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Ron

Stupid things I have done

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Oooh, I have a good one from yesterday. Yes, I know I am an idiot.

So, I get to the DZ and do a gear check. When checking my main pin I see that I do not have color showing in my window. So I actually pull the pilot chute out and check to see if it is cocked. I find that it is 'mostly' cocked and it does inflate. I pull the apex and try to cock it a bit more. But I did not want to close the rig again, so I didn't pop the pin and give it a proper cocking.

I was on an AFF L1 and the student did OK. They pulled about 5.5 and I was main, so I left once the students PC was out and the main bag launched.

I tracked about 6 seconds and pulled.... Of course, nothing. I thought:

* Huh?
* Crap.
* I have plenty of Altitude/time
* Crap!
* I HATE pilot chute in tow malfunctions.... Really.
* Didn't we just discuss this on DZ.com?
* I guess I should have popped the pin and re-cocked the PC
* Well, I guess I better do something.

All that took honestly a few seconds, but I pulled above 4 so I had plenty of time.

I did a few tricks to try and get the pin to pop (hit the rig, rolled left and right, tried to grab the bridle). Nothing seemed to work so it came time to stop the skydive.

Funny thing, I keep saying that I will just pull the reserve and I always imagined that I would do a modified reserve pull and use my right hand for stability.... Nope. BOTH hands went to my handles.

I thought:
* I HATE pilot chute in tow malfunctions.
* I guess I should have actually re-cocked the PC.
* Why did I grab my cutaway, I am not going to pull it?
* Hey, what was that? Sweet, my bag launched!!!!

I was open above 2k. Managed to get back and get a 360 hook.

But if I had pulled at my normal altitude, if the student have delayed, if this had been a fun jump..... I would have pulled my reserve and had to face my worst malfunction situation.

My next jump? A tandem, so I basically went from a PC in tow: Bad, to PC in tow: planned.

I had to sit and think about the situation at the end of the day. I got complacent. I am sure that I had done the same basic thing before, but this time it didn't work like normal.

Lesson:

1. Pilot chutes are an awful a lot like a woman and pregnancy. They either are, or they are not.... there is no 'sorta'.

2. Knowing you could have an issue and going anyway is stupid.

3. Half fixes are full stupid.

Learn from my stupidity.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Testing my new Blade(1 jump with the suit) WS around -30°C With the Exit i stuck my right wing cut away on the plane....after spinning 30s like hell i could pull my chute, but with short shirt and without gloves in 11000ft, hardcore linetwist until my neck, the jump was no fun.
>:(

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Would have this been prevented by recocking your pilot chete after gettting the main in the bag?



I am sure. But it has never been an issue before. I could I've fixed it, I half assed fixed it.

I should have popped the pin and done just like you suggested.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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Thanks for the "refresher" on this one Ron. I've done the exact same thing at least a couple of times before (luckily without incident at all) - and you've just given me something to think about. Complacency - Indeed, complacency.

Thanks for the eye-opener! B|

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

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On my first ff jump I did not pull at all. It was a long time ago and during all these years I still cannot understand what was passing through my head during that jump. I was probably so overwhelmed by the experience that I totally lost the perception of time and altitude. The first time I checked the altimeter was just prior the AAD activation when I thought "maybe it's time to pull..." when I reached with my hand to pull at that very moment AAD did the job...
I had a hard times explaining to instructor and dzo what has happened. I was grounded for next two months.

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Purchased a new canopy and was too eager to hook it up.....ended up mis-assembling the soft links.

I passed the soft link through the suspension lines of the main canopy only one time; correctly assembled the soft link passes through both the suspension lines and riser TWICE before the ends are secured together.

Unfortunately I had jumped the canopy 2 times in this configuration before a rigger noticed it :( Glad I'm alive to tell the tale...When in doubt ask a rigger!

You can find my story on pg 67 Parachutists Sep 2010 issue
For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

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I did a hop n pop from ~1800 ft using a rented rig with a student Cypress... Everything turned out fine, but got scolded a bit when I got down. Yes it was dumb, and yes I am glad I didn't end up with a two out.



Did the same thing, but from 3k. Sab2 170 @ 1.3/4ish. Jump 297. Nothing remotely aggressive. Cypres fired around 700ft. Landed a two out biplane. Learned that lesson...[:/]

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Jump 52 - Packed myself a step-through because I was distracted and debreifing while trying to make the next load. (Apparently my risers were twisted back at the rig, so my lines and flaking all looked good to me.)

