Kris 0 #1 September 20, 2003 So....I get to the AOT boogie and things are hopping. I'm there no more than five minutes, filling out the mountain of paperwork at the registration tent, and have already received hugs from no less than 8 friends that I haven't seen in a while. First jump, did a two-way sit with Turtlespeed out of the CASA. Folks, his name needs to be changed to Lightning speed. I broke 215 in a head down and couldn't catch him. Second jump is the sunset load. Yeah, I got there late. I was feeling kinda zen so I just decided to do a solo and admire the view. Left the jumpsuit on the ground, thought about leaving my helmet for the full effect, but decided to go ahead and take it anyway. On exit, Tony from SSM was taking everyones picture so I did a reverse exit, cracked an evil grin, and threw out a couple of "hang-loose" signs as I fell away. Played in my sit, worked on some cartwheels, and spent from 6K to 3500 on my belly checking out the sun as it finished dropping over the horizon. 3500 comes so I take a look over both shoulders, wave off, make sure that I'm stable & level, and deploy. Folks, I have NEVER had a harder opening in my life. At that moment I had to decide whether I wanted to throw up, pass out, or scream in agony. I kept conscious, spit out a bit of bile, and screamed like it was a world-class event. Okay, fuck....I'm alive. I somehow manage to bend my head back, and I know my legs are okay because I really wished I couldn't feel my right leg right then, because it had been severely wrenched at both the hip and the knee and it was singing the anvil chorus. I look up at my Stiletto 190 and the left side has a bit of a line-over but the canopy is turning so gradually it's no big deal. I popped the toggles and it cleared so I finished collapsing and pulling my slider down as I continued looking at the canopy to check it out. That's when I noticed that the entire bottom panel had completely blown out of the 2nd cell in from the right and I had busted a control line. Since I was still at 2700 feet I tried a left turn and a right turn. Both were good but the right one took a bit of effort. Then I tried a practice flare. I got 1/4 into the brakes and the canopy started oscillating. Fuck! I can't land it, but I can fly it. I checked the traffic around me and flew over to the hangars. I hung out until about 2000', made damn sure there was no traffic below me or above & behind me, and then I chopped. My Tempo 210 opened wonderfully, if not a bit brisk for my right legs taste, and I stowed my handles for safe keeping, did some practice flares, got a bead on my main and freebag, and got into pattern for an uneventful landing. It was then that I noticed that my face felt really hot. It turns out I had a pretty good knot on my forehead and also had abrasions on my left cheek and the left side of my forehead. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had not been wearing my helmet we'd have been looking for my ear along with the rest of my equipment. I gotta give the Aggies credit. The DZO and the RWS factory rep had already gone after my freebag and my main landed right next to the hangar in the swoop area and was already being recovered by someone else. DZ.com's own Brits17 met me as I limped out of the landing area with a beer in hand for me. I had no less than 4 offers from other people who offered me gear to get me back in the air. Damn, those people rock.My Stiletto is going back to PD thanks to the RWS rep who offered to drop it off for me. Egon, if you're reading this, I really appreciate it! Unfortunately, my reserve freebag and PC were the victims of a TX highway. The road had just been re-tarred and tar was all over the bag, bridle, and PC. They're totalled. I have psycho-packed my Stiletto for the last 200+ jumps, the canopy has about 250 jumps on it, the lines are still white, and I had checked the trim 3 weeks previous. I did nothing different during my pack-job and had also un-twisted the brake-lines prior to that jump. Nothing about that pack-job was out of the ordinary. I flaked the entire canopy leaving the nose hanging and quarter the slider, pulled it out over the nose a bit, and made a pocket like I always do. This has given me consistant on-heading 600'+ snivels. None of the bands on my D-bag were damaged or broken either. I use 2.5-3" bights for my locking stows and 2" bights for the rest. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to what may have caused it, especially since Stiletto's are known soft-opening canopies. I'll find out more from PD once they get the canopy in and take a look at it. I decided to go ahead and head back home. Now I'm going to crash into bed and hope I can move my leg and knee once I wake up. sigh.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pds 0 #2 September 20, 2003 least you got a nice jump in before the shit hit the fan. not much of a silver lining, but.... drop a lude and chill bro.namaste, motherfucker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgoper 0 #3 September 20, 2003 first Kris, glad your O.K. i hate that your gear was damaged. out of curiousity, how many jumps on that StiLetto? what was the top speed of your freefall according to your ProTrac? Again, heal well, and good luck, Take Care.--Richard-- "We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #4 September 20, 2003 Quoteleast you got a nice jump in before the shit hit the fan. not much of a silver lining, but.... drop a lude and chill bro. Sky, I'm chill. Shit happens and I definitely understand that fact. But, I do like the way you think.