Andy_Copland

I had two premature brake releases on an 84 that opened great until the slider started coming down and then the turn started. But by some miracle it never spun up on me. It was always the left brakes too and sometimes i'd find it half unstowed. New risers fixed it. Weirdest thing that ever happened was my excess getting caught on my ball and bungee and twisting my riser because of the force, it looked like a step through on one side. I chopped early and high but whatever.

Wow..... God help you if you ever have a real problem.

I have had two hard openings that really rocked my world and one ended up being a cutaway. In my experience, if you have time to look up, it's not a hard opening.

raveninca

First off sorry to hear about your accident and hopefully you will make a full recover quickly. I will also heed your advise and immediately stop flying my wing if I feel something is out of whack with it. With that said your post actually makes me respect PD a great deal. It is great to see that they want this canopy off the market as they deem it unsafe (for whatever reason) and they are willing to work with you, or your DZO to get you on a different velo, even suggesting finding a used one using their connections. To me that is top notch customer service, going well above and beyond what they have to do and thinking of a jumpers safety over their bottom line. Sure you will have to pay for the used canopy but I'm sure it will be a lot less than buying a brand new one from them.

As a business owner I know that PD doesn't have to do anything to help you out. You bought a used canopy from someone other than PD or a dealer that has problems and unfortunately that is on you. I know you said the original owner told you this and that but no offense to him/her but people lie all the time, especially when they are trying to sell something. I'm not saying that this person is out right lying about the history of the canopy but something happened to that canopy after it left the factory when it was originally built, that is pretty obvious.

The email that you posted I will assume was meant to be keep private between PD and your DZO but I am glad that you posted it as it shows true concern from the manufacturer and a willingness to work with you to get you under another wing that is safe (well at least safe from a manufacturing point, I mean how safe can a velo 84 actually be lol ). This story along with the fact that they are restricting the new Peregrine to invite only, shows that they actually care about the people under their wings and not about maximizing profits. That goes along way in my books...unlike other manufacturers actually sponsoring low time jumpers, high hour tunnel rats to fly their high performance wings at 100-400 jumps, if you missed that story there is a fatality in the incidents section currently about it.

This canopy was manufactured in 05 and I didn't even purchase from PD. I think what they are doing is incredible. There is a multitude of things that can happen to a canopy in that time,

zxcvb

***
I struck a few meters from the bank in waist deep pond. I was unconscious and floating face down... The leading edge was measured for shrinkage as well and discovered that it measures like a canopy that got wet and left to dry unsymmetrically.

Perhaps the shrinkage was due to you getting it wet?

It was already flying more than questionable.

In December of 2012 I purchased a Velocity 84 from dropzone.com classifieds, I should add, a rigger inspected it and I put a couple of jumps on it before I decided to buy it. Business is slow in winter and as Spring started coming around I was noticing some changes in my canopy flight. I didn't know if I was being super paranoid or if there was something wrong with my canopy. I simply put it down to a change in season, it was warming up and winds were kicking up.

During a very turbulent and windy day I did fuck up. I was over the pond and initiated my turn. At 650ft my canopy collapsed. I don't remember much, but I do remember it reinflated in linetwists and in a dive. Witnesses say I freefell the last 100-150ft and I struck a few meters from the bank in waist deep pond. I was unconscious and floating face down. I came to in the ambulance, long story short I had fractured my cheek bone, broken a rib, two teeth and had bleeding on the brain.

After recovery I was very timid as you can imagine, I was taking it easy getting back into the flow of things and working towards a clean 270 again. But in the back of my head I still had concerns about the canopy, even having some canopy pilots comment on the way it looked as I flew it and I was starting to offer other experienced canopy pilots to jump it and give me their input. That didn't happen before my accident though.

It was the final load of the day for me, winds were not bad but not great. I was landing in the exact same spot as tandems who were having no problems with the winds in that area. As it was just a little windy though I was being reserved and not swooping. I was in full flight on my base leg when my left side folded under, I tried to dig out on toggles but it didn't help.

Injuries sustained were fractured L4, right femur, right heel and also compounded my left tib/fib which destroyed my ankle. To try and explain the amount of pain I was in is impossible and not the point of this post. Lets just say I was fully conscious for the whole thing, including traction. I had 8 surgeries in 30 days.

The canopy was sent into PD while I was recovering and my DZO received the following email.

“This Velo has been inspected, relined and tested. This canopy was given much consideration due to the nature of the accident. The leading edge was measured for shrinkage as well and discovered that it measures like a canopy that got wet and left to dry unsymmetrically. It did not test well as you can imagine.

This situation is one of those where we want to get this canopy off-line and out of the field, but the canopy was used and bought second hand, was jumped 200 times by the current owner before reporting any issues so we'd like to explore something that we can do to help out. Replacing it with a brand new at no charge isn't really an option on this one. What are your thoughts on this since you know your customer much better than we do. We would like to suggest perhaps replacing the canopy with a used one from one of our sources here at PD….again, we would appreciate your comments.

I will look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to ask me any questions as well in regards to this canopy.”

As I type this my fiance is on her way to the dropzone to edit some video's and get an accurate jump number I have put on the wing, I actually believe its closer to 100.

I have since contacted the original owner who says the canopy has never been wet, he is the original owner and his DZ doesn't have a swoop pond and never jumped in rain even.

At this point I'm not about pointing fingers, all I will say is if you have any doubt in your equipment, don't do what I done and sit on the fence questioning such silly things as seasons, turbulence and heat. Just stop jumping it and get it inspected.

