What would you do if…………………

[Hooknswoop 19]

What would you do if…………………

A steering line broke at 200 ft?

Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?

You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?

You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless?

After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?

In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?

Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?

Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?

You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop?

After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic?

In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation?

In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions?

You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?

You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?

Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?


Just food for thought

Hook

[lazerq3 0]

to make it short...I would do everything that my training over the lsat 2 years I'ver been jumping has taught me to do in each of those situations!!!!!

jason

Freedom of speech includes volume

[freefalle 0]

Curse, alot Im sure

[PhreeZone 15]

My version of the answers

Grab the rear risers and land. I've practiced it so I know what to expect.
Screw it, I used to jump without one.
Turn track, take it a bit lower then planned and dump.
Leave the breaks stowed and land it like that.
If the slider is down and she's flying and i don't have knots from the twists in the steering lines land it and fix it later. Beat my self up for missing it when I packed it.
Pull the shirt down in the track.
Hold it on with one hand, tighten the chin cup with the other.
Don't jump a full face.
Break the formation, wave them off, wave off the video guy, give the pull sign three times and clear the air space.
Pull the jumpers back in. (Not as easy as it sounds I know...)
Depends on how low it is. At WFFC I was seeing the previous load almost every jump, but they were under canopy as I was at 10k. If its low... hard call either track hard and pull or wave off and stagger the openings. (I vote for track)
I land in the direction that was predecided by either the DZ or the jumpers on the plane (Everyone does this right?)
Execute water training and ditch the gear, swim to shore.
Stay in the tree until help comes to get you down.
If you have a full main you can catch the PC and either place it between your legs or let it develop to a double out. (yes there are are other options here)

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[billvon 2,427]

What's scary about that question is that, of those 15, 11 have happened to me so far - and I've been on dives where I've watched the other 4 happen to other people. They really do happen.

Or how about these:

You look beneath you at breakoff, and there is a hot air balloon 1000 feet below you right where you were planning on tracking

A massively backsliding 2-way partner is dragging you inexorably towards the next group out

Your 10 way launches, and 9 people get into the formation - and the 10th is simply nowhere to be found

You exit and see a sort of fuzzy line cross the DZ - and you realize it's the gust front from a thunderstorm

You get near a cloud and realize you are suddenly gaining altitude under canopy

You exit over a hazy DZ, only to have the haze turn to a solid cloud deck by the time the last group opens

You have to bail out of a damaged aircraft in a massive descent. You're low and the plane is doing 200 kts. Do you deploy right away?

You are front float and you happen to look in front of the aircraft and see traffic crossing beneath you

A freeflyer ends up 1000 feet beneath your 4-way, and he appears completely oblivious

[Jessica 0]

OK, I'll play.

>A steering line broke at 200 ft?

Steer and flare with rear risers.

>Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?

Keep an eye on someone else in the group's altimeter, eyeball the ground.

>You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you
>are at break off altitude?

Turn 180 and track, hope like hell everyone else did the same, wave off like a biatch before dumping at the altitude you said you would.

>You experience a hard opening, dislocating a
>shoulder, rendering one arm useless?

Steer one side at a time, flare pulling both toggles in one hand.

>After opening you look up and your main was
>packed w/ a step-through?

See if I can control it. If I can't, chop it.

>In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut
>away and reserve handles?

Ugh. Try to pull it down. If I didn't notice it until I had to go to one or both of my handles in a high-speed malfunction, and I couldn't pull it down, I'd grab them from over my shirt and give a mighty heave.

>Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?

The visor? Blink a lot, or try to slam it closed. No big thing.

>Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or
>under canopy?

This is why I wear a flipup. If it weren't a flipup, and I were high enough under canopy, I'd take it off and clip it to my chest strap. If I were low, I'd try to ditch it.

>You look across a formation and notice that
>someone’s main pin has come out of the closing
>loop?

Try to point it out to them. Maybe AFF "pull" signal. Get the hell away from them.

>After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin
>Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near
>the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around
>for traffic?

