Be ready to go...

[speedy 0]

Today I noticed how important it is to be ready to jump when the aircarft is climbing to altitude and especially when some are exiting at 5000ft and the rest (you) at 14000ft.
Unfortunately a pilot chute from one of the jumpers leaving at 5000ft got wrapped around the stabilizer of the aircraft. The pilot chute then snapped allowing the main to deploy without any further entanglement. The pilot chute (collapsed) remained attached to the aircraft. We decide to all to bailout, including the tandem for which I was doing video. There was no video for the guest in the end

Lot's of people jumping without goggles, including me , I watched the tandem exit, quickly trying to get all the belts tightened up, then out. I thought at the time time the TM had so much freefall I could have done the video.

No injuries, and the pilot landed O.K.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[chuckbrown 0]

Absolutely. Anytime the door opens to let someone out low, I'm ready to exit. This is a prime example of why.

[diablopilot 2]

Agree 100% and will go even furthur to say, don't get on the plane untill you are ready to jump. Legstraps tight, chest strap on, goggles and helmet ready to go as they can be put on quickly. Also in the event of a real A/C emergency, be ready to get out without gear that may take too long to put on if it means your life (i.e. camera helmets) and know your comfort altitudes for your reserve vs. main.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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The pilot chute (collapsed) remained attached to the aircraft. We decide to all to bailout, including the tandem for which I was doing video. Lot's of people jumping without goggles, including me , I watched the tandem exit, quickly trying to get all the belts tightened up, then out. I thought at the time time the TM had so much freefall I could have done the video.

No injuries, and the pilot landed O.K.

You all jumped at 5000 feet and the Tandem still did a long freefall. How high and how long? What kind of plane was it? And was the plane flying okay? If so, did everyone have to rush like that? I've done about 5-6 emrgency exits over the years. Sometimes slowing down for safety is not a bad thing. The adrenaline in an emergency situation sometimes clouds the judgement. Especially with a tandem, I would make sure everything was properly adjusted, not just "try". Sorry about so many questions, and I'm glad everything worked out okay.

[slotperfect 7]

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Agree 100% and will go even furthur to say, don't get on the plane untill you are ready to jump. Legstraps tight, chest strap on, goggles and helmet ready to go as they can be put on quickly. Also in the event of a real A/C emergency, be ready to get out without gear that may take too long to put on if it means your life (i.e. camera helmets) and know your comfort altitudes for your reserve vs. main.

Yet another example of JP and I being on the same sheet of music (it's getting scary!)

I make sure the equipment I need to save my life is ready to go. The biggest example of this is making sure my harness is properly adjusted before I get on the plane. This includes my Tandem Student's harness.

I have made four emergency landings in aircraft:

-Blackhawk helicopter w/chip light
-Cessna 206 with engine running very rough
-U-21 with one engine out (faulty fuel pump switch)
-C-31 with one engine out (master caution light)

I have made three emergency exits:

-C-130 with fire warning light #3 engine @ 25,000 FT MSL
-C-130 with fire warning light #3 engine @ 4000 FT with a tandem
-Twin Otter with one engine out @ 4000 FT with a tandem

In all of these situations, I was ready for anything within mere seconds because I was prepared. Because I refresh my memory on procedures often, I had a plan for what I would do once I exited the aircraft.

Great post!

Arrive Safely

John

[riggerrob 643]

I was under impression that tandem manufacturers banned mixing tandems and static-liners on the same load - years ago - because of the high risk of static-liners doing something stupid that might endanger the airplane and 3,000 feet being far too low for tandems to bail out.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

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The biggest example of this is making sure my harness is properly adjusted before I get on the plane. This includes my Tandem Student's harness.

That is exactly what I have always preached. Nothing pisses me off worse than seeing busy dropzones, and even the GK tandem section, walking their students to the plane with harnesses hanging off their asses, totally slack. Not adjusting your students' harnesses down until hookup time is incredibly stupid in my opinion. You NEVER know when the shit is going to hit the fan and you are going to have to get out low.

Chuck

[speedy 0]

Reply to Riggerrob: There were no static liners on the the plane, although here it is not forbidden.

To the people that question the state of the tandems harness, that was adjusted and tight, what the tandem master was tightening was the belts for the freefall stabilzer hook ups. Sorry if that was not clear, I'm only the vidiot.

Also the exits were not paniked. It came close but I stopped everyone rushing out to quickly even though I was the first that could have been out of the door. The aircraft was still flying and we made an orderly exit at 5000 ft. That some jumpers never bothered to put their googles on??? I didn't, but I knew I would be pulling quickly due to the long spot.

Dave

Fallschirmsport Marl

[slotperfect 7]

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I was under impression that tandem manufacturers banned mixing tandems and static-liners on the same load - years ago - because of the high risk of static-liners doing something stupid that might endanger the airplane and 3,000 feet being far too low for tandems to bail out.

I'm a little confused . . . I said nothing about static line jumpers. There weren't any static line jumpers on any of the aircraft incidents I listed.

???

Arrive Safely

John

[firstime 0]

Sometimes slowing down for safety is not a bad thing


I have read this statement and heard it said quite a few times and it's good advice. I have not been in this scenario to date but will remember the importance of "the panic mode" I have made it muscle memory. Thanks for the wake up call John..

[MWGemini 0]

I'm a student still, 17 jumps and counting now, and I'm always nervous in the plane for situations just like the one you described. While everyone else takes off their helmets and relaxes on the ride to altitude, I always keep mine on (in part because it's a full face factory diver a size too small and is hard to get on/off quickly) and I'm generally a little tense on the ride to altitude, despite countless times where I've hung my feet out the door of a blackhawk while it is in aggressive flight. I'm not sure if this anxiety is something I'll ever get over, but it's because of situations like these that I hope I never do.

Mike

[slotperfect 7]

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I'm always nervous in the plane for situations just like the one you described.

You don't need to be nervous, just prepared - trained on what steps to take in the event of an emergency, and memory sharp regarding which procedures to use at which altitudes.

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While everyone else takes off their helmets and relaxes on the ride to altitude, I always keep mine on (in part because it's a full face factory diver a size too small and is hard to get on/off quickly)

You don't need a helmet to make an emergency exit.

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and I'm generally a little tense on the ride to altitude

You might take a bit of time to talk to some pilots about their procedured during emergencies - how well your single-engine Cessna glides with a full load and no engine; how well your Twin Otter holds altitude with a full load and one engine out, how important it is to sit still early in an engine-out situation to maintain CG, etc. Knowing more about the aircraft will make you less nervous.

Arrive Safely

John

[MWGemini 0]

It's certainly not a fear of flying. I'm afraid of heights, though, and I think that has something to do with it. However, I did more rappels and fast ropes in the military than I could count, from towers, buildings, and especially helicopters, mainly UH-60 Blackhawks and CH-47 Chinooks. I was generally nervous for those as well. It's not something that's going to stop me from jumping, I enjoy the feeling I get when fighting my fears. They say mind over matter. This is one of those times when what is in my mind (fear?) doesn't matter. I've always thought that a healthy amount of fear is what keeps you alive in dire situations anyways.

Mike