bclark 0 #1 August 7, 2003 I had an interesting experience yesterday. I went to work as usual, looking forward to doing some tandems and having some fun. Our chief pilot was out of town, and we didn't have anyone available to fly our T-Bone. We arranged to use a friends Turbo 207 for the day. We flew 2 loads in beautiful air with no problems. It was interesting figuring out tandem exits out of this new aircraft. The third load the winds had come up and it was getting quite turbulent. We took off and were climbing to altitude, getting bounced around pretty good. I started hearing this metalic popping noise. It caught my attention at first, and I decided to pay attention to it. It started to concern me more as every time we hit a bump in the sky we would hear this POP. It was a sound like two pieces of sheet metal shearing or bending. I was sitting behind the pilot and the noise was coming from the general vicinity of the rear wing spar. I started getting a little concerned. ( I was scared SHITLESS! ) We made the decision to make a precautionary landing. Upon landing we spoke with the owner of the aircraft and pilot. Upon closer inspection, we found that it was simply a gap seal on the bottom of the wing near the trailing edge. It was "oilcanning" in flight and causing this frightening noise. We all laughed and joked a little. I even felt a bit foolish now that I know what it was. BUT... we all agreed that it was better to make a precautionary landing than to continue flight with a possible problem. I know I have to go sometime, but I sure as SHIT don't want it to be in an airplane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vertifly 0 #2 August 7, 2003 Couldn't you have opened the door and just jumped? What AGL did you notice the sound happening? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bclark 0 #3 August 7, 2003 I started noticing the noise at approx 500- 700 feet and started getting concerned with it thereafter. I pointed it out to one of the Tandem Masters on the plane and we pointed it out to the pilot. I have always been taught that in the event of an aircraft emergency rule #1 is remain calm and communicate. We made the decision to turn around and land at approx 2500' AGL. We elected not to leave the airplane because A: it was only a noise, there was no visible sign of any problem, the airplane was flying just fine B: 4 of the 6 people on the aircraft were tandems. It was not an emergency landing, just a precautionary landing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #4 August 7, 2003 you're better on th eground wishing to be in the air rather than being in the air wishing you were on the ground... jusqu'ici tout va bien, jusqu'ici tout va bien, l'important c'est pas la chute, c'est l'atterrissage---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #5 August 7, 2003 What's your scariest plane ride? Ever had an emergency exit? Tell a story, they're fun to read. (Anyone can answer those ?'s, it wasn't just for lazyfrog). -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyfrog 0 #6 August 7, 2003 Me and a full load of static line students in a Cessna... engine quits at maybe 300 feet (we haven't even cleared the runway yet). Pilot managed to keep the airspeed up and put the plane down in one piece at the very end of the runway... too low to turn... we actually went off the end of the paved runway and collapsed the nose gear. I have never been more scared in a plane before or since. I hardly had time to tell my students to assume a crash position. We all owe our lives to that pilot! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nutz 0 #7 August 7, 2003 We were in a Beech 99 at 12000' and all of a sudden the plane makes a nose dive. The pilot regains control and it happens again. He, the pilot, wants to know, "What the F#$& is going on! It feels like the tail is falling off and we are losing altitude!" The DZO looks out the door and doesn't see anything wrong. We get over the airport and all got out. After the pilot landed, they discover there are worn out bushings in the horizontal stabilizer. Also, a C-130 crossed our path and we hit both of his vortexes (sp). Scariest plane ride ever. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #8 August 7, 2003 no real scary stuff, but once our pilot braked the wheel with the parking brake on the porter and the brake remained locked for landing... he had a real short and acrobatic stop, but no damage...---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #9 August 7, 2003 was on one of my very last jumps through RAPS progression getting out of a Turbolet 410 (god I love that plane - looks like a flying pig, but its a beauty). We take off and get to just less than 1000ft (fast climb on that baby). Then someone notices something coming off the left wing and the jumpmaster has a good look. We all laugh and joke about someone being left behind or ice on the wing. Suddenly everthing goes all serious and the jumpmaster litterally walked over us in a rush to get to the pilot. We all put our helmets on and get ready to jump. Someone had left the fule cap off the tank after the refuel they had just done and aviation fuel was spewing out of the wing. With a left hand door exit, the fuel was leaking right past the door so anyone exiting would have been covered in it. The plane arks round the DZ and lands to calmly taxi up to the fule point for someone to put the cap back on. After that we went up and jumped as normal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #10 August 7, 2003 I had