Scream and yell.

>In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and
>see an open canopy directly underneath the
>group/formation?

Ew!!!!! Wave off wildly, I guess, as I'm immediately tracking off?

>In light and variable winds, you watch four other
>jumpers land before you in four different
>directions?

Make mental note to ask them WTF, and follow the last jumper's pattern, if it's safe to do so.

>You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach
>the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?

Take off the chest strap, dive deep, get away from the canopy and lines, use the container as a raft, and kick toward shore.

>You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the
>ground?

Cuss and wait for help.

>Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your
>main opens?

Get ready to deal with a two-out situation.

Bleah. Some of those are nasty.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[Kris 0]

Quote

What would you do if…………………

A steering line broke at 200 ft?
Say a prayer, ditch the other toggle and get ready with my rear risers.

Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?
Depends on the dive. If solo, use my ground reference. If 2-way or bigger, cue off another jumper and still use ground-reference. If unsure, clear airspace and open a bit higher.

You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?
Tough call, depends on too many unknown variables such as size of formation, distance from formation, cloud-bases, etc...

You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless?
Release toggles one at a time starting with the opposite toggle, then grab both in one hand to steer/flare.

After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?
If it's flying straght & true and passes a controllability check we're good to go. If not, Plan B.

In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?
Reach between harness & container and pull your shirt-fabric up from there. It will pull your shirt up under your harness.

Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?
ARE YOU PICKING ON ME?! Damn, just because a guy loses his Mindwarp twice in one week...

Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?
Hmm, I jump a Mindwarp, don't know. When my goggles fogged up in freefall I just pulled them off my face a bit until they cleared. Took about 2 seconds.

You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop?
If I have eye-contact with that person, throw them the AFF pull signal (point at them) and hope they understand it. If not, break grips with the people next to me, give a formation breakoff wave and point to the other person

After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic?
Heh. Hope they've got good arms. Seriously though, I would pass the world down to someone near the door in a loud, clear voice.

In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation?
Track like hell.

In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions?
Depends on how many are on the load, the size of the landing area and how many are above me in the pattern. But, I'm probably going to follow the pattern set by the first person to land.

You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?
Goodbye main. Once clear of main canopy & lines, goodbye rig. If I get hungup in my canopy I will grab the fabric directly over my head and start pulling it back behind me until I am clear. If I know I am landing in water I will try to undo my chest strap if I have time.

You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?
I'm waiting for someone with a true ground-reference to show up. That 20-feet may be 30+ feet. If no one comes within an hour, or my need for a cig (whichever comes first), try to swing my way to a solid hold, make sure no lines are entangled with me and cutaway.

Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?
Damn. That's evil. By the time you notice it, it's too late. Just pray they don't entangle and follow procedures for two-out.

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[AggieDave 6]

Lets see, 9 of them have actually happened to me, so I'd do what I did.
Steering line? Rear risers, baby, rear risers

Altimeter? I've got a couple jumps with out one, not worried.

Dislocated shoulder? Toggles in one hand, like I've done on more then one CReW jump to fly my canopy and still grab a hard dock.

Packed w/ a step through. Has happened to me twice and ppl wonder why I don't trust packers (even though I AM one). No biggie, my canopy was still stable and flying basically normally (mostly).

Helmet? grab and latch, has happened before. If its dangerous to do so, then I might just loose a helmet.

Full face (or goggles) fog over? take it/them off. I've jumped with out goggles before, it sucks, but it can be done, especially so with landings. Since I jump tinted goggles, I've taken them off on some sunset loads after I've deployed anyways.

Main pin dislodged? break my dock and give them the AFF pull signal while saying PULL very deliberately.

Go around? Well, I hope they can hold on or the formation is hosed, since they really shouldn't come back into the plane.

FF with canopy below? Point down, turn, track off and pull.

Different directions? Land away from the main landing area or in the direction towards the wind.

Tree? Try to climb up and out of the harness. Worst case, cut away and PLF like no one else's business.

