mcrocker

hrm, I thought Rarified Air Molecules only occured around the pea pit when a tandem canopy was coming in for a landing. The RAM around the pea pit tends to cause tandem masters to body surf their passengers through the pea pit into the turf on the other side. -Matt

I was so nervous on my first solo jump I froze rocking in the door at 13k. I stayed there rocking until I felt the foot of my instructor (she was on an AFF #1 with another student) on my ass kicking me out of the plane. I laughed, tumbling all the way down :). Thanks Nikki, if you didn't kick my ass I probably wouldn't have left the plane. After I landed the AFF #1 student asked me if she does that all the time. I said, yeah but only for me. -Matt

Learned my lesson on Saturday and have the bruises to prove it. Jump #241: A friend and I were going to hop-n-pop from 9k out of a Cessna 182 and fly around a bit. The weather was amazing, you could see forever. He jumped out (float exit), I watched him deploy then I dove out. I dumped my main pilot chute a bit too early as I was still a bit headdown from the dive, The pilot chute went by my right leg and the lines, turned into spaggetti around my ankle. I was now, in freefall with a pile of crap on my right foot, I tried in vain a couple times to free the lines. Thinking to myself 'I could play with these lines til I die' I turned over, belly down, cut away, pulled the shiny handle and WHAM, reserve canopy from terminal. Man does that hurt, I flew everything back home with the main still in its bag (by two stoes) and the main pilot chute dragging behind my right foot. Landed at the DZ, hugs, thanks, I'm alive. I have no idea where the handles went Sitting under reserve at 5k'. I think it opened in 2 feet, sure felt like it. This was my first reserve ride (case of beer) This was borrowed gear from a friend at the DZ (smaller canopy). Mel, I still want some air time on that Specter.... She is a new rigger, this is her first save (case of beer) Thanks Mel, I owe you one :) Lessoned learned, I broke rule #2, pull stable, it would have been better for me to either A. float exit for a hop-n-pop or B. wait til I came off the hill before I dumped with my dive exit. A couple more seconds would have save my ribs.

I normally carry my rig on fully exposed (i.e. not in another bag). Most people think it's climbing gear, I don't tell them any different. I really hope next time I go somewhere I'll be able to do the same thing. I'll check my hook knife with my luggage and bring my cypress card.