0
murrays

Have You Ever Gone Low INTENTIONALLY?

Recommended Posts

So, 'fess up...who hums it? And why?
I used to open at 1500' on nearly every skydive but those were the days before small canopies and AAD's. I had lots of company down there back then. I think low-pulling has declined over the years but I'm curious to see if many people still like humming it occasionally.
BASE jumping is excluded....my low is a high slider up jump for many of them.
--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
well, i have. if i'm on a big jump, i'll go low, and i'll tell everyone (low being, i'm sittin under full canopy like 1800 or so). i did this a lot more when i had a heatwave 120 and 100. it was no big thing, i never never let go of my pilot chute till i heard my dytter at 2,500.

once i had my first cut away, i got over it really quickly (thank god my cut away was a hop n' pop from 4 grand, and not low). and even more so when i got a crossed braced. i just don't have time to pull low.

so before ya, now, never (unless the situation calls for it)

later

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My lowest exit is 1800'. Lowest pull was on that jump just a couple of seconds out of the plane.

On the other hand, I watched my boyfriend static line off a 155 foot bridge a couple of weeks ago. So I'm not quite as sure of what it means to be "LOW" anymore.


First Class Citizen Twice Over

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah...I lost track of another jumper once and did not see where she went so to play it safe I went to just under 2000ft......first time I ver heard the 3rd alarm on my protrack!! So yeah it was intentional but I dont wnat to make a habit out ot it!!:S

jason

Freedom of speech includes volume

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Well three times I have been slider down at 500 feet. One on accident twice it was planned.

I used to pull at 1200-1500 feet for a few years.

Lowest exit 800 Military SL.

Lowest FF 1500 Demo jump.

Ron
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
From the "old days" between 2000 and 2500 looks right to pull. However, my new canopy opens a whole lot slower than the ones we jumped then.

So I'm trying to move my "time to pull" recognizer higher.

Of course, we used to break at 3500 for anything smaller than about a 10 to 15-way, too.

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Nobody wants to fess up??? I will.......yes i go low sometimes. If the spot looks good and everything feels good i will burn it down below 2000k. This said, you also have to be prepared and know how your canopy opens and what to look for and be ready to react if need arises. After doing B.A.S.E. 2000k doesn't feel low


"HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I used to pull at 2k. line stretch at 1500'-1800' the
norm. We did not call that low. The basement starts
at 1000'. I went under 2k once to avoid other jumpers on a 4-way zoo thinking "no one would be stupid enough to be down here. Wrong!!! Next thing I see is one of them tracking UNDER me. I went to 1500' in freefall and they were all gone.As for exits...well your not at terminal are you! In my country It's not permitted " excluding military" to let
things fall out of an A/C below 2200'. But if your going to exit say...1500' I would recommend and air speed of 90mph ias and use this speed to start deployment. Spotting for forward through to
put you at a good setup point for landing. I would guess you would get slider down 300 from exit with
gear like mine.
-----------------------------------
Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1
Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I had my first real low experience last year. I've always been really good with visual altitude referencing (i.e. I know what my usual 3000-2700 pull alti looks like 99 time out of 100). I was actually back in the midwest away from my dz here in Colorado. This was the first time I had ever been "mesmerized" by something other than the fact that 3 grand just came and went - I was totally fixated on how green and lush everything looks in the midwest compared to the desert brown ugly ground in Colorado. Next thing I know its 2 grand, and things really started getting wide fast. I was under canopy by 1200 and that was more than low enough for me. I don't plan on making any habits out of that...

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I seem to remember the story of a guy who had a 'How low can you go' contest with his buddy. His buddy dumped at 1200 at which point the 1st guy gave the 'bird' to his deploying buddy, performed a back flip and then dunped. (From the book Freefall - sorry cant remember Author).

I've never gone low intentionally. However my friend made the decision to go low whilst I was jumping with him. Since he dident tell me beforehand I assumed he had a serious problem when under canopy by 2000 I see him still in freefall below me. It freaked my right out!!

He never fessed up to me but I later found out he did it intentionally which really annoyed me. >:(
He should have told me his plans so that I dident have to worry about his ass and wouldent have bothered shadowing his off-DZ landing to check he was OK.