Reserve launches (and I realize it)? Cut my main away, QUICK.



These are situations I've actually thought through more then once, along with a few others and have planned my reactions. Hopefully I'll react as I've planned to react when the time comes, if it comes.

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

[fred 0]

I like this game. I'll play with my best response, and I'd appreciate people being kind if I make dumb answers. Kudos on correct answers are always appreciated, but I'm still a lowbie, and I know that I have a lot to learn.

Quote

What would you do if…………………

[*]A steering line broke at 200 ft?

I'd use gentle rear riser to avoid any obstacles. Since I'm pretty familiar with the rear riser stall-point, I'd do a half-hearted flair to leave me a great margin of error. I'd definately PLF.

[*]Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?

This depends on how many were on my load and who was out after me. First, I'd be very uncomfortable; I rely on my altimeter. As a lowbie on a cessna dropzone, I'm almost always last out, or with everybody else on the plane. I'd probably stay in freefall for awhile (20 seconds maybe?) and still open very high. If I was jumping with others, I'd try and let them know that something was wrong before I took off tracking away from them.

I'd probably have to rethink things if people were jumping after me, and I might consider waiting for the first of: (A) I feel like I'm low, or (B) My first alarm on my audible goes off.

[*]You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?

Turn 180° and pull. Some have suggested that you're supposed to spiral down through the clouds, but I'm not all that comfortable with that plan.

[*]You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless?

There aren't many options here. Make sure that the main canopy is okay, and try and land the parachute. Do I release my brakes? I don't think that I would at this point, since I've never tried flaring with one hand. I'd do my best to plan an approach with the good arm, and be ready to PLF.

[*]After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?

Clearly, I have a lot to learn. I don't know what a 'step-through' is.

[*]In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?

I think I'd be able to tuck it back in, actually. Assuming plenty of altitude. Otherwise, I'd open at the planned opening altitude, maybe just slightly higher if I could.

[*]Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?

I wouldn't worry, actually. I'd probably try to fix it, but my helmet fits tightly to my head anyhow, so I doubt that it would actually come off except in the case of a hard opening.

[*]Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?

I've never worn a full-face. Under canopy, it seems like you'd just open the visor. I don't know what to do in freefall.

[*]You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop?

Wave off to signal that something is wrong. Try to give that someone the pull signal.

[*]After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic?

I have no idea. Best idea is to either make everybody "go now" or climb back in, but I'm not sure how to make either happen.

[*]In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation?

How close is "directly under"? Wave off if time, and turn and track. If there's less time, I'd get out of the way myself. If there's not even time for that, I'd brace myself for impact.

[*]In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions?

Check windsock, plot an approach that doesn't cut anybody off that may be above me.

[*]You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?

Isn't this one of the basics of water training? I haven't had that, but I think I'm supposed to loosen my chest strap and leg straps if possible, disconnect my rsl, land with a plf, and cutaway... My rig should serve as a life preserver for a little while, at least.

[*]You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?

Correct answer: Wait for assistance.
What I'd actually do: Try and get down safely.

This is a very different scenario than if I found myself suspended from power lines, when I'd definately wait for assistance and not let anybody but the fire department/power company try and help me.

[*]Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?

Try and contain the reserve. If it opens, see how it's flying... Downplane means cutaway. Biplane and side-by-side mean that I fly the dominant parachute with rear risers. PLF.

One more I'd add, since we were talking about this (hypothetically) at dinner the other night:
You're on a four way and turning points. You look at your altimeter and see 1200ft.

[skybytch 259]

Quote

since they really shouldn't come back into the plane.

Huh? Why not? Every time this has happened on a load I was on, the floaters were helped back into the plane (well, except for poor Chuck that one time... we couldn't reach him and with the prop blast he couldn't pull himself back in).

I've even had the best way to bring people back in explained to me - center float, then rear floaters, then the front floaters (theory being front floaters will block the prop blast making it easier for those behind them to get/be pulled back in).

