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steve1

Scary stories from the old days?

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wmw999

Ok, time for someone else to post an embarrassing story and keep this thread on top

Wendy P.



Hi 999

Thanks for the reminder.

Personally I wouldnt consider ankle biting embarrassing;)

Maybe we can encourage some of the younger ones, say 15, 20 years ago to join us:ph34r:

I'm shocked to see that Brand X isnt on top the morning. :o I tell you.
:o:o
One Jump Wonder

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wmw999


Having been trained to throw everything away, and having practiced (we did that in those days) throwing everything away, I not only had both ripcords when I landed, I also had the camera. So much for muscle memory :o.

Wendy W.



If we lost a ripcord in 1971-73 it cost us a case of beer (about the cost of a 45 sec delay jump) plus the cost of a new ripcord, so I made damn sure to hang on to both of mine on my only cutaway even though I had a Mae West on my reserve. It was looking like a perfect jump since I had both ripcords and had my kicker plate in sight just after opening shock, frizbeeing away. I planed to follow it down till the big spin started. I still kept tight hold of the two ripcords as I fought to control the spin. I stopped it just as I landed in a plowed field and either I was numb or it was one of my softest landings ever. I was out of PLF practice at that time since I was jumping a PC but I must have remembered enough.

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SCS292

***
Having been trained to throw everything away, and having practiced (we did that in those days) throwing everything away, I not only had both ripcords when I landed, I also had the camera. So much for muscle memory :o.

Wendy W.



If we lost a ripcord in 1971-73 it cost us a case of beer (about the cost of a 45 sec delay jump) plus the cost of a new ripcord, so I made damn sure to hang on to both of mine on my only cutaway even though I had a Mae West on my reserve. It was looking like a perfect jump since I had both ripcords and had my kicker plate in sight just after opening shock, frizbeeing away. I planed to follow it down till the big spin started. I still kept tight hold of the two ripcords as I fought to control the spin. I stopped it just as I landed in a plowed field and either I was numb or it was one of my softest landings ever. I was out of PLF practice at that time since I was jumping a PC but I must have remembered enough.


Our little club DZ was a private grass strip on a huge farm in the midwest.

Dropped ripcords cost US quite a bit...the owner / farmer would alway return the mangled up 4 pins after harvest...accompanied with the bill for combine repairs! :o


He wasn't real pleased about the beer cans out in the middle of the field either...but at least THEY didn't screw up the machinery. :)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I was told about this from one of the Norwegian old timers. A female skydiver had a mal in 1973-1975 IIRC (in other words, before I was born =P ). She released her main and went on her back to pull her belly wart in a speed close to terminal. This was a two pont attatchement mounted reserve...
Bootprints in the back of her helmet... [:/]

She had back issues since then and didn't do a skydive ever since.

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci
www.lilchief.no

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lilchief

I was told about this from one of the Norwegian old timers. A female skydiver had a mal in 1973-1975 IIRC (in other words, before I was born =P ). She released her main and went on her back to pull her belly wart in a speed close to terminal. This was a two pont attatchement mounted reserve...
Bootprints in the back of her helmet... [:/]

She had back issues since then and didn't do a skydive ever since.




I actually saw something similar in freefall once.

A buddy & I were doing a sunset 2 way...he nailed the door frame with his main, bent the top pin and locked the cable up.

It was preplanned that I back slide and watch him pull - then deploy.

Textbook...3 tries with no joy - he looked over at me and shrugged - rolled over and hit the center pull.

O U C H ! :o


I don't think his boots hit his helmet...but they didn't miss by much!

Laid him up for several weeks...he's 67 now & still jumping though! B|










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Textbook...3 tries with no joy - he looked over at me and shrugged - rolled over and hit the center pull.

O U C H !


I don't think his boots hit his helmet...but they didn't miss by much!



Chest mount reserve deployments can be fun. :o
www.geronimoskydiving.com

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gunpaq



Chest mount reserve deployments can be fun. :o



I have one of those reserve deployments!

