0
Kramer

Question: What's The Lowest You've Ever Pulled?

Recommended Posts

I'm curious as to how low some people have pulled, so reply with your number, we can have a low-pull contest on the message board. ;) Okay, that was lame.

Anyway, look forward to the responses. If you have any interesting low-pull stories, go ahead and share one.

Lastly, what is "groundrush". I've heard this term before, but know not of it's meaning. Thanks again.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Main about 500 feet 3 times. Twice I did it because I was stupid and thought it would be cool. I use to pull at 1200-1400 all the time back when I was REALLY stupid. Once I was at 500 feet because I was stupid and screwed up on a video jump....Long story but the short version goes like this:

A guy wanted his 300 jump on video...He asked me to video it. We put a video camera helmet together and I agreed. His 300 th was a Tandem video. It was almost night so we left at around 6 grand...The Tandem pulled low (3 grandish, the video guy flipped over to video them. I thought "Wow thats cool I'll do that for him!" Then he pulled about 1800 or so. My dumb ass flips over (Could not look at my alti or the ground right? I was a video guy!) The first clue I was screwed was when I saw the horizon pass my feet...Not a very good feeling by the way. I rolled over and started reaching for the reserve...By the time I found it and grabbed it I felt my main open...I guess I pitched it as soon as I started to roll. I was low...VERY low. I have POV video..its kinda cool but bad quality.

Now to answer your ground rush question...When I did flip over I saw a single spot on the ground...This one spot was not moving at all. However the ground all around this one spot was rushing away from that one spot at what look like mach15....That one spot was were my head was going to hit.

As for the reserve ride cutawy was at 600 feet reserve was pulled at like 599 1/2 feet. ....Another long story...I'll spare you that one.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Main about 500 feet 3 times. .




fuck Me!!
was 500ft when you were under canopy or when u actually pulled? If so what height were you when the canopy developed?

------------------------------------------------------
"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
------------------------------------------------------

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Fuck Me!!
was 500ft when you were under canopy or when u actually pulled? If so what height were you when the
canopy developed?



500 was around when I had a canopy.....I was stupid, not suicidal....Did I mention that I was STUPID as hell!

I had three guys come up to me and tell me that if I pulled below 2000 feet ever again and they saw it...They were going to kick my ass. Then they were going to have the S&TA ground me.

And if I died, they said they were going to piss on my body while it was still warm.

Ya know now I wish I could thank those guys.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Main 1,100 ft
Really worry about my Cypress, one of my first jumps with my camera got into a cloud with other freefliers and lost track, yes I did hear my dytter and pro-track, just though I had time, anyway now that I remember I was still trying my X-fire they have fearly slow opening. Won't happen again, and if it does I will pull the reserve.
http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Lowest main under canopy 600'. Lowest reserve under canopy 400".



I'm pretty sure i'd of climbed into my own arse if i wasnt under canopy at some of these mad heights!

------------------------------------------------------
"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
------------------------------------------------------

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I've heard this term before, but know not of it's meaning.



This is what I've read somewhere, so I don't know if its true, but:

The human eye can really only focus on things less than ~4000 feet away. Anything past that is catagorized as "distant" by your eyes. So once you start getting under 4000 feet, your eyes and brain can actually see the ground rushing towards you. This is known as ground rush, and is apparently much more noticeable the closer you get to the ground.

anyways, lowest I've pulled is ~2600, but I've done 400 ft bungee jumps before, and the groundrush is just amazing... your stomach feels like its gonna rip right out of you. B|

MB 3528, RB 1182

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This is not something I am proud of, but a long time ago I was in a 10-way star at 1,800 feet. I opened at about 600-800 feet. My main was a Paracommander. Even though low pulls were more common then, it stands out in my mind.

Do not attempt this!

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I am with Ron, I have pulled low (below 1000') a few times, all of them pretty stupid.

I will tell you about one, because it should be a lesson to everyone. We had a four-way team back in the 80's. We were jumping from cessnas at 9000'. We usaully broke off at 2500', tracking and pulling around 1800' (a very common prctice at the time). Once we were really turning points, were problably aound fifteen when one member of the team started to track off, the other three of us were looking at him. He came back to his slot (out-facing in a bi-pole). About that time all four of us realize the ground (less than a thousand feet) was very close, but being good skydivers we tracked and pulled. The longest canopy ride was less than 30 seconds. The camera man video the whole thing, abet with his pilot chute in his hand, he could see the satelliete dish growing very quickly in the background. Watching the video with the dish growing at an alarming rate is very discerning. Lesson learned though, when one person decides to break-off, it is problably time!

The others I will keep to myself, or if you ever bring me a beer at the end of a good day of jumping, I am sure to be persuaded to tell you even closer calls.
blue skies,

art

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Lesson learned though, when one person decides to break-off, it is
problably time!



This reminds me of a jump I did around #30 or so.

They group had an 8way and they wanted me to dock last. So here I am trying to get in, and I see we pass by 4 grand. So I turn to track, and one of them opens the star and waves me back in. So I turn and fly in and dock....Well We were around 2 grand or so when I docked...Right after I broke in, the group broke off....except for one guy who gave me a big ass smile, pointed at the ground and mouthed for me to PULL.
I was in the saddle around 1500 feet, and I didn't even have 35 jumps yet. When I asked why they waved me in insted of breaking off at the right altitude...They told me.

Ah hell, you were almost in and we were not THAT low.

Were these really the good old days?

Ron
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Good stories! Ah yes, the good old bad old days...

The Cypres is responsible for this death of that
attitude. We now fear what will happen if we take it low.

For me, lowest I pulled main was at 1800. Not that close of a call.

My protrack recorded my last opening at 1900, but my flat line warning (set to 1800) was going off during the last second of my opening. Could this be due to pressure fluctuations?
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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Approx 250 ft estimated by time under canopy & verified by ST&A in logbbook.

Ground Rush: When a hay bale starts to looks as big as a house real quick or railroad tracks start to look like a 4 lane interstate real quick. IOW when small stuff on the ground get real big real fast the closer you get to the ground the faster it happens. AKA ground rush.

R.I.P.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0