Best thing you've ever seen a student do....

[Baksteen 84]

wolfriverjoe

I knew perfectly well that the round in the bailout rig was going to:

A - open very hard (the story was that one guy had jumped the bailout rig on purpose - it opened so hard his shoes came off).

B - land very hard. I understand how hard rounds land, even with a "featherbutt" like me under it.

I've once told a group of newer jumers that we give those kind of parachutes to our pilots as an extra motivation to do their damndest to land the plane intact instead of bailing out.

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[dthames 0]

JohnMitchell

***Pure speculation, but having the PC "up high towards his head" may have let it end up in the burble behind him (which could explain how it ended up near his foot).

My speculation too. Being main side, I left when the pilot chute left. But I teach "hard throw to the side", not soft toss next to the head. That's so 1980's.

I managed to hit an AFFI in the face with the PC after he told me that I couldn't. He bought me a soda.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[riggerrob 558]

....................................................................

I've once told a group of newer jumers that we give those kind of parachutes to our pilots as an extra motivation to do their damndest to land the plane intact instead of bailing out.

............................................................................

Best answer to date!!!!!
Yeah!
Give the man a cookie!

I used to work for a DZ who spent vast amounts of money on his King Air, but he equipped his Cessna Pilots with cheap PEPs containing "old" Phantoms. He could buy old Phantoms for maybe $50. I had lost count of how many cracked, white plastic stiffeners and mangled grommets were replaced. Those poor Phantoms had been bromocreasol tested and pull-tested more times than I could count. After National said to not pack any of their gear more than 15 years old - I quietly left that DZ because I did not want to waste energy on that argument.

Challenge to young riggers: how many service bulletins have been issued about Phantoms?
Can you describe the malfunctions behind each Service Bulletin?
What year was the last Phantom seen?

[Bob_Church 7]

I was talking to some old friends last night and this one came up. Two guys, father and son, showed up for a static line first jump. The jump master and I were going to go on up after he put them out. The son went first. He hung from the strut with the static line over his left shoulder. At the last moment he let go with his left hand and have his father a thumbs up. This caused him to rotate and I could here his teeth slam together as the static line caught him under the chin. Somehow he came out of it unhurt, or claimed to be.

[rehmwa 2]

Had a woman on a Cat A do the tuck and flip and I ended up with her in just a perfect two hand grip with her on her back just as stable as can be. the other AFF closing slow.

She looks at me:
- Super clear eyes.
- She makes eye contact, smiles......
- She calmly checks her altimeter
- and then arches just as pretty as I could have asked for
----easiest flip I could ever ask for.
---- I love it when they are aware and clear headed. so much fun

I also had a really heads up guy go to pull early and he eyeballs me and I smile and shake my head 'no'. he then looks at his alti a bit more, and then at pull time looks over and nods - essentially "how about now?" - that had me chuckling

I once also gave the 'practice pull' signal - at our dz it's an open palm. Student high fives it.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Pobrause 6]

JohnMitchell

***But the loads turn faster, so it isn't pointless.

For the type of flying jump planes do, climbing at best rate-of-climb speed, I thought that the additional weight of the retractable gear mechanism would outweigh the advantages of reduced drag, or be a wash at best. Adding the complication of retractable gear to an up-and-down operation like a jump center does, plus the increase (I would imagine) in insurance rates would further tip the scales in favor of fixed gear.

But I could be wrong.

BTW, do the RG models also have larger engines or more power?

They run RGs in Klatovy, Czechia, Europe and when I asked one of their pilots he said the RG-system only adds about 26 pounds.

-------------------------------------------------------

To absent friends

[JohnMitchell 14]