labrys 0 #1 January 18, 2006 I’ve seen threads about silly students…and threads about dumb things people do in skydiving and in general…but how ‘bout sharing those little embarrassing moments you had as a student skydiver? Mine was my 4th jump (AFF). My instructor walked me through everything from exit to deployment after I was geared up, as usual. When it came time to deploy, I got a little too enthusiastic and actually tossed my PC into the mockup.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #2 January 18, 2006 In my single-digits I was scared of the door. (Scared of heights, really; this is why I did static line. ) When it opened I would actually put my hand in front and below my face so I couldn't see out and down and freak out before it was time for me to start climbing. -=-=- So one jump my instructor says he doesn't want me being scared of sitting in the door right before I climb out. I get the point that he thinks I need to show a little more bravery. So when it's time, I sit in the door, then I lean out, climb out, look up arch and go. Back on the ground, my instructor says that was good, but from now on I need to wait for him to tell me it's time to climb out; we hadn't reached the spot yet at that point. I guess the winds went easy on me. On the next jump he made good and sure to put his arm in front of me in the door. -=-=- I'm not going to go into details about the time, as a student, I tried to tell the pilot how to fly better (smoother). I quickly learned that if I don't like how the plane's flying, it's because I'm a sissy scaredycat skydiver and my job (barring exceptional circumstances) is to shut up, hold on, and then get out. Thankfully this pilot will still fly me. -=-=- Once when I was on solo status, my ability to spot earned me the privilege of leading a group of solo students exiting at 13,000 feet when uppers were 50 knots. I did my calculations and determined where I should go so the spot was as good as possible for everyone. My answer was right over this one island in the river. I told the pilot on the ground this was the spot I wanted and asked if he could start jump run there, and he said he could. (He was/is a talented jump pilot, even if people say his pattern manners could use some polishing.) No problems until I get a little nervous before boarding and convince some very experienced RW guys to go with me to check the spot. Well, they need to get out right before me because they open lower and load their canopies way higher, and I didn't tell the pilot that, figuring the pilot would probably turn onto jump run several hundred feet before the exact point I indicated anyway... So we're at 13,000 feet, the plane dumps the load for the first landing area, then the pilot makes three beefy turns and cuts the power again and I look out and... we're at exactly the point I told the pilot about. So, I have to tell the pilot (at 13,000 feet, with the door open, with people who are supposed to be getting the heck out of his airplane but are not) that I actually need that same exact jump run over again, but started 1/8 mile earlier because of the extra people I sort of put on the load and didn't tell him about. Thankfully I knew the trick of laying sideways on the floor so I don't have to hold up my student rig in a 2 gravity "pissed-off pilot" go-around. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #3 January 18, 2006 QuoteThankfully I knew the trick of laying sideways on the floor so I don't have to hold up my student rig in a 2 gravity "pissed-off pilot" go-around. Wonderful story!Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrBrant 0 #4 January 18, 2006 on my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough damn, and it's on video Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #5 January 18, 2006 With the spirit of "always being a student" - the following story applies even though it happened well past "student status". A few weeks ago I was doing some 4way blocks drills in the tunnel... I saw all hell about ready to come my way in the form of two tumbling bodies, caused by a collision in a vertical... I closed my eyes and put my hands over my neck and flew to the bottom corner of the tunnel, hoping for the best... Nope... The video clearly shows me at the bottom of a pile of human bodys... I think the tunnel rat even walked on me on the way to catch a rouge skydiver. Realizing this technique did not work well, next time faced with the same chaos coming my way, I got real big and shot up 15' and kept my eyes open for a great show.... -------------- I failed AFF level 4... I got out and could not find the instructor after a tumbling exit... The video shows me doing a 360 left, a 360 right (looking for the instructor), looking up, looking down... Then doing what I was told to do in level 1... "If you lose a jumpmaster, continue the dive. If you have no jump master - pull." He was there the entire time in my blind spot... I don't know what was worse, pulling at 10 grand - or seeing the video of my AFF instructor freeflying on my dime with his tongue out... I guess they forgot to tell me that I did not have to pull if I could not find the instructor... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GraficO 0 #6 January 18, 2006 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=820097;search_string=grafico;#816842 look for my 2 long stupid student rants... GraficOGraficO "A Mind is a terrible thing to taste." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleOne 0 #7 January 18, 2006 I did my FJC at one dz where they don't do heel clicks. I did my AFF1 at another dz where they do heel clicks. The dive went well and as far as I'm concerned, I'm done except for altitude checks until pull time. I get a signal from the reserve side. I have a brain fart as my mind runs through the hand signal chart (from the first dz, of course). It's not pull, coa, relax, arch, practice touches, arms/legs in/out, what? He obviously wants me to do something so I must do something. Ok, I'll arch some more even though I know that's not it. Then, we went through some "industrial haze". All three of us. As I saw the haze approach, I held my breath, having never gone through haze before... During the debrief, my instructor told me that the signal was for heel clicks, I did not know what it meant but that I made the best possible choice under the circumstances. I will never forget the signal for heel clicks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trae 1 #8 January 18, 2006 For a year or so I thought fore & aft gear was called 4 & 1/2 gear. and wrote it down as such and told others this misinformation. (der) I also invented a 'new' better landing style not liking the PLF as taught by the fuddy duddy instructor 'cause it made me get muddy . On one jump i hit some solid ground & ruptured a fluid sack in my knee so I went back to falling over properly as instructed. . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tenshi 0 #9 January 18, 2006 Quoteon my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough damn, and it's on video I laughed hard Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tintin 0 #11 January 18, 2006 Ditto ..Thats one funny vid , thanks for sharing By the way that second landing looked as though you hooked it in !! ------------------------------------------------- Please forgive the sp errors, I have dyslexia. Don't laugh ... the last time i went to a toga party, I went dressed as a goat !! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #12 January 18, 2006 Great thread labrys. On about jump #30, I was under canopy attempting to read the (windsock?) which was made of WDI paper. Instead of following in the experienced jumper, I came in the opposite way. I hit feet, then butt, slamming my hands into the ground. I fractured the third joint of my right thumb. A good PLF would have benefitted me. Lesson learned. Harry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niu 0 #13 January 18, 2006 Mixing up the dummy-and reserve handles on jump 4 was pretty embarassing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jheadley 0 #14 January 18, 2006 This didn't happen to me, but to someone in my club, a couple weeks ago. She had done 2 tandems and AFF 1-5 out of a cessna that only went to 12000 feet. She went down to Lake Wales to finish her AFF during collegiates, and exited the plane at 15000 feet, and when she got to 13000, she saw her altimeter said 1, thought she was at 1000 feet, and pulled! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Dougiefresh 0 #15 January 18, 2006 I was doing a gear check, and noticed my container was open. I said, "this isn't right, stupid packer". So I took it back to the packing mat and grabbed another one. Did my gear check, and all of a sudden the damn container was open again! WTF? Oh! You mean when you pull the bridle, the pin comes out? Now I get it! I got a quick lesson on pull-up straps and how to use one.Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Dean358 0 #16 January 18, 2006 Around 350 jumps, my first time at Z-hills. Solo belly dive to get familiar with airspace. Must have been some giant wild fire burning nearby. Around 11,000 feet I get this intense burning smell and think, "Holy shit, is my rig on fire???" Reach back to check, realize I'm an idiot and spend the rest of the jump laughing until pull time.www.wci.nyc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites goose491 0 #17 January 18, 2006 Quoteon my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough That's some good arm-flappin' boy. My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DeNReN 0 #18 January 18, 2006 I call this picture "how not to land"......but I did manage to stand it up ....sorry for the poor picture quality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites colinl 0 #19 January 18, 2006 QuoteThis didn't happen to me, but to someone in my club, a couple weeks ago. She had done 2 tandems and AFF 1-5 out of a cessna that only went to 12000 feet. She went down to Lake Wales to finish her AFF during collegiates, and exited the plane at 15000 feet, and when she got to 13000, she saw her altimeter said 1, thought she was at 1000 feet, and pulled! That's better than the contrary Plus, it makes for a real nice,long canopy ride ! (although I hope she was last on the load?) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites drae 0 #20 January 18, 2006 (Trae...The 4 & 1/2 cracks me up!!) The only time I was able to stand a landing was AFF level 4.9 (I did mine in increments...slow learner). The chute then inflated and began to drag me backwards. My wonderful instructor was telling me (more than once) to "pull one toggle and walk to the other side" and I couldn't figure out WHICH other side. He then came across loud and clear saying "do you see the plane behind you? IT IS WAITING FOR YOU TO MOVE" I suddenly became superwoman and was able to drag it, and myself out of the way. Just plain embarrassing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites shermanator 4 #21 January 18, 2006 QuoteQuoteon my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough damn, and it's on video I laughed hard Peter i can fly!!! thats funny.. thats so cool the way you hang off the plane! i want to do that!!CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08 CSA #720 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MrBrant 0 #22 January 18, 2006 it's easy, just jump a 182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites apollard24 0 #23 January 18, 2006 Well mine is not a that funny but here it goes...My 2nd AFF jump I landed on the runway...My intructor and SO were in the field yelling at me to get off the runway..Instead of moving and looking around I was trying really hard to hear them and what they were saying. Finally my SO comes and drags me off the runway so the plane can depart with the next load...Great move....Breathe out so I can breathe you in... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites yamtx73 0 #24 January 18, 2006 Ok, this goes back quite a few years... Dec. 24th, 1977 in fact. I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and a buddy came up with the idea to go skydiving. We checked out the Fort Hood skydiving club, signed up and went through their FJC. Friday evening we packed our parachutes for the next days jump. All night long all I could think about was I was going to be jumping for the first time with a rig that I had packed. Saturday morning comes, it's over cast but we go to the dz anyway. Cloud cover was at 3000' but it was decided that since we were doing a static line jump the cloud cover wouldn't affect us. We loaded up on a UH-1H (Huey) and flew up to altitude. As we started the jump run Ron got in the door on one side, I got in the door on the other. Then I screwed up... I looked down. Standing there in the door, looking at the ground so far away below me, knowing I had packed my own parachute gave me second thoughts. About that time the JM slapped my leg and yelled "GO!".. I looked over at him like he grew a second head and yelled back "F*CK YOU". He looks out the door, slaps my leg again and yells "GO", still standing in the door I give him another "F*CK YOU!". He glanced down at the ground one more time, yelled "GO" a third time as he promptly knocked my legs out from under me... needless to say, I went...The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Andy9o8 2 #25 January 19, 2006 On Jump #57 I did my first head down. Not on purpose; it was in 1977 and they weren’t doing head-down back then. It was also my first reserve ride. I had a hard pull on a 4-pin ripcord in a military surplus rig with a 28' cheapo main. When the D-ring wouldn’t budge after pulling with my right hand, I reached in with my left hand and pulled with both hands. I must have extended my legs while I had both arms inboard, because I went head-down. When it still wouldn’t budge I dumped my 24' reserve from the belly-wart and it deployed right through my feet. Whipped me around pretty wickedly at line stretch. I think I was in the saddle around 1,200 feet. The opening left me with a stiff neck and sore balls for 2 weeks. It was my own damn fault. The rig was a rental, but I was using a ripcord of my own that I owned. At home, I kept my ripcord stored by wrapping the cable tightly around and around the handle. In time, it developed a few kinks. I had packed the rig out on the grass without a mat. After the jump, we found some gravely dirt in the housing, and we figured that the kinks in the cable and the shit in the housing combined to jam it up. 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jheadley 0 #14 January 18, 2006 This didn't happen to me, but to someone in my club, a couple weeks ago. She had done 2 tandems and AFF 1-5 out of a cessna that only went to 12000 feet. She went down to Lake Wales to finish her AFF during collegiates, and exited the plane at 15000 feet, and when she got to 13000, she saw her altimeter said 1, thought she was at 1000 feet, and pulled! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dougiefresh 0 #15 January 18, 2006 I was doing a gear check, and noticed my container was open. I said, "this isn't right, stupid packer". So I took it back to the packing mat and grabbed another one. Did my gear check, and all of a sudden the damn container was open again! WTF? Oh! You mean when you pull the bridle, the pin comes out? Now I get it! I got a quick lesson on pull-up straps and how to use one.Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dean358 0 #16 January 18, 2006 Around 350 jumps, my first time at Z-hills. Solo belly dive to get familiar with airspace. Must have been some giant wild fire burning nearby. Around 11,000 feet I get this intense burning smell and think, "Holy shit, is my rig on fire???" Reach back to check, realize I'm an idiot and spend the rest of the jump laughing until pull time.www.wci.nyc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #17 January 18, 2006 Quoteon my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough That's some good arm-flappin' boy. My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #18 January 18, 2006 I call this picture "how not to land"......but I did manage to stand it up ....sorry for the poor picture quality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
