Laundry list of screw-ups (long)

[mdrejhon 8]

Lessee.. I'm still a newbie, and newbies make mistakes.

Spinning linetwists, my fault. I think the scariest mistake I've made was the unstable pull at 4K (canopy open ~3K) that I recovered by 2500 feet (this I definitely remember - I was watching altimeter as I kicked out in two scissorkick tries, but actually considered the red handle "BE READY FOR EP!" I thought to myself.). My mistake: A breakoff and pull altitudes only 1000 feet different, resulting in a rushed unstable pull. This was around jump 60 or so. And on my new rig even, which I had only jumped once earlier. Lesson: Linetwists get worse and go faster and faster if it's in a spin. During the same weekend, an instructor had to do a cutaway because of spinning linetwists - he was under a HP canopy that's much more difficult to escape spinning linetwists from.

Running under the wing of the Twin Otter airplane while the propellers was spinning (I was aware of them though and avoided them approx 10 feet). I certainly got scolded for that, but on the next boogie, I snickered as someone else did the same mistake. (We were conscious of the propellers and stayed more than 10 feet away from the propellers and was staring at them as we ran past, BUT we're NEVER supposed to walk under the wings with running propellers, not even near the tip).

Improperly stowing my toggles while packing. It all opened fine, but I had to be corrected on technique twice.

And of course, that slow 180 degree turn initiated starting at about 200 feet under the Manta 288. (I stood that one up just fine, but that deserved a big scolding! Stupid of me. Although I did the turn relatively slowly, it was still below shoulder level. I intentionally stopped the turn about 40 feet above the ground, but it was still a big fat no-no at my level. Never did that again.)

Landing downwind. (Did not get hurt, but that was sketchy). I came back from a far spot and was too low to turn - at least I rightfully avoided doing the low 180, but I should have landed in the farmfield instead. Although I like to think of this as my "downwind landing checkout jump", as a lesson to the relative risk of a downwind landing (safer than 180ing but not as safe as landing upwind in a clearing off-dropzone)

Flared a little too low onto hard dried dirt from a long spot (ouch. Nothng got broken, and I continued jumping, but I did limp back to the packing area for a bit after that landing).

Landing only 20 feet away from the trees (two times) much earlier in my student progression, once because of wind and once because of avoiding traffic). Including once downwind of the trees (turbulence danger).

Forgetting to check the windsock before going up. (At least two times) We have three wind direction indicators, and I found the direction immediately after open, but still...

Asymmetric flares (three or four times). All stood up, all soft landings. The last two times, I recognized it and automatically flattened them out by immediately pulling the other toggle. At least now I know what flare turns feel like! (Although they were slight, just 10 degrees)

Letting up toggles slightly when flaring too early and pausing it. Canopy surged forward slightly, and I tried to run it out, but I tripped over. Didn't hurt, but it taught me a new thing (or two!). Since then, my dynamic flaring is much better. (ala two stage flare, one to plane out and one to maintain the turf surf, although I prefer to call it variable-speed flare. Similiar to what Scott Miller teaches - I sat in his class last weekend)

Going too far downwind of my landing pattern on the downwind leg, and having to land in the farmfield as a result, because I was elevatoring straight down or slightly backwards (windy).

Not relaxing enough in front of instructors during freefall exercises, and becoming a bellyflopper of a bellyflyer. (A few times)

During the Otter boogie, opening too close (Maybe 50-100 feet) to someone under canopy. I don't know how far, but the instructor commented on it being too close. I watch my jumprun tracking direction much more closely now.

Not tucking my shirt in before a jumpsuitless jump. It didn't block any of my handles or face, just made my belly feel very cold. Solo jump. Tried to tuck it in during freefall, but I gave up at 9000 feet after I noticed it compromised my arch. Just breezed it through with a flapping shirt.

There's more numerous little grey areas, like sashaying a little during final (Although I don't get comlaints about that, and I'm usually the only one left in the air because I like to pull high!).

