jazzman412000

One particularly tense moment I experienced was the day I was at the drop zone (Green County, Covington, La. back in 1979) and was waiting for my ride up. I was packed, suited up, and just walking around chit-chatting with other divers. I decided to stop and watch a moment as the previous group of students were starting to come out above me. I watched the first come out and his chute billowed open. Then the next came out and his chute billowed open. The third came out and instead of his chute billowing open, he appeared to stop behind the plane and start following it! It took me a couple of heartbeats to realize what I was seeing--the guy's chute had somehow gotten caught on the tail of the plane! I yelled and got everyone's attention, and we all stood in rapt horror as the plane began its relentless ride to the ground trailing the hapless student. The reader might ask why the student didn't just cut away and open his reserve. Well he couldn't; during training it was explained that the capewells of the main canopies were wired shut because of an accident some years before when a girl had fallen to her death 200 feet above the ground when she accidently released one of her capewells. The plane came down and landed dragging the unfortunate student behind it. Luckily the pilot was extremely skilled and landed the plane with a minimum of roll. As it turned out the student survived with only a broken finger and a gash in his thigh. A local tv reporter interviewed him in the hospital and asked him if he would ever jump again. As I recall he said.."Absolutely! I have to do again so I can see what it's like when you do it right!"

Thanks for responding! So you jumped with Herb "back in the day"? Just wondering.

Thanks for responding! Yeah I had already found that.

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Hi everyone! I have been having a mid-life crisis recently (just turned 52) and, naturally, in an attempt to reclaim lost youth have been thinking about the things I used to do when I was in my 20's. That's how I happened to stumble upon your great website. I made my first jump in 1978 with a high school friend after we met Herb Graves Jr. at an air show in Lafayette, La. We jumped together for the next 3 to 4 years and I ended up making 32 jumps. I stopped after I entered college and never made another jump. My friend went on and made many more jumps. I was wondering is Herb Graves Jr. is still around...anyone know? Thanks...and everyone have a great day! Jazzman