a dream once that I had just taken off in a cessna and for some reason we were dodging trees on takeoff and we clipped a really tall one and it knocked the plane upside down and we just sorta fell straight down, upside down. As we got closer and closer to the ground, I felt more terror and ever, and I held on to anything I could, like it would help. We crashed, it hurt, we laughed about it at the firepit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #11 August 7, 2003 I have yet to REALLY scare myself in a plane, but I've been nervous a few times. I was once flying in a piper cub (as a passenger) at 500 feet over a lake. We had the door and windows open and were waving to people in boats. We were low enough that they could actually see us waiving and waived back. Suddenly we heard a loud pop and the engine sounded like a lawnmower, but still had power. We closed everything up and climbed, and headed back to the airport. After an uneventful landing on the grass beside a 9000 foot runway, the pilot found out a spark plug had popped right out. Only scary jump plane experience was a kind of long takeoff run in a CASA once. We lifted off, settled back down, and lifted off again. In the meantime I saw trees off to our left which meant we were down to the last few hundred feet of runway. For a couple seconds I really didn't know if we were gonna clear the trees at the end of the runway. We did. I don't know by how much, but I'm sure it was less than I'd be comfortable knowing. Actually that liftoff can be seen in /exits/throw_dave_speedstar.wmv at skydivingmovies.com. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilivan 0 #12 August 7, 2003 My 2nd jump, RAPS from a BNI Islander - piston twin, 10 place. I am absolutely crapping myself... much worse then the 1st jump. Get to about 300 ft, and both engines cut. Or so it seemed to me, not being entirely experienced at the time. Just as I get to about "...hallowed be thy name..." (and I'm in no way religious), the engines start up again. At this point our soon-to-be-bleeding instructor sees fit to inform us that the pilot (in training!!) needed to do his simulated engine failure in order to fly jumpers. Not best pleased. Climbing to altitude in a Turbolet, don't remember what altitude we were at, but not that high, when the plane banks hard right and stall alarms start screaming in the cockpit. This gets our attention Not a plane ride incident, but have some nice footage of dumping above another microlight who was puttering through jump run, and following him under canopy for a few seconds..."If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation." David Brent Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiverRick 0 #13 August 8, 2003 My scariest ride was when we stalled a DC3 while climbing out on jump run. Bodies everywhere with the plane directly below us (50') in a flat spin. Nobody got hurt. Seemed kind of fun after it was over. never pull low......unless you are Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
achowe 0 #14 August 8, 2003 I had a ride in a c185 wit ha door which kinda flipped up under the wing. 2 static line studnts were being dispatched from 3000ft and the remaining 3 of us were going up to altitude. When the last SL exited, the pilot started shoutin some shit and the stall warning came on. The plane began shaking very violently and tilted from side to side very steeply. The pilot turned round to me with a look of total horror and disgust on his face. Next thing we had lost 1000ft in waht seemed like half a second, the pilot still shouting "f!ck me F!ck me". Lets just say he managed to gain control and we bailed! Still dont know exactly what happened but merely the sight of a Cessna turns my trousers brown! So why do I still jump them....hmmm................? I still have nightmares to this day........------------------------------------------------- Woooaaaaaa!!! Woooaaaa!!! I'm gettin' off it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #15 August 8, 2003 QuoteIf riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat must be swimming. To experience the element, get out of the vehicle. Skydive! Touche. I like that. I'll use that line on my conservative friends the next time they're giving me crap for jumping. Thanks. -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #16 August 8, 2003 QuoteQuoteIf riding in a plane is flying, then riding in a boat must be swimming. To experience the element, get out of the vehicle. Skydive! Touche. I like that. I'll use that line on my conservative friends the next time they're giving me crap for jumping. Thanks. -Kramer I've been using that for years to my wife, who is an airline pilot...er 'driver' as I like to say! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
