Scary stories from the old days?

[steve1 5]

I can't remember any. Maybe I could make one up....Steve1

[airtwardo 6]

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I can't remember any.

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Remember what?

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

[steve1 5]

***

Remember what?

[airtwardo 6]

You know...Those years when gear was cheap. When a ride to altitude was three or four bucks. A reserve repack was five. Back when skydivers made up most of their own rules, and there wasn't many to start with. Back when you could party most of the night away, and still get up for a formation load at sun up.

And maybe that's why I can't remember much...It was all that damn boose they made me drink way back when!

***

Oh YEAH...Those days!

Back when ya figured killin' off some brain cells was okay, "the weaker ones die quicker"

Like you Steve, I remember them only because I kept good log entries. I thought it might possibly make for a good story or two some day...

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

[wmw999 2,116]

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I remember them only because I kept good log entries

Unfortunately, most of the really good entries were majorly embarrassing jumps . And I've quite deliberately put them out of my mind.

I mean -- when I see

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tried to hold on with my teeth on the jumpsuit, ended up going low anyway, bit Mark when I was holding on, could have died, probably should have

-- I'm supposed to share that?

Wendy W.

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)

[yamtx73 0]

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I mean -- when I see

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tried to hold on with my teeth on the jumpsuit, ended up going low anyway, bit Mark when I was holding on, could have died, probably should have

-- I'm supposed to share that?

Wendy W.

Absolutely!!

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[airtwardo 6]

-- I'm supposed to share that?


***

After the stuff that I've written???

You had BETTER share!

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

[bozo 0]

I mean -- when I see

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tried to hold on with my teeth on the jumpsuit, ended up going low anyway, bit Mark when I was holding on, could have died, probably should have

-- I'm supposed to share that?

Wendy W.

[lawrocket 3]

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-- I'm supposed to share that?

If you don't, some of us will be using our imaginations about just how jumpsuits ended up in your teeth...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[wmw999 2,116]

That's really about all there was. I was outside in some blot of some kind. I started going low, and instead of keeping calm and getting bigger, I tried to get a better grip by holding on with my teeth so I could readjust my hand Great ideas like that just come naturally to me .

I sunk right out of there, which was quite an impressive feat, considering the size of the jumpsuit I was wearing combined with my size (it was during wing-wars days, and I'm not that big). I believe I funneled my piece of the formation by holding on too long, too . Fortunately, I've, um, never made a mistake since then skydiving

Wendy W.

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)

[sfullerman 0]

Hey Folks! Here's another one of those "I managed to live in spite of myself" stories.
1983, Magee Ms...did a 4 way with my brother and two other brothers. I closed 4th and was feeling rather "sky god-ish" (cause most of the time when I showed up last to the formation, it was to bomb it)
The round was all we got. Couple of reasons....top of the (non-boogie) world at that time in a Cesna was 7500ft....plus everyone was so shocked that I got there, and didn't take out the formation, that they all just sat there geek'n.
We track off to open....I had one of those pull out PC's with the pud thang on it, toss it out, and immediately feel as if my freefall speed increased. I know that wasn't the case...it just seemed fast cause I should'a been slowing down during the opening process. Only took a couple seconds to realize the opening sequence was not taking place. Fired the reserve, felt it come off my back, but I'm still moving waaay too fast. I look up to see my main pilotchute tangled amongst the reserve canopy lines.
The (round) reserve looked like a hotdog. It had some air in it, but was being restricted by the bridle on my main. (main is still in the pack) As I said the reserve looked like a hotdog, thankfully it started acting like a ballpark frank, and plumped while we cooked on down. The pressure of the reserve wanting to open forced the PC and bridle down the lines in about 4-5 stages, and at around 800ft it finally did indeed fully open. Once it opened I was able to get a hold of the bridle & PC and pull them out of the lines. So then I wadded them up and stuffed them inside my jumpsuit right? OH HELL NO!
I told'ya I lived IN SPITE of my own dumbass...I had my hands full trying to release the line mods on the reserve and steer it away from the road, so of course, I just let go of the whole mess. Umm I know, you all dont have to say it ......WTF DA???
As soon as I let go of it, the PC inflated and pulled the main (in the bag) outta my pack. I looked down and watched the last couple stows coming out of the rubber bands, and the kite about to spill out. It felt kind'a weird cutting away my main while already under reserve, but I finally managed to pull my head out and do just that. After which the rest of the 2-300 ft ride down was uneventful..ohh, except for landing on the cow poo when I finally did re-contact mother earth.

Almost died, then landed in cow poo...hey,just another day in the life of a 75 jump wonder. Paid $7 for the jump, and had $10 worth of fun

• Quote

[airtwardo 6]

~~Paid $7 for the jump, and had $10 worth of fun~~





***

And THAT pretty much sums up this whole thread!

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

[usedtajump 1]

Damn, that must've sucked...well...all besides the living part.

Hmmm, McGee, MS, 1983, Cessna. That Cessna wouldn't have been John Mitchell's blue and white 64G by any chance would it?

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

Back in '78 we had a local jumper with a very similar situation. Although in his case his round reserve did open completely upon deployment. He then decided to chop the main (only pilot chute out) upon which the pilot chute bridle ran up the reserve lines, chocking it off and killing him on impact. The assumption is that he did not know that the bridle, etc was around the reserve lines.
If you're going to chop a main after the reserve is open try to make sure the main (and all it's parts) are clear before doing so.
Just my old $0.02 worth.

[sfullerman 0]

Hmmm, McGee, MS, 1983, Cessna. That Cessna wouldn't have been John Mitchell's blue and white 64G by any chance would it?

