agnieszkas

Hi t the time passes so fast... if i close my eyes, i can still remember your smiling face on your last jump. You would be proud of me as i carry on jumping... :) i had a privilege to be your student. thank you! blue skies crazy polish girl :)

Could have been a joke... Seen many times the tandem instructor making serious comments like that, or even better "this is my first tandem jump" - trying to get some reaction (scared reaction) from his passenger.

Sorry - typo (it happens when you write your response in a small window) AS I HAVE NEVER DONE A REAR RISER LANDING BEFORE, TRYING IT INSTEAD MY FIRST RESERVE RIDE WAS NOT THE GREATEST IDEA OF MAN KIND.

Thank you all for valuable input. I was the person you were all discussing. Facts: - I did my own pack job and was distracted. My own fault and no one else to blame. - Jump 273 - yes low number. - canopy - pilot 150. Wing loading 0.95 - drop zone - Johannesburg, South Africa. High altitude drop zone. - weather conditions - hot, specially for this time of the year - plus 29 celsius. - Hop and pop from 6800 feet. - Under the fully inflated canopy at 5800 feet - Both risers twisted. Right toggle inside the twist. No chances to release (tried moving the right twist up, but my body weight not allowing it). Actually, what is still not clear to me is that the right side looked like had 3 full twists, while the left only one. If I ever thought someone wanted to make a joke on me, that would have been a way to go ;-) - Left toggle - would have been able to release, as the twist above. Decided not to release the left one, as that could put me into a spin. - Decision to cut away was well thought. Reason - I WOULD NOT be able to land this canopy properly. - Under the fully inflated reserve just under 4000 feet. - I DID the right thing. Lessons learnt: 1. When you start packing, you finish it, than talk to people that have urgent requests... 2. Each drop zone is full of macho guys that think they can give you advice and know better (and specially when you are a chick in a red jumpsuit). If you listen to everything they say and take their advice, you might find yourself in bigger shit than you would have been in a first place. 3. If you have a low number of jumps and you are not an experienced sky diver, you get even more advice. It can make you really sick. 4. Blokes are obviously stronger than even us, quite fit chicks. I really could not roll the twist. Gym more ;-) 5. Each person makes own decision within his/hers ability or level at that point. The objective of the sky dive should always be a safe landing. I certainly hope, no jumper with lower numbers listened to all the great suggestions and will not try it in his free time before getting proper briefing or training. AS I HAVE NEVER DONE A REAR RISER LANDING BEFORE, TRYING IT ON MY FIRST RESERVE RIDE WAS NOT THE GREATEST IDEA OF MAN KIND. Outcome: Reserve ride saturday morning. Reserve repacked sunday afternoon (thank you to a rigger, that not only was prepared to pack my reserve on saturday afternoon, but even cooked a dinner for me and my kid). Jumped already on sunday. Sky diving is a great place to be and makes me feel alive. I don't need to prove anything to anybody, not even to myself. I enjoy every jump, every learning experience and every second of it. I meet great people along and great egos. Learnt a lot from this experience and from "good and bad ideas". Blue skies Agnieszka