I *DID* notice when I was putting the bag in that my risers were a little twisted, but I didn't think anything of it. Lesson learned: if something isn't exactly correct, stop and take a hard look at it.

Luckily, my main came out fine, I just remember looking at my risers, evenly twisted, thinking, "well, that was stupid." Did a controlability check and landed without issue. First time I was in the air and genuinely thinking about chopping, though. Lesson learned.

Now I tie my risers together before I pack, just to make sure it's part of my process to follow the risers all the way back to the rig...

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Packed myself a step-through



I don’t think you packed a “step through”. That term is being applied to all sorts of problems that are not related. From your description you more than likely flopped your rig between the risers when you laid it down.
This is what a step through looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAtNMq_VN-I

This what is what I think you had. Starting at about 0:48.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHdDPoIOKY
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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I'm sure there are more, but these are the top ones I remember:

1 - Probably around 500-600 jumps, got stuck in a downplane. Yes stuck. Ankles locked together. About 1 1/2 seconds (maybe) from impact, my ex did a 180 by using his risers and managed to pull both of my shoes off. Twisted both of my ankles, saved both our lives.

2 - Got open just below 300 feet under my reserve on a DEMO jump. Cutaway a bit low, took a healthy delay after chopping, then had a hard pull on my reserve, took both hands about 3 tries to get it out at the last second. Didn't get invited back on that demo the next year.

3 - Rode on a creeper going 55 mph down a paved runway, holding a rope tied to the back of a pick up truck. At least I chose a tandem with a friend for my first ride, and we wore Pro-Tec helmets.

4 - Intentional low pull on my main below 1,000 feet, doing a 3-way after a 10-way (on the same jump). Stupid.

Edited for typos and to add:
On the downplane, his canopy did not do a 180, he used the risers to flip his body from face down to face up temporarily in the downplane, and in doing so, managed to get us apart.

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Packed myself a step-through



I don’t think you packed a “step through”. That term is being applied to all sorts of problems that are not related. From your description you more than likely flopped your rig between the risers when you laid it down.
This is what a step through looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAtNMq_VN-I

This what is what I think you had. Starting at about 0:48.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHdDPoIOKY



You're exactly right, Sparky. Mine was definitely just a symmetrical twist in both risers. Anything that looked like the first video and I'd be riding my reserve down. :)

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2 - Got open just below 300 feet under my reserve on a DEMO jump. Cutaway a bit low, took a healthy delay after chopping, then had a hard pull on my reserve, took both hands about 3 tries to get it out at the last second. Didn't get invited back on that demo the next year.



Did you land on target? If so, that would have been AWESOME to see.B|

ETA: Any reason for the 'healthy' delay??

And anyone see the irony of calling a long/low delay healthy????? :P
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I don’t think you packed a “step through”. That term is being applied to all sorts of problems that are not related. From your description you more than likely flopped your rig between the risers when you laid it down.



I have a different viewpoint that conflicts with yours.

Are you making semantic distinctions between
- Step through
- Flip through
- Roll through
- Whatever through?

Apparently you are saying that
- if the rig goes through certain lines it's a step-through and if it goes between other lines it's something else, or
- if the rig goes through the lines on landing it's one thing and if it goes through during the packing process it's something else?

Certainly, they are related.
Your two videos are related...just a matter of which lines the rig went through.

IMO, it doesn't matter what lines the rig goes through...it's a step-through whether you got it that way on landing or picking it up after landing or at drop-off in the packing area or during packing. One generic term to say that the rig went through the lines.

Semantics? Yes. Why confuse things with multiple names for the same problem?

Either way...proper packing would have caught the error.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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2 - Got open just below 300 feet under my reserve on a DEMO jump. Cutaway a bit low, took a healthy delay after chopping, then had a hard pull on my reserve, took both hands about 3 tries to get it out at the last second. Didn't get invited back on that demo the next year.



Did you land on target? If so, that would have been AWESOME to see.B|


:D:D
On target? Great spotting!
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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Certainly, they are related.
Your two videos are related...just a matter of which lines the rig went through.



No they are not related. A step through is just that, you step through a line or lines after landing and still wearing the rig. A flip through is just that. When you take the rig off in the packing area you flip the container through the risers twisting just the risers.

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Semantics? Yes. Why confuse things with multiple names for the same problem?



It is not Semantics, they are 2 different things. One you can land the other you can’t. What is confusing to new jumpers is not get the right information. They need to learn the basics right to build their knowledge on. The basics start with learning the right terminology.

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Either way...proper packing would have caught the error.



You are right, paying attention during packing would have caught either one. That is if they had learned the basics of packing.

Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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OK, Sparky.

When you land, you walk/roll right down the middle between the left-side lines and the right-side lines.

You lay it out for packing and walk it up and see the lines in each hand twisted.

Same symptoms. The "walk-through" same as your "flip-through" but you didn't flip nothing.

...what do YOU call it?

Yes, semantics. Two labels for the same situation.

Call it whatever you like, I guess. I just agree to disagree.

I simply tell my students that if the lines from one riser side are passing through the lines of the other side, you have a walk-through that can't be landed safely so breakaway and deploy the reserve.

If the risers are twisted, you have a walk-through that may be landed safely so do a controllability check and make the fly/breakaway decision based on the response to the check.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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Hey Ron,

No reason, just habit of liking total stability prior to pulling reserve, did it on all 3 prior cutaways. Wasn't especially low from that, it was more the several hard pull attempts that really got me down in the basement. Guess "healthy" isn't a good term, though, lol. More like took a second or two to be belly to earth, rather than immediate pull.

And no, I did not land on target exactly. ;) I did make the edge of the airport we were landing on, did one turn to avoid power lines and landed. Pretty sure I didn't stand up that landing, and was probably shaking still from everything, so it's probably best I didn't land on target.

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Young jumper, first time hanging from the strut of the 182.

Jumpmaster/mentor in the door watching.

Me hanging, laughing my ass off and my left foot gets caught between the tire and the step.

I look at the Jumpmaster and he's sittin' there in the door shaking his head giving me that "you dumbass" look...

He reaches down to help me but I got the foot out and let go of the strut.

On the ground, Jumpmaster comes over and gives me that "you dumbass" look again and walks off.
Lesson learned.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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Today was my second jump on my new-to-me (9-cell) Stiletto. I've been jumping a (7-cell) Diablo.

Sun was very close to overhead, so when I looked up at it, it looked OK to me. Steered right, steered left. Slight left turn, but, well, it might need a reline (jury is still out).

Turns out it has 2 completely collapsed end cells -- one on each side. Extremely obvious from the side, but not nearly as obvious from below, especially if the check is sort of:
"big holes? -- nope"
"lines broken? -- nope"
"rectangular? -- yup"

etc.

Of course, an 8-cell looks funny when you're used to jumping a 9-cell, but it looks just a little big bigger side to side than a 7-cell, and just didn't make me think all that much.

Flew it all the way to the ground, stood up the landing (there was some wind, fortunately not gusty), and someone came up and asked me if I knew I had 2 collapsed end cells.

Oops.

Next jump was a hop-n-pop; uncollapsed the (only parly) collapsed end cells, gave it another good going-over. Slight turn gone,, flew fine.

That complacency's a bitch.

Wendy P.
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)

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Jump 42: Fairly windy day for me, gusting to about 21 MPH around 1000 ft. Exited my holding area about 250 feet early, decided to do a quick toggle 360 to lose altitude. Of course, the wind blew me all the way across the landing area (extra canopy surface area exposed to the wind during the 360).

Everything was OK, though I was a bit worried that I was going to land a little closer to the hangar than originally expected.

On final, at about 100 feet, I was still over some trees. Turbulence collapsed the right side of my canopy, and I took a 90-degree right turn before my canopy reinflated at about 60 feet. Now, I was travelling parallel to the tree line, still over trees. Did a quick flat turn left, kicked the tops of trees as I came in, and thought I was going to land in the swimming pool.

My feet probably cleared the top of the pool fence by a foot and I landed about five feet from the pool.

Felt pretty dumb, got a good talking-to from a few people. Kinda made me nervous over the next few jumps.

I've attached an aerial shot of my planned pattern and my actual landing.

I'll absolutely be avoiding strong turns in heavy winds. Additionally, I won't be flying over unlandable terrain under 1000'.
Come, my friends! 'Tis not too late to seek out a newer world!

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