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MarkM 0
Quotewhat would people say if I blindly jumped without checking the spot and got into some sort of incident because of it.
I'm sure in this case Mr. Dick would've been the first person to tell you how stupid you were for not properly checking the spot.
gjhdiver 0
Quote>So he starts yelling out to me that I need to jump because the green light is on.
What I have found works in situations like this is to take my helmet off and climb back to him to hear what the emergency is he's yelling about. When he says "Just go, dammit!" walk back to the door, put your helmet on, check your handles and go - thus giving you the 15 seconds you need, and allowing him to express himself in the meantime.
I find what works too, is that while you have your head out of the door and can't hear him, you can use your right hand to show him the finger for 10-15 seconds before you're ready to exit. This should have the required effect of tripling his blood pressure.
There's something about having a tandem strapped to you that seems to want to make you yell for exit as soon as the light comes one, whether or not you can see where you are. I've even been tempted to do it myself when doing them. I have no idea why this is. If a tandem master doesn't like the sopt, he can signal to his video and pull high. SOP for my time as chief instructor at Z Hills. I've yet to see a tandem land off yet from a long spot. YMMV.
Basically, if you ain't looking out of the door at the spot, clouds and traffic, STFU.
skr 1
Hey, Steve, view this as spiritual pushups.
People in the front of the plane, including
sometimes the pilot, yelling at you to go on
the green light has been going on at this
dropzone since it opened.
It's the universe testing your spiritual condition,
can you maintain that calm and friendly demeanor
in the face of such unwarranted, inappropriate,
and even unsafe bullshit?
From the physics of it all there is maybe a
two mile interval in which people can get
out and make it back to the dropzone.
Maybe it's a bit more now with people pulling
higher.
At Eloy you can get out short and long because
there is nothing out there to hit and they will
come and get you.
But at dropzone A, where the jumprun is always
the same direction, you can't get out short
because there is town and shopping malls
and a field filled with very expensive race
horses short of the runway.
I've been yelled at many times for looking
out the door and exercising some judgement,
on both ends of the jumprun.
I'd go out to dropzone B more often but I can't
deal with the packs of dogs they let run loose
out there.
Plus it's a long way out there and dropzone A
is only 12 miles away.
A lot of experienced jumpers have just faded
away, others, like Mary, jump out of state.
Skr
ryoder 1,393
Quote
:-) :-)
Hey, Steve, view this as spiritual pushups.
People in the front of the plane, including
sometimes the pilot, yelling at you to go on
the green light has been going on at this
dropzone since it opened.
Funny story from DZ "A" a couple months ago:
An S&TA was making a hop-n-pop with one or two other guys. The green light came on. He looked out, then looked up toward the pilot and made a forceful arm gesture indicating he wanted the pilot to turn left. The usual yells of "GO! GO! GO!" arose from the front of the plane. Refusing to be intimidated, he yelled back:
"Tell him (the pilot) to look out his left window!"
At this point I looked out the door out of curiosity. The jump run was a MILE North of where it was supposed to be. The plane made a hard turn to the left, then they got out over the target.
We had been on a wind hold all afternoon.
Winds were still strong from the south - but within published limits - when I took off with three static-line students. My WDI maled, so I had to gestimate the spot.
My first student landed in a large field south of the runway. Granted we did not normally land in that field, but it was still airport property and clear of obstacles.
My second student landed on the north (correct) side of the runway.
My third student landed beside the bowl.
Back in the packing area, another jumpmaster loudly accused me of being an "a$$hole" for landing a student south of the runway.
He took up the next student load and they all landed south of the runway.
Then the chief instructor took the last load of students up. By then it was so dark that students could not see the arrow. All of his students landed south of the runway and it is rumored that one or two of them landed in the forest - a long way south of the runway.
I quietly left the DZ.
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