[AggieDave 6]

I've always been taught that once you outside of the aircraft it was more dangerous to come back in. I would love to be debunked of any sort of "skydiver superstition" if possible.
Actually, I would really like to see some other opinions on this, since I'm sure there's atleast a few here, it'd give me a chance to learn sumt'n

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

[Hooknswoop 19]

Quote

What's scary about that question is that, of those 15, 11 have happened to me so far - and I've been on dives where I've watched the other 4 happen to other people. They really do happen.

What did you (they) do, how did it work out, and would you (they) do the same thing if you (they) found yourself (themselves) in the same situation?

Hook

[Kris 0]

Quote

I've always been taught that once you outside of the aircraft it was more dangerous to come back in.

This is generally true for S/L & IAD students since they have gear exposed. As an IAD JM, I am almost fully outside of the plane (except for maybe the toes of my left foot) when I am JM'ing a student. An IAD JM should be right outside and bumping shoulders with their student while they are climbing out and hanging.

Over 100 students served so far with no problems.

Of course, I always make sure that I am careful with my gear when I exit & re-enter the plane.

The same goes for turbines. I have had to climb back in twice due to bad spots and the second time I made sure to check my BOC before re-entering. Hopefully, it's a habit that I will continue to practice.

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[skybytch 259]

A steering line broke at 200 ft?
-Drop the toggles immediately, correct back to level flight with rear risers (if needed), flare carefully with rear risers, be prepared to do a plf.

Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?
-Use my eyes. Solo, pull a little higher than I think I need to. With others, trust them (and try to sneak a peek at one of their altis).

You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?
-Avoid the problem completely by not jumping into clouds.

You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless?
-Use the remaining arm to steer and flare. Won't be easy, but it would be doable.

After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?
-Seen this one. Is it square, flyable and landable? We're good to go. It's not? Say goodbye and fly that purty orange reserve instead.

In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?
-Since it will probably go back down once I'm vertical under my main, I wouldn't worry about it. If I had a total then I'd worry about it - if I couldn't get it out of the way (tucked in or pulled down) in one try, ripping it comes to mind.

Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?
-Say buhbye to my helmet.

Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?
-Flip lens under canopy? Flip it up. Fixed lens under canopy? Pull the whole helmet up. Goggles under canopy? Pull them away from my face for a few seconds. In freefall I'd probably off whatever was fogging up.

You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop?
-Get their attention, point at their gear and give them a pull signal.

After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic?
-Yell "go around!" or "red light!" back to the group planning to exit. Not much else I could do from the front of the plane.

In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation?
-Get the others attention, point down, turn and track hard.

In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions?
-This happens at Perris quite often. Set up way out there away from everyone and land into the wind.

You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?
-Water training takes over... dump the rig, swim to shore.

You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?
-Hang out until my friends arrive.

Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?
-Chop the main.

[skybytch 259]

You look beneath you at breakoff, and there is a hot air balloon 1000 feet below you right where you were planning on tracking
- If clear, track a different direction. If not clear and there's no camera, don't track as far (or at all). If not clear and there is camera, I dunno...

A massively backsliding 2-way partner is dragging you inexorably towards the next group out
- Turn the 2 way so the backslider is dragging us perpendicular to jump run.

Your 10 way launches, and 9 people get into the formation - and the 10th is simply nowhere to be found
- During the dive keep my eyes open and look for him. At the end of the dive, track with eyes wide open - below, to the sides and above. Pray.

You exit and see a sort of fuzzy line cross the DZ - and you realize it's the gust front from a thunderstorm
- Say "oh shit, I think I'm screwed" very loud. Probably take it a bit lower than I usually would, unhook my rsl, spiral down if the winds aren't too bad by the time I get there, hope I land okay.

You get near a cloud and realize you are suddenly gaining altitude under canopy
- Turn away from the cloud. Get on front risers and try to get out of the updraft.

You exit over a hazy DZ, only to have the haze turn to a solid cloud deck by the time the last group opens
- Head on a swivel.

