RevJim 0 #1 May 18, 2003 This is a copy of my post from Talk Back, for those of you that avoid the noise. Quite a learning experience. ****Begin Talk back post**** Ahhhh, yes. I couldn't make it to Chicago as I had planned but I had found out that Omro was also having night jumps! Well, hell yea! I got to the DZ around 4 or so, and got on a plane almost right away. Shook out some rust, ya know. Sat around bulls#!ting for awhile, then geared up for the 1st night flight, to take off around 9:30 p.m. The entire load was first time night jumpers, so it was decided to make it a 4 grand or so 10 second delay jump for each soloist. I exited 4th of 5. I counted a good, slow 10 seconds, reached, and pulled. 1st thought through my mind was "Fuck no, not again, not on my first night jump." You see, the pud didn't want to budge. Try #2, nope, nah ahh, it ain't going anywhere. Straight to silver. Pop! Bang! Instant PD126R over my head, at terminal. I was in the saddle and turning on my strobe at about 1100 feet. Well, so much for demoing a 126R to see how it would fly. This was the real thing. I was already low, and this canopy seems to scream "There's the ground! Get me there, NOW!" I smoked around base to final (amazingly, I had no problem finding the DZ in that short time span), flared my A$$ off, ran about 4 or 5 steps and finished with a nice plf roll. Those of you that have a small reserve as I do, and have an AAD should possibly re-think your gear set-up. This 126R, if not deliberately flown under control all the way from opening to flare, WILL hurt you. Probably quite badly too. I honestly believe I would not survive a no flare landing under this reserve, and at the very best, would get broken up quite badly. Well, jump #1 was exciting enough for me, but I decided what the hell, I'll do the RW jump too. Rented a student transition rig (Falcon 235) and got on load 3. Uneventful skydive that ended with a nice stand up landing in the Pro Circle, after almost going to far on my downwind leg. Today, after much walking and many, many flyovers, I have concluded that the freebag and Pilot chute have been sacrificed to the swamp gods. The way I look at it, the $160-$200 I'll spend replacing the lost parts are cheap life insurance. (I kept my reserve ripcord.) Well, after this it was time to DRINK!!! (Quite heavily I might add) I of course then decided it would be a good time to start drunk dialing, since I had a wicked story! I managed 2 calls (Hi Sunshine and Hookit) before my cell battery died. I need to remember my cell charger next time I go to the Dz.... So, there was my weekend. How was yours?It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #2 May 18, 2003 And my response from TalkBack... It's not the size of the reserve...it's the wingloading that counts. I can think of several small people off of the top of my head who would have no problems landing a PD126R at their weight. Heck, I wouldn't want to see what a no-flare landing would be like under a PD-160R, but I'll take it over not having a reserve at all. Which leads into the opinion that I don't agree with scrapping an AAD just because someone jumps a small reserve.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #3 May 18, 2003 Without quoting my talkback reply... I'm not out to banish AAD's. Not at all. I'm just hoping people think about their choice of reserve size. Reserve=last chance. Bigger is better.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #4 May 18, 2003 Hence me having a reserve 2 sizes up from my main. Good to hear you got out of it ok mate - you shouldn't have said anything about wanting to demo a 126R though. ____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #5 May 18, 2003 Quoteyou shouldn't have said anything about wanting to demo a 126R though. yea, that same thought went whipping through my head while I was under it. Well, I got to fly a 126r at least, but I would have preferred a controlled situation, preferably in the day time!It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #6 May 19, 2003 QuoteAhhhh, yes. I couldn't make it to Chicago as I had planned... I guess that's why I didn't find you up there. Got up SDC a little later than I would have liked, but forgot how long the drive was from Peoria. Sunshine gave me directions (which were left on the printer at home) and it was pretty easy to find. Filled out my waiver and was sent on my way. No tour, no nada. Still have only a few jumps on the new canopy so figured I should do a hop-n-pop since this would also be the first jump back at something close to sea level. Good jump, nice view once I got under the haze. Got packed up and looked around again for the Rev - nope. Was going to be a couple loads before I could get up again and didn't want to wait. Headed into the office to pick up my jumper card and ran into Tish. Met her several years ago at the WFFC. Tish gave me the grand tour, which no one else offered to do, and the facilities are amazing. My old DZ was very nice in comparison, but Wow...The old DZ on steroids. Thanks for the tour Tish - and I'll probably be back up again in the near future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #7 May 19, 2003 After the last ride I had on a 109, I upped it to an inexpensive 120, which is the largest that will fit my container. If I had my drothers, it would be larger. Thanks for the drunk dial it's a honor. I'm glad it all worked out. C-yaMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