[usedtajump 1]

I knew Leroy but only met him through John Mitchell after John moved to Dallas. 64G is still flying jumpers today at a DZ in Caddo Mills, TX. The last time I saw it, it still had the Circle M logo on the rear bulkhead.

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[krkeenan 0]

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I was just wondering if anyone had a scary jump story from way back when? Steve1

Back in '75 or '76, I was in the Air Force, doing sport jumps with the Louisiana Tech club in Ruston LA. I had about 100-200 jumps and was jumping a PC with shot-and-a-half Capewells and a belly-mounted high tech Pop-Top reserve container with a 24 ft. round reserve.

So, here I am making a routine death-defying skydive, deploy my PC at about 2500', and it opened into a line-over malfunction. Now, I had had a reserve ride before due to a total, but never had to cut one away. There were two important parts of the cutaway procedure with this equipment: 1) Stick your legs out in front of you, to aid in falling back-to-earth as you dropped away from the main, and 2) Put your left arm over your Capewalls as you pull your reserve, to keep the reserve away from the Capewell covers. These Capewell covers were the worst snag hazard imaginable. I think a handfull of fishing hooks didn't have as many places to snag onto as an open Capewell cover. But, I digress.

When I looked up and saw that wad of crap above me, while streaking toward the ground, I freaked out with thoughts of nothing but saving myself. I fired off those Capewells in record time, and immediately dumped the reserve - no legs out, no arm across. I was dropping in a straight standing-up position.

I watched the reserve pilot chute jump out in front of me and followed it as it went up - and stopped about 5ft. above my head. I looked at it for what seemed like a long time, trying to figure out why it wasn't going anywhere. I eventually became aware that the reserve bridle was across my face, and I looked down to see where the other end was.

For any not familiar with the 24' reserve, it had a vent hole in the center about 12" in diameter. All of the suspension lines in the canopy come together at this apex and the pilot chute was attached to them. These lines amount to about a large handful of spaghetti. So, when I looked down at the bottom of the bridle, you can imagine how I felt when I saw this mass of lines hung up on my right Capewell cover. I had no idea of my altitude at this point, and this mess of lines looked like it would take at least a half hour to untangle sitting on the ground. This was about the worst thing I could imagine, and I could almost see my friends gathered around a closed casket. Luckily, all of this happened far quicker that it takes to tell. I reached for the lines, not really knowing exactly what I expected to do to untangle this mess and it instantly released. I think I was probably going pretty fast at this point and there was a lot of drag on the pilot chute. It took off like crazy and I watched the reserve canopy come streaming past my face. I couldn't take my eyes off that reserve, as it went from fabric to lines, going higher above me. I could see the bundle of lines snapping back and forth as each stow came out of the rubber bands in the container. Suddenly, the twitching from the stows stopped, and the round canopy popped open - I think my eyes were about the same size as that reserve - and it was over. I was hanging there quietly under this perfect reserve. I started laughing uncontrollably. I was at about 500', laughing hysterically. I popped the 4-line release on the reserve and looked down at the woods that I seemed to be over, aimed for a clearing, and did a stand-up landing, still laughing my ass off.

They say that it's not all that heroic saving your life from some dumbass thing that you caused in the first place. But I sure felt like one lucky mofo that day. It's days like that one that have kept me coming back for more each weekend.

Kevin K.

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

[wmw999 2,116]

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I saw this mass of lines hung up on my right Capewell cover

Man my heart stopped just reading that. R2s might have been hokey and full of velcro, but anything had to be better than Capewell covers.

Wendy W.

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)

[mjosparky 3]

A well told story, it scared the shit out of me and I am sitting I my own den.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[airtwardo 6]

I sure felt like one lucky mofo that day.


***

That got MY heart thumping!

Mid-70's in Central Illinois, I had about 30 jumps and watched an experienced jumper go in with a very similar situation...

As I remember it, the Reserve Pilot Chute got hung up in the cover.

I rush delivery ordered a set of R-3's from Para-Gear for my Style-master and had them on by the following weekend.

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

[krkeenan 0]

Bill Booth really did us all a big favor when he made it possible to not only cut away with one hand, but to leave nothing on the harness but a couple of smooth rings afterward.

Kevin

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

[airtwardo 6]

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Bill Booth really did us all a big favor when he made it possible to not only cut away with one hand, but to leave nothing on the harness but a couple of smooth rings afterward.

Kevin

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Amen Brother!

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

[mjosparky 3]

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Bill Booth really did us all a big favor when he made it possible to not only cut away with one hand, but to leave nothing on the harness but a couple of smooth rings afterward.

Kevin

What amazes me is you will still find people who feel the need to change one or more parts of the "system" Bill came up with.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[sfullerman 0]

Kevin,
Did you know Benton Brown, Ralph Hanley or Bruce Deville from your Tech days?
Not sure when Bruce brought his plane to Tech, but at that time, he already had several hundred jumps , and along with Benton and Raph was among the skygods of that day.

I was at Tech during the years you were jumping there, just too skeered to jump yet

[krkeenan 0]

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Kevin,
Did you know Benton Brown, Ralph Hanley or Bruce Deville from your Tech days?

I don't recall Ralph, but I knew Benton Brown, and everyone knew Bruce Deville. He was the honcho of all jump operations in that area the whole time I was there ('73-'77). I've heard some stories from a couple of years ago about him getting into some dispute with the authorities over student training irregularities - go figure.

Does anyone in the Louisiana area have any stories about Dirty Bruce DeVille ??

Kevin

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...