noluckned 0 #1 November 10, 2005 Question for the Jm/Instructors out there. What is the scariest thing(for you) that you ever saw a student you where responsible for do? Not dissing students out there, but sometimes I look at my collection of grey hairs and wonder how many are skydiving related. My story goes like this: It was back in the days before AAD's became standard issue for students and I was dispatching a first free fall student. He went out the door perfectly, good arch and eye contact with me, he looked, reached..... and pulled his cutaway handle. At this point he looked back up at with a plaintive expression on his face, kinda like...oh shit, what now ...Help!.... Before going unstable and falling over back to earth. Luckily training took over and he arched and pulled silver, having extended his hop and pop into a 10 second delay, the longest 10 seconds of my life for sure. He also then had to suffer through a terminal round reserve opening, speaking from experience, that is not a pleasant thing. I have also of course seen the usual quota of bad exits resulting in people falling through their risers, but that guy lives in my memories, I was already wondering how I was going to report the incident, lucky for both of us he remembered what to do. Anybody else with a hair raising anecdote regarding their victims, er students? Please share. *Disclaimer* The views expressed in the above post may or may not be the result of drunkeness or temporary insanity and should only rarely be construed as the views of the poster himself Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sid 1 #2 November 10, 2005 Standing on the ground, radio in hand, watching the student get closer....... closer....... closer....... sentinel fire at 1,000ft... line stretch, turn DOWNWIND land....... Pete Draper, Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
noluckned 0 #3 November 10, 2005 I would like to include......preferably not resulting in a fatality. I am not thaaat bloodthirtsty. *Disclaimer* The views expressed in the above post may or may not be the result of drunkeness or temporary insanity and should only rarely be construed as the views of the poster himself Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faicon9493 141 #4 November 10, 2005 I once had a level 1 AFF student who was doing a good job of following radio commands after opening. His wife was near the landing area with a camera. When he was set up to land at approx. 75 feet, he dropped both toggles to wave at the camera! Fortunately, he grabbed them just in time to flair for landiing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #5 November 10, 2005 First jump student (S/L) deliberately spiraling from 200ft down to about 30ft while his instructor was screaming at him through the radio (after earlier tamer requests were ignored) to let his arms up and stop the turn. Student then flared at 30ft, stalled out the canopy and landed like a sack of shit. Walked back to the DZ bragging about how crappy skydiving was and how he thought it would be much more of a rush and that riding a motorbike was far scarier. He got his ass chewed off by the CCI and told never to come back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #6 November 10, 2005 82-yr old AFF1 flared above tree-top level (about 60 ft). Sank like a rock...BAM! Got up, brushed himself off and walked on in like nothing happened. Whew! Ooops...sory..I'm not an JM nor instructor. Just an innocent bystander.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lowpull 0 #7 November 10, 2005 Peter, you and I could fill this bandwidth with stories!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sid 1 #8 November 10, 2005 QuotePeter, you and I could fill this bandwidth with stories!!!! I've left a few out...... (ya think??????) like the AFF guy climbing back in, the little round girl with more cutaways in 20 jumps than.... oh never mind, I need more coffee btw - LOVE the hat brother! Sorry I missed you last weekend, I'll catch up to you soonPete Draper, Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sid 1 #9 November 10, 2005 QuotePeter, you and I could fill this bandwidth with stories!!!! oh... oh... I know it was yours Ralph, but the student who's leg dropped off on a clear and pull (prosthetic), what was the count... "Arch - Look - Reach - Oh Shit there goes a $14,000 leg!" - I seem to remember he did an awesome landing, but I'd have hated to be in his shoe...Pete Draper, Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #10 November 10, 2005 Quote...but I'd have hated to be in his shoe... That hurts...My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
noluckned 0 #11 November 10, 2005 oooh another springs to mind. I was not JM on that load but I was on it. Despite having been briefed on sitting in the exit position for a c206, our hero, being used to a c182, proceeded to climb out and stand on the wheel. No mean feat when you are wearing a student rig with static line and all. Luckily our pilot was awake and stepped on the brake so the wheel didnt roll. Upon reaching the wheel he looked back to wait for the go signal, to see a frantically waving and swearing JM a meter or so behind him. The guy then did a perfect exit, a camera flier was filming the exits anyway and we watched that tape to death in the bar later. The Jm on that load had eyes as big as saucers. *Disclaimer* The views expressed in the above post may or may not be the result of drunkeness or temporary insanity and should only rarely be construed as the views of the poster himself Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
