Stacy 0 #26 August 27, 2001 funniest off DZ landing-a miniature golf course/driving range. I landed right over the fence in the driving range, while about 15 small children ran over from the mini golf course asking how come people fell from the sky. Stacyhttp://astro.temple.edu/~sweeks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallinWoman 1 #27 August 27, 2001 Earlier this seaon we had an interesting out landing...A student caught some thermals. updrafts/really crazy winds. The dzo/radio instructor told him to spiral down and he actually gained altitude while spinning.He ended up touching down inside the fence of a prison. He was immediatley surrouded by guards who questioned him for like three hours. They were convinced that he was trying to aid an inmate in escaping!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #28 August 27, 2001 Quote He ended up touching down inside the fence of a prison. He was immediatley surrouded by guards who questioned him for like three hours. They were convinced that he was trying to aid an inmate in escaping!!That is insane!! That would be funny as hell though (not for the student). I bet he won't be back!!--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallinWoman 1 #29 August 27, 2001 MM- You are right, his friend left the C-182 first, landed a bit out, but in a bean field next to the landing area. That guy has been back every weekend since. The prison-lander has not returned....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #30 August 27, 2001 Quote The prison-lander has not returned....HAHAHA!!! Hell...I dont blame him. That reminds me of the Far Side cartoon with the DZ right next to a Alligator farm.Got any of those in FL???--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #31 August 27, 2001 Quote That reminds me of the Far Side cartoon with the DZ right next to a Alligator farm.Got any of those in FL??? Everyplace in Florida is an alligator farm.. They're all over the place..Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 4 #32 August 27, 2001 Gary Larson was the best ! I have my all-time favorite "Far Side" hanging on my corkboard at work..."You know you're having a bad day when...." .....a drawing of a skydiver throwing out, and a piano appears......then he pulls silver, and a boat anchor appears....(no drawing of the landing, but I'm pretty sure he bounced.....)Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #33 August 27, 2001 Quote Everyplace in Florida is an alligator farm.. They're all over the place..Great!! I can't wait to jump there, then. *sigh*--------------Drop on in...leave a message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 0 #34 August 27, 2001 not my story but well worth it....yesterday fruce hit the big 1,500 and organized a sweet hybrid dive. the spot was so bad people were landing in the next town over, near the hospital. about 5 or so people landed first, then my friend came in on final with his camera on.. he swoops past the other jumpers and lands in front of a bunch of kids. being a nice guy he lets one of the kids try on his goggles... the video ends with him chasing the kid down, trying to get his goggles back :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 4 #35 August 27, 2001 I've landed out 5 times.....on my first jump (wasn't hearing the radio, and landed in a median strip), 3 more due to bad spots (none of which were mine !) and last weekend (probably could have made it back, but wasn't sure...and there was this HUGE field below me..)Landing out doesn't have to be traumatic.....examine your intended area carefully, try like hell to find wind direction (penetration checks, treetops, ponds, etc.) and remember the direction to the nearest road !Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #36 August 27, 2001 Quote What was her name? She told me but I forgot it. Sigh. She was about 5'5", kinda blonde hair, light tan with this cute button-nose thing going on... I gotta keep better track of those things next time...Kris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apoil 0 #37 August 27, 2001 Quote At our drop zone when people land out its really big deal b/c we have mountains on all sidesmountains? that's nothing.We've got active volcanoes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #38 August 27, 2001 Quote I normally try to do that too, but the winds were shifting all day long and a few... Ya know, you coulda followed the two girls that landed before you. I didn't see either of them hitting beans or having a problem with the wind. Too bad I turned my camera off, I had a good view of it You just have this thing for those beans in Illinois or something....Then, I saw these two guys swoopin across the pond, and I was like 'weeeeeee!!!!' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #39 August 27, 2001 Quote Now if you want to talk about other bad spots, ask Mike Farmer about the time he landed in the prison or the time he knowingly got out three miles down-wind to catch a friend. Heh.Really?! I thought that was just an OSC 'urban legend' that someone landed in there! Cool! Wanna hear that story!A new page! Bi-Plane pics! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #40 August 27, 2001 Quote the video ends with him chasing the kid down, trying to get his goggles back :) How cute!! I myself have had a few 'kinda out' landings. Not really off-DZ since the DZ is so big! My absolute worst landing was the one on the runway at Quincy...overshot a little (was maybe 3 feet onto the runway...stupid me!) and tore up my poor Tony suit. However, I'm going to repair it as now it just has 'more personality' with all of the patches it's aquiring PA new page! Bi-Plane pics! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #41 August 27, 2001 Quote Ya know, you coulda followed the two girls that landed before you. I didn't see either of them hitting beans or having a problem with the wind. Too bad I turned my camera off, I had a good view of itBut I stood MY landing up in the beans. I watched both of them fall on landing and didn't want to get dirty.... Yeah... thats it!Do I HAVE to do another raft dive??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #42 August 27, 2001 I've landed out twice, but never very far. The first one was while I was a student, and it was totally my fault. I drifted too far downwind before turning back into the wind. With the big student canopy, I kept drifting backwards. I sailed right above the manifest shed and the hangar. I ended up about 25 feet into Farmer McNasty's watermelon patch. It was a stand-up landing and I didn't squash any melons.The second time was due to a bad spot, or too much drift in freefall. Anyway, I ended up just off the landing area. It was probably the closest I've come to surfing a landing, with my feet smacking through about 15-20 feet of corn stalks. It wasn't a bad landing either, but it took me awhile to safely get my canopy out of the corn.I was in the midwest this weekend, but landed in the proper area. I'm going to work on landing in every crop I can spot, and I just missed a chance for soybeans. When I get to saw grass and bamboo, watch out. JustinMy Homepage Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chickenhawk420 0 #43 August 27, 2001 Damn man how did you let her name slip. Next time... :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #44 August 27, 2001 Quote But I stood MY landing up in the beans. I watched both of them fall on landing and didn't want to get dirty.... Yeah... thats it! Thanks for rubbing it in that I had yet another of my famous "crash" landings. If I ever get a new jumpsuit, it will be green to hide all the grass stains.....and then I saw his foot and knew I had to make him mine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grogs 0 #45 August 27, 2001 Bah, double post! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grogs 0 #46 August 27, 2001 Quote Gary Larson was the best ! I have my all-time favorite "Far Side" hanging on my corkboard at work..."You know you're having a bad day when...." .....a drawing of a skydiver throwing out, and a piano appears......then he pulls silver, and a boat anchor appears....(no drawing of the landing, but I'm pretty sure he bounced.....)DonHey Kingie, I'm sitting here looking at that very cartoon. It's hanging on my cube wall at work (great minds think alike, eh?). The caption on it actually reads: Murray didn't feel the first pangs of real panic until he pulled the emergency cord. I guess Gary Larson isn't a skydiver, but it's still funny as hell. I told some of the guys at work we pack anvils into parachutes as a practical joke and some of them believed me. I've been fortunate and I've only landed out once so far. It was at the Carolina Sky Sports Easter Boogie. My friend Chip cutaway his canopy, so I tried to follow it down for him. I landed in a big open field with 2 big houses in it. It looked like a great place to land until at about 50' I noticed the 10' tall trees all over the yard. Fortunately, I was able to find a spot between a couple of them and land safely. By the time I went to go get the canopy (it was in the next field over) the DZ manager was already grabbing the canopy, so I caught a ride back with a family in their minivan. The kids got a big kick out of that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hardcore 0 #47 August 27, 2001 "Unusual place you’ve landed out and quite an experience getting back to the DZ."I remember one time when a group of us decided to go for an early morning balloon jump at one of the boogies, because of high winds that picked up, we landed about 20 miles from the dropzone in a baseball diamond.We were the