You have to bail out of a damaged aircraft in a massive descent. You're low and the plane is doing 200 kts. Do you deploy right away?
- Good question. Depends on the altitude - if I'm above a grand probably delay for a second or two in the hopes I'll slow down. If I'm below a grand I'd go right for the silver and hope the canopy doesn't blow up on opening.

You are front float and you happen to look in front of the aircraft and see traffic crossing beneath you
- Try to get the attention of the person giving the count. Shake my head and mouth "traffic!!" at them. If they didn't see me and go anyway... I think I'd stay with the plane.

A freeflyer ends up 1000 feet beneath your 4-way, and he appears completely oblivious
- Get the other three's attention, break off, turn and track. Educate the freeflyer upon our safe return to the ground.

[billvon 2,427]

>What did you (they) do, how did it work out, and would you (they) do
> the same thing if you (they) found yourself (themselves) in the
> same situation?

Hmm, this should be a long one:

>A steering line broke at 200 ft?

He pounded in when he tried to flare. Fortunately he had a rather big square (Sabre 190) and got away with sprains. He later said he knew he shouldn't do it (pull down both toggles) but the habit was too strong.

>Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?

Hit my Digitude on exit and lost the battery cover and battery. Just went to eyes, with student's altimeter as a backup (I was reserve side on an AFF.)

>You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off
> altitude?

60 way in Chicago. First wave broke off in the cloud; I turned to track (near the center) about 2 seconds before we emerged. The cloud was dense enough that some of the people on the outside couldn't see the 30-40 feet to the base for the breakoff key. Fortunately they broke off at the right altitude anyway, and when we did emerge everyone seemed to have done a good job turning 180 and tracking.

>You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering
> one arm useless?

Hook, our cessna pilot, dislocated his shoulder on jump #4, during a 10 way attempt. Fortunately it was his left shoulder. He deployed normally and landed the DC-5 by flaring with both toggles in one hand. (Of course there were some serious problems on that dive before the plane ever took off . . .)

>After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-
>through?

Released the brakes and landed normally. Twists were below the toggles.

>In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve
> handles?

Deployed normally; got a larger shirt and tighter shorts for the next dive.

>Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?

Ensured I wasn't in anyone's way, fixed it, and continued the dive.

>Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?

Opened the visor. A former student of mine had a non-openable visor, and didn't want to ditch the helmet when his visor fogged. He broke his femur when he landed with no flare.

>You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has
> come out of the closing loop?

Just looked at him; I was too far away to do anything. The jumpers near him all released him and pointed; before he could do anything his main deployed. It came within 5 feet of the video guy.

>After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump
> ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an
> abort/go-around for traffic?

I yelled "Hold! Hold! We got traffic!" The people about to climb out heard me and pulled the front/rear floaters back in, including the camera guy. The camera guy closed the door and took his helmet off. He looked out the door, yelled "Shit!" jammed his helmet on, opened the door and dove out. We all followed. It did not occur to me how stupid this was until I was out the door. Fortunately the traffic turned out to be no factor. (This is sort of an example of what not to do in that situation.)

>In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy
> directly underneath the group/formation?

I pointed down, gave the wave-off signal and tracked away as soon as I realized what altitude he was at (~4000 feet.) Everyone else saw him when I asked them later and were able to avoid him.

>In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before
>you in four different directions?

Heck, that's a normal first-jump-of-the-day at perris! I just either land in the main area in the default direction (north) if I have vertical separation or land out if it's going to be a bugfight. If I have the opportunity, I try to be the first one down to set the pattern to the 'default.'

>You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200
> feet from the nearest shore?

Had a guy in NY do this. He tried to swim without removing or collapsing the canopy. He was making about 5 feet a minute progress in a still lake; it took him forever to get to shore. He steadfastly refused to chop his main or take the rig off for fear of losing it. Fortunately he was a strong swimmer and eventually got to shallower water. Another example of what not to do.

>You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?

