Incident reports from the past

[Rover 9]

Found a 30 year old Free Fall Kiwi (NZ skydiving magazine) and it has some interesting comments in the incident reports;

"Failed to try pullout on the ground and could not fully extract pin because her arms were too short"

"Streamer on Delta ll Parawing (not an uncommon occurence).
Remarks: Carry 2 reserves until you find a packing method that is reliable - or burn the canopy"

"Had a hard pull on first freefall but the ripcord was easily extracted on the ground.
Remarks: Be vigilant when training women, as they have a tendancy to be either weak, or to react less positively when under stress".

Interesting how much the gear and attitudes have changed in 30 years...

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[Speed2000 0]

Who was the author of said reports? He/she had a wicked, if black, sense of humor.

[mjosparky 3]

Things were a lot tougher 30 years ago. The gear was heavy, did not fit in most cases and often did not work as advertised. You really had to want to skydive to stick with it. It was not a case of “black humor” it was just the way it was.

So how many miss the "good old days"?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Jim_Hooper 4]

It wasn't the gear that made it great, Sparky, it was the people and an irrepressible sense of adventure and fun, leavened with heaps of "What, me worry?" But I suspect you know that already. Sure kept us current on emergency proceedures (25 cutaways in my first 1200 jumps).
Hoop

[JumpUpMyAss 0]

You said it right on.
I entered the sport with a clear understanding that I could get killed even if I did everything right. Why? Because parachute jumping is dangerous and sometimes 'shit happens'. 'OK kid, still wanna make a jump?' 'Yes sir I do.' 'All right....try not to fuck up!'
Thats why Parachutist published the 'Fatality Reports' so we could see who fucked up.

[Niki1 1]

Quote

Things were a lot tougher 30 years ago. The gear was heavy, did not fit in most cases and often did not work as advertised. You really had to want to skydive to stick with it. It was not a case of “black humor” it was just the way it was.

So how many miss the "good old days"?

Sparky

Those 7 point adjustable harness would fit most adults but they often were not adjusted properly. But even when they fit, they didn't fit, The belly band on the reserve was what kept everything from moving around.

"Nothing makes the "Good Old Days" as good as a bad memory. But maybe we just remember what made the old days good more than what made them difficult.

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?

[jonstark 8]

Niki,

A jump during a recent visit to a very famous DZ made me realize just how dangerous this sport has BECOME. Although this belongs in it's own thread I just don't feel like ranting to the audience in the less experienced forums...

I was in a belly fly 6 way out first followed by several other groups of smaller size and varying diciplines. I pulled at 2 grand figuring I'd be out of the way at landing time. I was on approach with my group all in my sights as I made a 90 left onto final at or below 200'. On short final, still in a toggle turn left, a blur-diving swoop came outta the sky directly in an intercepting path. I shut down my turn and stalled to a shittty landing to avoid the swooper. He had swooped directly into the middle and across the entirety of the landing area in the midst of at least 6 landing jumpers. He then came up to me and asked
"What the Fuck was that!?" as though I should have known better than to land at his DZ.

Death comes from above.

I'm landing out and walking from now on.
Let the rocket jocks take somebody else out in front of the clapping spectators.

jon

[JumpUpMyAss 0]

Next time just wait until super swooper goes to pack and when he isn't expecting it kick the shit out of him. Then look at him and ask 'what the FUCK was that ?'

just like we did it in the 'old days' at the little outlaw DZs everywhere.

[jonstark 8]

Quote

Next time just wait until super swooper goes to pack and when he isn't expecting it kick the shit out of him. Then look at him and ask 'what the FUCK was that ?'

just like we did it in the 'old days' at the little outlaw DZs everywhere.

I'm a lover not a fighter but that little asshat was really looking to get popped in the snot.

[JerryBaumchen 1,050]

Hi jon,

Quote

I'm a lover not a fighter but that little asshat was really looking to get popped in the snot.

