Mr. Bill?

[skydude2000 3]

Hi everyone,

I've been jumping for 5 years now and I can't believe I don't know this. I hear about it all the time, but what the heck is a Mr. Bill? Anybody?

Thanks,

Skydude.

PULL!! or DIE!!

[Hawkins121 0]

something you dont want to do.. Ever.

[justinb138 0]

In most cases, an excercise in stupidity.

While some work ok, I've seen too many videos of jumps that didn't for me to ever think about trying it.

Search for Mr.Bill @ skydivingmovies.com for some videos.

[goobersnuftda 0]

I have done 4 Mr. Bill jumps and will probably never ever do another one again.

Here is a picture for you. Pilot chute was deployed from the plane when the two people were not vertical, more horizontal. The result was that my main risers caught my reserve tray and damn near tore it off.

So by looking at the picture, what do you think could have happened if the tray ripped just a little bit more and the reserve came out? Do you think it would have been a messed up reserve canopy not deploying properly?

I got lucky. I did some Mr. Bills, I survived and now I will move on with other things in my life

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[goobersnuftda 0]

Sorry, Picture didn't attach.
Here ya go.

[hookitt 0]

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something you dont want to do.. Ever.

Like eating tacks?

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The desired result is to have both people flying under one parachute. Usually, the jumper that's holding on will let go after a while, freefall for a bit and open his own canopy.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Many moons ago we had a couple of guys who wanted to do a variation on a Mr. Bill. They decided to do a 'normal' Mr. Bill but also use a long bungie cord so Jumper B could do a bungie jump after Jumper A opened and they got settled, then Jumper A would release the bungie cord (or was it Jumper B?; oh, whatever). All went as planned, Jumper B jumps from Jumper A, stretches out the bungie cord where upon full stretch it snaps, it then recoils and clobbers Jumper B in the head knocking him unconscious. Fortunately Jumper B pulled just before it hit him. Then Jumper A came over (after noticing that Jumper B was just hanging in the harness) and did a two-stack and guided Jumper A to the dz. Just prior to landing, Jumper A regained consciousness and was able to land his canopy OK. A air-to-air photo guy was there and had it all on film and it ended up on some of the nationally syndicated TV shows.

Ah, the best laid plans of mice & men.

[billvon 2,400]

I did a Mr. Bill a while back with another jumper. We exited, he deployed, and I held on. I clipped a rope to his chest strap, rappelled down 150 feet, and he flew around in circles with me swinging out to the end of the rope. At about 4000 feet I rappelled off the end of the rope and opened my own parachute.

[hookitt 0]

Now that sounds like fun. Thanks for the idea.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[Martini 0]

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something you dont want to do.. Ever.

I couldn't disagree more. My karma just ran over your dogma. Ommmm

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[councilman24 36]

Nobodies answer you yet, have they.

Depending on how young you are you may or may not know about Mr. Bill. It was a skit on Saturday night live. Mr. Bill was a little clay man who routinely got demolished in one way or another by Sluggo. As Mr. Bill was getting demolished he would say Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Go to http://www.mrbill.com/ to hear a rendition.

A Mr Bill jump is two jumper exiting hanging on to each other for dear life. (hmmm, a unique choice of words) One of the jumper deploys as soon as possible and they try to hang on during opening. The name comes from the ususal result of the hanger on continuing to keep right on falling when the other jumpers canopy opens. Appropriately accompanied by OH, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Usually not resulting in gear damage as above but commonly resulting in sore or burned finger and hands.

All variations, see above, exist if in fact the two people manage to hang on. At some point the second jumper exits the first and deploys his own main.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[shermanator 3]

oh,so thats theoriginof the name. thanks for that, was an interesting read. Not something i want to try... i can only imagine how difficult it is to stay holding on.

CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08
CSA #720

[Orange1 0]

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I did a Mr. Bill a while back with another jumper. We exited, he deployed, and I held on. I clipped a rope to his chest strap, rappelled down 150 feet, and he flew around in circles with me swinging out to the end of the rope. At about 4000 feet I rappelled off the end of the rope and opened my own parachute.

So is that a Mr Billvon?

what did the other guy do with the rope after you left?

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[packerboy 3]

I've seen it done about five times at our dropzone, evry time succesfull, but it could've gone wrong any of those times.

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[airtwardo 6]

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I clipped a rope to his chest strap, rappelled down 150 feet,

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With the centrifugal force...I wonder what all in pounds that poor old chest strap stitching was holding?

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

[skydude2000 3]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm actually a little surprised. Because we see in movies all the time where someone swoops down and saves someone else by grabbing their harness, but I read on a physics website somewhere that that would be virtually impossible. It said the jumper hanging on would have to absorb over 300 pounds of force to hang on. But maybe that would be from Terminal?


Thanks,

Skydude.

PULL!! or DIE!!

[bigway 4]

correct. you are not going to hear many stories (if any) of people doing this at terminal. This is done at sub-terminal.

On skydivingmovies.com you will find a vid of two guys landing one.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[ntrprnr 0]

You know, in retrospect - Mr. Bill was the original "Kenny" from South Park! Can't believe I never noticed that until now!

_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

[Martini 0]

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I've seen it done about five times at our dropzone, evry time succesfull, but it could've gone wrong any of those times.

Mr. Bill jumps sure attract a lot of negative vibes. I've seen thousands of successful skydives, any of those could have gone wrong too. Virtually anything you do skydiving adds to the risk level.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[pan 0]

a couple friends of mine finaally pulled offf a down plane mr. bill. it was covered in skydiving april issue, i think. they spent years working it out. awsome....and dangerous. just like most crazy things in our sport.

[damion75 0]

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At some point the second jumper exits the first and deploys his own main.

Do you really mean that? Or is it a Freudian slip?!! Well I guess it would be one way to hang on but it seems a little painful to me...

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[councilman24 36]

No, that's called an IFIF jump. I let you translate.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[teason 0]

whoa! When I was doing the "dope on a rope", we used an old riser and had it pre attached to both sides of the MLW. If shit went bad it could be cut away.

The chest strap sounds like bad Mojo!

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

[desea 0]

If you go to skydiving movies do a search on Mr. Bill Landed. You will find John King and McBain landing one of these. I saw the landing and it was quite a site. You really need to talk to John about how many practice jumps occur and how he learned to "climb" up McBain and turn around to stand on his shoulders. Complicated enough to accomplish this part, much less landing one. His story is hysterical, his mindset....insane. I'd never have the balls!

Sometimes Femur is a Verb
Sarah...Desea Rodriguez

[cocheese 0]

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I've seen it done about five times at our dropzone, evry time succesfull, but it could've gone wrong any of those times.

Mr. Bill jumps sure attract a lot of negative vibes. I've seen thousands of successful skydives, any of those could have gone wrong too. Virtually anything you do skydiving adds to the risk level.

I think these jumps are one of the dumbest tricks out there.

"Darwin and Murphy come on down. You're the next contestants on The Price Is Wrong."