Your lowest Hop & Pop

[EvilLurker 2]

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Wouldnt it be safer to jump at alti through clouds?

Solid overcast without a hole to climb through or a GPS. I doubt it would be "safer" to make an IFR free-fall jump with a (you hope) 1900 ft. base than to just leave sub-terminal while you can see the ground. We all lived and the plane landed safely, so it worked. This was an old Cessna 170 from the '50's, not a Super Otter, or something similar, with actual instruments. It didn't even have a rear bulkhead, you could look back and see the control cables leading to the tail. We were all happy to get out as soon as possible.

I got a 5 second delay on that jump, maybe I shouldn't call it a hop n' pop.

[outrager 6]

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Just wondering what eveyones lowest Hop&Pop was. This does not include Base Jumping.

Why does the choice stop at 1700' ?

300' S/L from AN-2 (probably doesn't count since it's S/L?)

Lots of 600..1000' jumps from various helicopters (probably doesn't count since i always took reasonably long delays? With BASE rigs, of course).

bsbd!

Yuri.

[tempretired 0]

1800 and delayed for a while.

Another time, we got to a 1000 ft cloud base with 6 in a C-206 and the pilot told us that was it and that we had to go or go down with the plane. The entire plane said no until 1 jumper in the back said let me out. Then, everyone got balls except for me. I didn't have many jumps and was jumping borrowed gear. My incident report kept flashing in my head "Jumper does 1200 ft H&P with 100 jumps while using borrowed gear that was 30sq ft smaller, tappered zp as opposed to sq F-111, BOC rather than Leg". So, I landed with the plane.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I have gotten out of the plane below 2000 feet on a number of occasions (with a StarTrac), but only when a certain number of criteria were met: Airspeed; what canopy I was about to deploy; wind conditions on the ground. I don't have any problem whatsoever getting out at two grand assuming I have the right canopy over my head. I wouldn't hesitate to do it all day long with my Sabre2 97, but I would not do it (except in an emergency) with my Velo 84.

Chuck

[brianfry713 0]

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Hell, I think it needs more alts on the higher end, too. I'm willing to bet there's a lot of people who haven't even gotten out as low as 3K.

Agreed, my lowest H&P was 5,500 feet for my A license. Eventually I'll do one lower. I don't have much of a problem pulling around 2,000 if the spot is good. Mostly because my canopy opens quick and reliably.

BASE 1224, Senior Parachute Rigger, CPL ASEL IA, AGI, IGI
USPA Coach & UPT Tandem Instructor, PRO, Altimaster Field Support Representative

[BillyVance 34]

I once did a 2000' hopnpop from Mullins' King Air. From take-off to exit was only about 2 minutes. We were scrambling to get our seat belts off and gear checks before the "exit, exit, exit" call came... I only did a solo, but on that load, 7 guys chunked the exit!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[stoneycase 0]

I marked 2K as that's the lowest I've exited at. I'd like to try lower, but I'm not in any hurry to do it tomorrow.

/please feel free to yell at me for this attachment...

[davidlayne 5]

I would suggest I have a couple of dozen sub 2000 ft. jumps, some under 1000 ft. Most on P.C.'s.

One of my more interesting hop and pops was from a Cessna Ag Truck crop sprayer with my son James. The Ag Truck is a low wing single seat aircraft with a strut going from mid wing to above the couling. We stood on the wings (one of us on the right, one on the left) with one leg inside the cockpit and one on the wing and hung onto the strut for our ride to altitude. The aircraft quit climbing at 1100 ft. so away we went!

I don't care how many skydives you've got,
until you stepped into complete darkness at
800' wearing 95 lbs of equipment and 42 lbs
of parachute, son you are still a leg!

[kelpdiver 2]

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Agreed, my lowest H&P was 5,500 feet for my A license. Eventually I'll do one lower. I don't have much of a problem pulling around 2,000 if the spot is good. Mostly because my canopy opens quick and reliably.

huh? A license requires 3500. The 5500 in the ISP is prep, one I found very comforting.

I'm surprised we have so few answering 3000 (for the 3500 they did). Did everyone go lower because of a cloudy day, or are they just not answering?

I think I'll be ok and quick if we need to do an emergency bailout, but otherwise I'm not going to elect to do a sub 3 HnP at this time. Unless I drive out to Lodi, availability is limited to non existent at the DZs around here.

[scrublink 0]

17 way at 4500 feet. chunked.

4 way off a chopper at 2500 feet, no jumpsuits, freeflew the exit and got two points.

I have never left below 1800-1900 feet.

[eUrNiCc 0]

I've seen a 3 point 3 way (with piece turn) chunked out of a cessna at 2000ft. The LARGEST canopy of the three was an 89

Egad, A BASE life defiles a bad age.

[billvon 3,072]

>Unless ya had a mal...then it'd really get exciting.

I would think that a mal on a 1000' hop and pop with a BASE main, a mesh slider, a BASE PC, and either a Sorcerer or Skyhook rig, would not be significantly more exciting than a malfunction with a regular canopy after a regular freefall to ~2000'. BASE mains show their malfunctions more quickly (you don't have to wonder if it's a snivel or a mal) your altitude is known with far more precision and you have zero doubts about whether you are at decision altitude or not.

