smart things i have done. .

[billvon 2,989]

>As a student, I would love to hear about some of the smarter skydiving
>things ya'll have done.

To answer the original question -

It's hard to make such a list, because the times that I have done smart or skillful things to keep myself alive have been the times that I've made _other_ mistakes that required them. There's an old saying in AFF that you use your superior teaching skills on the ground so you don't need your superior flying skills in the air, and there's a lot of truth to that.

Also, most of the smarter things I've done have been not so much doing things as NOT doing things - not jumping when conditions were bad or something worried me.

But some smart things I actually did and the dumb things that led up to them:

I once opened someone's reserve who was spinning out of control on a dive I had organized. She had given me an odd vibe on the ground; I should have heeded it.

This summer I managed to pull off a decent landing under a Xaos 98 in a small landing area, landing downwind off-field at a new DZ. Letting myself get put in that position was dumb, though.

A few years ago I landed without incident after catching a freebag in the lines of my Safire 119. It took some fancy flying since I caught it on an outer A-line; the mistake was trying to catch the freebag in the first place.

I was once cut off by a little kid running across the field to her dad who had just landed under a tandem. I managed to pop it up over her, and then piled in when I ran out of flare - but no one got hurt. I should have been watching the crowd of spectators more closely and/or landed away from them.

[christelsabine 1]

[Ron 10]

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And on top: instructor?

I am not always on top

Trust me, I know what I am doing.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[meandean 0]

read dropzone.com

[christelsabine 1]

I believe you

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

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If she is cute....Can I touch her...I'm an instructor

It's not an instructor privilege as the police pointed out to an instructor I know of!!!

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

Dumbest thing.

Jumping on a day when wind were gusting 8 to 20, no waiting for slot in plane (NOW I know why). Got slammed & caused whiplash injury to neck.

Smartest thing.

Stayed on groud the next time winds were gusting as above. Had loads of fun watching the (interesting????) landings of the junpers with less than 100 jumps (as did all the jumpers with over 100 jumps).

Often a smart thing to do.

Watch the jumpers on the first lift land (Better to laugh than to be laughed at).

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[kallend 2,026]

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Damn,

I forgot to add in my previous post to her:

"Never ever get in touch with Ron, the fake instructor! "

I am not a fake...I have a card that says I am an Instructor and everything.

No, it goes "It's OK, I'm a doctor".

I have a certificate from a very reputable school that says I am a Doctor.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Dumbest thing.

Jumping on a day when wind were gusting 8 to 20, no waiting for slot in plane (NOW I know why). Got slammed & caused whiplash injury to neck.

Was the rough opening related to the wind? Or just made it much harder to deal with on landing?

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

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Was the rough opening related to the wind? Or just made it much harder to deal with on landing?

Everything went well down to flare height at which point wind caught me and droped me the last 8 ft but not straight down, it took canopy sideways so body was approx. 80 degrees off vertical when I made contact with the ground (almost lying on my left side) despite facing into wind on approach and no turn below 200ft (slight corrections that's all). Wind direction was fairly constant but speed changes were rapid. Still don't know why I fell to left. Of the other 3 on the same lift, 2 landed on their backside rather hard and the 3rd was lifted 12 ft then dropped & JUST managed to remain on his feet.

I was young & keen (young in skydiving, old in real life) the others all had many jumps under their belts, one who was dropped hard on to his bottom had over 800.
Whiplash was due to me landing on my left side and head bending sideways until it contacted the ground. Try lying on you side, left shoulder on the ground & keep neck straight. There is approx. 3 inch gap between helmet and ground. Now imagine going from vertical to this position as you drop the last 8 ft, head (in full face helmet) moving those last 3 inches after shoulder contacts will put quite a strain on the neck.

I landed into wind (same direction as the others landed and windsock indicated I was into wind), canopy appeared to remain facing into wind (did not dive left). It was as if canopy was pushed from 90 degrees right rapidly.

Hope this explains what happened.

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[ladyskydiver 0]

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If she is cute....Can I touch her...I'm an instructor

It's not an instructor privilege as the police pointed out to an instructor I know of!!!

You obviously don't know Ron. What you quoted and reacted to is called a JOKE.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[LiveLifeGoJump 0]

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You obviously don't know Ron. What you quoted and reacted to is called a JOKE.

I KNOW it was a joke, but so was the incident I was talking about. The other person involved & the police didn't see the funny side. I will be a sad day for everyone if the PC brigade have there own way. If I couldn't take a joke I wouildn't skydive (you would know what I mean if you saw my first 100 or so jumps) or work (or even leave the house for that matter).

And your right, I don't know Ron (but probably know a few like him).

Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

[firstime 0]

The smart thing I did was to start this sport @ 45yrs
old. If I had started in my 20's I would be either
famous or dead,... most likely dead. I was a daring
moron in my 20's, thats why age is not such a bad thing.... Now I am a wussy and content with my 190

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[kelpdiver 2]

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Was the rough opening related to the wind? Or just made it much harder to deal with on landing?

Hope this explains what happened.

Sure. I misunderstood what you meant by slammed- thinking about a slammer, not slammed into the ground. Probably in my mind because of the one I got yesterday with a rental rig. (where is my reserve!?

[turnlow 0]

Back to the original question of smart things i have done:

Dumb and then smart: downsizing to a stiletto 135 (at 1.5ish) after 250 or so jumps, but then resisting the rush to continue downsizing for another 400 jumps (and still counting) and seeking proper training.

Smart: ensuring that i performed canopy control drills regularly, so when i did end up dropping a toggle on final I had no problem switching to my risers for landing (thanks Bill Von).

Smart: when i was a 100 jump wonder, listening to the experienced ranchhands on a gusty day ("notice that we have 1,000's of jumps and we're on the ground") and not jumping.

Smart: choosing an alternate landing area (a nice golf course) instead of attempting to make it back through a headwind over a forest to the dz. I had a quite a walk, but my buddy had a climb down from a tree.
__________________________________________________

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

[tbrown 26]

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Stayed on the grounds in crappy winds - even though I desperately wanted air time.

What she says, did that just the other day after only one jump in decent winds. The winds picked up 'til the big 20mph windsock was inflated and I decided I was done. Getting hurt once helps with those kind of decisions, it's something you don't want to repeat.

I think using an AAD is a smart thing, but it's also smart to forget you're wearing one after you've turned it on. And keeping an open mind and THANKING people who point something out to you or who question you about something you have or haven't done. You might have reason to disagree, but often enough they're right and they care enough about you to call it to your attention (and even if you're right, it's good for you to explain your reasons and contribute to a positive dialog).

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[op5e 0]

I think the jumping in bad conditions is rightly the main topic in this thread. On my 25th jump I decided not to jump because the 25 knot wind socks were gusting and horizontal at times. I made the decision as I was getting into the plane to not jump that round, even if it meant there were not enough people to make a load. Some people commented with "you have to learn to jump in all conditions" but the winds were coming from the direction of the forest so I was not comfortable. Of course there were a number of people who gave me alot of respect for my decision (love my DZ). Later that day there were some interesting landings from others, but fortunately none were hurt.

The smartest thing I believe I have done is learn as much as I can while im on the ground, so it is natural in the air. I watch everything I can get my hands on, read as much as i can, and ask heaps of questions. And of course before I put this into practice I pass it by my DZSO.

[robskydiv 0]

The smartest thing is knowing when to get out.