Worst jump to date. . . . . .

[DYEVOUT 0]

DAMMIT !!

I had my worst jump yesterday. #17, Coach jump, 10,000agl, C185. Took a little too long getting my (crampy) shit together in the door, stretching the spot a bit - Diving exit (my favorite).

Tracking/Adjusting fall rate to catch my coach took longer than usual - checked alti - took grips - coach turns and tracks - WTF?

Check alti again - SHIT!! past time to dump - throw it out - snivvel, snivvel, snivvel, slider stuck at top, end cell folded under, slight turn, 1 line twist - pump brakes like a man possessed - good canopy, WHEW!!

I'm used to "firm", consistent openings from that 230 footer - surprise !!

Check alti - 2,400 - big Sabre (at 1:1) not penetrating at all, not going to make it back to DZ, looking for suitable landing area. MMMMMM, lots of power lines - here's a little field - I really like this big, pretty, orange Sabre, I can do this.

Gonna be a cross-winder, to avoid power lines. Some "S" turns to bleed off some alti - started in on final too high, crap, there goes my nice, little field. Still got room, these rocks aren't that big - I can run this out - big Sabres flare nice.

Doh! Rocks are pretty big, but so are my feet - touchdown - 1 step, 2 steps, YOWWCH !! How do those thorny vines find sufficient nourishment on large rocks?

I'm not broken, and the canopy missed the evil vegetation that I'm wrapped up in, and bleeding on. This is good, I guess.

Boy, did I feel like a retard on the truck ride back to the DZ. All my fault - must have somehow misread my alti - feel like an ass. Coach was pretty cool about it in debrief, says this stuff happens sometimes.

Wanted to get 2 jumps in, but went home after that mess. Didn't think I had the proper attitude to do another that day. NOT HAPPY

(vent, vent)

----------------=8^)----------------------
"I think that was the wrong tennis court."

[leroydb 0]

hey dont worry about it. Just relax.. thats the biggest thing i have found in my few (315) jumps. you react better, faster, and calmer if you are relaxed. Just picture the whole jump in your head, slowly over and over on the way up. and have fun its why you got in it for the first place

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[mccordia 74]

Actualy, the best thing to do after a small misshap, is to get RIGHT back up...

This restores your trust in yourself, and saves you from a week (or longer) of slapping your own head, and feeling unsure about your next jump...

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[skydiverbrian 0]

Quote

Actualy, the best thing to do after a small misshap, is to get RIGHT back up...

This restores your trust in yourself, and saves you from a week (or longer) of slapping your own head, and feeling unsure about your next jump...

AGREED! I pulled below 2 grand on my 9th jump. Scared the shit out of me and I was ready to go home, but my instructor (Rook Nelson) forced me to make a 20 minute call and do it again. Was just the medicine I needed!

In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal

[Casie 0]

It does happen to us all at one point or another It just keeps ya on your toes! Think positive & be relaxed

~Porn Kitty
WARNING: Goldschlager causes extreme emotional outbursts!

[JumpCrazy 0]

This is interesting because I did the same kinda thing this weekend (jump 28).

Coach jump: Dive exit and 3 pins (all in all, a nice freefall) looked at my alti and read 5000ft .... ok, got some time till the planned breakoff (4000ft) but no time for another pin (I am slow). Coach waved me off so I turn, track, flare, wave, then I noticed the ground and knew I was lower than my 3000' pull altitude just by that. wave, pull.

Nicest opening I have ever had on my packjob (still learning that too). Check alti, 1500ft! CRAP!

I had a nice spot though and made it back. I was waiting to get yelled at but my coach simply asked what I pulled at (about 2200') and said try not to do that again and suggested I think about getting an audible. I went up again later that day very aware of my altitude.

It turned out that I simply misread my alti while in the track (it is tricky to read with the hands at your sides) I thought I was about 500-600' higher than I really was.

Flying Hellfish #470

[Magistr8 0]

I agree completly. I was having a problem a few jumps back with stability and really scared the hell out of my instructor(s) 2 times.

