chrismgtis 0 #26 June 8, 2009 Quote So was it said - how high was this balloon? I still haven't lined up an opportunity to do one. I believe the balloon was at 4.5k (which exactly where I open) Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sangi 0 #27 June 8, 2009 Quote I believe the balloon was at 4.5k (which exactly where I open) I jumped quite a few hop'n'pops from 1200 meters (4000 feet) and the normal 13.5k feet jumps and opened at ~2000 feet (just for the kicks) quite a few times. I don't see what's the big deal, it's not low.."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
chrismgtis 0 #28 June 8, 2009 Quote Quote I believe the balloon was at 4.5k (which exactly where I open) I jumped quite a few hop'n'pops from 1200 meters (4000 feet) and the normal 13.5k feet jumps and opened at ~2000 feet (just for the kicks) quite a few times. I don't see what's the big deal, it's not low.. It is when you have 2 H&Ps under your belt and the Cessna still scares the shit out of you. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,380 #29 June 8, 2009 Quote Quote In the old days everyone learned to skydive on the static line method, and jumps were made from as low as 2000'. As you progressed, the exit altitude got higher, as you went on to do longer freefall delays. So you grew up in the sport understanding that 2,000' was plenty of altitude, and wasn't that scary. Not that it detracts from your point on the need to do more HnPs, but the era you're talking about had faster opening parachutes and a lot more no pull deaths. The BSRs, written in blood as they say, were still being written. Electing to leave a still air craft at 2000 for non emergency reasons pushes the BSR for min altitude even for the very experienced, and violates them for the rest. It also skirts the hard deck recommendation. So was it said - how high was this balloon? I still haven't lined up an opportunity to do one. BSR's in those days: - S/L -> 2800' - H&P -> 3000' But we usually subtract ~1000' when talking to the youngsters."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sangi 0 #30 June 8, 2009 Quote It is when you have 2 H&Ps under your belt and the Cessna still scares the shit out of you. So do more H&P's! "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
Sangi 0 #31 June 8, 2009 Quote BSR's in those days: - S/L -> 2800' - H&P -> 3000' But we usually subtract ~1000' when talking to the youngsters. You did low S/L's and H&P's, but you can't beat these guys freeflying from 3.5k ft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWZXcn67Ej4"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
ryoder 1,380 #32 June 8, 2009 Quote You did low S/L's and H&P's, but you can't beat these guys freeflying from 3.5k ft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWZXcn67Ej4 For being stupid on purpose, no I can't beat them. But for being stupid by accident, shaking and breaking out of a 3-way RW dive at 1700', and on another jump, getting a reserve open from terminal at 400' will always stick in my mind."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #33 June 8, 2009 QuoteElecting to leave a still air craft at 2000 for non emergency reasons pushes the BSR for min altitude even for the very experienced, and violates them for the rest. It also skirts the hard deck recommendation. That's not what I said. Here it is for you to read again: "Work yourself down to doing this at 2,500', being under an open canopy by 2,000'. Be comfortable with that."For your clarification; I wasn't talking about a still aircraft, I was talking about hop 'n pops out of an airplane. With the horizontal airspeed from the plane, deployments can be completed with very little loss of altitude. You're effectively starting with 70-80 mph of airspeed, and the canopy deploys somewhat horizontally, rather than vertically. If you can't hop n' pop from 2,500', with confidence that you'll be under an open canopy by 2,000', then there's something wrong with you or your parachute. That gives you six seconds. Go for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #34 June 8, 2009 Boy, you need to make a balloon jump ASAP. Your life depends on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #35 June 8, 2009 QuoteBoy, you need to make a balloon jump ASAP. Your life depends on it. haha my life?Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #36 June 8, 2009 QuoteIf you can't hop n' pop from 2,500', with confidence that you'll be under an open canopy by 2,000', then there's something wrong with you or your parachute. That gives you six seconds. Go for it.My line over was after a full inflation by 1800'. As a big way outer. So a very bad time for me to have a mal. Not to mention, over a bad spot too. I had to land out in a very small field framed by suburbs, forest, road, and an apple orchard. If I ended up having to cutaway, it'd definitely have started at 1500'. This is below hard deck, but a slow-speed mal. (Better a slow speed mal at 1500' than a high speed mal at 2000' I say...) One fast yank fixed it instantly as soon as I noticed the deployment didn't go the way I expected. It was a minor line over, over only one end cell, and cleared. Beginning my deployment at 2500' at full terminal in a big way outer, there are times I'm fully inflated below 2000'. I try to aim at the 2000' sweet spot, but often there's a bit of fuzz on timings: Typically arrive at between 1700' and 2300' for the completion of full inflation of all 9 cells. Often 1500' has happened with some jumpers, and cypres fires do occasionally happen at big way events (there was two at the last Perris 100-way, though one was the result of a mal). Big way outers really do push altitude limits. Even though I'm am of the pampered AFF generation, having now done many big way jumps in the last 1.5 years, I'm now used to it, but it does scare me at times. That said, I was prepared to do a very fast two-punch in a moment, if my quick try to fix the lineover didn't succeed. It was almost my first reserve ride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #38 June 8, 2009 QuoteYes your life.To chris -- I think what he means is that you don't want to be too scared to save your life in an emergency situation. That said, I imagine it's a different ballgame when you do have that incentive -- i.e. plane disaster, hot air balloon disaster. But still, some people do hesitate even in emergency conditions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #39 June 8, 2009 That's not what i mean, but that is a good point. He let life escape him by trying to preserve it. It doesn't work that way. Now his life is at a greater risk than if he jumped. He must make a balloon jump within 30 days or else.