StoppieJoe

For those of us who have witnessed a fatality first hand, I want to ask some advice. How do you deal with the fear and fucked up mental state that witnessing a fatality causes? I love skydiving. It has been a part of my life for ALL of my life and I want to keep doing it for a long time, but After watching a fatality in October, I have had an extremely hard time mentally. How do you deal with that image and fear that stems from it? Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Does anyone have any free flying footage from 2002-04 from Zhills? Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

I’m one jump away from FINALLY getting my A. Monday is the day! Wooohooo that’s all. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

So, an RSL would have made a major difference in this case as well. Would it have? He got his handle out almost immediately, the PC came out less than a second or two after cutaway. Pin was pulled. He got entangled with his bridle because of the tumble that was caused by getting sling from a spin on his back. ETA: At least that was the only thing that we could come up with based on what we all saw. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

In the CRW argument I can see a valid reason. And that is a shit ton of altitude.... so yeah I guess. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

No rsl, about 10-13 seconds from cutaway to impact. Individual had a known habit of pitching low. I don't know any other for sure facts about altitude on that incident. For a full account of what I saw, refer to the skydive pepperell fatality in the incidents forum. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

My biggest fear at the moment (because this is what I watched happen) is even on a high or appropriate altitude cutaway, the possibility of getting wrapped up in a reserve bridle from an aggressive spin on your back and that not allowing the reserve to come out of the freebag. Obviously altitude is always your friend and time to work problems can help....but in that situation, I dont see much else you can do in a total body wrap up. All the research and conversations I have had shows that a properly working MARD would not allow the time or rotation to tumble into your bridle to cause entanglement.... At least that's what my logic tells me. Is there anything that I am missing? Are the line twist arguments all there is to it or? I just cant wrap my head around actively choosing not to have a MARD. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Thanks for your insight. My response to that line of thought is this (Im not attacking you at all, I know you prefer mards): Per the test videos from UPT, there is absolutely no time/too much drag on the system for an entanglement with your reserve bridle when chopping a spinning mal on your back with a properly working skyhook. So in an aggressive spin getting lower and lower, IMO it be better to have line twists on a reserve over riding a reserve PC in due to entanglement or wrap ups from tumbling away from a spinning mal... Because lets face it: after a super hard opening shock and g forces that could potentially cause a blackout from the spin on top of being on your back, are you really going to be able to (or even have time to) get stable again from almost dead air before you pull your handle? I would also like to add that in high stress situations, people revert back to the EPs they have drilled, so most people probably wouldn't attempt to get stable anyway(paraphrasing Brian Germain on that line). Especially from pulling at 2500 or 3k as a lot of people do. I just dont see that argument being extremely valid. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Recently watched a fatality that I and quite a few others believe a skyhook would have prevented.... So my question is this: What reasons, if any, would a jumper choose not to have a MARD? This is a question regarding ALL disciplines: Video, WS, RW, freefliers ect. I dont care. Just curious as to what potential issues a MARD could cause and why it would be worth it to not have one.... Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Heres a pic. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

You can guess which it is. It's Lurch. 35 sqft blowup mattress basically. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Yep. He only made one albatross II. No templates for it either. The biggest suit in the sky is a forever one of a kind. But still deserves a spot in the proto section of any list. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Another two to add to the non comercial/prototype section would be the Tony Suits Albatross I And the biggest wingsuit in the air right now, the Tony Suits Albatross II... Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Any official reports as to what actually happened? Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Im doing well now. The shock has worn off for most of us on the DZ. It was rough for a lot of people. The train tracks that he got killed on are on the Driveway to the DZ so most of us saw it happen and were the first ones to his truck after. Last weekend we had a group of about 60 of Nicks friends and family come out to make tandems and watch fun jumpers. They did a 20 way memorial jump and a flag jump for him and then his brother took his ashes and did an ash dive for his first tandem. It was an awesome day and brought a lot of closure to everyone on the DZ. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

The railroad tracks are on the driveway to the dropzone. We all saw it happen and we were the first responders. Just incase anyone wanted to know. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

He was a Father, Husband, Skydiver and friend to a lot of people. I didn't know him for long, but he was well liked around the dropzone, and I wish I would have gotten to know him better. Being around skydiving and BASE, you expect to see things happen. But I never expected to see Nick drive away after a successful day of skydiving and then get ripped away from this world by getting hit by a train in his truck while heading home to be with his family. It is insane. I was sitting there talking to him about his recent trip and his Christmas plans not even 30 minutes before he was gone. We are all going to miss you man. Fly free. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Today, I witnessed the death of a great person. He was a Father, Husband, Skydiver and friend to a lot of people. I didn't know him for long, but he was well liked around the dropzone, and I wish I would have gotten to know him better. Being around skydiving and BASE, you expect to see things happen. But I never expected to see Nick drive away after a successful day of skydiving and then get ripped away from this world by getting hit by a train in his truck while heading home to be with his family. It is insane. I was sitting there talking to him about his recent trip and his Christmas plans not even 30 minutes before he was gone. This just shows us how fragile our life really is. You have to live your life to the fullest and do what YOU want to do with it, because it is temporary. One day, when you least expect it, you could be gone. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

It is still required for sigma TIs Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

It's where I grew up. I've been on dropzones since I was 3 years old. It's home to me. I love the smell of nylon and jet fuel in the morning. That and because it is so cheap to live out here, it's the only way I can afford to start jumping. Skydiving is my career choice so i have to be able to put the money into it before I can start making money. Last but not least: I want to travel so not sinking any roots down (like apartment leases) allows me to go wherever I want at any time I need to. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

This is also not skydive spaceland in Houston. It's Skydive Dallas with an owner change. They are maling some changes and its going to be awesome but as of now Our buildings are always open and there is a good amount of night life/party life in the trailer park. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

No it may not. But the key words here are with as many new people and people we don't know and the drugs and alcohol, you never know what will happen. She has asked for me to stay with her during the after hours and to not leave her side when she's been drinking. Makes her feel special lol. But yeah. It's not the people who work here or the normal fun jumpers, we have a very respectable staff. It's the random new people and the people who we don't know that are getting super drunk and/or doing drugs that I watch out for. Skydivers come from a hugely diverse back ground. You never know who could be fucked up enough in the head to do that. And that's where this comes around to the original point: The new people who we don't know and the random people that show up on the drop zone who make these sexual comments (and like I said, I can't tell who is joking sometimes) and quote the lose your slot rule to me after only knowing me for 2 days, make me feel uncomfortable. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

It's just the fact that there are aleays a ton of people hanging around after hours that we don't know. A mixture between that the amount of drugs and alcohol that go around on the DZ, you can never be too careful. You never know what someone will do with a concoction of chemicals running through their brain. Especially if someone is telling them no. So I would still be cautious even if half the dz wasn't making those jokes. But those comments and crude jokes from people outside of our circle of friends doesn't help the feeling of unease. As I said, it's only when she's been drinking and everyone else is getting fucked up, I won't leave her side. On a normal DZ day however, I have no worries. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________

Its not that I dont trust her. I dont trust the guys. She is 5'0 108 lbs and if she had been drinking it would be really easy to overpower her. I am fully confident that I dont have to worry about her running off with someone but I am not confident that someone will not try to run off with her. and yes NWflyer, it is very disrespectful to her and other women on the DZ. Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society" "Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!" ____________________________________