Kramer 0 #26 November 24, 2003 Nice story John. That's gotta be weird hitch-hiking an airplane! -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver51 0 #27 November 24, 2003 Myself and another videographer were practicing flying on a non-video tandem jump. When we opened (about 4k) we noticed we were not getting back. Right below us was a field with a herd of cows and just past it was a sod farm. We REALLY wanted to make the sod farm but that wasn't going to happen. My friend was about 500-1000 ft lower so he landed first. WELL when the cows saw him touch down they headed for the far side of the field like a bat outa hell. I thought cool no obstacles. But just about 100 ft off the ground, as the cows got to the fence at the far side, they made a hard U turn and headed back across the field. Just as I was touching down they passed between my friend and myself. With only about 50 yrds between us them cows looked like busses moving at highway speeds. I can honestly say that scared me more than anything else so far in my 650+ jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jlmiracle 7 #28 November 24, 2003 My most memoriable off landing would have been my first solo off of AFF. I was on the first load of the day getting out last (otter). I ended up on the other side of the train tracks and barb wire fence with tall bushes. I was jumping student gear which was a briefcase type container and my main was a Manta. I almost landed in a tree then a pond. Ended up in grass taller than me. It took me 2 hours to walk back and no one knew I was missing.Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites usedtajump 1 #29 November 24, 2003 Not as much of an out landing as much as it was just landing somewhere you never expected to. Prior to this I had done several balloon jumps and usually landed far from the original launch point in some strange place and never knew who or what would greet you. Well, at Freak Brothers in 1984 on a jump in a balloon big enough to take six jumpers to 12500' we laughingly discussed the possibility of from that altitude landing in another state. We took off and traveled what looked like 10 miles or more away from the airport by the time we had reached 6000", however, at about 9000' the upper winds started turning slowly back toward the airport and by the time I exited at 12500 were almost directly over the airport. I opened at 2500' and landed next to my packing mat.The older I get the less I care who I piss off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bluegremlin 0 #30 November 24, 2003 God im loveing these stories, i cant wait for my first off landing, lol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Biscuit 0 #31 November 25, 2003 I've landed out 3 times, once in a cow field, once in an old couple's back yard while they were in their garden, and this weekend in a horse pasture in the snow... good times. ****************************************** The last mosquito that bit me had to book into the Betty Ford Clinic. -Patsy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites billymotox 0 #32 November 25, 2003 boy, did you luck out! they sound like some nice folks. at napoleon they have an aerial picture with one particular farm circled. they call the guy "farmer mcnasty". i'm told that if you land on his property he will shoot you with rock salt. he ever shoots at me he wo'nt be able to sit down,'cause he'll have my foot in his ass! billy d------------------------- "Escape may be checked by water and land, but the air and the sky are free." (from the story of Daedalus and Icarus) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites pilotdave 0 #33 November 25, 2003 Every DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites slug 1 #34 November 25, 2003 Strangest out landing was in a field at Ft Lewis. After we crawled under the barbed wire to the dirt road we got to see all the signs on the fence WARNING!!!!! Keep Out!!!!!! Impact Area!!!!! Prior to landing we wondered why all the tree's were laying down in a random pattern. R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jsaxton 0 #35 November 25, 2003 Not especially interesting, but cool . Sunset load, landed on the other side of the freeway because of a long spot and I got confused about where the DZ was due to low light and low experiance, I probably had about 100 jumps at that time. Anyway, I pick up my gear and head for the road. There is a family waiting there in a pickup truck (evidently they had seen me land). They offer to give me a ride back to the DZ (about 5mi). On the way back the dad opens a cooler and offers me a beer. The cool part is that the DZM was still out looking for me when I show up on my own holding a beer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Amazon 7 #36 November 25, 2003 I started jumping at Homestead General Aviation Airport. Its a LOT bigger now and there are things to the west of the DZ that were not there in 1975. It was on the edge of the Everglades and there are critters out there. Landing out was... uh... interesting.. from the sharp jagged dissolved coral under the grass and water to uh various reptiles...I learned to spot really well from Tom... and most of my round jumps there were right on the money.. when I spotted at least. