopy once per month to assure all is well. You'll get happier packers and riggers and all your student gear will be checked and verified. And every one will be happy. (argue that one! ) Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #20 May 7, 2010 10 mile per hour winds will give you a slower forward speed and is perfectly acceptable if not preferred by inexperienced jumpers. Keep your feet and knees together on landing. I typically pull up slightly on my left leg so my right is ready to take the first step or run it out of necessary. Always prepare to do a PLF. Also, ask someone to take a video or some pictures of your landing. Are you getting a full flare out of it? When I was a student flying a 265 I had someone watch my landings and I wasn't getting much flare. I took a wrap of the toggles - decreasing the length of the break lines which helped tremendously. (I am not advising this just stating my experience). Talk to the dz rigger and discuss what could be causing your hard landings. Also talk to your instructor about landing techniques (looking out to the horizon vs straight down - which causes some that ground rush you are describing). Be open to the possibility that it was not the gear that caused the accident that it could quite possible be due to your inexperience as a canopy pilot. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues Shah, but when it comes to helping a student excel in this sport I will do all I can.Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #21 May 7, 2010 I suggest all DZ's regularly allow either a packer and or a rigger to jump every student canopy once per month to assure all is well. You'll get happier packers and riggers and all your student gear will be checked and verified. That's what students are for! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #22 May 7, 2010 they let you jump a 245 now!? sheesh!“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy0689 0 #23 May 8, 2010 Good Luck and have fun, Shah. Glad to hear that you're getting back up in the air!Andy I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #24 May 8, 2010 Two things... - Insist on the newer ZP based 260 or similiar ZP based canopy. Do all of us a favour a refuse to jump the old F111 based 265. - I was told feet and knees together on ALL landings, even good ones. Only when you're now planeing out level (straight-in "swoop"), and slowing down, you can consider putting your landing gear (feet) down from a braced position. Under a good modern ZP, zero-vertical-velocity planeout is the "normal" landing, not the hard thump. Soft landings are the normal routine under properly selected modern gear with modern training techniques. Sometimes people unintendedly flare high, or "pop" up when they flare (go briefly further upwards begfore landing), but all in all, the landings have a lower injury rate with properly selected modern ZP student gear in good shape... Either way, ignore dz.com advice in general -- even from me -- except seriously consider refusing to jump the 265 (the F111 which is non-ZP) that always thumped you and broke your leg. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sangi 0 #25 May 8, 2010 Seriously Shah, don't you ever get bored of beating a dead horse so much that there's nothing left to beat and then beating it a bit more? Yeh yeh, tib schmib, you broke it, so what? You've been on this topic for months, how much more attention do you need? Do you want others to feel sorry for you for surviving such a life "threatening" injury and then having the will to move on because it had a tremendous psychological effect? Lay it to rest already "Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