relyon 0 #17 August 9, 2003 My scariest ride was in a Mi-8 heli during a practice jump in Finland. The Mi-8 has a clamshell rear door, but that had been removed for jumping, so the rear was open. Think CASA with the tailgate open all the time. There were 19 jumpers on board (US and Russian 8-way teams, cameras, and the Finnish jumpmaster) plus 4 crew. We're almost to altitude when there is a muffled pop/thud. I hear one of my teammates say "oh shit" and turn white. It's a disloged pin and now we've got an open container with a freepacked main (no bag). Since he's sitting back to the wall, the two guys on either side of him tighten up and a third sits on his lap. Aside from a serious adreneline rush, the situation is relatively under control. Then the Russians decide their going to jump anyway. "We go! We go!" Even that wouldn't have been too much of a problem except they plan on exiting the front left side door as they've been doing all along. Realizing that as soon as they open that door, the venturi effect is going to put everyone on board in mortal danger, I have an anurism. I scream "Thor!" (our pet name for the Finnish jumpmaster - a gentle giant of a man who's real name is Marrku). I have never seen someone literally toss people aside so fast. Thor grabbed 3 or 4 or these guys and threw them down on his way to the door. "NO!" he yells, and that is that. We land, fix the problem, climb back to altitude, and make our jump. In retrospect it all seems funny now, but at the time it was definitely no joke and could have been an major incident. Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unutsch 0 #18 August 9, 2003 i was on a boogie in Slovenj Gradec, the jump plane was a TurboLet L-410 (hm, a lot of stories include this plane ) with a f**** up crew to say the least... they've gotten my attention while we were waiting, all geared up, for them to fuel the plane up. they were using some kind of an electrical pump to do it, but it took them much longer as usually. As we were allready waiting for 15 minutes, when it usually took them 5 to 7 minutes, the pilot who was in the plane all of the time, suddenly screamed: FILL IT UP YOU FOOL, NOT OUT!!! and on the same boogie, just some jumps later, while the wind was very strong and the air very turbulent, they decided to give a try to a new pilot, who never threw skydivers. i got this very strange feeling while we were taxiing on the runway that something will go wrong... and then the scarriest take off i ever experienced: i was sitting at the door, which was opened, and got to see how we climbed some 10 meters above the trees that are all around the runway. but suddenly i saw the trees above us! i don't know why we lost altitude, but we were flying that low for quite a while till the pilot somehow managed to lift it up... and from that day on, i never jumped from this particular plane with this crew, well, no one actually wants to organize boogies with them anymore ;-)) Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation: http://www.padliangeli.org Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #19 August 10, 2003 Gota question, if 4 of the 6 people were tandems, weren't you alittle short of TM's? SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #20 August 11, 2003 Quote the pilot who was in the plane all of the time, suddenly screamed: FILL IT UP YOU FOOL, NOT OUT!!! Wow - english speeking Let pilots?? Didnt know they existed, our came over from some eastern european country and both had HUGE beards, wore military flight-suits and constantly smoked a big ass pipe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unutsch 0 #21 August 11, 2003 no, it was just a translation, but i know for sure that they know how to speak english --> they are from slovenia Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation: http://www.padliangeli.org Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bclark 0 #22 August 12, 2003 QuoteGota question, if 4 of the 6 people were tandems, weren't you alittle short of TM's? Sparky*** No... 2 tandem students / 2 tandem pilots, 2 videographers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrickyDicky 0 #23 August 12, 2003 Our let pilot is Dutch and can speak very good english. Good pilot too. But my scariest plane rides come every winter. We only have a grass strip and the drainage of the whole dz isnt very good. So for the 182 to actually take off almost all loads (unless its so cold that the ground is frozen ) have only 3 people (it has been as low as 1 student and instructor before on really bad days). Its a bit scary when during take off you can actually feel the plane slipping sideways and the pilot having to compensate. Also, try to make sure you're not in the number 2 position, unless you like being covered in mud . Also had a bit of a scare when it was later in the day and were taking off into the sun. A student was quite obliviously walking accress the strip right infront of us. Quite a sudden stop but the expletives on that video made it very funny . UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phonics1981 0 #24 August 12, 2003 You jump at Peterlee? I hate the 182 now so i'm not looking forward to frozen landing strips! ------------------------------------------------------ "Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!" ------------------------------------------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mouth 0 #25 August 12, 2003 Years ago when I was a flight attendant we made an emergency landing on a 727 because it appeared our landing gear wouldn't retract. I'm sitting on the jumpseat in the rear of the plane listening to the gear cycle thinking WTF? We turn around and let the airport do a visual but they were unable to tell if the gear was locking down or not so we dump fuel and prepare for an emergency landing. The pilot lands quite hard for some reason and immediately tells us NOT to evacuate. Seems the $0.39 bulb had quit working for the landing gear indicator light. I also got bumped from a CASA flight at a boogie and was watching it take off when it suddenly reappeared minus one of it's props. Seems at about 1000 ft the prop flew by the open tailgate of the plane. Quite a few scared skydivers, but nobody was hurt. -- Hot Mama At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