[ladyskydiver 0]

deployed on my back just off student status

had my chest strap come undone in freefall

was on an 18-way when I had 16 jumps

demoed a Nitron before I was ready for it

downwind landing while on student status

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[Elisha 1]

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demoed a Nitron before I was ready for it

downwind landing while on student status

1. Well, I RENTED a Nitron around jump 40, but my WL was still <1.

2. Ditto, but I don't consider the downwind part my fault, as it switched directions when I was at 100 ft.

[Jonsmann 0]

How about this one.
Many years ago when I was just off student status, my RW instructor and I was waiting for the plane in the loading area. We see a student hit the ground really hard, and stay down. Many people run to help out, so we stay and go with the plane.
Under canopy I look down and see an ambulance parked in the landing area next to the injured guy and like 15 people standing next to him.
several times during the canopy ride I told myself to land well away from the ambulance and the people, but I kept looking at the ambulance (big mistake). Guess where I landed, 5-6 feet from the ambulance. My canopy blew toward the injured guy on the stretcher, and would have wrapped him if it had not been caught by the bystanders.

I still feel like a bloody fool so many years after!

Lesson: You will land where you look!

Jacques

ps. The injured guy had multiple fractures in the leg. He recovered fully, but never jumped again. He was in too much pain to notice my canopy. A few others did notice as has been pointed out to me quite a few times since.

[bert_man 0]

-Hooked up a demo canopy wrong and jumped it without doing a full continuity check (one full twist in front left riser)
-Hooked my own canopy back up on the same day and jumped it, only to find 1.5 twists in the front left riser, 1 full twist in the rear left riser, and 1 twist in right front riser (both times I was hurrying for a load, and had to transfer canopies between one set of risers)
-Reached for my hacky to deploy, only to find a released brake line in my hand with the toggle flipping around in the air behind me
-Once found myself deploying directly above another fully-open canopy, and saddled out about 200-300 feet above it
-Banged my head on the tailgate of a casa while running and jumping out (no cypres, but had a cheesy gath helmet )
-Landed in the weeds while over/undershooting the target (at least 20 times, probably more)
-Barely missed trees while landing my round reserve after a cutaway (which was caused by mismatched toggles on my 1982 vector 1 risers)
-Forgot to look for DZ on a 2-way CRW jump until 5,000 feet (landed 2 miles away from DZ)
-Got very close to a really bad midair collision on a 3-way freefly jump (no cypres, couldnt stop shaking for about 20 minutes)
-Hummed down to 2000 ft on a helicopter jump (it was a stupid idea anyway) then had a hard pull that took ~3 seconds to clear (due to sloppily packing my pilot chute)
-Somebody grabbed my reserve handle in a head-down dock and almost pulled it
-I ran to the plane once, only to realize that my D-handle had popped out of the pocket and was banging into my chest with every step
-Forgot my altimeter a bunch of times (no audible or cypres)
-Joined a few magic carpet rides with my fellow muff brothers (a few very bad judgment calls )
-Got to the front of a tracking dive and happily kept tracking straight for a while without realizing that everyone else had turned around and flown back to the dz

This list is probably surprisingly long for someone with only 176 jumps, but I guess I'm still alive and kickin' (for now).

I can, however, say that I have never owed beer for landing on the runway

[packerboy 3]

I played drunken creeper bowling and thought I could take on a full water jug (Hey, I was wearing a helmet). Still feel the effects of the whiplash sometimes almost 2 years later. At the time of impact and shortly after I seriously though I broke my neck.

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

[Griff69 0]

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- kiting my canopy, not intentionally. I just found out that can be a hazard. (25 times)

OK, newbie question. What is this?

Chris

"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. Liberty is two wolves attempting to have a sheep for dinner and finding a well-informed, well-armed sheep."

[mdrejhon 8]

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OK, newbie question. What is this?

Flying the canopy like a kite. Basically, you just walk around on the ground and the canopy still flies over your head. Best done on very windy days.

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I played drunken creeper bowling and thought I could take on a full water jug (Hey, I was wearing a helmet). Still feel the effects of the whiplash sometimes almost 2 years later. At the time of impact and shortly after I seriously though I broke my neck.

Ouch! If you mean a full size water cooler water jug, the type used at our dropzone. (Hello Trevor!)