chuteless

In 1975 and again in 1977, I was training the Brigade of Special Forces in Ecuador, South America. The first time I stayed in the Capital city of Quito, which is 9500 ft above sealevel. I was starved of oxygen for the whole two weeks that I was there, and could hardly move. I was able to lift my gear and get it on my back, but didnt have the strength to do up the snaps unless I gasped for some air for about 30 seconds. After finally getting my gear on, I would slowly walk to the aircraft, an Israeli Arava, which looked like a small cigar with twin tail booms. I would then ( with great effort) climb on board, and off we would go to climb another 7500 ft higher. For a 30 second freefall, we were jumping from17000 feet above sealevel, and this after living at 9500 feet, when we were not jumping. I couldnt breathe on the ground, and gasped for air almost all the time. The city is built on hills, and to walk anywhere, it was a real job to climb the hills. As we came in on jumprun, my interpreter Eduardo, would be running back and forth in the aircraft, giving the soldiers his last minute instructions. I was sitting near the door, not moving an inch. The first stick of jumpers went out, Eduardo was sticking his head out the door, and he turned to me and said " all right on target". In my situation, I mumbled "good for them" and waited until we had the plane again on jumprun, (Eduardo spotting) and when he said "Salto" I would get up, wheel around and fall out of the plane. In freefall, it was like jumping at home, no problem, I would do all I had to do, and when I dumped, I would be back in the real world, unable to breathe again. I would fly my chute to whereever the target was, and huff and puff after landing, gasping for air. Eduardo was so accustomed to the thin air, he and the others had no problems..their bodies were used to it....I was dead on my feet, but wouldnt lie down. Lying down took to much energy...which I didnt have. The next time (1977) I had them do the jumping on the coast of Ecuador at Salinas, and between jumps I could stick my feet in the Pacific ocean. No breathing problems...but massive bacteria in the drinking water...Boy, was I sick and dehydrated when I finally got back to Toronto...4 days in hospital. I have had 7 or 8 HAI courses (High Altitude Indoctrination), and each time was in a decompression chamber, to 35,000 or as high as 43,000 ft. At 30K +, we were told to remove our oxygen masks, and given tests to perform. We ended up trying to put square pegs in round holes, writing our name was nothing more than a scribble, not resembling any letters of the alphabet...just a scribble. We were given items to hang on a board of hooks in designated places, and failed them all. Once the mask was put back on our faces, we were fine, and it wasnt off for more than 1 minute for the test.The effects of hypoxia set in fast. When I jumped from 36,916 ft, I prebreathed for 20 minutes before the aircraft even took off to help purge the nitrogen from my body. I continued to breathe ( demand regulator) until jumprun, and then I unhooked the console supply of oxygen and went on my bailout bottle, which is 2000 lbs of oxygen pressure, forcing it into my lungs. This pressure reduces as the oxygen is used, and I come into the ambient air at 25,000 feet when the ground rush begins.I had a sensitive altimeter and a non sensitive altimeter and a stopwatch. The ground rush at that altitude is like jumping from 3000 feet and being at 500 feet. It is necessary to forcibly exhale during the use of the bailout bottle, because you are exhaling against the 2000 lbs pressure. The scenario of Neilly, is strictly HOLLYWOOD, and not in the least realistic. It is akin to putting 6 bullets in a revolver including one blank, and then playing Russian Roulette..hoping to get that one blank. Lack of oxygen in freefall at heights of 30,000 plus is no joke. One last thing. During the first Gulf War, two Brit air crew ejecfted from their disabled jet, and were taken prisoner. Their photos were put on the front page of every newspaper, their faces black and blue. It declared that the Iraqis had beaten them. When I saw the photos, I knew immediately the black and blue faces were from the ejection blast into the air. Its like being hit with a 2 X 4. Later, the news reports admitted that was the case. One cannot leave an aircraft travelling at extremely high speeds without suffering some damage, especially to exposed parts of their bodies ( i.e. faces). Neilly....tell your friend it just wouldnt work as your original scenario was put forth., Bill Cole D-41 Canada

with the scenario that you paint, wine, decompression, putting the chute on during decompression etc etc....I doubt very much you'd survive. I love a scenario with a risk, even an added risk, if I can plan it, but I wouldnt want to be part of your scenario at all. You have too many things against you before you begin. Bill Cole

Your question ( although hypothetical) has to be looked at as not rapid decompression in an aircraft, because that opens up a whole new ballgame. If for example, a guy has a face mask and is breathing pure oxygen from a supply on board,, and then at an open door he jumps, he likely could make it to enough ambient air to breath. If however, he is breathing an air mixture inside the aircraft, there would have to be rapid decompression to get the door open, and the scenario changes bigtime. prolonged breathing with a face mask, he could have body saturation, and there would be enough oxygen in his blood to make it to a lower altitude, but there would be no saturation breathing the air mixture supplied in a pressureized aircraft...likely giving him a problem. However, his biggest problem would come from the rapid decompression of the aircraft, with additional problems once he got out....IF he got out. Bill Cole

is that your phone number....drivers lic number....or maybe.your D- licence from USPA ?

I have a guy coming to my home to do some computer setup later this week...I'll let him do it, but thanks so much for the advice. I dont know much about computers, I'd end up flushing my cookies down the toilet.LOL Thanks again.