outlawphx 1 #12 November 10, 2005 I watched one of my freefall students (S/L progression) take his 5 second delay to 20 seconds. 20 seconds gives you a lot of time to think about your student It went something like this... -On the strut. -Go! -Nice arch. -Looking stable. -OK, look for the ripcord. -Pull anytime now. -OK, now you're just being greedy for freefall time. -WTF? -I'm going to fail your ass for this. -Pull damnit! -Crap! I lost sight of him in the ground clutter. -God I hope I callibrated his AAD correctly (Sentinel with a 300ft differential between the airport and landing area) -Canopy deploying -Thank god! At least I dropped him from 5-5.5k, just in case Edited to add: I've seen some students do some scary stuff and hurt themselves as well, but that's no fun to talk about Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #13 November 10, 2005 I'm tossing a student on their first Static Line jump, when they climb out onto the strut, they somehow slip, and switch grips. They are now hanging upside down under the strut, with the static line on their opposite side. Basically if they let go right then its probably gonna be a horseshoe. And we are rapidly overflying the spot. I'm going wtf do i do now?!?! But i'll give him credit, he manages to climb from the strut upside down, back onto the step, then goes back onto the strut in the correct position and exits ok. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #14 November 10, 2005 QuoteThey are now hanging upside down under the strut, with the static line on their opposite side. Basically if they let go right then its probably gonna be a horseshoe. .can you explain why it would create a horseshoe ?? Never jumped S/L myself, so need some explanation.scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #15 November 10, 2005 QuoteQuoteThey are now hanging upside down under the strut, with the static line on their opposite side. Basically if they let go right then its probably gonna be a horseshoe. .can you explain why it would create a horseshoe ?? Never jumped S/L myself, so need some explanation. Maybe he meant it would create a jumper-in-tow? -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #16 November 10, 2005 QuoteI once had a level 1 AFF student who was doing a good job of following radio commands after opening. His wife was near the landing area with a camera. When he was set up to land at approx. 75 feet, he dropped both toggles to wave at the camera! Fortunately, he grabbed them just in time to flair for landiing. This is why the student main canopy brake lines are lengthened so much: so they can wave with their hands in the toggles without deflecting the tail. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #17 November 10, 2005 I saw who I believe was a solo student doing refresher jumps. He had his feet together, legs straight, and must have had no arch because he flipped head over heels over and over again. But the canopy came out when he was in the belly-down portion of his constant flipping. Apparently it always does for this guy. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #18 November 10, 2005 Watched a tiny, S/L student tumble and grab her sleeve (containing a C-9 canopy). She clutched it all the way to landing. Fortunately, Saint Francis Xavier Chevrier deployed her chest-mounted reserve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #19 November 10, 2005 Watching a 60+ year old student sitting in the grass - beside his round reserve - still fumbling with steel Capewell covers. Fortunately, Saint Francis Xavier Chevrier had deployed his reserve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #20 November 10, 2005 An IAD student suffered tangled stabilizers on a Para-Commander. He waited a good minute before doing anything. "I pulled my (S.O.S.) handle until I felt resistance, then stopped pulling." He resumed a stable frog, until Saint Francis Xavier Chevrier pulled his reserve ripcord. I picked my jaw up from the floor and turned to reassure the pilot (who was looking a little concerned) that the student had opened, but when I looked back, the student had disappeared into trees on the edge of the DZ. Note: this was before RSLs became mandatory for Canadian students. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #21 November 10, 2005 QuoteWhat is the scariest thing you ever saw a student do? Act like they knew everything in the FJC.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 2 #22 November 10, 2005 QuoteQuoteWhat is the scariest thing you ever saw a student do? Act like they knew everything in the FJC. There was one student at our DZ who came in, skydive t-shirt, Teva's and all, and apperantly kept telling the FJC instructor "But that's not what it says in the Skydiving Handbook!" Also his landing in a low turn, or the landing on the runway weren't his fault in any way. I was amazed to see another SL student perform continuous stall turns on his Manta, all the way down to 100 ft or so, with a rig with FXC. Think it was his third or fourth jump. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #23 November 10, 2005 A first timer heading towards to the side of the forest nevertheless he had radio on. He was flaring on 5m, stopped moving forward on 2-3m high, and dropped strait down, ended up with a broken ankle/knee. I was giving first aid to him and holding his foot until ambulace arrived. There was a grin of faith that I've broken my ankle 2 years before the same rig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #24 November 10, 2005 QuoteWhat is the scariest thing(for you) that you ever saw a student do? I'm neither a jumpmaster nor an instructor. But I've got a good story from about 20 years ago. Does that count? We had a stranger show up at the DZ with his own gear, and he convinced the owner that he was an experienced jumper. He put on his rig and walked toward the plane to make the load. Something didn't look quite right with his rig... Then it is said that my eyes got really big, and I let out a "Holy shit!" What this guy had done was to flip the main lift webs around the side of the rig to the back side, and then don his rig that way. View the attached picture at this point for an example. That meant that his pilot chutes were against his back, and his handles and cutaway mechanisms were underneath the lift webs against his body. And he was heading for the plane to jump like that! I sent him over to see the DZ owner, whose eyes also got really big and he uttered a similar expletive. The DZO just made him take the rig off, put it back on correctly, and then let him go back and board the plane. I was surprised... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoop 0 #25 November 10, 2005 Now that is scary! I am surprised they let him jump though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
