Your hairy moments in the air

[Airman1270 0]

About 10 years ago we held an impromptu speed star competition. (I chose the team name "Vomit Under Pressure.") As we approached 3000' I released my grips, but the other guys held on to me. We finally broke at 2000', turned 180, and dumped. Got open at 1000'.

On the very next dive we got a bad spot, nearly a mile off the DZ. One guy broke away, pointed to the ground, and pulled high. I dumped above 5000' and rode a streamer, watching in fascination. As I pondered my handles, it began taking air and was inflated by 1800'. Boy am I glad it didn't happen on the previous jump...

Years earlier I was fresh off student status and sent my new (very used) main off for a new line set. After it came back I hooked it up & packed it, then drove to Boston to see some friends. On the way home to Long Island I stopped at a DZ in Woodstock, Connecticut for the first time. Filled out the paperwork, went up in the 182, jumped, opened, and looked up at a pilot chute. I flew backwards for my 60th jump, over a place I'd never been, guiding it down toward a field near the runway. (The canopy was fine; there was no reason to chop and risk a reserve malfunction.) Eventually people began asking "What's that guy doing?" After landing I put my helmet on backwards and approached the group.

Always hook up your main the right way.

Cheers,
Jon

[cderham 0]

Jump #21 - 1st jump on BOC from ripcord. exited at 4,000 ft went to reach, rolled on my back and noticed my pilotchute wrapped around my leg as I'm on my back. I grab the pilotchute and give it an opposite toss. I'm flipping head over heals then have a canopy at 2,000ft w/ ALOT of line twists but its flying straight. Kick out and turn toward the DZ and land. My brother-in-law watched me exit and thought that was it. I slowed down after that and took the time to learn more before I attempt it.

Chris

[Praetorian 1]

I did almost the same thing at Kapowisn on my "5 second delay" except insted of fetal I arched and got stable ... ON MY BACK FACING THE SKY so I freaked tried to claw my way over (I had no idea how to roll) finally arched my ass off and fliped "right side up" and pulled, no altitude awareness when it opened I was just OVER student cypress altitude .. got a good talking too but not chewed out and not grounded ... which still leaves me scratching my head ...

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[Icon134 0]

ah yes... still relative newby... I hope to never have some of the scares that many of you have had...

my hairiest moment was during my first H&P... we were getting out at 6k ft because I was doing a canopy control course but I was nervous because I had never gotten out below 11k ft. So I exit and throw almost imediately (unstable mind you.) so my PC didn't go through my legs but it did wrap around my torso...

Fortunatly I did have the sense about me to regain my composure and roll over a few times to a clean opening.

Scott

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[somethinelse 0]

Well, as a newbie, conservative in my jumping so far...Haven't had any REALLY nasties happen-
ALMOST- and in hindsight scared me- BIG TIME!

About a month ago, I ALMOST CAUSED a MALFUNCTION ON OPENING.

Anticipating (another)hard opening, after I pulled the ripcord, I PUT MY KNEES TO MY CHEST. But there had been a delay in the pilot chute coming out of the pack and I began to BACK FLIP AS THE CHUTE CAME OUT hard and fast through my arms and whipped me a good blow with the pilot and risers.

Luckily- I did not have a malfunction! But I learned a hard and painful lesson and had 6 X 8 INCH BRUISE on the inside of my left upper arm FOR A MONTH as a reminder...
...KEEP THE ARCH DURING DEPLOYMENT!!!

BLUES- LiLa.

[GeordieSkydiver 0]

During the early nineties I was on static line progression on round canopys and front reserve in Germany. I was last out of a eight man lift with the JM staying in the plane.

As no 7 is about to climb out on the jump run (we all went on one run, 8 solo S/L!!) the JM shouts "the wind has picked up a little, face the DZ hangar all the way down."

I exit ok, look up and have a good canopy, I turn it to face the DZ hangar, look down and I'm traveling backwards... at speed.. shit.

There's some trees and then a 'No speed limit' autobahn behind me. I'm toast.

I come down right on top of the trees 30 metres short of the autobahn, kicking my way through the branches. I end up suspended 2ft from the ground. I unhook legs and slide to the floor, then rip the canopy pulling it down. (I jumped the same 'repaired' canopy the next day... )

No injuries thankfully, but the worse part was seeing the DZ ambulance heading towards me when I'm still at 800ft. Not good.

Shortly after that jump we were taught front riser control....

Lee

Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

[maxmadmax 8]

My hairy moment several years ago on jump 178.

I am on my final and just doing a straight in approach.

At about 500 ft, I get Slammed by a dirt devil without the dirt. I never saw anything on the ground.

So my canopy's right side collapses, Both my toggles get knocked out of my hands.

I instinctively reached up and grabbed both rear risers and pump and pump and pump.

Finally the damned thing is flying again, looking over to my left I am level with the power lines.

They are only about 30 ft above the ground!!!

Never give up!

Then I realized that I owed beer for getting my azz almost whipped by a dirt devil.