Ive been involved in many chamber tests, as high as 43000 feet. I was told by a physiologist that at 36,916, I would have had about 20 econds of useful consciousness, and then would likely have passed out. using that 20 seconds of freefall, would have brouht me into a better situatuion altitude wise, but what shape would I have been in at that time, I am not sure.The whole delay was 2 minutes and 29 seconds, so I still would have had 2 minutes....but in what condition?

If E mail is an English term, maybe the Frenchies could call theirs F-Mail....or F-MALE....or something.

Like Tony said...I'm kinda bored right now. Ive known about those two things for years....from a study I was involved with. Lots more, but two is enough....I have already shaken the world this morning. LOL

if you open the door of a presuurized cabin at that altitude, you wont have to jump...you and everything else will be sucked out so fast, your head may come off in the process...jet or not. I jumpmastered a load ina B-26 to 21,500, and before jumping, I saw my brother's eyes had NO white in them, they were all blood colored, from lack of oxygen. I told the pilot to take it down, and would not allow anyone to jump, until we had adequate equipment. I have also buddy breatehed with Darry Henry and Mari-Lou Macdonald in Florida, sharing one bottle between us. We each took one last gulp, and out the door at 22,120 ft. No problem. All jumps higher than that up to 36916 I used a console and switched to a bailout bottle for freefall. Its not a good idea to play games with hypoxia.

The kernels of corn or maize, are set in rows, always in an even number, like 8,10,12,14,16.....but NEVER in an odd number like 5,7,9,11,13. Many years ago, a slave was offered his freedom if he could find a cob of corn with an odd number of rows. He removed one row when the cob was young, and reclosed the wrappings and so it grew.. No one knows if the "bossman" let him go after he showed him the cob with an odd number of rows. YEAH TONY....I Guess I'm bored. LOL

Why do I have to use my password to get to the forums every time now. I never did before. I click on the "remember password" and I still have to go through the whole procedure everytime I want to get to the forums. Can you prevent that for me...regards, BILL COLE ( CHUTELESS)

STRANGE DUDE????? ME????? why would you think so? Not half as strange as you think. LOL

Did you ever wonder how a fly lands on the ceiling? No he doesnt do a roll so he can place all of his feet on the ceiling at the same time. When a fly approaches the ceiling where he/she intends to land, he places his front legs on the ceiling first, and flips his body up to place his/her other legs on the ceiling, thus ending up facing the direction from which he had been travelling to arrive at that spot. interesting EH?

The English language is the language of the world...it is the Universal language. However, French is a beautiful language, and the FrenchCanadian people are great people. It is the insidious ways that the French dominated government in Canada tries to force French on the rest of the country. It is the way in which they give hundreds of millions of dollars ( most of which comes from English Canada ) to francophone companies, i.e. Bombardier, Quebecor ), and the list is endless.

well, I must admit the French Canadians are very good at one thing, and that is creating scandals of megasize through their Liberal Party in the House of Commons. Imagine, a canoe museum for the PM's constituency, of course at taxpayers expense, , prolonged stays at plush resorts in return for favours, megamoney deals for a Montreal promotional agency in exchange for kickbacks to the Liberal party, and on and on and on it goes. How about the special arrangements for a loan of millions of dollars for the Hotel that is right beside a golf course which the PM has ( or maybe now it is "had") and interest in. Even the "Weasel" Don Boudria has been involved in scandal. No end to what they have pulled off. If you want a battle of wits, stick a "T" in front of it and argue with the Government TWITS.

sure you'll do okay speaking both languages, especially if you do anything ( even writing) that is related to the Canadian govenment. The armed forces (what there is of them) will only promote Frenchies. Watch and you'll see in TV interviews, whether in Afghanistan or in Canada, the spokesperson is ALWAYS french..and so are those with rank. Our idiot government demands it. If you think for 1 minute the government isnt behind a subtle move to spread french over Canada, your crazy. Sure they speak it in all ten provinces, many people in New Brunswick and Quebec, 3 people in each of the other provinces. The next Prime Minister will also be a French Canadian disguised as an English Canadian, Paul Martin...actually pronounced Paul Martan....Theres a lot more to this than meets the eye....you'll see. ribbit.!!!! Actually, I must confess, I have spent a lot of time in Quebec, especially in the 1980s, and I enjoyed it, and the people. I just dont like to government giving so much to the French Canadians and taking so much from English Canada to do it.

you mean exit stageux a la droit...dont you? Ribbit.....ribbit......ribbit.....croak !

congratulations.....Its nice to know that someone like yourself can keep a dream alive. I wish you the very best in the future. Bill Cole D-41

The Canadian Government is mostly made up of French Canadians who are striving to make French the dominant language in Canada. In Quebec, they even have language police, because they insist that stores and businesses are named in french, which must be in larger letters than English. You cannot have a business with an English name only. Most of the Cabinet ministers of the Government are French, and we even have to have 1 English national TV network and 1 French National network. They dont realize that French is a dying language...the sooner it dies, the better

Prince Charles did make a jump. He likely had a perfectly packed main, a perfectly packed reserve, and if they both happen to fail, he could have fluttered down to earth with his ears

be glad your not posting that thread in Canada...you'd have to do it in French as well. In case you didnt know it, we are a multicultural, multilingual and multi screwed up country...also multi taxed.

the cops knew the dog was a german shepherd...he was wearing a swastika armband on his leg.

after the instructor gets to 85 yrs old, make him take a means test...like driving a car

i guess he just wanted to try something new. Maybe he needed the banks money to buy a gun

I checked it...and it didnt show up, so I thought something must have gone haywire...ooops