Landed off??....Let's hear about it!

[kturnau 0]

Bored at work today so let's hear some stories ....What is the most interesting, funniest, unique, or just plain stupid place that you have ever landed off?? I don't personally have too many good ones.....yet

FALLATIO #13
PELT HEAD #20

[MrBrant 0]

My favourite out landings would have the be landings on the nearby golf course for lunch.
Going to have to make that one a weekly tradition, me thinks!


Scariest would have to be a night jump at the Farm. I jumped a huge-asses canopy (for safety of course ), there turned out to be honking uppers - blowing towards the 200 acres of forest.....

God bless ATV trails (even if they hard to land on, and have dead-ends after 40 minutes of walking), and DZ 4-wheeler rednecks - thanks again Shimmel and Vince! I probably would have been in that damn forest until morning!

[jkong 0]

My first experience landing off:
My contact fell out on a previous tracking dive, so I decided I had to quit for the rest of the afternoon. But Pam and I had earlier plans to do a 2way, so I was compelled to stay and do it. I put my suit back on, contemplated bringing my cell phone (which I normally do, just in case I land off :-P) but then decided I didnt need it.

In the plane I felt my sinus rupture. During freefall my nose was bleeding like crazy, and it began to cover up my goggles. At the end of the dive, I tracked downwind away from the DZ, opened and realized I was gonna have to land off, with only one good eye and blood covered goggles. I found a field, went for it, at about 500ft my canopy collapses, freaks me out!!!!!! but it reinflated just in time for me to see i was headed towards a hidden fence. Another freakout! But alas, I landed right in the backyard of a nice family having mother's day dinner. They offered me dessert, but I politely told them there were probably people coming to find me, so I stood out by the road before Kelly and Dana rescued me.

[riggerrob 558]

Would you like to hear about the time I missed the country?

[sinjin 0]

i have only landed off once and it was at the ranch too. uppers were screaming and the porter was blowing sideways on jump run.. i landed in some field and had to jump a fence while making my way back to the dz.. then i realized i had jumped into a llama farm and they were none too happy about me being in their house. thought i was going to feed them my spectre to get away !! i gave it my best llama mating call and ran for it...

dont let life pass you by

[monkycndo 0]

It wasn't that far out, but just enough. Let's just say pulled a bit low and had two out. With power lines between me and the landing area, only option was a side yard of the neighbor right cross the street, who was outside in his yard at the time. Caught him a bit by surprise. After I rolled up my lines, he helped my track down my freebag as he saw about where it landed. Had a nice chat while we walked the hillside. We're lucky that we don't have any Farmer McNastys where are good outs are.

One of our vidiots landed out at a nearby golf course. It was a short par 3 and swooped almost the whole length from the green to the tee. There was a threesome about to tee off. They offered him a club to take a swing. He gave the golfer his camera helmet to get the video. He put the ball just off the edge, while still wearing his rig. The video was pretty funny.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[freeflyit 0]

Ok check it..had about 25 jumps. Very early mourning jump after a good night. It was windy and clouds were sitting at 3 grand complete overcast with rain predicted. So we decided to get a quick hop and pop. All the guys I was jumping with had at least 1000 jumps and their calmness threw me off. To make matters whorse I was downsizing from a sabre 230 to a 190 on that jump.

So at exit we're in a cloud...it was a 182 so I climb out (very slippery) and go unstable. I gain stableness and when I go to pull the chute I go unstable again. I decised to wait till I was stable to pull (probably shouldn't have). Anyways...the spot was bad and I was at 1200 feet with a house right below me. I saw a feild that looked alright so I decided to land there. Turns out in was cut corn!!!!!!!! Man those things are like steaks. I ended up landing downwind into that feild. I thought I was going to break something for sure. As soon as I touched the ground I did some flips and luckily came out unhurt (relatively speaking). So yea, I almost died.. that experience really slamed reality in my face. Oh and I was like at least a mile away from the dropzone.

Good times

[millertimeunc 0]

The only time I've landed off was with a questionable spot and winds that weren't gonna let me make it back to the DZ. I set it down in a farmer's field and started picking everything up when I see a HUGE german shepherd barking at me. I didn't know if it was gonna attack, so I popped my RSL and was ready to chop my main and sprint for the woods when someone from the DZ pulled up. That said, I don't see why some people see landing off as a scary thing. I was more annoyed that I might have to walk back than I was nervous about landing somewhere other than the DZ.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[upndownshop 0]

Quote

Bored at work today so let's hear some stories ....What is the most interesting, funniest, unique, or just plain stupid place that you have ever landed off?? I don't personally have too many good ones.....yet

When I landed off with the girl friend

[kelpdiver 2]

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That said, I don't see why some people see landing off as a scary thing. I was more annoyed that I might have to walk back than I was nervous about landing somewhere other than the DZ.