I ended up overshooting the landing area at the NRGB. I decided to fly down a narrow tree-lined access road, but at the last minute realized I had a 25 foot wide canopy, not my usual 14 foot wide canopy. As the trees were not that far apart, I reverted to my FJ training and aimed for the middle of one of the trees. I hit going slowly after a full flare (gotta love those big canopies for BASE) and grabbed a big branch about 30 feet up. I swung once, quite proud of myself for pulling off the 'landing' and grabbing the branch coming at me at 10mph.

Then the branch broke. I did a backloop, smashing through smaller branches as I rotated head-down. The canopy snagged on another branch and stopped me about 5 feet from the ground - I ended up with my feet about 2 feet off the rocks after the rebound. Two EMT's were running up to me with trauma kits; I gave them my best innocent-sounding "What?" Only injuries were some scratches. Canopy wasn't even torn.

>Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?

Happened to John and Lutz, on the now-famous Lost Prairie cypres dive. Neither one handled it according to the current thinking. John had a stable biplane and chopped the main; it snagged on his reserve and partially collapsed it. Lutz had a side-by-side and manhandled it enough that it started to downplane. Fortunately he was near the ground and it didn't get a chance to increase his vertical speed too much before impact. Both were sore but OK. Example #3 of what not to do.

>You look beneath you at breakoff, and there is a hot air balloon >1000 feet below you right where you were planning on tracking

I turned left and kept tracking; fortunately there was room in that direction.

>A massively backsliding 2-way partner is dragging you inexorably
>towards the next group out

Tried to stop his backslide for a good 10 seconds before I gave up and just turned him 90 degrees (which I should have done initially)

>Your 10 way launches, and 9 people get into the formation - and the
> 10th is simply nowhere to be found

Worry for 15 minutes; got so distracted I forgot the rest of the dive. Later discovered he had gotten on the wrong plane.

>You exit and see a sort of fuzzy line cross the DZ - and you realize
> it's the gust front from a thunderstorm

Disconnected my RSL and looked for the biggest open field I could. I think everyone who didn't cut their main away after landing had some sort of injury. The turbulence was deadly.

>You get near a cloud and realize you are suddenly gaining altitude
> under canopy

Spiral hard. It may have just been a thermal acting on my 520 sq ft tandem main, or it may have been true cloud suck (the clouds were big that day.) Cloud suck can be very, very bad (i.e. those stories you've heard of ejecting pilots who get sucked up to 25,000 feet)

>You exit over a hazy DZ, only to have the haze turn to a solid cloud
> deck by the time the last group opens

Made sure I had plenty of separation before I entered the cloud deck under canopy (clouds were at 2000 feet) then spiralled through them.

>You have to bail out of a damaged aircraft in a massive descent.
> You're low and the plane is doing 200 kts. Do you deploy right
> away?

No, and in fact there were several injuries just from the wind hitting people's arms and legs as they went out the door. The tail of the King Air had been bent at about a 45 degree angle, and the elevator had gotten locked in the "down" position, resulting in a very rapid descent (12000 to 6000 before the last person got out.) One jumper estimated 3-4 seconds to slow down to terminal.

>You are front float and you happen to look in front of the aircraft and
> see traffic crossing beneath you

Not much I could do; when I looked back to try to tell someone, the count had started. I exited on the premise that I would be able to keep an eye on it and in fact he turned before it became an issue. I don't know what else I could have done.

>A freeflyer ends up 1000 feet beneath your 4-way, and he appears
> completely oblivious

On this one (at Quincy) we were doing a 4-way and one jumper couldn't make it in. I tried to tow the formation close to him so we'd all break off in roughly the same spot, pointed out the freeflyer, then broke off at 6000 feet. I hoped they would be heads-up enough to not pull at 5000, but one jumper did. (The rest kept the freeflyer in sight until 3000 feet when they opened.) The high opener was OK.