last ones to jump and unfortunetely none of us organized to have someone pick us up assuming the van would pick us up but unfortunely the batteries in the radio were dead so we could not let them know where we were.We phoned the dz from the closest convenience store, and no one answered, guess the dz was not open yet. We asked a few people at the store if they could give us a lift but obviously no one wanted to drive that far.Finally the only other thing to do was try and hitch a ride, course me being the only girl, I was chosen to do the dirty work. I of course hid my gear knowing it would scare most whuffos from picking us up.We eventually did get picked up, yup by the cops. They actually wanted to arrest me....apparently someone had called to report some drunken prostitue on the side of the road obstructing traffic.....I'm like What! Anyways, we explained to the police the situation, and they understood and drove us to the dz.Boy what a ride! What a story and alot of lessons to be learned that day like always make sure you have a plan B, organize a ride to pick you up, carry a cell phone, and make sure you have the dz phone number. Always have a pullup chord with you so you can pack up your rig, always land together if you can safely.Jo"Fight the Good Fight, Give and Take the best you can" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #48 August 28, 2001 Quote "You know you're having a bad day when...." .....a drawing of a skydiver throwing out, and a piano appears......then he pulls silver, and a boat anchor appears....LOL! I've got that very one hanging in my cube, too. I wonder how many of us are guilty of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 4 #49 August 28, 2001 Quote I'm sitting here looking at that very cartoon. It's hanging on my cube wall at work (great minds think alike, eh?). The caption on it actually reads: Murray didn't feel the first pangs of real panic until he pulled the emergency cord. Great minds think alike.....being in the same group as Jess and Grogs, I'll take that as a compliment.....Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelly 0 #50 October 12, 2001 well, its been 6 weeks since this thread was last active. im sure we have some new stories to tell :)last week i found myself at 2k directly over the golf course. I thought "i might make it back" but decided against risking it. didnt want to land in trees, didnt want to be forced to land downwind on the runway.. so my only other option was the golf course. I turned around and took one look at the big flag that they have hanging up. I figure out which was is upwind and realize that im already downwind. its okay cause now im at 1,500 feet. winds arent strong. i can chill here until its time to start final. I look for the 'brownish' grass like all the signs at the dz say to look for. gee, that plush green grass looks good, but ill do as the signs say and not land in the middle of their game. I set myself up and am actually amused because as im burning off altitude waiting to start my final (no left hand pattern this jump!) i can see the golfers looking up at me. Its time to start final and here i go... Im about 150 feet of the ground when i realize that that brown grass i had seen was actually a hill! i tell myself "no turns, you set yourself up for this, youre landing on the hill, no hook turns for your dumb ass!" So im coming in, just 50 feet off the ground, landing into the wind (Thank god!) but landing across a hill. well, at least im not landing up or down it... I get to flare height (or was it?) and get ready to PLF. well, PLF i did, and i also rolled down the hill 3 full rotations, or at least thats what the line twists told me when i stood up and began to gather up my canopy. Now im totally embarrased, cause i know that somebody had to have seen me. I turn around to see those golfers that were behind me but what i realize is that i landed just far enough down the slope that the last thing they saw me do was flare! nobody saw my *graceful* landing. I start to take off my helmet when i look down and see golf balls.. everywhere. under me, next to me, in front of me.. everywhere. I quickly put the helmet and goggles back on (yeah they will protect me from the Tiger woods of scottland run golf course!) and gather up my canopy. A nice fella came and picked me up, the golfers cheered, and the staff called the dz for me... Thank goodness we're friends with the golfers or else i might have been target practice. BTW.. it was the driving range that i landed in... not the rough. and yeah, i did ask the manager for a tour of the golf course.. little does he know that i will be scoping out better options! hahakelso where have you landed out lately?"i can not attest to what i did, just what i remember...."~me, after one too many Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