Blue Skys this weekend to all!

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[flyangel2 2]

When I was a student under a PC, I had a floating rip-cord handle. I kept thinking I'd find it the next try. I kept trying and trying, till my audible went off in my ear. My reserve was a front mount, so rather then rolling over to my back to fire the reserve, I went straight for the reserve handle while still falling face to earth. The old style hooks, can't remember what they were called, that are used to hook the reserve to the main lift web, twisted with such force when the reserve fired, that it came un-clipped. Thank God for cross connectors on the reserve risers. That and landing when I was under the reserve rather then in the up or down swing of the reserve.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[dorbie 0]

My first hop 'n pop, from 3500', this was only a couple of jumps after my first solo (I wanted it at the correct USPA A License qual heigh although nobody was insisting on that). I exited and got stable then went to pull and rolled onto my back. So I quickly corrected myself back to belly down and went to pull again, and did exactly the same thing. Once again I corrected and so I was falling after two pull attempts probably under 2500' now asking myself why the heck I couldn't pull stable. I realized that without the wave off I was forgetting to compensate with my other arm as I was reaching for my BOC pilot. Third time was a charm and I managed to pull correctly. Needless to say I had to redo my hop 'n pop.

It was never really worried, I was just glad I beat my student Cypress to the pull, but I probably came close to a two out with that main toss.

Another strange one I had was some jumper falling/streamering/opening past me at 150ft horizontal separation as they opened after I'd been under canopy for maybe 30 seconds or more. I couldn't figure out how the heck he managed to get where he got to with the separation involved especially after I'd been under canopy so long(I was flying towards the landing area not in line with the flight line). The most plausible explanation I thought was he tracked a *long* way back up the flight line.

[billvon 2,400]

>Google tells me that it probably means that the KA lost an engine on
> take-off, stalled, rolled, and hit the ground. Is that correct? If so, how'd
> you get out in one piece?

Vmc is the minimum single-engine control airspeed; below this speed, maximum control surface deflection may be unable to stop the yaw and roll forces experienced during single engine operation if you lose the critical engine. A roll can happen thusly:

A pilot loses an engine at 4000 feet. He goes to full power on the remaining engine but does not maintain airspeed above Vmc. The plane begins an uncommanded yaw, which progresses to a roll as speed drops further. The plane rolls, goes nose-down, picks up airspeed, and with the additional airspeed the pilot is able to regain control of the aircraft. Obviously something that you do not want to have happen at 100 feet.

[gerrcoin 0]

Watching a freefall student get sucked off the strut of a 182 because of a reserve deploy. Canopy goes over the tail, lines to the side and the jumper goes below. Reaction - HOLY SHIT, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!! Luckily everything missed the tail and everyone else got out on the next pass.
Jumpmaster was videoing the exit for the student and after watching it we saw that the rsl had snagged the latch on the door during the climbout. It must have partially pulled the pin which finally popped when the student stepped off the step.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

Forgive the ignorance, but: huh?

Google tells me that it probably means that the KA lost an engine on take-off, stalled, rolled, and hit the ground. Is that correct? If so, how'd you get out in one piece?

The pilot/DZO decided he could fly more loads if he put the tandems out at 10,000 feet although he loaded them in first. So, on the early jump run we ended up with six people behind the door.

He cut the left (critical) engine, may have run out of elevator travel for the new weight distribution + lower speed, airspeed dropped even more to below Vmc, there was insufficient rudder/aileron to maintain level flight, and the plane yawed/rolled nose to the ground (the camera man outside came close to hitting the right wing).

That's a Vmc roll.

We lost about 7,000 feet in the maneuver and all but three skydivers bailed out.

[jumper03 0]

My hairy moment happened after breaking off after a 3 way. We turn, track, one guy gets floaty and apparently blind at the same time. I check my airspace just before pitching and holy shit, he's right over me, oblivious to the fact I'm just below him. So I turn and track like my life depends on it to get away from this guy trying to kill me. I finally pitch at 2500... lowest I've ever pulled and my sphincter was appropriately puckered. I swear it seemed like he was bird dogging me....

Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[sdctlc 0]

From my own personal scary experience files, I was under my open main then realized my reserve was going out. I looked over my shoulder to see the freebag going to line stretch and my first thought was "shit" so I cut the main away before the reserve was open, thinking "I'll quick chop and fall under the reserve, basically a canopy transfer and all will be good!!"". Right???? WRONG!!!, a second later found myself looking up at a "Cut Away Main Main/Reserve Bi-Plane" with the cut away handle in my hand and cables dangling. Second thought: "WTF, this is not what I was expecting!"

Good Luck came to play and I had a good ending. Landed the reerve alone after being in a position where I could not turn as any asymetric load could have released the risers of the main on one side and that could/would have been bad news.

I bring this up as something to think about for scarey stories and for any of you jumping the now very scarce "reversed risers"…

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[darkwing 4]

In 1974 I was in a 10-way at 1,800 feet. It was at a competition, and we were out of working time anyway, but we soooo wanted the 10th guy to get in...