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bch7773 0 #37 November 25, 2003 I had an off-landing this summer that was pretty fun. Spot was fine, but I was jumping with someone who had like 30 jumps, and he got his foot tangled in the cessna seatbelts on climbout , so by the time we left, we were way off. At 1000 feet I realize I'm not gonna make it back, so I find a field to land in. Meanwhile I watch the low-timer with his huge student canopy float right back to the dz. After I land, I hear a loud buzzing, turn around just in time to catch the pilot fly by at about 10 feet over me, to check if I was ok. Coolest thing was, is that he radioed the dz, and they send out an atv to pick me up. Most annoying part was when I pull in, and the other jumper stares and me and asks seriously "Why didn't you make it back... I did." MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites yoink 321 #38 November 25, 2003 You know, for all the jokes we make about whuffos, one of the commonalities in this thread is that loads of people, be they poachers, swamp agricultural workers or even normal people, all seem happy to give a stranded jumper a hand. Nice of them really... (I know there are the other sort, but I just thought we didn't often say nice things about whuffos on here) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jb092 0 #39 November 25, 2003 I was filming a tamden one day and they took forever in the door. To make a long story short the only palce I had to land was in a corn field. Everyone knows landing in corn sucks!! I decided to land on a grass strip in between the fileds. I didnt realize the grass was as high as the corn untill I started my flare. I had to slide for landing since there was no way I could run in the high grass. As I made contact with the ground something caught my foot and instead of sliding I toumbled. I had.....had a yellow rig before landing but after it transformed into green brown and black! What could possibly go wrong? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jlmiracle 7 #40 November 25, 2003 QuoteEvery DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave We actually don't have a farmer McNasty around our DZ. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 558 #41 November 25, 2003 How about the time I missed an entire country? ... a country the size of Germany? Back in 1986 I showed up at Schweighofen, West Germany without gear. Fortunately a local manufacturer offered to let me test jump a huge square canopy he had designed for the West German Army. His packing method seemed a bit odd, but I jumped it anyways. We took the spot long because of strong upper winds. Long meant over France. We did some four-way, then dumped around 3,000 feet. Even before looking up, I knew something was wrong with my main. I was turning left. A glance confirmed that my left stabilizer was all knotted up. Next thing I knew I was hanging under a small round reserve counting the number of obstacles between me and the normal landing area. Let's see: swamp, forest, creek, railroad tracks, wires, fence, road and a row of hangars. Not sure if I can make it past the hangars .... Oh, there goes the main, towards a small clearing in the forest/swamp. Good alibi, I'll just land beside my main. I turned into the wind over that tiny clearing and did the best PLF of my entire skydiving career. I bundled up both canopies and started walking through the forest towards the DZ. I needed Tarzan techniques to cross the creek as it was deeper than I wanted to wade. Back at the DZ, I returned the equipment to the manufacturer and he asked "Did you see any border guards?" "No," I replied, "Why do you ask?" "Because you landed in France!" "Hah! Hah! Hah!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites newsstand 0 #42 November 25, 2003 AFF level 5 or 6. Just as we stepped out of the plane the DZO called to cancel the jump because the weather had turned ugly. Did the jump just fine and opened at 4,500 in some thick industrial haze. Came through that, found the DZ and aimed myself at it. However the wind had other ideas and sent me backwards away from the DZ. Fences, mesquite trees, cows, garbage dump, cell phone towers, ... AFF instructor telling me that basically I am on my own. PLFed into a clear spot, gathered everything up and started walking back to the DZ when the rain starts. Had to climb one barbed wire fence before I got to the road where I got picked up by the DZ safety officer. Everyone new my name from that day on. "Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites weegegirl 2 #43 November 25, 2003 My Favorite Out Story... Last year, during our boogie, I made a jump that ended abruptly with line dump. Compressed my neck and spine and I swear I was seeing stars for a minute. Once I snapped back to reality I took a look and realized how far out I was. Since I was hurting bad from the opening, I wanted to land somewhere where there would be other people if I needed help. That's when I spotted Pops (aka Frank Ludvik), whom we all miss terribly (blue skies, pops!), landing in a field rather close. Ahhhh, having mucho faith in such a great instructor, I decided to follow him down. Well, much to our surprise, on final, out from underneath a set of large trees at one end of the field come about 30 large beasts (stears) heading right towards us. A third jumper also landed nearby. I quickly informed Pops of my neck injury and he took the situation into his control. Waving a hot pink canopy at the stears (which, my East-Coastness thought may be bulls or something), he started yelling Yaw! Yaw! Back da F*ck Up! in his NY accent. Well, terrified, I huddled behind Pops. He assured me that things would be okay. We slowly made it through the herd of curious beasts to the other end of the field where we could finally escape the electric fencing. For months, every time Pops saw me, he'd call me his little cowgirl. That day will forever go down in my skydiving history! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rendezvous 0 #44 November 25, 2003 WFFC 2003. C130 load. First group out. We were doing a 10 way tube. On the red light we positioned ourselves for the exit and then ready ! set ! go ! ... apparantly we exited on the red itself. All 13 of us landed some 10 miles out in the backyard of a farm house with 8 feet corn on both sides. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Rdy2skydive 0 #45 November 25, 2003 I did my AAF Level 8 graduation dive at the end of last December. We were getting on the sunset load and it seemed a little windy. I questioned my instructor but he said the winds were fine. By the time I opened my Manta 230 I was over the drop zone and being blown backwards very quickly. As I blew over the DZ and over a residential area, I realized I was in trouble because there was a wooded area and then a semi-frozen lake beyond it. Somehow I managed to get myself over an open area surrounded by trees. I landed safely as the sun went down. My radio wasn't working and I had no idea where I was so I picked up my chute and started walking back. A few minutes later a forest ranger drove up and started yelling at me for trespassing. Apparently it's illegal to be in a state park once the sun goes down (like I planned it that way). When he was done yelling at me, he asked if I was I skydiver. I told him that I was and really didn't plan to land in the park. He then offered me a ride back to the DZ and said that he would make sure I wasn't fined for trespassing. When I got back I realized no one was around - they were all out looking for me. My instructor had gone up in the Cessna to see if he could find me. Later I got a 2 hour lecture on canopy control and had to repeat level 8 the following April. Needless to say, I never get on a plane if I think it's too windy for my abilities. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mjosparky 3 #46 November 25, 2003 It was at the nationals in 1978 at Richmond, ID. The first load of the day, a Sunday, in a DC3 doing a 20 way. There was almost solid cloud cover and Bob Branch was spotting from the ground. I know, I know. I opened up at around 2,500 in the clouds with a Piglet main. For you youngsters that is a 24' round. Drop through the clouds at about 1500 and all I could see were trees everywhere. With the Piglet there was no way to get to the edge of Sherwood forest but the Piglet gods were with me. There was one little clearing in the middle of all this timber. If I could make that I would live. Had to crab across the wind line, but just made it. I do this wonderful PLF, thanking my FJI, and come jumping to my feet like I knew what I was doing. I looked around and near one edge of the clearing were 3 men and 3 women sitting around a small fire. And I could smell bacon cooking. I walk over and these folks are having a cook-out breakfast/brunch. They invite me to join them, sausage, eggs over easy and pan fried potatoes. To wash it down they mixed me one of the best Bloody Marys in the world. We finished eating and drinking and they gave me a ride back to the airport. When I told the people I was jumping with they said it was all bull shit, but we know better, don't we. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jumperconway 0 #47 November 25, 2003 QuoteEvery DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave Wrong, none around Spaceland! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Shindagrl 0 #48 November 25, 2003 My last jump, two weeks ago, 3rd jump of my life.... Uneventful exit and opening. Due to radio issues, I had no contact with the ground until about 1800 ft. That had me pretty freaked out, and I was having trouble finding the airport, so I was checking out the landscape for SOFA's (of which there are many near my DZ). I was scared as hell by the time I got radio contact, and it was immediately apparent that I wasn't going to land on-site. My landing area happened to be a field full of cows, two pastures over from the DZ. There is nothing quite like that moment you're flying over a herd and they notice you when you're about 30 ft. up; I still haven't figured out who was more suprised, them or me. I'm praying to every diety known to man, "Please don't let me land on a cow!!!"