1978

On my eleventh jump, I had what can be only described as a picture-perfect Mae West. I was spotted out over the middle of Lake Elsinore.

I looked up, and there were two perfect boobs. Tossed away my ripcord ($5 deposit in the lake)

I put my left hand under the container (not sure why, because I don't remember being told to do this), pulled the reserve ripcord and tossed that puppy away ($5 deposit in the lake, again).

Reached in and pulled the reserve out, and I threw it the direction of the spin (to the left in this case). Waft, shake, waft, shake, flop, shake, flop, shake, billow, billow, pouf!

I had a good canopy above me! :) Neither of which is steerable. I am practically laying on my back because of the front mounted reserve, and think to myself this is going to hurt when I land. B|

I look down and I'm still over water (Lake Elsinore at almost it's largest)! It would not be an exaggeration to say by this time, I'm starting to freak (probably because there is nothing I can do, at this time, to change a darn thing). The shore is slowly getting closer, but I don't have enough experience to even begin to guess if I will get to it before the altitude runs out.

I landed in the muddy water right at the edge. 20/20 hindsight says that was probably the best place to land, but I'm completely covered in mud, my gear is, too! I've lost both my ripcords. But, Hey! They sent a truck to pick me up! Nobody in the truck ventured into the mud at the edge of the lake to help me, thank you very muck much. >:(

I came back to manifest to give them their gear back and got chewed out for losing both ripcords (which was part of the EPs), and then landing in the mud and gooing up their gear (nevermind the fact that I was a student and did not spot that, nor in any way was responsible for where I ended up). :S

The silver lining in this was It taught me to look around for silver. In the next couple years, I found probably a couple dozen ripcords on the DZ. I turned in each and every one for that $5 deposit. B|
lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

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Hi Lisa,
Since we're on chest mount deployments, 'had a few hack when too. Somewhere's around Oct, Nov of 1972 was doing some dives at Otay. 'Had a nice 10 Man organizewd and someone said,"When we get the star, lets break it into a line!!" I start screaming "HELL NO!!!!! we hold the star!! Me and a couple of others can get our SCR!!! AND THERE'S BEER!!!!!" The now late Brady Sanders had his head up his ass, wasn't listening and right after we got the star, he let go!! I cussed him out all the way to dump alt. Then the fun began. Dump about 2.5 and nothing. Gave it a shake, still nothing!! (3 pin mini-system type container "cone lock" on the center pin!) Started going head down , still nothing, and figured I'd roll over on my back and fire my 26' NAVCON chest reserve, as I looked "UP" between my feet to see the sleeve comming off my PC!! "BAM!!" I saw stars!! I had just pulled the reserve handle so only the pilot chute floated out and between the stars I managed to grab it before it got away!!! Not quite the boot heels on the helmit but a head down high speed PC deployment will sure get your attention. Sure beats the dirt!! We got the 10 man but since Brady let go before the 5 second limit, the argument was that it didn't qualify for an SCR!! 'Still pisses me off but I managed to get in on a SCR dive not much later. Ya' have to remember this was when the First Jump Fairy didn't hand out SCR's like candy mints!!! I can still remember the "STARS!!" from that opening!
BTW Brady was one of the jumpers on Spike's Beech Taft Crash.
SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

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I've only had three reserve deployments. One was at Holtville, CA when a stick (where it came from I haven't a clue) locked the sleeve on my PC. Being low by the time I figured out it wasn't going to open I just pulled the side handled wart and watched the reserve pilot chute go up and, fortunately, bounce off the extended sleeve and canopy. I remember thinking, "Oh shit" as it went up. The reserve opened and the remainder of the ride was uneventful with the locked sleeve tucked securely between my legs. Still had both ripcords when I reached the ground.

The second was an uncommanded piggy back deployment at near terminal. I was test jumping a piggy back for George Morar and apparently the ripcord was a bit short. As I went into a head down to catch the other two jumpers I suddenly felt pain in my neck and the sky started to go black. After things settled down, I noticed that the reserve canopy was inside out. Other than that there were no problems. Boy was I sore for a couple of days. A near terminal deployment of an unsleeved piggyback when you're not expecting it is NOT fun.

