raw 0 #1 February 1, 2006 Years ago before i got into skydiving i met an old german guy who told me a tale. He served as a pilot in the war. There was 6 crew abaord his plane when it was shot down. The plane caught on fire and the other five jumped with parachutes to safety. Hans then guilded the plane for as long as he could before he had to make a decision burn to death or jump without a parachute. He decided to jump (wouldnt we all?) He landed in a few inches of snow and servived terminal impact with many many broken bones. My question is, is there any other cases known of people serviving terminal impacts? I know this sounds like a big pile of BS but i promise its not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yamtx73 0 #2 February 1, 2006 QuoteAt least three airmen have survived free falls of around 20,000 ft (6,000 m) without a parachute in the Second World War; Lt. I.M. Chisov was a Russian bomber, Sgt. Alan Magee an American gunner on a B-17, and Sgt. Nicholas Alkemade a British gunner on a Lancaster bomber. It is estimated that a person free falling horizontally, reaches a terminal velocity of around 120 mph (200 km/h) after a fall of just 2,000 ft (600 m), so the additional 18,000 ft (5,500 m) doesn't make these falls that much more dangerous, apart from the lack of oxygen at high altitude. All three men lost consciousness during their falls, and two of them landed on terrain covered in deep snow, which was probably a significant factor in the survivability of the falls. Vesna Vulović, a flight attendant from Yugoslavia, survived a fall from 10,160 m (33,330 ft) when the DC-9 airplane she was traveling in blew up over Srbská Kamenice, Czechoslovakia, on January 26, 1972. She remained strapped into her flight attendant's seat in the tail section of the plane, which remained attached to the washrooms. The assembly struck the snow-covered flank of a mountain. A terrorist bomb was thought to be the cause. Vulović broke both legs and was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. No other passengers survived. Found this on answers.com....The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #3 February 1, 2006 Did he jump out at the last minute? Would would be less than 12 seconds of freefall before landing on the snow? If so, it was not a terminal velocity impact, but still a very dramatic story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #4 February 1, 2006 Read the prologue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #5 February 1, 2006 Here are some stories: http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/carkeet.html Some cool parachute facts: http://www.173rdairborne.com/amazingpara.htm Highest Fall Survived Without A Parachute: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=43941 Preparations for world's first human landing WITHOUT a parachute: http://www.gizmag.co.uk/go/3582/ Free-Fall Accidents: http://members.aol.com/MercStG/FFAccPage1.htmlMykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 1010 #6 February 2, 2006 I work with a retired SF guy who served in Germany, says he believes the stories of Polish soldiers jumping without parachutes into snowbanks. The 10% that survived fought the Germans. (Now that's comittment to the cause, folks!) You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #7 February 2, 2006 The story is usually told about Russian paratroopers not Polish. War was declared on Sept 1st 1939 and Poland was defeated and completely occupied by Oct 6th 1939. Polish units (including Parachute Battalions) were fielded throughout the rest of the war via the British military but the Brits wouldn't have been mad enough to let that sort of scheme go on. [Raw] Use the search function on this website to look up a guy called Nicholas Alkemade. You'll find some posts by me about his varified fall from 18,000ft without a parachute. He was a tail gunner in a Lancaster Bomber. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ally 0 #8 February 6, 2006 QuoteRead the prologue. ahem rumbled?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ernokaikkonen 0 #9 February 7, 2006 I've heard the same story about the Russians dropping troops in snowbanks to get them quickly to the Finnish front during the Winter War. Apparently they stopped when the Finns started painting the rocks white. The story is, of course, complete and utter bullshit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freeflysmiley 2 #10 February 7, 2006 http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=guestpass&id=sqs0z This you may find interesting, they reconstruct some, inc the story of the stewardess.-------------------------------------------------- Practise the 6 P's! -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoop 0 #11 February 7, 2006 QuoteQuoteRead the prologue. ahem rumbled?! Im confused Doesnt this.... Prologue Most children are told fantastic stories, which they gradually come to realize are not true. As I grew up, the fantastic stories I’d heard as a young child turned out to be true. The more I learned the more fantastic and true the stories grew. They were unlike the stories other children heard. They were gruesome, improbable, and sad. I didn't repeat them because I thought no one would believe me. They were the stories of a young man falling out of the sky ...suggest that the stories he heard were true? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontbounce 0 #12 February 7, 2006 I have learned that the speed at which you fall is determined by your weight divided by the cross section of your surface area (wind drag). That is why we fall at 120mph in arch, but 180mph head first. My question is, is there a way to increase your surface area to a degree that you are able to slow yourself to a survivable speed? More importantly, what speed is considered "survivable"? I have seen bird-man suits and whatnot, but is it possible that you could enlarge your surface area (like a bird man) to slow your descent enough? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freeflysmiley 2 #13 February 7, 2006 Yeah, it's called wearing a parachute-------------------------------------------------- Practise the 6 P's! -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontbounce 0 #14 February 7, 2006 Quote Yeah, it's called wearing a parachute A comedian! I love it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #15 February 7, 2006 This might interest you: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=556Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #16 February 8, 2006 QuoteI've heard the same story about the Russians dropping troops in snowbanks to get them quickly to the Finnish front during the Winter War. Apparently they stopped when the Finns started painting the rocks white. The story is, of course, complete and utter bullshit. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes that is an amusing story. Too bad it is not supported by academic research or credible witnesses. The Russians may have made a lot of mistakes during the Winter War against Finland, but dropping soldiers into snow banks was not one of them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raw 0 #17 February 8, 2006 Thanks for all the input Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dekac99 0 #18 February 8, 2006 Here is one more from Serbia (Yugoslavia). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomvailco 0 #19 February 9, 2006 Quote Yeah, it's called wearing a parachute Exactly! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