Needless to say I dont jump with that guy any more.[:/]

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I can recall someone at another DZ doing this with one of the DZO's rigs last year. She went for a low pull, and unfortunately there were a few hundred dollars involved to cover the cost of replacing the Cypres knife and repacking the reserve (yah, she waited a bit to long, and her AAD was on). It was made more bitter by the fact that she didn't have the money to cover this.

As a sad post-script, I heard that she did a low turn elsewhere in the country while on vacation with a friend recently, and is recovering from a damaged pelvis and other injuries. This after having injured herself at the WFFC a couple of years ago.

Some people have less than their healthy share of fear.
|
I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane.

Harry, FB #4143

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This is probably the most entertaining example of that I've seen, from an earlier low pull thread on talkback (that's back when there were skydiving discussions on talkback)

How low can you go

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I've never gone low *intentionally* but have been sucked down by 1- a Skydive U dive of all things and 2 - an AFFI practice dive where I lost some time switching the fake student rip cord from pull hand to left.

Didn't like either of them...

LA*


Is a chicken omelette redundant?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Usually I will only go low for the following things; (ohh I consider going low below 2k).

1. Very messy breakup on a larger formation, eg people all over the place. This is more of a problem when you are jumping with people you don't know. For example when jumping as part of a 4way team you tend to get a feel for what people will do in freefall. This also tends to stop the waiting game of "will they or won't they dump" when 2 jumpers are watching each other, waiting for the other to dump.

2. Jumping through cloud, if the base is around 2k or so, I will tend to deploy below the cloud base.


The lowest I have ever exited into freefall is 1600. The lowest I have ever had a fully open canopy is around 1k. I usally deploy at around 2000-2500.

I don't think its a particularly good idea, I am trying to increase my normal deployment height but every now and then I slip back to bad habits. At least we are switching to a turbine DZ where 14k is normal; as such we are starting to break higher (4k) so deployment tends to be slightly higher.
"Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain."

"In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Murray - it's funny you should ask...

I gotta say, I sort of laugh when I hear people saying 2000' is kinda low... I guess that;s what AFF has done for skydiving....


Lowest pull at terminal - well, it wasn't really intentional, but we did a hookup at 1000' after cutting away from a threestack and I ended up open under the strong lopo at about 300' (thought I was going to die).

Lowest exit - about 500' - we planned on getting out at the same altitude as the New River Gorge Bridge, but we forgot the party was about 400' higher than the dropzone... ( thought the ground was going by mighty fast, but then again, I figured it would look low from 900' too)


One time I was happy not to open low was the big-way attempts at Burnaby a couple of years ago... On the record jump my bridle wrapped around the hackey and my main took about 1700' to come out... Luckily I was in the middle wave dumping at about 3500' on that one, but I was starting to sweat it...
If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I take it to the basement so that I can get used to it and not be nervous to pull at 2000' or below.

According to the pro-track I average about 1800'. I do not believe that thing though. I think it calculates at full canopy not pack opening. It has also read as low as 1200'. I usually add 500' to that figure to know what I opened at.

I could be wrong. B|

Blue Skies & Safe Swoops,
KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!

The REAL KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!

"HESITATION CAUSES DEATH!!!"
"Be Slow to Fall into Friendship; but when Thou Art in, Continue Firm & Constant." - SOCRATES

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
First time-
Low pull contest at Quincy 2000 for a case of beer- I lost- and still drank free beer.
Second time-
Exit 182 at 2K- a little head down and a pilot chute between my legs, worked out ok that time tahnks to a quick opening sabre.
Third and LAST time ever-
4 way out of an otter- everybody elese pulled at 2k lower than the planned 4k. watched the last open, still in a track--- dumped and blew the center cell out of my crossfire! Yea, a crossfire!!!
A HP canopy at 1.8 wing loading will not land all that well without the support of the center cell so I chopped it, at 900'.
Nice raven reserve and put it in the peagravel pit-
NOT going to do that again!
Chris

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
yep I'm busted,
I've been averageing 1600 about every jump for the last 250 or 300. seems normal. plus no one is around to collide with. I started humming it at eloy during a boogie, if you ever look up and see a 8 way right above you from the load after you you'd agree I think...

It's also a great croud pleaser for night jumps.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0