The third was at Antioch. I was testing Ralph Jones Cloud after he did something to it (don't remember what). Hop and pop from 5k and the bag came out and started spinning me around. I cut the malfunction away and after getting stable hung out the piggy back reserve. I was a bit concerned as the wind was pushing me toward the housing north (?) of the airport but all worked out well. I managed to get to the ground before I got to the houses. I guess the handsful of lines I grabbed and pulled helped steer somewhat and helped loose some altitude.

I don't recall ever losing a ripcord, even in my student days at Fort Lee Sport Parachute Club. I think that they drilled it into our heads enough that my auto-response was to get an iron grip on the things on opening.
If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

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Spooky

First someone locks your sleeve with a stick and have to go to plan b.

Then your test jumping someone else's gear and you have to go to plan b twice. With friend like that you don't nened enemy's. :P

We were jumping some "different" gear where the main ripcord was just a little to short. We exited for some RW.

Oops the main came out at 7.5 or 9.5, to lazy to look it up.:P

Didnt lose the ripcord since it never got pulled, But it was a long ride down.
Lucky for us the winds aloft were zero. Could have used a book to read on the way down.:D

Time for my nap.:|

One Jump Wonder

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On an observer ride in the early seventies I watched Jim Selway Sr. (Beets Dad) do a poised exit off the step of a cessna 185. He went over on his back and for some reason pulled his belly wart. From my vantage point I could see his body bend into a U and it looked like his heels touched his helmet. I was probably 10 years old and I remember looking up at my dad, flying the plane, who was also watching. Dad says OUCH that's gotta hurt. Mr Selway had to take a while off from jumping to heal up. Mr. Selway's two sons , daughter in law , 3 grand children and a great nephew are all still activly jumping.

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I used rubber bands...sinkers looked SCARY!

We started about the same time, but I learned very, very, early that ripcord stops of any kind were a bad idea. Does that reflect how regional skydiving was in those days, or something else :):ph34r:

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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wmw999

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I used rubber bands...sinkers looked SCARY!

We started about the same time, but I learned very, very, early that ripcord stops of any kind were a bad idea. Does that reflect how regional skydiving was in those days, or something else :):ph34r:

Wendy P.



Gee...lemme think ~ YOU worked for NASA, and I light myself on fire and jump out at night.

I think it has more to do with the SAT's ;)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Hi 999

I think it was a vombo of both, regional & SAT.

We were jumping in KS, the sinker just didn't make any sense. We never heard about the rubber band option.

Maybe Twardo is big enough to pull the rubber bands thru the ripcord housing, but........ I wonder if he ever tried it. No unrealistic expectations here, I was a wimp and doubt I would have been able to do it.
One Jump Wonder

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Back in the late 60's or early 70's we tried the windy day boredom deal. Hooked a cheapo to the back of a truck in 30+ wind. Up the guy went. We couldn't get him down by hanging on the tow line. So we took another car and drove it over the line. As it inched toward out test dummy the hot exhaust melted the tow line. No injuries but scraps and bruises.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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Maybe Twardo is big enough to pull the rubber bands thru the ripcord housing, but........ I wonder if he ever tried it. No unrealistic expectations here, I was a wimp and doubt I would have been able to do it.



Yeah...tried it and zinged 'er right through.

It was all in how ya 'rigged' the band - do it right & the cable would roll it off and leave it at the housing, do it wrong and the whole mess would bind up.

The 'scare' was having it loose & snag some deploying nylon...not really an issue with S&A guys that could get stable...lol ;)

Became a muscle memory / timing thing - sit up and give a short sharp yank - jamming the handle back in the pocket as the thing unpacked. I cutaway a few times with a rubber-band RC-stop on the cable - never even a concern.

Bet there's STILL one on my Style-master if it hasn't rotted off by now. :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Dead Dugan use to jump with his chest strap through his main rip cord handle. Kept it from being snagged on speed ten way exits. He would hook his thumb around the cable between the handle and housing to pull.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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I only lost one rip-cord over the years. I'd usually jump a rig that had a big handle. I'd just slip that over my wrist. If I had a malfunction I could still operate my shot and a halfs and pull my belly mount reserve.

On my second malfunction I spilled my guts and gave my rip-cord a toss. I wouldn't have done that, but I wasn't very current at the time, and figured I need to get rid of this thing. Somebody said they heard somebody scream like a girl too.....but it wasn't me, I assure you.[:/]

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CReW

Didn't anybody ever do the car / parachute thing successfully?




Oh, yeah. When I was working at Ted Strongs shop in Orlando, Ron Johnson and I did a pretty good job of figureing it out. I had been cleaning old stuff out from under the packing table and found a BIG box of nylon rope. Ted said it was from a Sky Hook system. I asked and he said I could have it.
I had tried the parasail thing three other seperate times. None of them ended well. All the crashes were off to the side even when the rider/pilot was trying his damndest to turn back toward the center line of the vehicle. The solution, I figured, was to quit being a kite and go back to being a parachute. That is release the tow line.
And now we had one hell of a tow line. This rope was one inch wide, braided, and hollow. Did I mention that it was one MILE long.
We put B-12 snaps on the end of a 3 - ring riser and put a cut-a-way handle on the velcro where the toggle would normally go.The B-12s snap onto the large harness ring of the pilots rig. We put a very large ring on the end of the tow line and we were set.
The whole crew consistied of 5 people. The driver, an observer (with the driver), 2 launchers, and of course the pilot. With the rope streched out, the pilot would attach the yoke (3-ring riser) to the tow line as the launcher spead the canopy out behind the pilot. When the pilot had himself attached to the tow line, he would get the toggles in his hands and hold his arms out to the side. This was the signal for the launchers to hold up the leading edge of the canopy centered on the pilot. The driver saw the canopy being held up and that was his signal the idle forward. This would pull the pilot at a walking speed and the canopy would inflate and launcher would let go. The observer would see the canopy inflated over the pilot and tell the driver to hit it.
I don't know what the streach coeffecient was for that rope but the rubber band effect was somthing tremendous. The acceleration and climb were "dynamic" to say the least. When the car got to the end of the run, the pilot pulled the cut-a-way handle (the one on the yoke if it need be said) and could turn down wind and many times land back at the launch point.
That makes it sound easy and it actually was. But there were a few things to keep in mind. As the pilot is walking with the inflated canopy over his head, he needs to be steering it to keep it on the center line. That is probably the MOST important thing. Stay on the center line.
There is a certain angle off the center line beyond which the pilot will experience "lockout". And that angle gets narrower as you go up. The canopy wll turn to the outside and no amount of steering will bring it back. You'll be in a down plane with tow vehiclw. This is not good. The only way out of the situation is to stop being a kite and go back to being a parachute. Release the tow line.
If I remember correctly, we could get 75 to 80 percent of the length of the tow line in altitude. A 500 ft; rope, 400 ftl up. And you would get there by time the vehicle had traveled the length of the rope. Back in 80 - 81 there were still a lot of fields around south Orlando. We eventually went to Palatka and got some long rides. 1,500 feet was the longest we tried, The biggest lesson we liearned was, "If it's too windy to jump, it's too windy to para sail."
Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done.
Louis D Brandeis

Where are we going and why are we in this basket?

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So on our second try at this towing deal we did it behind a boat. Fool in the harness standing on the shore, PC hooked up,everyone else in appropriate places. Boat takes off, line plays out, guy runs like hell, up he goes. 20 feet in the air, line snaps. Did I mention it was water ski tow line, plastic tow line. Whips the carp out of the test dummy and everyone in the boat. Act two. Bigger line. gun boat, running, launch, up he goes. Across the lake, cool. Boat makes the big turn at the far end of the lake. Pow. Rips the cleat out of the boat. Test dummy spins into the water. Pack everything up, go drink beer.
U only make 2 jumps: the first one for some weird reason and the last one that you lived through. The rest are just filler.
scr 316

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