The accident (and fatality) rate spike with off landings. Some places don't have great outs. And you don't have your jump buddies nearby should you need them.

Where I am, typically the outs are plentiful so long as you don't wait till 1000 to figure it out. But I still got quite a surprise on my first. It was a 24k drop, the spot went very long, and the two guys ahead of me were (apparently) visitors. I decided it was best to follow them to their particular green field in case there was any landing snafu. It was only when I got pretty close, committed, that I found they landed on a hill. I managed a pretty good landing on it for my standards, so it was a fun event, but I knew better fields nearby areas that would have worked better.

[Royd 0]

It was the first load of the day and only one person made it back to dz.

I was in the first group out. RW. On opening, we were close to two miles from the dz.
I had the largest canopy and started heading back. I saw four others headed for a single ball field which belonged to a church.
I decided that I wasn't going to make it back and headed for the ballfield.

It was surrounded on the north and west by 60-70' pine trees, on the east by a road and powerlines, and on the south by buildings and the backstop.

All five of us set it down in a thirty ft. circle in the outfield.
Something was going on at the church, so we had an audience.

I couldn't stop smiling for a week.

[pirana 0]

There is a very good chance that I land off more than anyone else at our DZ (as a percentage of total jumps). About 550 jumps, easily 2 dozen off landings. Before anybody goes ballistic on me, let me explain.

We have very safe outs in all directions. I am very familiar with all of them. I really really really cherish having my own space on opening. I am more confident in my ability to successfully react quickly to an emergency than I am in trusting everyone else to provide lots of opening space. I will readily trade 500' (or even 1000') of altitude for the chance to track farther away from everybody. My throw-out is almost always between 2500' and 3000'; usually closer to the 2500. I will, without hesitation, take it to 2000' if there is still anyone anywhere near me.

The result is that I land off far more than the average jumper. (Especially when I am the unlucky one to be tracking away from the DZ). I am very aware of the implications of tracking farther and taking it lower than the average person. I have had a couple minor incidents (pilot hesitations) and am very satisfied with the speed and awareness with which I've went to my handles.

I guess the bottom line is that I consider having lots of opening space as more important than throwing out above 2000'. (And just to be clear, 2500' and above is my usual).

" . . . 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

[jheadley 0]

I've had 8 off landings but my most memorable definitely has to be the time I tried to put my canopy down in a back yard. A low turn and downwind landing turned it into a swoop through the back yard, through the side yard, just missing the propane tank, through the front yard, across a 2 lane road, under powerlines, and into another person's front yard before I shut it down for a stand up landing. A blonde woman in a corvette gave me a ride back to the dz.

Many lessons learned on that jump, but that's for another thread...

[beowulf 1]

about 3 years ago on Jan 1 I did a jump that was supposed to be a sunset jump but ended up being a night jump. The DZO handed us strobe lights, so I guess he knew it was going to end up being a night jump. Anyway it was a four way out of a 182. The jump went good considering I don't normally do RW jumps. I tracked away at 4,000 and pitched at 3 just like I always do. Well it was pitch black and I had no idea where the dropzone was and all I could see was the lights of the city that the drozone was next to. I finally found the dropzone but was way to far away to make it back. Now I had to figure out where to land. Should I play it safe and land in a lit up area that will probably have obstacles to avoid or should I go for that blacked out area across from the high school that I was pretty certain was an empty field? hhmm well I picked the blacked out are and crossed my fingers and toes. I got lucky and it was soccer field. Of the other three guys one landed in a baseball field, another landed across the street from me next to a football field, and the last guy landed in the sheriffs dept. impound lot where he tried to land between the cars, he just didn't notice a trailer hitch sticking out. Caught that right on his thigh. Other then the major bruise he was ok. At least we are all alive to talk about that one.

[Spizzzarko 0]

What did the blond teach you?

[stratostar 5]

I did a H&P to look for a cutaway in the tall corn and it was close to a few farm houses with a state road in front of the houses. so the only places to set down were in the corn fields around or next to the road.

