reprobate

I'm sort of hurt now. I was rock climbing and slipped a hand jam and pulled off my left thumb nail. Then, on my last STP with my instructor Cris Miller, I pulled the toggles down so far my hands drug on the ground. That hurt the thumb and I shoved my hand around. When I got squared away I noticed my left little finger was bent 45 degrees. I didn't think this was right so I straightened it out. In a couple of days it turned black so I went to the doctor and he X-rayed it and told me that it was dislocated and when I fixed it my self I fucked up and broke my own finger and it must now be be pinned in order not to lose range of motion and not be able to pick my nose. That's what he said. So I went to Michigan on a vacation and while I was loading a horse and mare in a trailer I jammed my finger against the horse. This hurt and I kicked him. He kicked back and stepped on my right foot. While he had me pinned he pissed on me. We decided Yellowstone was a better vacation spot and took AMTRAK from Kalamazoo to Salt Lake. We got a sleeper compartment because I was in pain but she made me take the top bunk and I didn't notice the safety net that went across them and got pitched out. This didn't hurt because I am used to getting kicked out of bed. In Yellowstone the best place to see Old Faithful is not the nearby bleachers but to climb a low hill and look down on it. If it's not cloudy you get a really good view. Anyway, my stepped on foot twisted and I slipped and sat on a rock and busted my tail bone. And now horse piss or something has got the foot infected. I guess this is skydiver related because of the little finger and now with it and my nail less thumb I'm wearing a guard on little finger and thumb and don't think I would be able to perform a cut away and reserve pull with best efficency so I have grounded myself for awhile. I really enjoyed the vacation tho. Carl

I don't know how it could be debunked, it has been around for awhile. I saw the question at U.TX and a relative saw it at O.U. It seems to be a real question that happened somewhere and pops up every 4 years or so. Carl

True, True. I also should have added that USPA also doesn't keep injury data, only faltalities. That said, as a concerned student/parent (my kids don't want to lose their meat ticket ) I talked to staff at 3 area DZ's and all of them were very candid about injuries that happened at their respectiove DZs. I have asked ski run managers about accidents that had happened to friends while I was there and they would all but deny any accidents happened. "Sking is a safe, fun, family oriented sport". Their quote. Carl

There are not many sking fatalities each year but many, serious injuries. Anyone that has skied for several years can recount all sorts of horror stories. It is practacally impossible to get statistics out of the ski industry. I am convinced the association that covers them also covers them up. Sking is a bigger business than skydiving, does not have the apperance of risk and is socially acceptable. Carl

Here is a for instance - that has happened on a county fair bungee jump - Daddy is taking Daughter on a 16th birthday outing, she wants to make a tandem skydive so Daddy signs the waivers and something goes wrong. Mama sues everyone involved because Daddy was not the custodial parent. Carl

Kinda got carried away here, buttin' in like that. I thought, Ho Boy, I don't know beans about skydiving but I just finished water survival training in April and it's still fresh. Carl

You asked Richard but I'll butt in

I'll reply. I've spent 2/3s of my working life on offshore rigs. I am a consultant "Company Man" and engineer. We heard about that crash and inquired as to what crews were on board as many of us know someone that works in the North Sea. A review of emergency procedures was the subject of the two safety meetings for the day, especially since today is crew change day, albeit by boat. A group that meets for religous services included their families in their prayers even though they didn't know any of them. I like 76s and Bristoe has a good safety record, I flew on their ac's in the Gulf. There may not have been replies because being passenger in anything is helpless and is uncomfortable to talk about. My guys don't like discussing it at all because they all know that if they go down they have little chace of survival. I'm only a student of skydiving (and impatiently waiting for the hitch to end to get back to lesson #3) but I have more control over my fate with a parachute than as passenger in a helicopter. If you have seen them, you know we are packed in so tight you can't move, much less get out quick. Carl

I had the same problem. However, using the search by forum member function works. Carl

Im scared I will die I'm in jump school, level 2 and I think I'm in more danger riding my bicycle along the highway than skydiving. Take your tandams, it's a Big Gulp stepping out that door but once you do everything is OK! Carl

There is also: Beer I fear I shall never hear a poem as lovely as a beer. The brew they serve at Joe's on tap, with its golden base and foamy cap. The brew I sit and sip all day, Until my troubles melt away. MAD lives!

An added thought. German paratroopers used a single riser rig with the riser attached in the middle of their back. They were expected to stabilize themselves by using their arms. I don't know if the Luftwaffe used single or double risers but if they use the single system those guys probably would have spun until they blacked out before they were beaten to death. In Norway they expermented with flying BELOW the storm and jumped WITHOUT parachutes into snow banks. This from a Norwegian friend but I have seen no other referances to it.

