Should I have been a bit apprehensive?

[SANDY1000 0]

It goes like this. In 1962 I made 10 jumps. Six static and then my first freefall. It was pretty primitive in those days, I wore a pair of army boots, my brother's grocery overalls and the parachutes were all old military issue. Whoever packed my chute (can I call it that?) jammed a metric ripcord into a USA chute. It was really wedged in. In the statics I pulled out dummy ripcords and they came out easily. I made my first freefall and if I had known that the ripcord was just a bit tight I would probably have really yanked it out but as I was falling all I knew was that the ripcord appeared stuck. So I pulled the reserve which wasn't happy about opening either. I decided to jump again so a few minutes later I made my second freefall. This time, being a trifle apprehensive I really jerked on the ripcord which caused the stitching that held the flexible tube (through which ran the ripcord) to the harness to snap allowing the ripcord to be outstretched in my hand but there was no leverage and the ripcord did not pull free. If I had realised what had happened I could have pulled it back in, held the tube, pulled the ripcord out, but all I could see was the ripcord in my outstretched hand and yet no canopy - so back to the reserve again. In both of these first two freefalls I jumped from 2500 feet and what with the general finaglin around it was all in the last couple of seconds that the reserve did its job.
A few weeks later I made another static jump and then finally a successful freefall.

Tell me, was this pretty close or what? Did I have cause to be somewhat uneasy when I made my third freefall or was I over reacting?

One thing is for sure. If there is a lesson to be learnt from this then I suggest that anyone who has a near miss jumps again as soon as possible - the longer the delay in jumping again the more traumatic it becomes.

My mate Ron who started when I did has gone on to make a trillion jumps and to this day laughs himself sick when mention of my venture into skydiving comes up.

As I say, was I entitled to be a little tense on that 3rd freefall?

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

well i dont have many jumps under my belt, but if it was me...

my a$$hole would have been puckered up tighter than a snare drum.

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[Silverchic 0]

Me too! I used to horse ride and the very first thing I was taught: If you fall off get straight back on! Although I think I would have not just been apprehensive...I would have been TERRIFIED!

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

[sundevil777 102]

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Tell me, was this pretty close or what? Did I have cause to be somewhat uneasy when I made my third freefall or was I over reacting?

I think you were under-reacting!

I would have wanted someone's head for malfunctions such as that.

It is one thing to have a streamer/lineover/baglock, but quite another when the problem is an incompatible ripcord and ripcord housing attachment that can't withstand a pull.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[skydivefive 0]

I know it is cool to say, "get right back at it" and with some things that is cool. The second time I was white water kayaking and after I almost died, had I not gotten back in the boat, I never would have. That beeing said, there should be a moment when ones says, "enough is enough."

There is a difference between dumb luck and making dumb choices. Not so say you are dumb . At some point the DZ isn't very safe, and I would have been very frightened.

I know everytime I jump I am trusting that my DZ is putting me in the sky in safe conditions... but that doesn't mean I don't look up at the sky.

It isn't what it could be, or it what it should be, it is what it is.