Funny stuff you or other jumpers have done

[JohnRich 4]

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Rule of thumb:
It takes about 12 seconds to descend the first 1,000 feet.
Then about 5½ seconds for every 1,000 feet thereafter.
(Assuming belly-to-earth attitude)

Nice. I was wondering about that. Thanks.

That's a good rule of thumb to memorize. That way if the plane ever has to let you out early for some reason, because of a cloud layer, oncoming storm, whatever, you can do a quick calculation to figure out how much freefall you can get.

You can even do it in the air at 120 mph. For example, let's say you're in a busy RW dive turning a lot of points, and you don't want to look at your altimeter real often at the bottom end of the dive. So you looked at it last and you were at 6000', and breakoff is 4,000'. So, using that rule of thumb, you instantly know you've got about 11 seconds until breakoff, so just count to 11 and go track.

[NealFitz 0]

i trash pack my canopy all the time and openings are always nice and on heading

Dudeist Skydiver #170
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need one to skydive again

[LloydDobbler 2]

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Man I've not seen Drop Zone in so long. I bet I would laugh at it if I saw it now.

Not as much as you would if you watched Cutaway...

(It IS the most realistic skydiving movie ever made, y'know...with all the dialogue taken from REAL dropzone conversations...says so right on the DVD box).

Signatures are the new black.

[pirana 0]

Threw a full can of lighter fluid on the bonfire once. Spectacular fireball.

Erected a stack of about 2 dozen paletes (about 12 feet high), put a wicker chair on top and had somebody light it while I took my seat. Stayed put until the flames were singing my hairs. Some of the spectators were nearly hysterical screaming at me to bail. The good news is it was caught on video. The bad news is I accidentally erased it a few months later.

Used to have a deal with the local fireworks superstore to sell us all their damaged and returned goods real cheap. Every August we'd go get enough to fill a pickup truck, for $40 or $50. We'd dump a couple hundred pounds at a time into the huge bed of coals of a burned down fire. Incredible experience. It's like being in the middle of a ground level grand finale; colorful explosions everywhere.

I love fire - almost as much as I like explosions.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[mrwrong 0]

A buddie of min did the exact same thing

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[danielcroft 2]

Two guys from my dz were jumping together. One was wearing a camera. They decided to do the out the door tackle (that could be mis-construed, I mean rugby style tackle, not otherwise...). Camera guy got set up for a floating exit & inside guy a diving style exit. Inside guy ran out the door tackling camera guy on the way. It was pretty funny.

I've done the eyes closed out the door & unstable exit. I was last out though (gave plenty of separation) so no one saw to think it was funny.

[mr_music11 0]

Okay... one more came to mind. Prob around jump 16. Had just gotten the new full face mask and was very excited to try it out, looking forward to the lack of wind directly against my face(although enjoyed, still prefer it without the wind in the face).. jumpin' in Lodi.. the corn field to the south of the airport.. comin down I mis judged my downwind leg.. had to turn towards the airport. Landing over the corn field now.. very hard to judge when to flare as the corn was quite tall @this point in the season. Flared too high.. about 8>10 feet off the ground.. total stall, came down and found out why there are full faced helmets! A few steps and a stumble later, my face fully intact and my pride not as in tact, I am very thankfull for my full face diving helmet! Again ...thanks Oxygen!

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.

[chrismgtis 0]

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and found out why there are full faced helmets!

You mean, they protect against getting stabbed in the eye with corn?

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[skyh2omedic 0]

Back in the days when hazing was not as public and we had this little thing called a "Prop Blast party" for our "Cherry" jumpers in the army-i'm sure some on here can chime in with some good stories. I'm not saying it was right, but i'm glad i went through it.
I do remember one particular SF unit i was in had a habit of handing a Cherry or young jumper the business end of a static line or a cut stactic line piece as they approached the door-kinda gives new meaning to pucker factor when you think you may not be hooked up. Or things like convincing the load on a 130 to wake up a team sleeping with bailout bells. When i was stationed at Benning school for boys i remember one night where we harnessed and kicked some drunk/passed out collegues off the 34' towers.

"You can't teach what you don't know and you can't lead where you won't go"

[mr_music11 0]

Ha ha ha ha ha... Exactly!!!!

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.