Afterwards the freeflyer insisted he'd given us 5 seconds, and that he was an excellent freeflyer who would not have backslid or drifted. The group after him considered his exit separation to be closer to half a second, with a "onetwhourive go!" sort of count.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

After reading the responses, I counted four people who answered something like this:

>You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come
>out of the closing loop?
>-Get their attention, point at their gear and give them a pull signal.

Did you all imagine a jump without a video-guy, or did you just forget about the poor fellow who's going to get a PC at his face?

And my answers:

>A steering line broke at 200 ft?

Ugh. My opinion of not practising rear-riser flare bites me on the ass... I'd probably stall using rear-risers...

>Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?

No probs, on 4-way jumps I rarely look at my _own_ alti. If it was a solo, just eyeball it.

>You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?

Take it lower than planned, wave-off, do a barrel-roll to check above airspace and deploy. Hands on risers to avoid collisions.

>You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm
> useless?

Land in halfbrakes, PLF.

>After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?

Controllability-check, possibly a cutaway. Turn to final REALLY high to make sure one toggle doesn't get jammed down after the turn.

>In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?

Been there, done that. Get the shirt down during track and keep it there during deployment.

>Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?

Lose helmet? Tried that once as well....

>Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?

One of the reasons I don't jump fullface.

>You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come
>out of the closing loop?

This is EVIL. No way I'm going to give the pull signal, cause usually the cameraman is right above... Maybe fly in and try to contain the shit until others breakoff thereby signalling the cameraman to open? And at deployment altitude throw the other jumpers PC?

>After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship),
>you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around
> for traffic?

Get to the door and start yelling and pulling the others back in. I don't see what the danger is, as long as you watch out for handles just like during the climbout.

>In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly >underneath the group/formation?

Turn'n'track. Can't kill the cameraguy here either.

>In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in
>four different directions?

Usually that would mean that I'm the last one in air... But considering more jumpers than that, I'd land in the predesignated direction!

>You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from
>the nearest shore?

Stall the canopy on landing to get it behind me, cutaway(I have no rsl) swim away. Get out of harness, swim ashore.

>You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?

Do a macho-bullshit attempt at getting down by myself, fall down, break leg.

>Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?

If I can catch the PC, do so. If not... If I can't catch the PC, the reserve isn't inflating and I'm at normal altitude, I cutaway my main. Why? I don't want the reserve to inflate and downplane me to the ground at 100 meters...

Erno

[rhino 0]

I like the Bytches answers..

[dterrick 0]

Quote

One more I'd add, since we were talking about this (hypothetically) at dinner the other night:
You're on a four way and turning points. You look at your altimeter and see 1200ft.

...wait another 1 second and have all the Cypres units fire simultaneously and create a really big mess? Perhaps go for that "last" point (I mean THE last point)

Seriously, without the benefit of anything bigger than a 2 way to help me out here (despite jump #'s ) I'd present an immediate backslide/flare and dump. using the CYA first principle. After all, life ends in just under 6 seconds in this case. I wear no AAD (as yet)

I don't think I'd take the time to contemplate who was flying what on that group and how the canopies open. My main is big and it opens fast (Raven II) and if I could clear out even a second early and riser 180 on opening at lease there'd only be three left to fight for air. A canopy collision at a grand would at least offer a few more seconds of sober thought.



...other Dave
(can you BELIEVE I'm the only "Dave" on the DZ?)

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Good questions and worthy of thought BEFORE it happens to each of us.
I agree with most of the answers given from the usual reliable sources.....
However----
open container/floating pin and bridle in the middle of a formation:-
Saw this twice in one week, Langar '99 Britsh RW record attempts...the guys spotting the imminent hazard, flew over to the person concerned and held him whilst the rest of the formation departed, then, after checking for the presence of video folks, gave the pull signal. A hand on the d-bag definitely kept one incident from turning nasty.

On a go around for traffic, help your friends back in.
And yup, its not that easy, and be careful where you grab em wrt handles etc.
I've hauled our very own Ramon back into an Otter from the camera step.
Again on a large RW load, we had a jump where the floaters were out way too early on a record attempt, 19,000ft, off oxygen, and very cold. So watch out for that too. We got everyone back in except one guy who had a very unpleasant time of it, he eventually let go and reportedly had difficulty pulling, but made it down OK.