Not to say that it's a good idea, of course. But there are regular cutaways from 800 foot objects, and no one's had a problem yet.

[billvon 3,072]

>I've seen a 3 point 3 way (with piece turn) chunked out of a cessna at 2000ft.

Posers! We turned 7 points in a 4 way from 4000.

[bob.dino 1]

2k with a Spectre 190. In the saddle by 1850.

What I've found with my Spectre:

- Pitch within one second: 150ft to open.
- Pitch after 2-3 seconds: standard 6-700ft .

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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>I've seen a 3 point 3 way (with piece turn) chunked out of a cessna at 2000ft.

Posers! We turned 7 points in a 4 way from 4000.

OHHH YEAAA well I uhhh I can uhhh ....hold a heading....



EDIT to add.... sometimes

damn show-offs

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[jedeisurf 0]

1500 feet on a demo jump 30 mph ground winds night jump into a football field 119 jumps and 3 line twist, but hey I landed on the 50 yard line. Yes not the smartest thing but when you get invited on a demo at 119 jumps you don't always do the right thing.
David

[beezyshaw 0]

I jumped a Monarch for a paid gift delivery jump one Saturday morning from "about" 500 ft. due to low clouds. I had serious motivation (financially) for the "show to go on". I had many jumps on this canopy, I had the pilot of the Cessna pour the coals to it to give me lots of airspeed after the door was opened, exited with pilot chute in hand, and had a fully opened canopy about 30 or 40 feet below exit altitude. Was it a stupid thing to do? Hell yes. Would I do the same thing again? For the right amount of money, hell yes. But remember, "I'm a professional, don't try this at home!"

[mjosparky 4]

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>I've seen a 3 point 3 way (with piece turn) chunked out of a cessna at 2000ft.

Posers! We turned 7 points in a 4 way from 4000.

Back in the day we would practice 10 way out of a D-18 from 4500 feet. Makes for some fast times.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[BlindBrick 0]

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Personally, I think a parachute that takes 800 feet to inflate is not a very good lifesaving device for more than one reason.

Due to my unusually fast freefall speeds, my canopy was retrimmed to give me long snivels. Nowadays, I call 800 ft a quick opening. I'd never deploy it at less than 3000 ft, but it sure saved my bacon at Couch Freaks this year when I found myself having to go terminal when I'd only dressed for a hop and pop.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[D22369 0]

1800'

straight into a spinning mal

man.....that was exciting

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[Tonto 1]

1400 ft from a decending 182 with iced wings and prop after decending through cloud unable to see the DZ for a CRW jump. For those of you who know CRW rigs, you'll know I was fully deployed with brakes unstowed by about 1350ft.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[indyz 1]

2000 feet. No big deal with my Triathlon 160, but I also did it for my first jump on a Stiletto. Stuuuupid. Don't try that at home, kids.

[vt1977 0]

My lowest was 1700' or thereabouts. Miserable low cloud day in England in the middle of winter. We were really, really bored and just wanted to jump!

It seemed like a great idea at the time!

I had a Sabre 150 then that opened pretty fast and I repacked it to open even faster...

On a side note, some of the guys in the plane were betting on who would have a bad exit... so just to mess with them I stood on the step of the Beaver and "fell off" backwards. It made all of us laugh... I had a fully inflated canopy with brakes off just over 1500' which was a little higher than some of those who had done poised exits!

I love hop and pops but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable getting out that low on my Spectre.

Vicki

[LawnDart21 0]

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I once did a 2000' hopnpop from Mullins' King Air. From take-off to exit was only about 2 minutes. We were scrambling to get our seat belts off and gear checks before the "exit, exit, exit" call came...

You know your in for a quick ride when Mr. Mullins starts calling "Two Minutes!" before he even starts to taxi.........

If only all planes could climb that fast........

--
My other ride is a RESERVE.

[VampireGirl 0]

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1000', more than once.

Your poll needs more alts on the lower end.

Hell, I think it needs more alts on the higher end, too. I'm willing to bet there's a lot of people who haven't even gotten out as low as 3K.

Yep, that's me! I have done a few from 3500ft (static lines) but all my hop n pops have been from at least 4K. I definately have this as something I need to work on, as per the post about being aware of your gear's capabilities in an aircraft emergency..

Quote: The reason I got out that low, and will continue to do it (if and when the opportunity presents itself again), is that getting out of a plane under 2000ft doesnt have to be a "panic situation", even if the plane is having an emergency and you must exit. I think its important to know where ones "main or reserve?" limit is for an airplane emergency, and also to have gone out real low a few times in a non emergency situation, so that if/when it happens for real, it won't be the first time you do it.
Unquote..

but I just don't feel ready to push my limits on low hop n pops yet.

how can I psyche myself up to get over this?

I suppose knowing how long my canopy takes to open, packing it myself and being aware of what to do to make it open quicker, may be a start..

any comments?

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