I was working my way up to 9000 doing graduated freefall from the cesna when I started completly going out of control. I scared even myself I was on my back and then got on my belly but was doing a lot of flat spins.

In the end I tackeled it from a new angle and got a coach jump complete with video, to correct the problem. Had i not gone back up and done more jumps I would have been real hard on myself all week and probably come back the following week and done the same thing.

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Napoleon Bonaparte

[jtval 0]

Quote

Actualy, the best thing to do after a small misshap, is to get RIGHT back up...

This restores your trust in yourself, and saves you from a week (or longer) of slapping your own head, and feeling unsure about your next jump...

I third that opinion! my last jump before I wen tto korea was a low pull. I was open at 1700 if I remember correct. MY alti is to be open at 2500. thing Is, I lost alti awareness on that jump! It sucked. I had to go to korea after that I didn't get a chance to jump for EIGHT months AND in a different country(austalia).
it kinda sucked but i knew WTF i did wrong and I had 102 jumps then so I wasnt SO freaked out.

My advice:
LEARN from your mistake and pass it on to anyone who may learm from it too!
if you were on a solo would you have realized you were gettin glow? Probly. b/c you wouldn't have been concentrating on the dock! but remember next time to keep your wits about you!
glad youre ok!

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[DYEVOUT 0]

Quote

Actualy, the best thing to do after a small misshap, is to get RIGHT back up...

This restores your trust in yourself, and saves you from a week (or longer) of slapping your own head, and feeling unsure about your next jump...

You are probably right. I've employed that strategy with bad dirt bike accidents, broads, etc... I just figured since learning is the goal of these coach jumps, my seriously PISSED OFF (at myself) attitude would not be conducive to the learning experience.

----------------=8^)----------------------
"I think that was the wrong tennis court."

[freakydiver 0]

You are still here able to write and walk - thats all that matters at the end of the day/jump!

Look at it this way, many people might not have reacted as well as you in such a situation - well done!

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[jtval 0]

Quote

You are still here able to write and walk - thats all that matters at the end of the day/jump!

Look at it this way, many people might not have reacted as well as you in such a situation - well done!

what about all those who are to drunk to do that?
i thought to them THAT was all that mattered! lol

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[Jimbo 0]

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Gonna be a cross-winder, to avoid power lines.

Nice job. Too many people get caught up with "I need to land into the wind", this usually results in bruised, broken, or dead skydivers. Sounds to me like you did O.K.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[riddler 0]

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took grips - coach turns and tracks

Your coach should have given you a signal to turn and get out of there long before he/she left. Did that happen?

[jerm 0]

only according to the very new rules.... until this year it was made a very big point that coaches are NOT aff inctructors.. and are not supposed to be giving pull signals. the coach is (was) supposed to break off and pull as they normally would...... the novice should get the hint from that if they're still in freefall.

Landing without injury is not necessarily evidence that you didn't fuck up... it just means you got away with it this time

[DYEVOUT 0]

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coach turns and tracks

That is the signal.

----------------=8^)----------------------
"I think that was the wrong tennis court."

[riddler 0]

OK - so I guess this is more of a question for coaches, since I am in the process of getting my rating now. Here is what I've been taught.

The coach should take some time before the jump and ask what break-off altitude the student would like. It should be well above the 3,000 feet hard-deck the BSRs require for students. 5,000 might be a good place. At 5,000, the student can turn and track, and the coach can observe the break-off technique of the student. If there's enough time, the student can also turn back and see how far they got in relation to the coach - a good exercise for improving your tracking.

Now, if the student shows no sign of breaking at the designated altitude, the coach can wave the student off. I give a "tomahawk chop", or a "fluff wave" so as not to point and accidently give a pull-signal. There should be time for the student to get it, and if they don't, then the coach can break off at a lower altitude and hopefully the student will get it then.

So, I like to pull by 3,000 minimum - I will often encourage a break-off altitude of 5,000. If the student doesn't break at 5, I give them a few signals and if they don't get it by 4, I turn around and leave.

Anyone else taught this method? Or are coaches being taught to just leave? I don't think that's as good - if a coach just scoots off at a low altitude, that doesn't give the student much time to react.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD