Stupid things I have done

[Chubba 0]

AFF2, not understanding basic canopy patterns or wind in general... my radio failed and I flew 3km downwind out of the dropzone.

In the end I was trying to get back (over roads + powerlines), I'm lucky at 300ft it dropped me into somebodies backyard nicely (stand up landing would you believe) another 200ft and I would have landed into a set of powerlines...

I was "aiming" for the dropzone the entire time, I'm just lucky the dropzone was into the wind and I floated down nicely.

Pure luck, if I turned a bit higher back to the dropzone when I realised the radio failed I would have approached into the road/powerlines, and I would have properly made a low 180 toggle whip and crashed.

[kj126 0]

Just wondering when the stupidity ends:
So about jump 250 under a sabre 170, tried a 180 hook, seperated my ribs.
Tried another hook into an of DZ landing on a windy day and just got my feet over the power lines.(pucker factor really high)
Pulled a down wind landing with winds @ 12knts on a velo 96, broke my tail bone when I hit a small hump in the dirt.
I think I'll stop thier, before I look really stupid.

I Am Sofa King We Todd Did!!

[flyawaygirl78 0]

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Packed my altimeter in my main last week. Hop n' pop at 4, dump... what the hell is that bird doing... oops, that's not a bird... that's my altimeter hauling ass towards the ground. I followed it down until my canopy decided to take me for a ride and my attention was needed elsewhere!

HAHA; OMG that is too damn funny!! Thanks so much for sharing!

"Sex.... It's just like cuddling - only damper."
Flying Hellfish#695
Muff Brother#3885
Rodriguez Brother#1526-Tronca Rodriguez

[flyawaygirl78 0]

AFF2, not understanding basic canopy patterns or wind in general... my radio failed and I flew 3km downwind out of the dropzone.



I had a very similar situation on AFF3, although my radio actually fell off. Came out of the plane, did my hotel check and promptly de-arched on exit (OOPS)!! My poor instructor spent most of the jump trying to pull my legs out, as I had then gone fetal and pulled my body into a ball just because I was sooo freaked out!! Ended up relaxing a bit and by 9000ft I was stable and was able to pull for myself @ 5000. Looked down once I was under canopy and realized that my radio was GONE (PANIC!!!!). Sometime during the fight to get my legs out, it'd been knocked out of the holder attached to my cheststrap. I too was very lucky and ended up landing just off the student landing area. On a side note, the radio was found somewhere in the middle of the desert and was still in working order !! Glad that you landed OK as well!!

"Sex.... It's just like cuddling - only damper."
Flying Hellfish#695
Muff Brother#3885
Rodriguez Brother#1526-Tronca Rodriguez

[ksudiver87 0]

I use our club gear while i'm searching for my own. i weigh about 105 lbs and jumped a 230. Winds were higher up top than expected. faced into the wind the intire time still got blown backwards about 1/2 a mile, had to turn and run with the wind to avoid the river. Lesson learned-eat my twinkies before i jump the 230 again. =)

~Always do stupid things safely~

[GreyLake 0]

Twinkies? An anvil might serve you better!

I weigh about 117 and the other day the boss and I were debating whether or not I should test jump a 170 for him. The ground winds got to about 16 kts or so, and I refrained from jumping the 170. I've gone backwards under smaller stuff.

Of course, winds aloft are a different beast, but must also be considered when jumping something that's going to keep you floating up there a while!

One of the most important things I've learned in skydiving is knowing when to stay on the ground.

Let's go to candy mountain.

[mrwrong 0]

On the 50 jump something.
After a solo jump I pulled my PC at 3’300 ft and reached for the risers during inflation.
Accidental I got a hold of my toggles instead of the risers. Of course I released them in the process.
Got a good scare when my big ass canopy (PD 7 cell 218sqf) was twisting wildly from side to side (yes, even a big ass 218 can do that) above my head due to it now was ‘unbraked’. Pulled down my toggles and was looking for the next set of handles ‘just in case’.
I got away with it that time and I stopped reaching for my risers after that.

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[GreyLake 0]

I'm a riser grabber, but I can't imagine how you might accidentally grab your toggles and release them. Was it just a matter of getting your hands or fingers in there just so? In both?