colinl 0 #19 January 18, 2006 QuoteThis didn't happen to me, but to someone in my club, a couple weeks ago. She had done 2 tandems and AFF 1-5 out of a cessna that only went to 12000 feet. She went down to Lake Wales to finish her AFF during collegiates, and exited the plane at 15000 feet, and when she got to 13000, she saw her altimeter said 1, thought she was at 1000 feet, and pulled! That's better than the contrary Plus, it makes for a real nice,long canopy ride ! (although I hope she was last on the load?) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drae 0 #20 January 18, 2006 (Trae...The 4 & 1/2 cracks me up!!) The only time I was able to stand a landing was AFF level 4.9 (I did mine in increments...slow learner). The chute then inflated and began to drag me backwards. My wonderful instructor was telling me (more than once) to "pull one toggle and walk to the other side" and I couldn't figure out WHICH other side. He then came across loud and clear saying "do you see the plane behind you? IT IS WAITING FOR YOU TO MOVE" I suddenly became superwoman and was able to drag it, and myself out of the way. Just plain embarrassing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shermanator 4 #21 January 18, 2006 QuoteQuoteon my first jump, i somehow got the idea in my head that I could fly, if I just flapped my arms enough damn, and it's on video I laughed hard Peter i can fly!!! thats funny.. thats so cool the way you hang off the plane! i want to do that!!CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08 CSA #720 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrBrant 0 #22 January 18, 2006 it's easy, just jump a 182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apollard24 0 #23 January 18, 2006 Well mine is not a that funny but here it goes...My 2nd AFF jump I landed on the runway...My intructor and SO were in the field yelling at me to get off the runway..Instead of moving and looking around I was trying really hard to hear them and what they were saying. Finally my SO comes and drags me off the runway so the plane can depart with the next load...Great move....Breathe out so I can breathe you in... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yamtx73 0 #24 January 18, 2006 Ok, this goes back quite a few years... Dec. 24th, 1977 in fact. I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and a buddy came up with the idea to go skydiving. We checked out the Fort Hood skydiving club, signed up and went through their FJC. Friday evening we packed our parachutes for the next days jump. All night long all I could think about was I was going to be jumping for the first time with a rig that I had packed. Saturday morning comes, it's over cast but we go to the dz anyway. Cloud cover was at 3000' but it was decided that since we were doing a static line jump the cloud cover wouldn't affect us. We loaded up on a UH-1H (Huey) and flew up to altitude. As we started the jump run Ron got in the door on one side, I got in the door on the other. Then I screwed up... I looked down. Standing there in the door, looking at the ground so far away below me, knowing I had packed my own parachute gave me second thoughts. About that time the JM slapped my leg and yelled "GO!".. I looked over at him like he grew a second head and yelled back "F*CK YOU". He looks out the door, slaps my leg again and yells "GO", still standing in the door I give him another "F*CK YOU!". He glanced down at the ground one more time, yelled "GO" a third time as he promptly knocked my legs out from under me... needless to say, I went...The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #25 January 19, 2006 On Jump #57 I did my first head down. Not on purpose; it was in 1977 and they weren’t doing head-down back then. It was also my first reserve ride. I had a hard pull on a 4-pin ripcord in a military surplus rig with a 28' cheapo main. When the D-ring wouldn’t budge after pulling with my right hand, I reached in with my left hand and pulled with both hands. I must have extended my legs while I had both arms inboard, because I went head-down. When it still wouldn’t budge I dumped my 24' reserve from the belly-wart and it deployed right through my feet. Whipped me around pretty wickedly at line stretch. I think I was in the saddle around 1,200 feet. The opening left me with a stiff neck and sore balls for 2 weeks. It was my own damn fault. The rig was a rental, but I was using a ripcord of my own that I owned. At home, I kept my ripcord stored by wrapping the cable tightly around and around the handle. In time, it developed a few kinks. I had packed the rig out on the grass without a mat. After the jump, we found some gravely dirt in the housing, and we figured that the kinks in the cable and the shit in the housing combined to jam it up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