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[livendive 8]

Lost altitude awareness and found myself sitflying through 1000 feet. Went to belly, waved off, & pulled my main. CYPRES fired as I was settling in at around 400 feet but I was able to catch my reserve bridle and prevent the reserve deployment.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[MexPilot 0]

Drew. What happened after the roll?? I am guessing the pilot recovered. What did the jumpers do???

Diego

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." Leonardo da Vinci

[Courteney 0]

Yep!!! Same here, wind was coming from opposite direction as the norm, hot day, final approach after filming tandem with borrowed camera gear and suddenly my canopy drops out the sky at just over hangar height. Flare like crazy my fuck all happens, ground coming up to meet me HARD!!! All I thought was about camera, turn head and POES into ground, witness thought my leg broke for sure but I was lucky to come off with bruised ankle. Scary shit.

Seeing a jumper pass close to me in ff as I'm under canopy.

Did a CAT2 jump with a student and when it came time for him to turn 180 and track away, he tracks in a 360 turn and ends up right under me and goes in to pull, I see him coming and start back sliding in vain and finally side slip and open. Stern talking to afterwards, he never even realised he wasn't tracking straight!!!
That's it for now.

...drags me down like some sweet gravity!!!

[jumpwally 0]

Yeah Man ! 1978 at Hinkley PC I talked my college roomate into a observer ride,told it was safe ! had a MAE West function (9th jump ) and later (20 th jump ), duct taped a super 8 camera to my helmet and was going to be Carl Boenish,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oh boy...lost track of everything..had a 5 second ride on a Para-Commander,,at least it was red-white and blue.

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[UKKid35 1]

My AFF hop and pop, at 4000, my previous jumps had all gone fairly smoothly, but this should have been the simplest of all: exit, get stable, pull. Of course as I went to pull I went unstable and found myself on my back, I kept thinking that that this was the wrong jump for this to happen as I arched and flipped myself over. Somehow I was signed off on that level because I was under a canopy within a generous ten seconds - just.

About ten jumps later I converted from leg ripcord to BOC throwaway. I must have practiced it a hundred times, what was all the fuss about? But in the air although I found the PC first time nothing happened after I deployed. My instructor, who had been at my side until then quickly came round in front and pointed at my right hand. I looked round and there it was in my hand. I let go of it like a hot potato and all was well.

I always wave off by 4500, I like having an extra few seconds, I'm sure I'll need them one day.

[el_chester 4]

i didn't know at the time, but looking back now - all I can say is I am a very very lucky person to be alive. most of these happened under the "supervision" of the guy running the skydiving school where I originally learnt (I don't know if anybody still jumps at that airport). This guy I understand is now retired (thank god!):

- having a 23-jump "aff jumpmaster" on my 3rd jump (after he let go of me i was more stable than he)

- doing my first solo on my jump #5 (never did a tandem)

- doing a 4-way where no-one had more than 20 jumps (on my 10th jump) - i have the VHS video of that - should digitize!

- doing 4 demos into stadiums (2 of them rather tight) at jump numers 50 through 150

- having a horseshoe (caused by misconfiguration of the rig - too long a loop) on jump 72 - the bag came out and i felt it on my legs at 4500ft... so i pulled the pilot chute, had a bag-lock, cut-away, and pulled reserve - a round beauty. The faces on the other guys doing the 4-way were priceless when i look back. Kind of "it was nice to meet you - good luck" expressions as they turned away to track...

- premature deployment (once again under those rented from DZ rigs...)

- swooping unintentionally when i did a 360 "to lose altitude" at around 100 jumps - now that was MY fault, very very stupid and dangerous. this on a sabre 150.

- more recently: dodging the canopies of people who track really steep down on bigways (at least you can anticipate this, mostly by out-tracking them)

--
Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

[AggieDave 6]

Wow, sounds like your student progression was a lot more "progressive" then the ones I've encountered thus far. I couldn't imagine how absolutely scary that would be.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[chip 0]

Doing a 4 way out of a Cessna 182 a while back - I was in the door, with my foot on the step. At launch time, I gave a hearty leap back only to see my mates all go by me. Turned out the corner of the step had wedged between the edge on the bottom of my bootie and my foot. I was hanging from the step like a foxtail on an antenna. Possibly the loneliest sight I ever saw was the pilot reaching over to close the door and realizing he hadn't noticed me hanging out there. Knew there was no way I was pulling myself up to free my foot, so started to wrench vigorously from side to side in an attempt to rip the bootie off or something. At about 6000, I finally did just that and the whole situation ended well.

[el_chester 4]

didn't the pilot feel anything? did you ask him?

i'm no pilot but... sounds to me like a 182 with a person hanging from the step shouldn't fly as smooth as one without...

--
Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

[chip 0]

You would think, wouldn't you? But I asked him and he said he had no idea I was there. And I was rolling from one side to the other pretty vigorously. You wouldn't believe how well that little bootie was attached to the suit.