Let's go to candy mountain.

[flyawaygirl78 0]

Jump 300 or so: (Skydive Chicago)
Tried to get back from a long spot, decided to go for it, ended up too low to turn, didn't make the DZ and downwinded it on the pavement in 15+mph winds. I thank my gloves on that day, when I got up, they were shredded but my hands were fine.

I did almost the same thing just recently when I was jumping out @ Sydney Skydivers in Picton. Spent so much time trying to make it back that when I got there, I didnt have enough altitude left to turn and had a nasty downwinder that left a hole in my jumpsuit and bruises on both of my knees. Lesson learned; wont do that again

"Sex.... It's just like cuddling - only damper."
Flying Hellfish#695
Muff Brother#3885
Rodriguez Brother#1526-Tronca Rodriguez

[mrwrong 0]

To be honest, I DO grab my risers now again. But I'm VERY careful of where I put my hands. I tend to grab the risers ver low down now, just a few (4-5) inces above the 3-rings.

On that occasion when the shit almost hit the fan (and then me) I actually grabbed the risers very high up and that's why I managed to release the toggles. It was more or less a 'hands up - grab whatever I found - and THEN look at what I grabbed' (too late).

I do NOT look up at my canopy before it's completely inflated and it has begun to fly, so that's also a reason to grab the risers low down...

Pardon my not so very good english, I was definetly lazy in school


*Edit to add*
Hummm, downwinder... Been there done that to.
The windmarker was actually stuck and I didn't realized thet until I was to low to change landing direction. I got away with just grass stains all over my chest (no I didn't PLF)

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[phoenixlpr 0]

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To be honest, I DO grab my risers now again. But I'm VERY careful of where I put my hands. I tend to grab the risers ver low down now, just a few (4-5) inces above the 3-rings.

On that occasion when the shit almost hit the fan (and then me) I actually grabbed the risers very high up and that's why I managed to release the toggles. It was more or less a 'hands up - grab whatever I found - and THEN look at what I grabbed' (too late).

I do NOT look up at my canopy before it's completely inflated and it has begun to fly, so that's also a reason to grab the risers low down...

Why on Earth do you grab your risers on opening?!?!?

[billvon 2,400]

>Why on Earth do you grab your risers on opening?

I do to allow a rapid turn if a collision is imminent. Such a turn saved Tony Domenico from a head on collision during the 100-ways.

[Stuntbabex 0]

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>Why on Earth do you grab your risers on opening?

I do to allow a rapid turn if a collision is imminent. Such a turn saved Tony Domenico from a head on collision during the 100-ways.

I also read that people who are planning on getting into BASE are encouraged to practice this.

[flyawaygirl78 0]

Hummm, downwinder... Been there done that to.
The windmarker was actually stuck and I didn't realized thet until I was to low to change landing direction. I got away with just grass stains all over my chest (no I didn't PLF)

Yeah, I didn't PLF either and my ff suit and body paid for it (*OUCH*!!!)!!!

"Sex.... It's just like cuddling - only damper."
Flying Hellfish#695
Muff Brother#3885
Rodriguez Brother#1526-Tronca Rodriguez

[mrwrong 0]

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Hummm, downwinder... Been there done that to.
The windmarker was actually stuck and I didn't realized thet until I was to low to change landing direction. I got away with just grass stains all over my chest (no I didn't PLF)

Yeah, I didn't PLF either and my ff suit and body paid for it (*OUCH*!!!)!!!

PLF might save the day!!!

In 2005, first jump of the season. It was during the Easter and I still had my old and totally ‘dead’ 218sqf PD 7-cell. It was dead in the sense that it had NO flare power left in it. It was okay to land in 8 knots winds and above but in zero wind…. Well slammer landings each time…

This occasion we had zero winds and on final I completely over shot my intended landing spot and right before touchdown I realized that I was going to end up on a taxi way. Since I didn’t PLF that landing either I crushed my medial meniscus.

Got the surgery one month later and my knee are still a bit tricky.

Stupid hurts……

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[flyawaygirl78 0]

Got the surgery one month later and my knee are still a bit tricky.

