FrstJmp1962

Not that I'm suspicious,... but April 1st being the date of this announcement ... well, you know!

Hi Steve, I just read your post about exiting the small door of the Beech. On my 88th jump, Aug 15, 1964 at Orange MA, I bent my top pin. It was on a solo 45 second delay dive for my C license. Vin Silvia, the ASO was observing. I made 2 attempts to open my main and during that brief time I actually had a memory flashback and recalled the hesitation I experienced as my pack hit the top of the door and I thought "I bet you've bent your top pin and you're going to have to use your reserve". I doubt if I would have ever remembered that hesitation at the door if I could have deployed my main normally. I stuck my left arm out and rolled onto my right side as I pulled the reserve. I then attempted to "punch" the reserve as I'd been taught. Needles to say, it wasn't there and immediately I experienced it's HARD opening. I heard myself audibly grunt. As quick and as hard as the opening was, it didn't hurt, at least then. I made a couple of attempts to reach through the lines and sweep my arms back inorder to get vertical but with the heavy main on my back I wasn't able to. Maybe I was just weak. My more immediate concern was that I was over thick pine woods and I had real doubt that I'd drift far enough downwind to make the airfield. Finally the tree line slipped beneath my feet and about 3 seconds later I landed. First my heels and then my butt. That was the most painful part of the jump. In a minute or two I was able to get to my feet and take my rig off. I got into the pickup truck that had come from the other side of the field and was driven back to the flight line. I put the rig back on and with a number of observers gathered around was able to successfully pull the main. It took a real effort though and there wasn't the constraint of time. I wasn't hurt and even jumped the next day. But a day or two later I was so sore on my left side that I went to the doctor thinking I might have torn something. He said everything on my left side was just strained and I should be fine in a week or so. I went back to the dropzone the following weekend but just to hang out. I was too sore to feel like jumping. I still have that ripcord and I'll try to attach a couple of images. Regards Ed Whyte C 2186