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #5 September 20, 2003 Quotefirst Kris, glad your O.K. i hate that your gear was damaged. out of curiousity, how many jumps on that StiLetto? what was the top speed of your freefall according to your ProTrac? I put the number of jumps in the post. It's about 250 on that canopy. My laptop and gearbag are still downstairs and I have no desire to climb the stairs right now to pull a graph. However, the max speed I showed when I checked after the jump was 179mph, but the average for the bottom half was 131mph. Also, I always de-arch and grab air before I pull. Thanks for the vibes.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #6 September 20, 2003 Damn Kris! I'm glad you had enough operating brain cells after that whack to handle the problem, and that you walked (limped) away. Don't be the tough guy and suffer; call the doc, get checked out and get something for the pain if it's not better when you get up. hugs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #7 September 20, 2003 Damn kris, you sure know how to start off a boogie!! hehe, glad you're not more seriously hurt. heal quick, k? *blowing kisses to my hot messicano pal* ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jceman 1 #8 September 20, 2003 Kris, It sounds like a replay of the time my Skymaster blew up, only difference is that I could land my canopy. For you wiseasses out there, I'm not saying I'm better than Kris, just that what was left of my (substantially larger) canopy was landable. It happened on the first day of a boogie and I was very grateful for my helmet also. I'll echo what Lisa said: I'm glad you were able to handle the situation and leave it under your own power. If you're hurting as much when you read this, get checked out and get some relief. I want you to be able to enjoy your Team Lightspeed GTi. Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money. Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #9 September 20, 2003 Wow - glad you are ok bud! You are going to be sore for a while, so I would go to the Dr just in case....nice job on spotting your own chop. I'd be curious to see what the graph from the protrac says when you finally get up and about. The first thing I thought when I read your post was....hmmm, must be out of trim - it wouldn't seem that at 250 jumps it would be so out of what that it would hurt you and the canopy that much. The only times my Stiletto 170 or my old 190 use to hit me was when it was out of trim.......OR, when I used to pull the slider out front. I noticed that my openings tended to be significantly harder when I pulled it out over the nose, and it seemed that the slider would not come down symetrical/even during deployment. This would cause the slider to not catch as much air, and slid down the lines really quick and often bury the slider over the tops of the large risers I had. I hope PD comes up with a good answer for you! Get better soon!_________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nightjumps 1 #10 September 20, 2003 Kris, I'm not a big fan of psycho-packing, although confess to using it to get new canopies in the bag for about 35 jumps. I had the exact same thing happen on one of my Icarus canopies - except it was the top skin of the 7 cell. I narrowed it down to the psycho-pack as the cultprit because it was the only variable that had changed recently. My theory is that... if the tail is not tight, it gets exposed to the windstream really fast rather than being constrained by the slider. As a result, the canopy deployment is met with an opening force from both the front and rear of the canopy - rather than from nose to rear. I "think" its where the "front to back" meets is where the most force is generated and that's where the tear occurs. Sharing your pain.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #11 September 20, 2003 Slider rebound. Kris, you may have de-arched and caught air before you dumped but remember, your not a small guy and you weren't wearing your jumpsuit. I think you said 131 average at the bottom end, but when you get a chance, check your exact deployment speed. I'm not saying the speed was a direct cause. I am sayng that the increased speed will amplify the effects of even a minor packing change. If the slider was so much as a half an inch off the stops and you were even 10 mph faster than normal.....well, you get the idea. Get better bro, and put that jumpsuit on next time.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #12 September 20, 2003 QuoteKris, I'm not a big fan of psycho-packing, although confess to using it to get new canopies in the bag for about 35 jumps. Have to agree Kris - I'm not a fan of the psycho pack. Now, I know of several people that have had nothing but perfect openings for years with that pack job...but there is always the exception to that rule. I do believe PD doesn't recomend anything but a PRO pack on the Stiletto. Remind me to show you my packing style for getting larger canopies in the bag when we ar at Zhills for the Lovefest Boogie over Xmas (ya know, where all the cool kids are gonna be ). I learned how to pack on a Safire 260 and a Sabre 230_________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzdiva 7 #13 September 20, 2003 Glad you're okay!"It's not just a daydream if you choose to make it your life..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #14 September 20, 2003 Glad you're ok, Kris! Take care of yourself.Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacy 0 #15 September 20, 2003 heya kris! haven't you noticed that bad things happen to you when you go to texas? hitting deer, canopie faux pas... glad you're ok, at least now you can get a new canopy, since i know you've been demo-ing.... no better excuse. take care and take lots of good medicine... __ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #16 September 20, 2003 Damn I love my dz.com family.I did finally check my ProTrack. I was doing about 118mph during the de-arch and pull so I guess we can rule out the lack of a jumpsuit. Also, I don't wear a jumpsuit if I'm IAD'ing a full load of students, and I always take it to terminal before I deploy, so I've had a lot of no-suit jumps. Yeah, I'll hum it down on a 3500' exit. My knee is pretty bad. forwards & back movement is pretty stiff but any lateral movement and I just sit here and whimper. I'm making an appointment with the doc first thing Monday morning. Slider rebound....BWAHAHAHA!!!!! That was classic, Rev. Thanks. For those of you not in the loop, do a search on that little gem. I've been psycho packing since student status. It's how I learned how to pack and how I have packed a lot of canopies (except student canopies). I appreciate the suggestions but I can't see changing my bagging style, but thanks to some suggestions I got in PM's, I will make sure the slider is still up against the stops once I have finished rolling the canopy. Also, it may have just been a line-over (BEER!) which, according to Hooknswoop, can cause really hard openings. Sigh...I hope PD can shed some light. HELMET GOOD! Yeah, I'll definitely be remembering that one, Diva. And I think I'll stay the hell out of TX for awhile, too. Off to go slug down some more Ibuprofen and take a really hot shower.Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacy 0 #17 September 20, 2003 drink lots of mead too. i hear that will take the pain away. you better be healed up for the lovefest, or you will feel the wrath of stacy and heather!!! __ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laurel 0 #18 September 20, 2003 oohhh - my poor Kris. I hate that this happened to you. Take plenty of Tylenol or whatever pain med you prefer and have someone bring you some ice cream with Magic Shell. That always makes me feel better...................................................................... PMS#28, Pelogrande Rodriguez#1074 My Pink M Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #19 September 21, 2003 Quoteheya kris! haven't you noticed that bad things happen to you when you go to texas? hitting deer, canopie faux pas... glad you're ok, at least now you can get a new canopy, since i know you've been demo-ing.... no better excuse. take care and take lots of good medicine... __ Damn! apparently it only happens when he comes to South TX Kris, glad you are ok and stay away from here for a little while Heal fast brother. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherB 0 #20 September 21, 2003 Damn, boy! I had "insta-canopy" once and it truly sucked ass and I hadn't even broken any lines or anything! So I can only imagine..... Hopefully you have someone around who can play nurse and pamper you? Take it easy and try to get some nice drugs from the doc on Monday! *hugs* --Heather Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #21 September 21, 2003 QuoteSlider rebound....BWAHAHAHA!!!!! That was classic, Rev. Thanks. For those of you not in the loop, do a search on that little gem. Just doin' my part bro, just doin' my part! Kick back, relax, rest up, and, as Stacy said, drink lots 'o meade!!!It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #22 September 21, 2003 That sucks...I had a kinda hard opening today too. I know why mine happened though. Something about seeing a 5 way breaking off DIRECTLY below me. I was still in a sit and didn't take a whole lot of time to slow down. Uuumm...like none. Other than the chest strap hitting me in the chin it was fine. Glad that turned out OK for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mouth 0 #23 September 21, 2003 Kris, You need to be more careful sweetie cause I still need hugs from you. Keep your leg elevated and put ice on it to help reduce swelling. Alturnating tylenol and motrin ever 2 hours will also help. I'm sorry you missed my drunk dial Friday night. You owe me now. Let us know what the Dr says. Lovin' you, Lisa -- Hot Mama At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leroydb 0 #24 September 21, 2003 glad you are otherwise ok bro.... <<>>Leroy ..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #25 September 21, 2003 QuoteKris, You need to be more careful sweetie cause I still need hugs from you. Keep your leg elevated and put ice on it to help reduce swelling. Alturnating tylenol and motrin ever 2 hours will also help. I'm sorry you missed my drunk dial Friday night. You owe me now. Dammit! Missed your call. Sigh... Don't worry, Lisa. You know I'll make it up to ya'! My knee is doing a lot better. It's still stiff in the morning (heh), but lateral movemement is a lot less painful and it never swelled. I'm supposed to continue RICE therapy for 1-3 more days and if it's still painful then I'm to make an appointment. Here's a new one to add though, I went out yesterday to grab some grub and just get out of the house. When I grabbed my new pair of Oakley's, something didn't look right. There was a chunk of coating missing from the left lens about .5cm big and at the top of the frame was a small melted furrow about the same size. Looks like even having my Oakley's on saved my ass a bit. My experience with the Minute's is that the damn things are practically indestructable so I was glad I had those on and not my goggles. HootyHoo!!!Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
