Milo 0 #1 May 5, 2002 I don't know if this has been mentioned here before, this link was recently posted on rec.skydiving:http://www.eco.utexas.edu/~faulkner/skydive/rossi.htmlSome very interesting stories of the unique experiences of a blind skydiver.milo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #2 May 5, 2002 Talk about big harry cajones. He's a lot braver than me. I can't imagine having to land without being able to see. "It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #3 May 5, 2002 I wear my glasses when I jump, and I STILL can't manage to have good landings sometimes! I'm so impressed!AndreaI'm high as a kiteI just mightStop and check you out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Milo 0 #4 May 5, 2002 QuoteTalk about big harry cajones.I have to agree. It is challenging to explain why I jump to my whuffo friends and relatives. I do think that one benefit to trying to explain it if you were blind is that you wouldn't have to see the looks on their faces :)I love this passage from one of Dan's stories:"You know, I learned that there are three good indications that you are about to land in trees. First, you hit all this major turbulence. I mean some serious turbulence. The kind when you're in three quarter breaks and the mother is still throwing you around like a rag. Secondly, you hear this sound. It is actually a very pleasant sound. It reminds one of warm summer breezes and blue skies. That is... until you realize that that sound is your feet dragging through the branches of the shorter trees on your approach to the huge tree that you will inevitably land in. Third, and most dramatic, is the branches smashing across your face and chest as your canopy tries its damndest to drag you through that tree and into the clearing on the other side."I'll buy that guy a beer even if I meet him in church!milo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #5 May 5, 2002 Quoteis the branches smashing across your face and chestIf you're really good like me you fly in between the branches...LMAO "It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #6 May 5, 2002 My God, these are absolutely incredible. Some of them are giving me chills. QuoteI'll buy that guy a beer even if I meet him in church!True dat!Taking nominations for new screen name. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diver123 0 #7 May 5, 2002 That's kind of scary! I'm glad everything worked out okay for him... So just a quick question since I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer: Was his radio NOT capable of two-way communication? It seems to me that may have helped a bit... could you imagine coming in for a landing completely blind??? What a rush! "pull high! It's lower than you think..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chickenhawk420 0 #8 May 5, 2002 props, big cocconutballs... wow, blind and jumps i wonder what else he could tell seeing jumpers to listen out for?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #9 May 5, 2002 And if I read that right, he was a blind whuffo before he was a blind jumper...It'd be one thing to keep on jumping, but to start jumping blind? helluva guywhuffo you sit on that couch all day?Roger Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #10 May 5, 2002 Quotei wonder what else he could tell seeing jumpers to listen out for??My biggest question.......What does a line over "sound" like? "It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chickenhawk420 0 #11 May 5, 2002 I bet silence isn't golden for him, shit is that a mal.... nope i just farted Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites danrossi 0 #12 May 7, 2002 A little bird from Texas told me to drop in here. Since it is always fun to feed the ego, I thought I would see what kinds of things you guys were saying about me. :-)Seeing as this forum can take mark-up I thought I would try and see if I could make my post black on black to mess with everyone, but didn't feel like spending the time. :-)I'll take a quick shot at some answers:I have, in fact, been totally blind since the age of 7. Made my first jump at the age of 16.Two-way radios would definitely have prevented several of my more memorable landings.Props are easy to find, their really noisy.I don't know what a function sounds like, as I've never had one. I pack too carefully for that. Nock on wood. :-) I'm pretty certain that I will know what a function feels like though. A line over will be pretty noticeable from the spinning.You think those stories gave you the chills. Wait until you read this Fridays installation. :-)All the stories are true. I might ham them up for better reading, but the facts are all there.I'm not the only blind jumper around. BJ Fleming is a very experienced skydiver in Oregon with about two thousand jumps, to my 300. However, I think the majority of his jumps were made prior to his total loss of sight. There might be other blind jumpers around but neither BJ nor I know of any personally.Erik Weihenmayer, who became the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest in May of 2001, made a couple of dozen jumps a few years back. And as retaliation for my getting him involved in skydiving, he dragged my ass up to Everest base camp with him last year.I jump with two TimeOUts that have been modified to beep every thousand feet. I always wear two radios. I always have multiple people on the ground ready to talk me down. And I always have someone check my spotting. :-)Hope that answered some of your questions. Don't know if I'll be able to drop in here all that often but I'll try.Flare when you hear the crickets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Keith 0 #13 May 8, 2002 Dan, welcome. I've been reading your stories for years and have enjoyed everyone of them. I have some friends how know another blind skydiver; they call him blind John. He was aparently a skydiver before he lost his sight, however. I just have to say you're a true inspiration.Keith Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites kmcguffee 0 #14 May 8, 2002 Dan, loved your stories! I have to agree that you are definitely an inspiration. I'll spot for you anytime, although I'm probably not much better than you if at all! I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites wceviper 0 #15 May 8, 2002 wow, you pack yourself too. how do you do that? Flat or pro-pack? That is amazing. -JasonYou may push me around, but you cannot win!You may throw me down, but i'll rise again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Billy 0 #16 May 8, 2002 Welcome Dan!! Stop in anytime! I saw a blind man in the Lost Prairie video from last year,, thought his name was Blind Doug but it may have been Dan,, was that you?? Do ya plan on going ta LP this year?? I believe his dogs name was Nakia,, nice looking canine,, I plan on being in LP for the last weekend and will make a point ta shake your hand and buy ya a beer!!Safe Jumps an Soft Landings Amigo,,,Billy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
danrossi 0 #12 May 7, 2002 A little bird from Texas told me to drop in here. Since it is always fun to feed the ego, I thought I would see what kinds of things you guys were saying about me. :-)Seeing as this forum can take mark-up I thought I would try and see if I could make my post black on black to mess with everyone, but didn't feel like spending the time. :-)I'll take a quick shot at some answers:I have, in fact, been totally blind since the age of 7. Made my first jump at the age of 16.Two-way radios would definitely have prevented several of my more memorable landings.Props are easy to find, their really noisy.I don't know what a function sounds like, as I've never had one. I pack too carefully for that. Nock on wood. :-) I'm pretty certain that I will know what a function feels like though. A line over will be pretty noticeable from the spinning.You think those stories gave you the chills. Wait until you read this Fridays installation. :-)All the stories are true. I might ham them up for better reading, but the facts are all there.I'm not the only blind jumper around. BJ Fleming is a very experienced skydiver in Oregon with about two thousand jumps, to my 300. However, I think the majority of his jumps were made prior to his total loss of sight. There might be other blind jumpers around but neither BJ nor I know of any personally.Erik Weihenmayer, who became the first blind person to summit Mt. Everest in May of 2001, made a couple of dozen jumps a few years back. And as retaliation for my getting him involved in skydiving, he dragged my ass up to Everest base camp with him last year.I jump with two TimeOUts that have been modified to beep every thousand feet. I always wear two radios. I always have multiple people on the ground ready to talk me down. And I always have someone check my spotting. :-)Hope that answered some of your questions. Don't know if I'll be able to drop in here all that often but I'll try.Flare when you hear the crickets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith 0 #13 May 8, 2002 Dan, welcome. I've been reading your stories for years and have enjoyed everyone of them. I have some friends how know another blind skydiver; they call him blind John. He was aparently a skydiver before he lost his sight, however. I just have to say you're a true inspiration.Keith Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmcguffee 0 #14 May 8, 2002 Dan, loved your stories! I have to agree that you are definitely an inspiration. I'll spot for you anytime, although I'm probably not much better than you if at all! I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wceviper 0 #15 May 8, 2002 wow, you pack yourself too. how do you do that? Flat or pro-pack? That is amazing. -JasonYou may push me around, but you cannot win!You may throw me down, but i'll rise again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Billy 0 #16 May 8, 2002 Welcome Dan!! Stop in anytime! I saw a blind man in the Lost Prairie video from last year,, thought his name was Blind Doug but it may have been Dan,, was that you?? Do ya plan on going ta LP this year?? I believe his dogs name was Nakia,, nice looking canine,, I plan on being in LP for the last weekend and will make a point ta shake your hand and buy ya a beer!!Safe Jumps an Soft Landings Amigo,,,Billy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