My procrastination almost cost me my life.

Thanks brother

You've seen these on FB Twardo, but for anyone who hasn't its not for the weak stomached.

airtwardo

Don't know if anyone else is following Andy's FB musings...

He's kinda n rough shape, the skin graft they tried on the huge hole in his leg failed.

This after a day or two of putting leeches on it to encourage blood flow I guess...ick.


They're about to try the last ditch surgery - grafting forearm skin & a vein or artery into the leg...he could use some positive vibes as there is a very real chance of losing the leg at this point.

I've never met Andy in person but have conversed with him often both on here & Facebook, he's rightfully scared & I'm keeping him in my thoughts and prayers on this one. If you're so inclined I urge you to do the same.

I couldn't hurt...and doesn't cost a thing.

Thanks Twardo, It's been rough. Over 4 weeks in the hospital now and it's been bad news after bad news. I am scared out my mind right now, that was my 7th surgery in exactly 4 weeks. It's became a war of attrition and I'm exhausted.

Final hurdle is up Tuesday, 10 hour surgery.

I found my dog on the side of the road in Alabama, he was white tongued, covered in fleas and ticks so bad i had to pull them from between his toes etc

Wasn't sure he'd make it the little bastard. Either way I have no idea what he is but hes big, bigger than my house mates pit.

Best dog I have ever owned, he has never wore a lead and simply follows me when hes not running around 55 acres of private property. Chasing birds, points his leg in the pond hunting fish...hes so fucking smart.

TracyS

Andy,

Glad to see you up and posting. See you at the Farm soon.

Thanks Tracy, I hope all is well bud.

You got yourself into the sport, i just helped instead of letting you figure it out yourself and putting yourself in more danger.

FreeFallFiend

***

I wasn't any good anyway.

I do miss my life though, living by watching myself

https://vimeo.com/61023789

Nice vid. Those guys rock.

No love for one of your earlier jumpers you got into the sport?

You would have made the credits if you had jumnped with me in Moab instead of doing your silly "lets try beat the weather" death jumps!

Thanks Skyrad, that's exactly the case.

And Jim, my thoughts exactly.

I know im not popular with some people right now (insurance, medical threads and i can see why) but i'd like to put that to the side for a second.

A while ago I was being bugged to teach some guys how to BASE jump, i didnt really want to and i wont go into details but i found out one had a bad disease. As he said to me "I have to live my life at 120mph right now" so in heartbeat i decided to get everyone together and drive thousands of miles, make a road trip out of heading to the bridge and teach these guys.

Since then we have all become close and the "Blue Ribbon Bandits" were born. It was one of the best decisions i've made and while im laid up in hospital I thought i'd share some of our experiences together. Here is a little of our 2012 complete with dz.com's "Agent Lead" throwing a music track in there.

https://vimeo.com/61023789

Some, with this damn injury i can't move well and spilled a fucking drink on my laptop. Its outside video from above and the hard drive has been salvaged, just gotta get it back

nigel99

Well it speaks volumes about swooping, when a bat shit crazy base jumper, gives up swooping cause it's too dangerous

Different horses different courses, BASE just came naturally to me and swooping was a little harder. I just get it more ya know? I left one outside shot of me swooping on that video and it was a decent little run, but with me being hurt i now have a fused ankle so wont physically be able to swoop. I love it but im scared of it too.
Edit to add: I have never busted myself up or hurt myself from a low turn, i was cracked by turbulence which is even scarier.

I did

Wow today was fucked up. lol

I did, Thai food fell out my rectum.

Cheers mate.

turtlespeed

***

My swooping days are over,

Suuuuuuuuuure they are.

I wasn't any good anyway.

I do miss my life though, living by watching myself

https://vimeo.com/61023789

Copied from facebook.

There are just too many people to thank....but thank everyone for helping me through this nightmare. The support I have had, the gifts and the well wishes are mind blowing. I could never pay back all the people who have helped me, but I shall never forget what everyone has done for me and Sarah and be the first to help a friend in need. From the bottom of my heart I thank everyone sincerely, I'm not out the woods yet, but the main shit is over. Now its just skin grafts.

My swooping days are over, my skydiving days are not.

Been years since I've been on here. Same questions different people
A.) Distraction
B.) Motivation to act retarded
C.) You'll be lucky to be in frame
D.) No one wants to see 10 front flips out a door, there is no reference.
E.) Id go into a serious in depth answer but im really high on pain shit.

Holy shit I sound old.

Took me a while to find this, I got bored stirring the place up. But let's see.. First thing first Nigel should have took that bet because it was a black and yellow storm 170. Just because I was jumping it it doesn't mean it was mine or smallest I had jumped. It's not unusual to see me jump larger canopies now and then even if I own smaller.

I was exchanging emails, working out finances and creating a plan with billing hence I'm still in the hospital being treated. I didn't ask for this and thank my extended family who have helped and been so kind to me. Payment plans have been worked out and expenses were being paid without the help. That said, I should have had some insurance, I'm not going to argue and defend every decision I make. No insurance and its hurt me

I'm sorry this thread turned into this but thankfully there is a place called real life that I live in that holds some of the most cherished people I care about so don't hold your breath for an argument guys.

I am not changing who I am, I have given everything to this sport and the people in it. This was NOT a low turn but a straight in on my 84 loaded at 1.9 and I have probably a couple of hundred more jumps than listed. The canopy is being inspected by PD as it was new to me and has been acting strangely for about a month.

Friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I can't tell you what it has meant. Everyone else can jog.

Who doesn't like him? catholics.

I think he's great.