Another true story: In the 1930s Hitlers young men did several very dangerous things in attempts to win fame for Germany. One documented event was planned high altitude jumps through Cumulo Nimbus clouds and thunderstorms. One jump had several parachutists accually jumping into a known hail storm. It was reported that one man was airborne 30 minetes and died of hail stone impact. This has been mentioned in several histories of the early days of the Luftwaffe.

Love by Alfred E. Newman The love of a beautiful maid, The love of a staunch, true man The love of a babe, unafraid, Has existed since time began. But the most beautiful love, The love of all loves, More beautiful than that of a Mother Is the tender, infinate, passoniate love Of one drunken bum for another.

Being a student I haven't had that many rides up. But.. I turned to skydiving because I am having problems clearing my ears with SCUBA. A 40 foot desent I am yo yoing up and down blowing and clearing. This was caused by a tube infection. A 14,000 ft ride clears easy, at 5500 my tubes need clearing but not bad enough that I need to do it first, or fast. The pressure reduction is less than the pressure increase on most dives. This has been pointied out on the other posts. The only time I have had trouble was in an unpressureized glider when I had a cold.

BillVon wrote: Everything else - your parachutes, your altimeter, your AAD, your RSL - can fail. Fortunately, most of these failures are survivable as long as you practice for them and do not rely on them. After lurking, surfing, reading and winding up getting the crap scared out of me, I am now a student and I have followed this thread with more than casual interest. My first thought was if an instructor wanted me to do a low hop n pop I would go along with it. If I was asked to disable the backup equipment I would find another instructor. I did read further however, and thougt about what I think (hope) he ment. Since I am a very much a newbie I would like to give some info on safety in another very dangerous place that uses fall protection. A drilling rig. The fall protection harness is a full body harness and if one is riding on an ascender line (aka man rider) the fall line is sliding along beside him on another fixed cable. We train in them but do not jump off the derrick to practice because even if the stuff works the snap can injure. We train to use it but train harder to depend on work planning to not need it and in back up procedures. On one occasion when everything seemed to not work as written out in the books a safety rep asked me what I was going to do about "that lash up". I replied that training and drills had allowed them to think their way out of multipule equipment mals without inujury which is the point of the whole thing. My fears as a student is not that my equipment may fail but that I may fail My student rig has an AAD in it but the idea of depending on it makes me pretty nervous. I plan on having one but never using it. I had accually wondered about practicing a cutaway in the air but believe the best place is hanging in the hanger.

Michele, I would like to suggest that you ask for a report from the credit reporting companies in order to determine if the credit card company had reported a past due payment status. If this has happened you will have the pleasure of talking to Mr. Wagner again about getting this removed. Two years ago I was a victim of identity theft and the perps had turned in a "change of address" that had been entered on my credit report files. I feel for you. This is about the most frustrating thing I can think of.

Sorry, Michele. My SO doesn't at all like the idea of me skydiveing. My reference to keeping it up was double entendre in keeping with my Reprobate reputation. Thanks for your answer.

Thanks, All. I've made reservations at the DZ for tomorrow before I even read these. I have been checking equipment and other sites and what I am seeing is sort of in line. A little larger main and reserve for obvious reasons. Saturday we are MTBing a place called "The Wall" a 20 jump which I walk so I under stand bones + breaking! Also the older gent doing his own thing sorta looks like what I had in mind. The higher pull makes sense. Fortuneatly, I have enough income to get good gear when the time comes. I am an engineering consultant and the work I do has had me in riding harnesses, rescue gear, life support systems so I trust well maintained, properly operated equipment. I feel this is a plus. The only equipment I am unsure of is mine

Thanks, I am going to re-post it. I intend to go for it, already have. My concerns were what adjustments may be needed due to age. Slower reflex time, vison not as sharp, such as that. We are supposed to quit tail gateing past 50, age not MPH!

OK, I have been wanting to join the skydiveing world for some time and finally woke up that I wasn't better or younger! I have made my two tandems, liked it fine and the instructors encourged me to keep it up, as does my ladyfriend. I have made reservations for starting my AFF. Now. POPS web site is no more, The Skydivers Over Sixty Society doesn't have one. I would like some input on STARTING skydiveing at 63. Most old skydivers, I feel, have been at it for years.I am not worried about fitness, I am better than my peers, I ride and race Mtn, Bikes and rock climb. I am not worried about the equipment as I have used life support, rescue and safety equipment all my life and trust well maintained, properly used equipment. My concerns are stability, position etc. Thinking about doing the front and back rolls is already giving me pause. Any older new flyers on this forum? Sorry about the length, don't know how to make this briefer.