The power lines traveled along the road up to the closest house then crossed over to the side I was on, so not the best place to try to set down along the road.

I spent all of my canopy time searching the corn and not worrying about where to land, after all lot of wide open corn to land in, not like I haven't done that before.

Anyway so there I am getting lower and it is now time to find a good place to set down, as I look around I see all the best places (green short grass) is as stated above, I see in the small horse pin of the closest house the farmer was in the pin and was burning a small pile of brush, so I had a great wind ref to use, and I decided that was a great place to land to avoid the wires and still land close to the road and not tall corn.

So I set up an approch and start deep brake sinking it in to the horse pin and at about 150ft I yelled out real load to the ground "hey you mind if I drop in" it was funny as hell watching this farmer look all around left & right, over the shoulder and then after all this looking around he looks up.

Once he saw me I yelled again now about 75 ft., he shouts back yea go ahead, it's about this time I can make out the thin small electric fence running catty corner across the horse pin, I made a slight ajustment to miss it and did a controled crash old school accuracy style and was then covered by the canopy.

The farmer got a real kick out of the drop in and gave me a ride back to the dz and as he dropped me off he said "drop in anytime" you know where I live.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Glitch 0]

Twas on vacation in '87 touring the states... CRW jump at Isaquaw (sp?), WA with a local. There was a solid overcast at about 4000', but otherwise clear skies and uppers that were just ripping... Anyway, we depended on the pilot for the jump run and the local was spotting. There was a bit of a 'disagreement' as to where we were; the local saying were weren't far enough upwind and the pilot saying we were... The pilot won the argument by telling us that we were burning too much gas and to get the fuck out of his airplane. We figured as long as we kept heading upwind, we 'might' just land on the dz, or at least close. Of course we didn't.... We came out of the clouds in a side by side (much easier to pass the safety briefing material back and forth as needed...) and the local guy says something to the effect of 'oh shit...dude were fucked!'. I asked why and he then proceeds to tell me that he has absolutely no idea where the DZ was and nothing looked familiar. We landed in a cow field next to a road, got packed (had to use a shoe lace to close), had another safety briefing on the pros/cons of CRW above an overcast, and then proceeded to start hoofing it down the road after flipping a coin to determine which direction to go. About 15 mins into the walk, an old-guy picked us up and took us back to the DZ (30 min drive). That's the farthest I've landed out... except for occassionally missing the peas.

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[bch7773 0]

Swooped some cows in Florida on an off landing. They ran like hell when they saw me. then the bull started coming back at me... . but i started shaking my canopy and he didn't like that and he left.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[mnealtx 0]

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Would you like to hear about the time I missed the country?

I know of someone that jumped at a small border DZ in Germany that got blown into France. They had to take her passport to the border gate so she could get back in...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[baseknut 0]

my 25th jump. A license here i come....

i had been jumping a pd navigator 240 all 24 prior jumps, but my student rig was still not packed do to another student using it at the time. so, i payed manifest $21 to get another student rig. all that was available was a spectre 190 (which i didnt jump until next jump) and a Navigator 260. so i grabbed the 260 checked her out, and through her on. i ran out to the plane. i jumped out at a great spot and sit fly until about 5 grand. went to belly immediately there after and waved off and pulled at 3500.

flew it like it was a 240, even though it is close in size the 260 was loaded a lot less and flew as slow as a snail. i almost went through the army team room at zhills, but i put it at 50% and swooped right over top.

thats as far off as ive been soo far...knock on wood

blue ones
-jake

Step into my (sub)terminal Playground

[mnealtx 0]

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but i started shaking my canopy and he didn't like that and he left.

Good thing it wasn't RED, huh??

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[sundevil777 93]

My 3rd jump I landed in the dirt parking lot, with power lines on 2 sides, building on another side. I was jumping a round (T-10), and scared the shit out of my instructor, Refrigerator Bob Sprague at Wild Horse West.

While at Kapowsin, we were stupid enough (including Jessie - the DZO) to go up when there was a small hole over the DZ, which promptly closed on the way up. We then compounded our stupidity by jumping anyway. The base of the clouds was 1500 feet or so, the bottom was about 300 feet. None of us had any idea where we should go. I flew through it in deep brakes, emerging with nothing but very tall trees in front of me. A quick turn of my head identified a small fenced backyard with a couple horses, so I put myself down safely.