Stupid hurts……

Ouch, that sucks!! And yes stupid does indeed hurt (alot!!)!!!!

"Sex.... It's just like cuddling - only damper."
Flying Hellfish#695
Muff Brother#3885
Rodriguez Brother#1526-Tronca Rodriguez

[coretanima 0]

100% agreement. Last weekend. I set up nicely, right on target. Winds were about 12mph. Did my downwind leg, turned for my short base and then...turned back down wind instead of into the wind and ended up about 40 feet from a fence. my canopy dragged me about 50 yards. Why that always happens when there is a crowd of people watching, I don't know. Yeah, stupid hurts.

[SPAWNmaster 0]

hah! i know the feeling. glad you're ok though (i assume you are since you didn't specify any injuries).

I had come in on a crosswind landing (after following traffic rather than using my own brain to set up) and of course the one landing of the day that I botch, end up with mud all over my back-side and dragged to a halt, stand up and wouldn't you know it I'm in front of the next load waiting for their ride.

*embarrassing*. of course I'd rather be embarrassed than injured.

[Sletzer 3]

If sliding on your butt through mud is embarassing, I should tell you about the time I slid on my shoulder/rig/side/legs through a cow field. And NO, all the brown stuff on me was not just mud

Nothing like getting into a bus with cow shit all over your jumpsuit

I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows*

SCS #8251

[ceandries 0]

Is this specifically stipid things I've done while jumping or can it be anything?

One time I called the cops on myself and told them they needed to come and get me because I was too drunk to find my house.

[ceandries 0]

...which might have turned out to be a good thing as i was close to hypothermia and 2 miles from home.

[mircan 0]

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Why that always happens when there is a crowd of people watching, I don't know.

I get off when crowd is watching me.
I loved jumping demos until my friends started to f*ck up... It sucks when you jump "crowdpleaser" with BIG flag and 15secs later your friend (with 5 times more jumps) gets stuck on the electricity wire. After couple of fuckups I quit.

dudeist skydiver #42

[wildchild 0]

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Others have died doing everything right. This sport really isn't very fair at all, but luck does count.

t

Sigh....we miss you t. Sometimes the good ones just run out of luck I suppose. And thanks for sharing a lot of your 'stupid shit' stories with us while you were here. They've helped save my ass on several occasions.

Blue skies.

____________________________
"If there is doubt, there is no doubt." - Tonto

[mircan 0]

Jumping with people without knowing their experience level...

Yesterday, some of my friends from other country came to mu dz. I got up with them in cessna 182 to do video of their 3-way. They all have about 100-150 jumps. I knew they are not that good freefallers, but I decided to keep a distance until I see what will happen, and then if they were ok to come close and make some pics.
They had a bad exit but they got stable after some time. I started to approach carefully but then they fell apart...
One of them went low, towards/beneath me but slightly to my right. I watched the other two which stayed together and starting slowly towards them. And then, by the corner of my eye I spotted "something odd"...
I looked beneath me to see what is this odd thing? About 7-10 feet right of me and 30 feet below I saw a pilot chute and deployment bag coming out of container! First half of a second I thought (like a moron): "Hey, a parachute is opening... Second half of a second I thought: "Nooooooooo!!!" And then I screamed by it. Didn`t have time to do anything. Turn, track, slide away...
The guy had a brain-lock or something after the formation fell apart and deployed his main at 7000 feet.
My big mistake is assuming that no one would deploy that high 'out of a blue' without even looking where the other are. And being above them. My luck bucket is running out. OTOH: one other guy`s luck bucket run out of luck. He broke a leg and totally dislocated ankle after low-hooking a sabre2 135. I did not witnessed it though, just passed by ambulance car while taxiing to this jump.

dudeist skydiver #42

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

I have a couple. And after only 58 jumps.

1) was going through AFP and thought I was in my holding area so I decided I would do some red zone turns right over some trees. Luckly made it back to the landing area. barely. oops.

2) Flew across a river on a windy day. oops.

3) I was trying to make a 5 min call and just like Ron I hopped on a load with my chest strap done improperly (routed over the front of the hardware instead of through). Lucky for me I caught it during gear checks before exit.