Nightingale 0 #1 November 17, 2003 Well, yesterday, I jumped my own packjob. and it opened. Perfectly. Twice. Life is good. I am not afraid of packing anymore. I did two coach jumps yesterday, and was going to do a solo, but final load was full, so I'll be back on friday. My first coach jump with Kai was a little nervewracking. I was nervous about the new gear and my own packjob and did I hook this thing up and all that... While I was packing, Eddie and Doreen stopped me from killing myself at least twice... I got the D-bag and bridle tangled and had issues cocking the pilot chute. So, we get out of the plane... bumped into each other a bit on exit. First time doing a floating exit, so I was a little nervous and I think I turned out a bit too far. We got separated and then took grips, released, took grips, released, and he tracked back a bit, and I caught up and took grips again. Then at 7K, I tracked off. Did a PRCT at 6,000, and another at 5500... then I figured "well, I've already got the hackey in my hand, and I don't have anything else to do, so instead of making that a PRCT and pulling at 5, I pulled at 5500. LONG snivel, but I packed it to have a nice, easy opening, because the harness was a little big, so I didn't want to get slammed into the legstraps. Wonderful opening. No spin. Good shape and float. Did a control check with rear risers. Unstowed breaks. No problems there. Then, I tried to grab the slider to collapse it. couldn't reach. oops... I was supposed to do that BEFORE unstowing the breaks right? ok. note for next time. Did some front riser turns. Took a LOT of muscle, but I did it! YAY! Fulfilled that requirement, and the 180/90 degree turn requirement. Landed in the right spot, but painfully. Those zero porosity canopies come in a lot quicker... so I didn't get my flare completely finished. OUCH. Slammed my heels into the ground, and then landed on my face. D'oh. Next jump was another RW with Kai. Took me about half an hour to pack this time. Nobody watched me, but I did bug Doreen to check and make sure I had all my lines straight. Got on the plane. I was much more relaxed this time. Dive out exit. We're playing with fast fall/slow fall rate and taking grips. I'm turning and tracking. The dive goes well. Pull at 5K. Perfect opening again. Rear riser control check. I reach for the slider tabs and pull... it collapses but doesn't stay collapsed. I give up. More important things to worry about under canopy than fixing a stubborn slider. like steering. I unstow the toggles and do my control check. Life is good. I play with the canopy for a bit and then its time to land. I land where I'm supposed to, but again, I don't finish my flare. Ouchie...am I gonna be sore! I bounce up and collect my canopy. Disconnect everything and take it back to SquareOne, after finding out that there was no room on the remaining loads, so I couldn't solo anyway. I tell them about the slider issue. Guy behind the counter (whose name I can't remember) tells me I just didn't pull the tabs far enough. Ok. I'll fix that next time. Go write in logbook: I now have 00:10:05 freefall time! WOOT! ten minutes seems like a lot to me.... Went to the bomb shelter and had a margarita and a half with friends. Ahhhh... It was a good day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #2 November 17, 2003 Awesome!!!!__________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyDave 0 #3 November 17, 2003 Quote Awesome!!!! ditto.... and the fact that the chute opened was a bonus! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #4 November 17, 2003 HOSANNA, the miracle of skydiving happened again congrats for your packjobs why only 1 1/2 margarita ??? 2 packjobs = 2 margaritas ---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #5 November 17, 2003 Excellent and Congrats!!! Your rocking right alongJumping your own pack for the 1st time is always interesting(I had to jump my 1st complete pack...was alittle nervous) Keep posting about your jumps...I'm gona have to jump vicaresly(spel) through you for the next 6 months or so Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #6 November 17, 2003 Nightingale- Awesome story. Keep em comin...they're fun to read. -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #7 November 17, 2003 Quote HOSANNA, the miracle of skydiving happened again congrats for your packjobs why only 1 1/2 margarita ??? 2 packjobs = 2 margaritas Because I had to drive, and I had to work today. Otherwise, I'd have had many more margaritas. They were DAMN good margaritas! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #8 November 17, 2003 Cool ~D Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ypelchat 0 #9 November 17, 2003 Well done! Yves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darrenspooner 0 #10 November 18, 2003 There are few things more satisfying than surviving your first packjob. Good on yer. I was a slowly-progressing weekend warrior and happy to let the local packer do my kit. But then I got a 1000ft sniveller and had the cutaway peeled off in my hand ready to chop when it finally opened. So I learned to pack that day and have not let anyone touch my kit since!***I stand corrected...said the man in the orthapedic shoes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
testpilot 0 #11 November 18, 2003 Pretty cool hey….. I thought it was way to unsafe to let me pack my rig so for the first 100 jumps I let the packers do it. I thought I would be just too untidy. I found that its better to be untidy, then it opens nice and slowly. You just got to be ready for that left hand turn as the end cells start opening. The packers packed too neat and some of there opening were rippers. Dave D830 http://www.skydiving.co.za Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #12 November 18, 2003 I learned mainly to save cash... at $6 a packjob, three pack jobs = 1 jump ticket! I'm getting a little better at it... it isn't hard, it just takes me a while. Getting faster at it... took me about 30 mins to pack the last one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReLLiK75 0 #13 November 18, 2003 I remember my first pack job quite well. It was on my third AFF jump! That was one hell of a jump between having to do the specific tasks and worring if the chute I just packed was going to open correctly. I just kept telling myself that if a ball of crap comes out when I pull the ripcord or nothing at all, one of my instructors will just fix the problem..... Now, I prefer to pack for myself. I like to take my time and make sure to pack correctly. That way if I have a problem, I have no one to blame but myself. Also, the money saved on packjobs I can use for more jumps! __________________________________________ Have you Got Flare? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #14 November 18, 2003 I don't think we're allowed to pack student rigs at Perris, even if we're the one jumping it... we have to wait til we're jumping rental gear or our own gear to pack for ourselves. I like that policy. AFF is nervewracking enough without worrying about your own pack job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
selbbub78 0 #15 November 18, 2003 CONGRATS!!!! I know i was freaking out on my first pack job, but i knew the reserve would open, and knew where my handles were. "Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone "The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote) "The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReLLiK75 0 #16 November 18, 2003 Quote AFF is nervewracking enough without worrying about your own pack job Very true, but it gave me great confidence in my ability to pack pretty much from the get go. I hear about people that should have their A license and still don't know how to pack and think how lucky I am that I had a rigger who was willing to teach me so early on. I think I was signed off to self pack before I even finished AFF. __________________________________________ Have you Got Flare? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawndiver 0 #17 November 19, 2003 Congrats! I know how you feel, back in the 80's when I was jumping I could flat pack f-111 in no time, and only radical, misunderstood artist skydivers did that pro packing thing... Well, now that I am back in it, I have been introduced to the wonders that are pro packing and zero porosity! My question is, whoever invented this fabric, did they actually like skydivers? I mean, my first few attempts to handle this stuff felt like I was trying to stuff a live wolverine into a sandwich bag!! Even once you got it in, it would try to escape like some evil scene from "The Blob". Every pack job left me looking like I had just run a marathon, with a few choice words for my vanquished foe. But yesterday I finally felt like I was actually getting the hang of it, and all my openings were on heading and comfortable. Who says you can't teach an old skydiver new tricks? Pack On!! Shawn_________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