---luckily they scattered to the other side of the field. I love cows and really wanted to pet them, but figured the DZO would NOT be happy if they trampled his chute, and I had already tempted fate enough for one day. I have learned four things from this: ~Navigation & flight paths need to be at the top of my list of Things I Need to Figure Out Quickly ~I now know how to get my gear over a barbed wire fence ~Cow #95 is very friendly and likes it when skydivers give her a diversion from the endless monotony of her day ~I can do a stand up landing in a crosswind Blue ones, but hold the cattle, please...... Shinda An audience of 35 head of cattle was not exactly what I had in mind for that last landing......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mfrese 0 #49 November 25, 2003 I've had about 20 off landings at 5 different dropzones, but my favorite was with a tandem two years ago. Horrid spot, made the mistake of listening to the first TM going out saying "the spot's fine", knew I was screwed the second I threw the drogue. We have a great skydive, considering it was about a 20 second freefall and I pulled at 8K.... Now, this is about my 30th tandem, I'm in Bumfuck Egypt, and I am absolutely shitting bricks. However, I remain calm, keep talking to my student, explaining that we are a ways from the DZ and will be landing off the DZ. She's still amped from the skydive, doesn't have a care in the world (and compliments me later for "how calm and reassuring" I was during the canopy ride), just wants to know where we ARE going to land. I point out the golf course I THINK we can make it back to, and decide to aim for there... We execute a perfect standup in the fairway of the 9th hole at Bolado Golf Course. My student walks with me all the way back to the parking lot looking like a rock star, bouncing off the trees and telling every disinterested golfer on the way that she just made her first skydive and it was AWESOME! I just had to smile...oh, and the groundskeeper came up to us twice to make sure we were OK, but the jerk refused to give us a ride back to the clubhouse...Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites bodyofflyght 0 #50 November 26, 2003 Haha though baseball field sounds interesting, the spot was long and I was in my rear risers the whole time trying to get back. But of course I saw that I was goin to short. Looking around all I could see was about 20 ft. trees straight in front of me and powerlines about 1 ft. away from the trees. In a panic to find somewhere to land, I saw houses and backyards on a small residental street. So at about 300ft. when I knew I wasnt going to make it turned and landed in between the tree line and the powerlines on the street with the flow of traffic. Needless to say it was interesting.the ebb and flow of the atlantic tides; the drift of the continents; the very position of the sun alone, its ecliptic; THESE are just a few of the things I control in my world Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Page 2 of 7 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. 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jlmiracle 7 #28 November 24, 2003 My most memoriable off landing would have been my first solo off of AFF. I was on the first load of the day getting out last (otter). I ended up on the other side of the train tracks and barb wire fence with tall bushes. I was jumping student gear which was a briefcase type container and my main was a Manta. I almost landed in a tree then a pond. Ended up in grass taller than me. It took me 2 hours to walk back and no one knew I was missing.Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
usedtajump 1 #29 November 24, 2003 Not as much of an out landing as much as it was just landing somewhere you never expected to. Prior to this I had done several balloon jumps and usually landed far from the original launch point in some strange place and never knew who or what would greet you. Well, at Freak Brothers in 1984 on a jump in a balloon big enough to take six jumpers to 12500' we laughingly discussed the possibility of from that altitude landing in another state. We took off and traveled what looked like 10 miles or more away from the airport by the time we had reached 6000", however, at about 9000' the upper winds started turning slowly back toward the airport and by the time I exited at 12500 were almost directly over the airport. I opened at 2500' and landed next to my packing mat.The older I get the less I care who I piss off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluegremlin 0 #30 November 24, 2003 God im loveing these stories, i cant wait for my first off landing, lol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Biscuit 0 #31 November 25, 2003 I've landed out 3 times, once in a cow field, once in an old couple's back yard while they were in their garden, and this weekend in a horse pasture in the snow... good times. ****************************************** The last mosquito that bit me had to book into the Betty Ford