I have video of all these incidents stashed away somewhere, someday, when I'm really bored I'll compress and post some of it.
cya
D

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[vidiot 0]

Quote

***...You look at your altimeter and see 1200ft.

...immediate backslide/flare and dump.

Turning 180 should not only be quicker, it wiill give you more room as well - your canopy will surge forward several feet forward on opening...

Klaus

Oh, and the LAST point should be turned on rebound ;)

My Logbook

[dterrick 0]

Quote

Turning 180 should not only be quicker, it wiill give you more room as well - your canopy will surge forward several feet forward on opening...

Good Point. Presuming that there WILL be an unintentional 4 way CRW in a second or 2, turning first will at least cause separation rather than convergence.

...but how do you blow breakoff by 12-13 seconds in the first place? It's a harsh question that reveals many errors leading to a big pile of Luck, yes?

Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[PhreeZone 15]

The Dutch 4 way team had a 4 way Cypres fire a few years back if my memory is still piecing things together correctly. Their audibles failed and not one looked down or at an altimeter till the cyrpes fired. Time under canopy was only like 10-20 seconds.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

What would you do if…………………

A steering line broke at 200 ft?
-rear riser the landing. No problem.

Your altimeter was hit and knocked off on exit?
-watch the other jumpers and pull on them. Solo? Wait for my Dytter to sound. I rarely look at an alti anymore anyway except when doing AFF.

You lose sight of the formation in a cloud and you are at break off altitude?
-Turn and track and the predesignated altitude, pull on time.

You experience a hard opening, dislocating a shoulder, rendering one arm useless?
-Steer and flare with one hand. Been there, done that.

After opening you look up and your main was packed w/ a step-through?
-Go ahead and land it. Done it before.

In free-fall, your shirt flys up, covering your cut away and reserve handles?
-Deploy my main as usual, then watch the t-shirt fall back down when you slow down.

Your helmet comes un-latched in free-fall?
-Reach up and tighten it before it flies off, barely missing a beat. Velcro on my factory diver comes loose fairly often in the wind tunnel after too much time in the cone.

Your full face helmet visor fogs up in free-fall, or under canopy?
-My factory diver, which I rarely wear, is "non flip". If it fogs, I rip the lens off, or just pull the helmet up a bit.

You look across a formation and notice that someone’s main pin has come out of the closing loop?
-Give him the "pull" signal, or fly over and pull him out.


After all of the floaters have climbed out (Twin Otter/King Air jump ship), you are sitting up near the pilot, and the pilot yells for an abort/go-around for traffic?
-Holler "abort" and start pulling guys back in. Happens fairly frequently on "one pass" dropzones.
In free-fall w/ other jumpers you look down and see an open canopy directly underneath the group/formation?

In light and variable winds, you watch four other jumpers land before you in four different directions?
-Clear my airspace and swoop the HP corridor in the direction I called before I got on the plane, regardless of wind direction.

You accidentally land in water, too deep to reach the bottom, 200 feet from the nearest shore?
-shuck my gear and my shoes, make a mental note of my position using shore references, then start dragging it to the shore by the bridle attachment point using the UDT recovery stroke. As a combat dive supervisor, I doubt I will have a problem in this area.

You land in a tree, suspended 20 feet from the ground?
-Wait for qualified help to come help me down so I don't ruin my gear or get hurt trying to get down myself.

Your reserve pilot chute launches just after your main opens?
-if it went straight up to the rear, and not through the front of the main, then I would try my best to maybe land it. If it were not flying good and the reserve was in the back, then I would chop it. If my reserve made it through to the front and was flying OK, then I would land it. If that started getting bad, I would cut the main away with my hook knife, so as not to collapse my reserve.

[skreamer 1]

Boy, if all that happened to me on the same dive I guess I'd just be fucked then!!!