There have been numerous times when a long spot in Ohio requires a landing in a small patch of open ground, and even an off landing at Eloy can mean you have to deal with brush and cactus, so that you wish your canopy wasn't so fast (didn't require so much runway). Those are the times when you're happy to have a big, docile canopy that can be more easily sunk into a small area instead of a zippy wing that requires a long runway. You can't plan on having the right canopy for those times unless you're always jumping it.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[bozo 0]

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My 3rd jump I landed in the dirt parking lot, with power lines on 2 sides, building on another side. I was jumping a round (T-10), and scared the shit out of my instructor, Refrigerator Bob Sprague at Wild Horse West.

Thats funny. My longest out was at Wild Horse West too. The guy spotting mistook one of the canal pumping stations for the DZ. He yelled up to Larry Hill.. CUT.....we went out.....ten miles from the dz.
Larry said when we got back....."boy you Vegas guys sure like long spots".

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

• Quote

[Para_Frog 1]

The truck stop on S. Sunshine in Eloy after drifting to altitude in Burner's balloon.

Or...

A 1948 Twin Beech C-18 turning onto jump run and loses an engine over Belen, NM. I'm riding in the co-pilot's seat (with the headset on) and the 500' loss of altitude scares the shit out of me.

The pilot says over vox - calmly, "You guys might wanna get out."

I'm sure he saw my deer-in-the-headlights look as I agreed and ripped off the headset, and turned to tell the rest of the load.

...The plane is EMPTY.

I hit the door running and found the canopy flock down below....5 miles from the DZ. I think I shit my suit a little on the way down.

Good times.

- Harvey, BASE 1232
TAN-I, IAD-I, S&TA

BLiNC Magazine Team Member

[skydiverbry 0]

This happened on my very second jump. 1st jump was static line, talked down via radio,noproblem!
Now it was time for AFF LEVEL-1
Exited the King Air @ 13,500, got into a stable arch, did first COA.alls fine,then the wind blew off my Kroops and I had a brand new pair of perscription glasses on. I used my right hand to ckeck the I still had my glasses on and to put the Kroops back.
Well, when I used my rt. hand I didn't know enough to compasate with my left.
Next thing I know is me and my 2 instructors are fliping and sliding all over the sky.During the "unstable" fall , I throw off my reserve side instructor,while uncontrolbaly falling all over the sky. YA know green, blue,blue,green,etc I get the Arch sign per JM-1
Needless to say I could not get stable and my main is deplyed per JM1.
I'm now under canopy with a heartrate of 800 beats. Do a canopy check and alls well. The radio comes to life a and all I get is "AFF student 1 I cannot get you back to the dz and about to lose radio contact,Just rememder what you learn in ..... Dead My 2nd time under canopy and all alone "SHIT"
BTW My glasses we hangig on by one ear piece.Finally looked at my alti and 900' agl. To the bottom was a wide open field then powerlines,highway,powerlines,sm. field ,barn and large open field.
Not much good at canopy control and limited knowledge,but I was to high for the 1st field,and knew enough that powerlines,road and barns ,not good landing options.Well I avoid 1st set of lines at about 50ft. above them ,came across road low enough to see peps in the car pointing at me,

cleared 2nd line at 20-25'. Was rapidly losing altitude and heading straight fo that barn.I then relized I could use the brakes to keep for losing altitude.I just cleared the barn and beautiful wide open field appeared.
Somehow I flared and landed on my toes, collapased the canopy and started walking out of field towards the the road.
At this point 3 Sheriff cars stop and aked what was goin on .Hell, I didn't know!! I was on the ground not dead,nothing broke.Without their assistence (Thanks officers) I climbed the barbed wire fence without tearing canopy or suit.
Now a car pulls up and the the instructor asks "How was you landing?" I replied "good" and climded in the car for the ride back to the Dz Man in car"What the hell are ya doing?"

"I'm gettin a ride back to the DZ" Man "I just stopped to ask the deputy for directions" Got back out and stood their lookin dumd!! Finally a truck pulls up and I'm told "Get in" Back at the Dz my instructor,Andy is sitting there looking at a pack of Marlboros and asked "So you think you passed ?" I replied sheepishly "No,not really" Andy "Well at least you listen enough to know that,so what you want to do?" "I want to learn to skydive" Andy said Well then we have alot of work to do. Let's go." Went to the classroom debreired,and went over,over,and over erything
30 jumps later I have my "A"
Thanks Andy
Bryan

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)