Clinic. -Patsy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billymotox 0 #32 November 25, 2003 boy, did you luck out! they sound like some nice folks. at napoleon they have an aerial picture with one particular farm circled. they call the guy "farmer mcnasty". i'm told that if you land on his property he will shoot you with rock salt. he ever shoots at me he wo'nt be able to sit down,'cause he'll have my foot in his ass! billy d------------------------- "Escape may be checked by water and land, but the air and the sky are free." (from the story of Daedalus and Icarus) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #33 November 25, 2003 Every DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slug 1 #34 November 25, 2003 Strangest out landing was in a field at Ft Lewis. After we crawled under the barbed wire to the dirt road we got to see all the signs on the fence WARNING!!!!! Keep Out!!!!!! Impact Area!!!!! Prior to landing we wondered why all the tree's were laying down in a random pattern. R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jsaxton 0 #35 November 25, 2003 Not especially interesting, but cool . Sunset load, landed on the other side of the freeway because of a long spot and I got confused about where the DZ was due to low light and low experiance, I probably had about 100 jumps at that time. Anyway, I pick up my gear and head for the road. There is a family waiting there in a pickup truck (evidently they had seen me land). They offer to give me a ride back to the DZ (about 5mi). On the way back the dad opens a cooler and offers me a beer. The cool part is that the DZM was still out looking for me when I show up on my own holding a beer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #36 November 25, 2003 I started jumping at Homestead General Aviation Airport. Its a LOT bigger now and there are things to the west of the DZ that were not there in 1975. It was on the edge of the Everglades and there are critters out there. Landing out was... uh... interesting.. from the sharp jagged dissolved coral under the grass and water to uh various reptiles...I learned to spot really well from Tom... and most of my round jumps there were right on the money.. when I spotted at least. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #37 November 25, 2003 I had an off-landing this summer that was pretty fun. Spot was fine, but I was jumping with someone who had like 30 jumps, and he got his foot tangled in the cessna seatbelts on climbout , so by the time we left, we were way off. At 1000 feet I realize I'm not gonna make it back, so I find a field to land in. Meanwhile I watch the low-timer with his huge student canopy float right back to the dz. After I land, I hear a loud buzzing, turn around just in time to catch the pilot fly by at about 10 feet over me, to check if I was ok. Coolest thing was, is that he radioed the dz, and they send out an atv to pick me up. Most annoying part was when I pull in, and the other jumper stares and me and asks seriously "Why didn't you make it back... I did." MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yoink 321 #38 November 25, 2003 You know, for all the jokes we make about whuffos, one of the commonalities in this thread is that loads of people, be they poachers, swamp agricultural workers or even normal people, all seem happy to give a stranded jumper a hand. Nice of them really... (I know there are the other sort, but I just thought we didn't often say nice things about whuffos on here) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb092 0 #39 November 25, 2003 I was filming a tamden one day and they took forever in the door. To make a long story short the only palce I had to land was in a corn field. Everyone knows landing in corn sucks!! I decided to land on a grass strip in between the fileds. I didnt realize the grass was as high as the corn untill I started my flare. I had to slide for landing since there was no way I could run in the high grass. As I made contact with the ground something caught my foot and instead of sliding I toumbled. I had.....had a yellow rig before landing but after it transformed into green brown and black! What could possibly go wrong? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlmiracle 7 #40 November 25, 2003 QuoteEvery DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave We actually don't have a farmer McNasty around our DZ. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #41 November 25, 2003 How about the time I missed an entire country? ... a country the size of Germany? Back in 1986 I showed up at Schweighofen, West Germany without gear. Fortunately a local manufacturer offered to let me test jump a huge square canopy he had designed for the West German Army. His packing method seemed a bit odd, but I jumped it anyways. We took the spot long because of strong upper winds. Long meant over France. We did some four-way, then dumped around 3,000 feet. Even before looking up, I knew something was wrong with my main. I was turning left. A glance confirmed that my left stabilizer was all knotted up. Next thing I knew I was hanging under a small round reserve counting the number of obstacles between me and the normal landing area. Let's see: swamp, forest, creek, railroad tracks, wires, fence, road and a row of hangars. Not sure if I can make it past the hangars .... Oh, there goes the main, towards a small clearing in the forest/swamp. Good alibi, I'll just land beside my main. I turned into the wind over that tiny clearing and did the best PLF of my entire skydiving career. I bundled up both canopies and started walking through the forest towards the DZ. I needed Tarzan techniques to cross the creek as it was deeper than I wanted to wade. Back at the DZ, I returned the equipment to the manufacturer and he asked "Did you see any border guards?" "No," I replied, "Why do you ask?" "Because you landed in France!" "Hah! Hah! Hah!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newsstand 0 #42 November 25, 2003 AFF level 5 or 6. Just as we stepped out of the plane the DZO called to cancel the jump because the weather had turned ugly. Did the jump just fine and opened at 4,500 in some thick industrial haze. Came through that, found the DZ and aimed myself at it. However the wind had other ideas and sent me backwards away from the DZ. Fences, mesquite trees, cows, garbage dump, cell phone towers, ... AFF instructor telling me that basically I am on my own. PLFed into a clear spot, gathered everything up and started walking back to the DZ when the rain starts. Had to climb one barbed wire fence before I got to the road where I got picked up by the DZ safety officer. Everyone new my name from that day on. "Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weegegirl 2 #43 November 25, 2003 My Favorite Out Story... Last year, during our boogie, I made a jump that ended abruptly with line dump. Compressed my neck and spine and I swear I was seeing stars for a minute. Once I snapped back to reality I took a look and realized how far out I was. Since I was hurting bad from the opening, I wanted to land somewhere where there would be other people if I needed help. That's when I spotted Pops (aka Frank Ludvik), whom we all miss terribly (blue skies, pops!), landing in a field rather close. Ahhhh, having mucho faith in such a great instructor, I decided to follow him down. Well, much to our surprise, on final, out from underneath a set of large trees at one end of the field come about 30 large beasts (stears) heading right towards us. A third jumper also landed nearby. I quickly informed Pops of my neck injury and he took the situation into his control. Waving a hot pink canopy at the stears (which, my East-Coastness thought may be bulls or something), he started yelling Yaw! Yaw! Back da F*ck Up! in his NY accent. Well, terrified, I huddled behind Pops. He assured me that things would be okay. We slowly made it through the herd of curious beasts to the other end of the field where we could finally escape the electric fencing. For months, every time Pops saw me, he'd call me his little cowgirl. That day will forever go down in my skydiving history! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rendezvous 0 #44 November 25, 2003 WFFC 2003. C130 load. First group out. We were doing a 10 way tube. On the red light we positioned ourselves for the exit and then ready ! set ! go ! ... apparantly we exited on the red itself. All 13 of us landed some 10 miles out in the backyard of a farm house with 8 feet corn on both sides. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rdy2skydive 0 #45 November 25, 2003 I did my AAF Level 8 graduation dive at the end of last December. We were getting on the sunset load and it seemed a little windy. I questioned my instructor but he said the winds were fine. By the time I opened my Manta 230 I was over the drop zone and being blown backwards very quickly. As I blew over the DZ and over a residential area, I realized I was in trouble because there was a wooded area and then a semi-frozen lake beyond it. Somehow I managed to get myself over an open area surrounded by trees. I landed safely as the sun went down. My radio wasn't working and I had no idea where I was so I picked up my chute and started walking back. A few minutes later a forest ranger drove up and started yelling at me for trespassing. Apparently it's illegal to be in a state park once the sun goes down (like I planned it that way). When he was done yelling at me, he asked if I was I skydiver. I told him that I was and really didn't plan to land in the park. He then offered me a ride back to the DZ and said that he would make sure I wasn't fined for trespassing. When I got back I realized no one was around - they were all out looking for me. My instructor had gone up in the Cessna to see if he could find me. Later I got a 2 hour lecture on canopy control and had to repeat level 8 the following April. Needless to say, I never get on a plane if I think it's too windy for my abilities. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #46 November 25, 2003 It was at the nationals in 1978 at Richmond, ID. The first load of the day, a Sunday, in a DC3 doing a 20 way. There was almost solid cloud cover and Bob Branch was spotting from the ground. I know, I know. I opened up at around 2,500 in the clouds with a Piglet main. For you youngsters that is a 24' round. Drop through the clouds at about 1500 and all I could see were trees everywhere. With the Piglet there was no way to get to the edge of Sherwood forest but the Piglet gods were with me. There was one little clearing in the middle of all this timber. If I could make that I would live. Had to crab across the wind line, but just made it. I do this wonderful PLF, thanking my FJI, and come jumping to my feet like I knew what I was doing. I looked around and near one edge of the clearing were 3 men and 3 women sitting around a small fire. And I could smell bacon cooking. I walk over and these folks are having a cook-out breakfast/brunch. They invite me to join them, sausage, eggs over easy and pan fried potatoes. To wash it down they mixed me one of the best Bloody Marys in the world. We finished eating and drinking and they gave me a ride back to the airport. When I told the people I was jumping with they said it was all bull shit, but we know better, don't we. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #47 November 25, 2003 QuoteEvery DZ has a farmer mcnasty. Some got that way for a good reason too! Dave Wrong, none around Spaceland! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shindagrl 0 #48 November 25, 2003 My last jump, two weeks ago, 3rd jump of my life.... Uneventful exit and opening. Due to radio issues, I had no contact with the ground until about 1800 ft. That had me pretty freaked out, and I was having trouble finding the airport, so I was checking out the landscape for SOFA's (of which there are many near my DZ). I was scared as hell by the time I got radio contact, and it was immediately apparent that I wasn't going to land on-site. My landing area happened to be a field full of cows, two pastures over from the DZ. There is nothing quite like that moment you're flying over a herd and they notice you when you're about 30 ft. up; I still haven't figured out who was more suprised, them or me. I'm praying to every diety known to man, "Please don't let me land on a cow!!!"---luckily they scattered to the other side of the field. I love cows and really wanted to pet them, but figured the DZO would NOT be happy if they trampled his chute, and I had already tempted fate enough for one day. I have learned four things from this: ~Navigation & flight paths need to be at the top of my list of Things I Need to Figure Out Quickly ~I now know how to get my gear over a barbed wire fence ~Cow #95 is very friendly and likes it when skydivers give her a diversion from the endless monotony of her day ~I can do a stand up landing in a crosswind Blue ones, but hold the cattle, please...... Shinda An audience of 35 head of cattle was not exactly what I had in mind for that last landing......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfrese 0 #49 November 25, 2003 I've had about 20 off landings at 5 different dropzones, but my favorite was with a tandem two years ago. Horrid spot, made the mistake of listening to the first TM going out saying "the spot's fine", knew I was screwed the second I threw the drogue. We have a great skydive, considering it was about a 20 second freefall and I pulled at 8K.... Now, this is about my 30th tandem, I'm in Bumfuck Egypt, and I am absolutely shitting bricks. However, I remain calm, keep talking to my student, explaining that we are a ways from the DZ and will be landing off the DZ. She's still amped from the skydive, doesn't have a care in the world (and compliments me later for "how calm and reassuring" I was during the canopy ride), just wants to know where we ARE going to land. I point out the golf course I THINK we can make it back to, and decide to aim for there... We execute a perfect standup in the fairway of the 9th hole at Bolado Golf Course. My student walks with me all the way back to the parking lot looking like a rock star, bouncing off the trees and telling every disinterested golfer on the way that she just made her first skydive and it was AWESOME! I just had to smile...oh, and the groundskeeper came up to us twice to make sure we were OK, but the jerk refused to give us a ride back to the clubhouse...Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodyofflyght 0 #50 November 26, 2003 Haha though baseball field sounds interesting, the spot was long and I was in my rear risers the whole time trying to get back. But of course I saw that I was goin to short. Looking around all I could see was about 20 ft. trees straight in front of me and powerlines about 1 ft. away from the trees. In a panic to find somewhere to land, I saw houses and backyards on a small residental street. So at about 300ft. when I knew I wasnt going to make it turned and landed in between the tree line and the powerlines on the street with the flow of traffic. Needless to say it was interesting.the ebb and flow of the atlantic tides; the drift of the continents; the very position of the sun alone, its ecliptic; THESE are just a few of the things I control in my world Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