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #40 June 9, 2009 Quote I was really scared on the only balloon jump I've done - at 1100 jumps and at least 75 h&p's. I managed to climb over the side and exit, breathing really hard, flailed and swam like a petrified first jumper, then laughed at myself, arched and pulled. It was awesome; I'd love to do a few more. Go do some more hop and pops from an airplane and then go for it again. Being comfortable with the lower altitude helps a lot. I'd suggest more hop n'pops too. Coming from a 182 dz, I've done a bunch of them and when I did a balloon jump for my 200th, the altitude wasn't anything new. Climbing out of the basket sort of was. Once I got there, though, standing there looking out at the beautiful early morning view and just letting go and falling forward was so fun. I'ml definitely planning on more! "safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ronaldo 0 #41 June 9, 2009 I know what you mean, the only thing that scared me more than my first balloon jump was my first BASE. I think the wind and the noise of the plane confuse your senses. In a balloon everything is so quiet you can hear your brain scream NO Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #42 June 9, 2009 Quote That's not what i mean, but that is a good point. He let life escape him by trying to preserve it. It doesn't work that way. Now his life is at a greater risk than if he jumped. He must make a balloon jump within 30 days or else.... Give me a balloon and I'll do it. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #43 June 9, 2009 What are you from the entitlement generation? Find a balloon ride within 30 days to redeem yourself from the forces of evil. You've been warned. Peace out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billeisele 122 #44 June 9, 2009 QuoteQuoteI heard somewhere that not jumping causes bad luck stuff like flat tires HAHA Bill. Uh yea well it happened before I got on the balloon :P oh well, that explains it, its real bad karma when the s--- starts before you even got in the basketGive one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hausse 0 #45 June 9, 2009 If you freeze up and can't jump out of a balloon at 4.5k, what are you going to do if the engine catches on fire at 2k? Sounds like you'd be the guy blocking the door. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #46 June 9, 2009 QuoteIf you freeze up and can't jump out of a balloon at 4.5k, what are you going to do if the engine catches on fire at 2k? Sounds like you'd be the guy blocking the door. I'd be getting the hell out that's what. When the light comes out I get the fuck out of the plane. I know what my altitude is at all times.Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #47 June 9, 2009 QuoteQuoteElecting to leave a still air craft at 2000 for non emergency reasons pushes the BSR for min altitude even for the very experienced, and violates them for the rest. It also skirts the hard deck recommendation. That's not what I said. Here it is for you to read again: "Work yourself down to doing this at 2,500', being under an open canopy by 2,000'. Be comfortable with that." you also wrote: In the old days everyone learned to skydive on the static line method, and jumps were made from as low as 2000'. As you progressed, the exit altitude got higher, as you went on to do longer freefall delays. So you grew up in the sport understanding that 2,000' was plenty of altitude, and wasn't that scary. --- Chris - the obvious answer was for you to have gone out backwards, only looking at the balloon. Then you wouldn't see the ground! (I couldn't get myself to do that in the two heli jumps I did, but I want to) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #48 June 9, 2009 QuoteQuoteQuoteElecting to leave a still air craft at 2000 for non emergency reasons pushes the BSR for min altitude even for the very experienced, and violates them for the rest. It also skirts the hard deck recommendation. That's not what I said. Here it is for you to read again: "Work yourself down to doing this at 2,500', being under an open canopy by 2,000'. Be comfortable with that." you also wrote: In the old days everyone learned to skydive on the static line method, and jumps were made from as low as 2000'... That's correct - static line jumps, which give you an almost instantaneous open canopy. That was the norm back then. That's a far cry from your description of experienced jumpers "leaving a still aircraft". I'm not advocating exiting a balloon at 2,000', as it takes a while to build up the air speed for deployment of a regular skydiving rig. So why don't you quit trying to stuff those words in my mouth, where they don't belong. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smears 0 #49 June 10, 2009 I'd be getting the hell out that's what. When the light comes out I get the fuck out of the plane. I know what my altitude is at all times. Are you saying you'll wait for the light to come on if you have to bailout?? Good luck. I'm with grannyinthesky, you need to do more hop n pops. before last weekend's boogie, 16 of my last 17 jumps were hop n pops. Sometimes because I was putting out s/l students, but most of the time bc I like them. My suggestion is do more hop n pops, and not from 5500, try 3500. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #50 June 10, 2009 QuoteI'd be getting the hell out that's what. When the light comes out I get the fuck out of the plane. I know what my altitude is at all times. Are you saying you'll wait for the light to come on if you have to bailout?? Good luck. Not at all what I said. The meaning was, when the time comes, regardless of fear I get the hell out when there's pressure behind it for me to do so. I had no pressure to get out of the balloon. That's probably why I didn't.Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Are you saying you'll wait for the light to come on if you have to bailout?? Good luck.
Not at all what I said. The meaning was, when the time comes, regardless of fear I get the hell out when there's pressure behind it for me to do so.
I had no pressure to get out of the balloon. That's probably why I didn't.
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan