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pchapman

Pranks on jumps - what is acceptable nowadays?

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I disagree. This is the type of info that others need to know about. It helps connect the dots to other incidents and now help make clear how some other things might have taken place.

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You also "pranked" two new wingsuiters out over the ocean and they landed well out to sea. It's fortunate it didn't end worse.



Couple major red flags IMHO.
you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

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You asked a question and the answer is simple,...

It is not acceptable under any circumstances.



Since not everyone agrees with you... The answer is not *simple*.

Like I said before, if you think the person has thin skin and will get their panties in a wad, or you are not SURE they will laugh it off. Best to leave them alone.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Every year I see regular skydives that are less safe than some of the 'pranks' I see here.
"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

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...and ignores long held traditions in the sport.



Which long held traditions are those?

I see few if ANY 'traditions' held over from when I started...

The training is different, the gear is more advanced, the aircraft are bigger & the skies more crowded, the people most certainly have different motivations & goals.

The tradition use to be help the new guy out and don't worry about the $$$...

I really don't see much of anything today regarding traditional camrodary.

It's a different sport & different considerations are everywhere...as it should be.










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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-- Letting someone jump on "go!" with others not leaving

That's an old one. Do the count, buddy leaves on "go!", but everyone else stays on the plane. Maybe a little cruel if someone is planning a cool jump and then gets left with a solo freefall. Heard of it done very occasionally. At least compared to dumping at 10 grand, the spot should be good and thus is a safer prank, with less need for pilot coordination. Pranks that don't waste the whole jump for someone are nicer.



This one happened to me. I was on my 100th, and well, I almost did not do 101. I found this the most cruel way to say congratz to people, and well... it ruined my relationship with all those on the load. This is sad to say as I really like my dz, but they fucked me over and well, I am never going to forget.

What I have taken from it is to not jump with my locals at boogies as I trust none of them, including the most senior of jumpers and his lakies who are on his "in group". I am ok with that as I am the type of person who wants to meet and learn from new people. It has also increased my world view of skydiving while those who follow him, well... stay to their own.

As for how I treat new jumpers. I make sure to look out for those who may taken in by the same trick, I watch out for them, and make sure that their experience is better than I.

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airtwardo

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...and ignores long held traditions in the sport.



Which long held traditions are those?

I see few if ANY 'traditions' held over from when I started...

The training is different, the gear is more advanced, the aircraft are bigger & the skies more crowded, the people most certainly have different motivations & goals.

The tradition use to be help the new guy out and don't worry about the $$$...

I really don't see much of anything today regarding traditional camrodary.

It's a different sport & different considerations are everywhere...as it should be.



I can think of several traditions that still exist.

Flash Boobs get extra altitude.
Pied at 100 jumps
Beer rules
Hit and chug

I could go on and on.

If these traditions no longer exist at your DZ... Then I am sorry for you.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Ron

***

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...and ignores long held traditions in the sport.



Which long held traditions are those?

I see few if ANY 'traditions' held over from when I started...

The training is different, the gear is more advanced, the aircraft are bigger & the skies more crowded, the people most certainly have different motivations & goals.

The tradition use to be help the new guy out and don't worry about the $$$...

I really don't see much of anything today regarding traditional camrodary.

It's a different sport & different considerations are everywhere...as it should be.


I can think of several traditions that still exist.

Flash Boobs get extra altitude.
Pied at 100 jumps
Beer rules
Hit and chug

I could go on and on.

If these traditions no longer exist at your DZ... Then I am sorry for you.

I jump at several DZ's...most don't carry the traditions over from the past.

If yours does...lucky you! B|










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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pchapman


Comments are welcome on what sort of pranks are considered acceptable or not these days, especially because opinions and practices at different DZ's may vary.



A very interesting subject.

Over the years, many years ago, actually, I had the pleasure of being a presenter and evaluator at ICCs and J/M courses. The time period was very early 1970s so I'm seriously behind on terminology in today's ICC/JM world.

In addition to being an evaluator, I was a pilot for these courses. I think for 3 or 4 over the years. On one of the first I listened to a J/M candidate give total BS suggestions and comments to another candidate who was the "student".

Just for giggles I climbed to 5500 on jump run. The J/M candidate put his "student" out without realizing the altitude. After the student jumped I yelled at him, "Do you always put your static line students out at 5500?"

Oddly, I was always able to get at least one person per ICC/J/M class to put a student out at a 5500 or so.

Not exactly a prank as per the subject but in a sense it was. Certainly a learning experience for the person I pulled the prank on.
Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

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colossus

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-- Letting someone jump on "go!" with others not leaving

That's an old one. Do the count, buddy leaves on "go!", but everyone else stays on the plane. Maybe a little cruel if someone is planning a cool jump and then gets left with a solo freefall. Heard of it done very occasionally. At least compared to dumping at 10 grand, the spot should be good and thus is a safer prank, with less need for pilot coordination. Pranks that don't waste the whole jump for someone are nicer.



This one happened to me. I was on my 100th, and well, I almost did not do 101. I found this the most cruel way to say congratz to people, and well... it ruined my relationship with all those on the load. This is sad to say as I really like my dz, but they fucked me over and well, I am never going to forget.

What I have taken from it is to not jump with my locals at boogies as I trust none of them, including the most senior of jumpers and his lakies who are on his "in group". I am ok with that as I am the type of person who wants to meet and learn from new people. It has also increased my world view of skydiving while those who follow him, well... stay to their own.

As for how I treat new jumpers. I make sure to look out for those who may taken in by the same trick, I watch out for them, and make sure that their experience is better than I.



Did you almost not do 101 because you were emotionally hurt over the prank, or was there some kind of danger with the exit?
Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

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Emotionally.

I find this a social sport, also one with a LOT of trust to be involved. It showed me with whom, and whom I should not trust. Unfortunately, that was a lot of people that were around me.

Trust with most of those never came back. For some, it has over the past 8 years since when it happened.

I find that when I can sit back, and see what the scene with new people is, I can trust them more than those jokers. When you jump with someone you don't know as well at a boogie, I have found people will offer the trust that you want, and most times that is to not kill me or to fuck me over.

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colossus

Emotionally.

I find this a social sport, also one with a LOT of trust to be involved. It showed me with whom, and whom I should not trust. Unfortunately, that was a lot of people that were around me.

Trust with most of those never came back. For some, it has over the past 8 years since when it happened.

I find that when I can sit back, and see what the scene with new people is, I can trust them more than those jokers. When you jump with someone you don't know as well at a boogie, I have found people will offer the trust that you want, and most times that is to not kill me or to fuck me over.



I hear you and totally understand where you're coming from. When it comes to personal decision to decide what/who makes you most comfortable when you jump, nobody can really second guess that.

Did you know these people for a good amount of time before they did this to you? I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of somebody who went through this, and if it was with my long time friends, I think I would probably laugh with them if there was zero safety impacts/threats on the skydive. And this would be especially true if it were like one of the other posters stories where they all chipped in and covered the jump for him being a good sport about it. That said, if this was a group that I didn't really know, or did my 100th jump at a new or fairly new dz with newer folks, I think I could be a little put off as well.
Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)

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3mpire

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Sadly, I don't feel that I could safely retaliate at my current skill level



It doesn't take much of a fart to melt off the paint inside a C182


I wouldn't be surprised if the pilot makes the call for you to leave the airplane before real the jump run.:P
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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I prefer to keep things fun but as safe as possible as a new skydiver. I wouldn't welcome and would definitely bit do any in air pranks at this point and I am coming up on number 100. But I wouldn't be a prude about it if safety was maintained.

Anyway, the only "prank" if you can call it that I have seen was by two very experienced skydivers that know each other well (1000's of jumps and life long skydivers).

One of them regularly jumps naked. As he was leaving the aircraft the other guy gave him a good smack in the ass. It was pretty funny.

Only bad part was I was junping with the ass-smacker and had to touch/dock the ass-tainted hand.
Chance favors the prepared mind.

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Wow, pranks on jumps - it is all fun and games until someone gets killed.

Have seen too many over the years with some funny but with too many dangerous and often downright mean.

In the 70's guys would stuff your sleeve with empty beer bottles and cans giving you a nice garbage shower over your PC. Another trick was to white-knuckle a RW novice by hanging on and going low. Hooking up someones canopy backwards was another trip....not so bad with round canopies since you usually backed into the target anyways. And who can forget dropping M-80's under canopy.:o

On the lighter and safer side of pranks, on a New Years Eve jump the fellows dropped their light sticks on opening giving the illusion of everyone going in. :)

www.geronimoskydiving.com

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Wow, pranks on jumps - it all fun and games until someone gets killed.



This all seems so silly to me. I can't think of any jump that I've ever been on where a prank would truly rattle me so much that I'd cut off a real friend. As others have said, if a complete stranger dumped me at 10,000 feet I'd be pissed off at their presumption but I wouldn't feel like they'd just tried to kill me... I wouldn't have jumped in the first place if I thought that being open a few thousand feet higher than I'd planned would be the difference between living and dying.

Now... If someone flew up to me in free fall with a pair of scissors and snipped off my hackey, then wire-tied my reserve handle to my harness, I might have to un-bunch my panties and shake the sand out of my vagina. ;)
Owned by Remi #?

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Maybe I'm old but as a new jumper the idea of even getting out the door scares me. The fact that someday I could deal with someone playing a joke on me actually now terrifies me and makes me not want to continue. Maybe its my lack of experience or my current anxieties that already exist, but I am not afraid to admit I personally would not be comfortable or take kindly to someone pranking me. If you want to risk your life, thats fine. I'll be damned if I leave my family without a provider because someone thought it funny to flip me around and pull my PS as a joke. I'll get killed by my own stupidity not anyone else's :D

Now, having someone leave on a count when nobody else does: potentially funny. The "extras" on a 1000th jump may even be funny. But I do not get some of the others. It is fun, until its not.

I'm sure not everyone else feels this way, but I think pies after milestones: good. I think beer rules are good. I think shenanigans at the DZ on the ground are generally good. But to a new jumper, this just makes me more nervous in the sky.

Feel free to say its my lack of experience, because that I have. But what I lack in diving numbers I make up with aviation experience, and pranks are a no-go... which is why there are relatively few aircraft issues.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

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DrDom

But what I lack in diving numbers I make up with aviation experience, and pranks are a no-go... which is why there are relatively few aircraft issues.



Pranks are a no-go in aviation? Huh? :S

Not anywhere I've ever worked! I've seen and heard about some absolutely awesome ones- probably more than I've seen/heard of in skydiving. I guess the difference is I work with other professionals who know the limits of what is safe and what's not.

To that end, if an AFF instructor (who is obviously trained to do it safely) dumped me out as a prank, I'd probably think it was pretty funny. Anyone else, not so much... although I don't think I'd have too much heartburn over it. Maybe just a discussion over a beer as to why it isn't such a good idea.

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EatSleepFly

***But what I lack in diving numbers I make up with aviation experience, and pranks are a no-go... which is why there are relatively few aircraft issues.



Pranks are a no-go in aviation? Huh? :S

Not anywhere I've ever worked! I've seen and heard about some absolutely awesome ones- probably more than I've seen/heard of in skydiving. I guess the difference is I work with other professionals who know the limits of what is safe and what's not.

To that end, if an AFF instructor (who is obviously trained to do it safely) dumped me out as a prank, I'd probably think it was pretty funny. Anyone else, not so much... although I don't think I'd have too much heartburn over it. Maybe just a discussion over a beer as to why it isn't such a good idea.

The only aviation pranks I have ever seen were pre-takeoff before any risk of death occurs. I have never been privvied to an intentional joke in flight (yes, someone accidentally cut my fuel once, and more than a few people gotten us near stall).

Would I defriend someone? No, But I may think twice about jumping with them again. I would definitely pull them aside over a beer and let them know it was not OK. If they had my jump solo on a count and left me out flying alone... well... I'd probably laugh because that is kind of funny and doesn't put anyone at risk if the spot is good. I'm in it for longevity and a calculated risk with appropriate mitigation. People know I'm rather serious about safety, so my guess would be pranking me wouldn't be a lot of fun for any parties. I'm not saying people shouldn't do it, I just am not into it and see the concerns with adding more variables to an existing risky sport.

The question of "pranks on a jump" is one that can not be answered for the masses, it can only be answered by the individual. My opinion is mine alone, your mileage WILL vary.
You are not the contents of your wallet.

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The tradition use to be help the new guy out and don't worry about the $$$...



Come to our small one Cessna DZ and you will still see a lot of this. The only problem is you won't get very many jumps due to the lack of lift capacity.
Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

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I only know of a couple of pranks, mostly of the the 'ready-set-go don't-go' variety. Our local rigger got dumped out on I think his last/retirement jump, that was pretty funny. I know of another prank where they lured the jumper who was going up for his 1000th jump away for a while and packed a round into his rig instead of his big square. Now this guy was trained on rounds, so that prank did go over well :)Another jumper got the wrong kind of flour packed into his main for his 1000th, this prank wasn't quite as much fun, as his canopy was still sticky a year later :S


ciel bleu,
Saskia

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dragon2

...prank where they lured the jumper who was going up for his 1000th jump away for a while and packed a round into his rig instead of his big square. Now this guy was trained on rounds, so that prank did go over well :)


I will laugh for five days, I'm sure :D
What goes around, comes later.

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format

***...prank where they lured the jumper who was going up for his 1000th jump away for a while and packed a round into his rig instead of his big square. Now this guy was trained on rounds, so that prank did go over well :)


I will laugh for five days, I'm sure :D

Is it there? Is it sq..!?!?!? ****!

:D:D:D

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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another prank where they lured the jumper who was going up for his 1000th jump away for a while and packed a round into his rig instead of his big square. Now this guy was trained on rounds, so that prank did go over well



Wow... That's a good one.

For the record, I'd rather be dumped out that tricked into jumping a round.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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This thread has a lot to do with humor, and what differences there are between a prank that is actually funny (assuming it is safe, of course; unsafe activities are never funny) and one that is merely mean. For example, some people might think that closing the door on someone who is hanging on a strut or staying on the step while the victim goes is funny, but I would suggest that people like that have, at best, an unimaginative sense of humor. None of the "pranks" you listed seem in any way original or genuinely humorous to me. Most are like the prank of pulling out a chair from someone who is about to sit down. Dull-witted people will laugh; a person with a more refined sense of humor will simply find it crude and offensive. Declaring that such a person "can't take a joke" is simply bullying, particularly since there was never an actual joke to begin with.
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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