Just so people know; on a personal level, I dislike violence.

But, about 20 yrs ago, I cold-cocked a jumper/jump pilot for a comment and attitude just like that. He had put our lives in danger and simply did not care.

I really do regret doing it but sometimes that is what it takes to make a counter-point.

JerryBaumchen

[jumpwally 0]

On several occasions at the Freak Brother conventions i saw Roger Nelson walk up to people who did unsafe stuff and give them a good ass chewing and then reached over and dumped their reserve,,it was awesome...

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

On short final, still in a toggle turn left, a blur-diving swoop came outta the sky directly in an intercepting path. I shut down my turn and stalled to a shittty landing to avoid the swooper. He had swooped directly into the middle and across the entirety of the landing area in the midst of at least 6 landing jumpers. He then came up to me and asked
"What the Fuck was that!?" as though I should have known better than to land at his DZ.

And that my friend is a large part of why I hung up jumping 3 years ago. The “entitlement generation” has taken the fun out of just being at the drop zone. Sad.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[crustySCSA69 0]

Quote

Quote

On short final, still in a toggle turn left, a blur-diving swoop came outta the sky directly in an intercepting path. I shut down my turn and stalled to a shittty landing to avoid the swooper. He had swooped directly into the middle and across the entirety of the landing area in the midst of at least 6 landing jumpers. He then came up to me and asked
"What the Fuck was that!?" as though I should have known better than to land at his DZ.

And that my friend is a large part of why I hung up jumping 3 years ago. The “entitlement generation” has taken the fun out of just being at the drop zone. Sad.

Sparky

next time... please ... just punch their fuckin lights out if they endanger your safety ... it'll just teach them more about the history of the sport ...
that's why no one used to do that ... cause someone would punch your lights out if you did ... people ARE NOT RATIONAL ... but they do learn fear real quick ...

[crustySCSA69 0]

from Rover
"Failed to try pullout on the ground and could not fully extract pin because her arms were too short"


from Speed2000
"Who was the author of said reports? He/she had a wicked, if black, sense of humor. "

Wicked sense of humour ?? Why didn't he say "what moronic Bozo was training her ?? Why did they not know her gear DIDN'T fit ??" what kind of assholes ran that Dropzone and who were they, so we can castigate them as lame dipshits ??

This pisses me off because way back when, I came out to a dropzone (to remain nameless, not big and all those people and all that gear are long gone.... and NOT in N.Z.) and watched this nice young lady on her second 10 second delay open at 1200 feet on her reserve (long ago, belly mount reserve, army surplus, B4, I think, main container, 28 ft round, sleeved, main canopy ) ... everyone seemed uptight and I learned that on her 1st 10 second delay (her last jump), she had opened at 1200 on her reserve...

she kept saying "I pulled, I pulled and nothing happened !!" ... they wouldn't listen... pulled it on the ground and said "Look, it works fine !!"

I thought, this chick (who I knew slightly) is not a twit... plus, she just saved her own ass twice, with perceived totals, and she only has about 12 jumps... so maybe we should look at this... so I had someone close the rig ... and I said "Janet, put this on and pull the ripcord"

she put it on (on the ground) ... pulled the ripcord... arm completely stretched to the side... and the pins never cleared the cones ... total ....
red faces all around .. ripcord housing too long for short folk ... they got adjusted ... unfortunately ... by then ... Janet had quit .... freaked out .. hey, I had 3 reserve rides from jump 50 to 90 ... she had 2 totals on 11 and 12 ... I don't blame her for quiting ... and that poor student in N.Z. (and I'm sure it was a her) ... I hope she lived ... and the IDIOT that mentioned her short arms and not the TOTAL MORONS that put her in that gear ... I hope they got the hell out before they let someone die needlessly ..

[bozo 0]

Wicked sense of humour ?? Why didn't he say "what moronic Bozo was training her ??



Now that'll be enough of that shit !

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.