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Author Topic: First Skydive  (Read 1833 times)

Offline JimmyC

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2014, 12:06:34 AM »
awesome sauce
looks like your a natural ..
better than pony rustling?
sure looks more fun...where is that ?
 :x
WTG nutnut
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CO 71 "Eagle" Squadron RAF
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Offline mechanic

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2014, 10:11:52 AM »
RAF Hilbaldstow up near Scunthorpe, used to be a Lancaster base in the war. (stupid text filter)

It is amazing fun. I'm going to become an instructor.
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Offline Curval

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2014, 11:08:08 AM »
This was taken many many moons ago when my roomate in collage decided to try and cure my fear of heights.  It was a suprise for my birthday.

Interestingly enough when we arrived at the School (Toronto Parachute School) there were cops everywhere and when we got out of the car a helicopter landed nearby and 4 plain clothes cops got out.  In our opening lecture the instruction began by saying "Ladies and Gentlemen.  I have to be open and honest with you.  You may have noticed all the police and activity going on.  The reason is that yesterday we had our first fatality at the School."

I looked at my roomate with my jaw hanging around my chest and he just shrugged and said "What are the odds that it happen two days in a row?"

Later that day:



Old school parachuting.  :)

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Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain that is pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain

Offline mechanic

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2014, 11:15:42 AM »
Badass! I see that the student jumpsuits and helmets have not changed much in that many moons.

what's that? 2.5k?
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And I don't know much, but I do know this. With a golden heart comes a rebel fist.

Offline Curval

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2014, 12:31:05 PM »
Quote from: mechanic on September 15, 2014, 11:15:42 AM
Badass! I see that the student jumpsuits and helmets have not changed much in that many moons.

what's that? 2.5k?

4.5 but it felt like a million.  :)

My right ankle still clicks whenever I walk because I landed HARD on that side for some reason.  I have told people (women in particular) that it happens due to a "skydiving" injury.  lol  ;)
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Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain that is pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain

Offline cpxxx

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2014, 12:31:19 PM »
Great photo, that's must have been many years ago. My first and so far only solo jump was in a rig like that. Complete with reserve strapped to the chest. Bet it was a big round chute too. Back then if the main failed you had to have the presence of mind to cut away the main then pull the handle on the reserve. I'd probably have died.

Is that a 182 or a 206? That step looks small. I used to fly a 182 and the students had to climb out on the step grab the strut and then let go. One day a student wouldn't let go. The jumpmaster reached out and one by one prised his fingers off the strut. You should have seen the look on the poor guy's face!

Things have moved on now. Square and steerable chutes, automatic reserve deployment on a cutaway AADs :Automatic activation devices, radios and lightweight helmets. Doesn't stop a student doing something stupid. One of ours landed on the hangar, another took out the windsock on the airfield, yet another found the tallest tree in the country and perched there. Great fun.



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Offline mechanic

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2014, 12:46:31 PM »
We are taught to cut away and pull reserve still. The AAD and RSL are meant to be considered as back-up only. The instructors all say that if you rely on them you are going to auger sooner or later. I have a friend who was jumping in Russia about 10 years ago and had a mal, only managed to deploy his round chute reserve at 300. Floating down out of control right over an ore smelting plant with the smoke rising beneath him. He said he was calm and ok till he landed, then he cried like a baby.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2014, 12:48:19 PM by mechanic »
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Offline Curval

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2014, 01:26:13 PM »
Quote from: cpxxx on September 15, 2014, 12:31:19 PM
Bet it was a big round chute too. Back then if the main failed you had to have the presence of mind to cut away the main then pull the handle on the reserve. I'd probably have died.

It was and I would have died if the chute didn't open...for sure. 

No idea what the model of the plane was....I was sort of in a dream-like trance through most of the actual ride up and jump.  The only thing I remember well was volunteering to jump out first, because I knew that if someone chicken out in front of me I probably would have too.  My roomate was sort of shocked at that.  His best memory was seeing me jump and watching to see if the chute opened.  Given that he had paid and taken me there for my birthday he was not keen on facing my father if something went wrong.
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Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain that is pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain

Offline cpxxx

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #23 on: September 15, 2014, 02:08:23 PM »
I had a similar experience Curval. But I actually wrote it all down while the memory was vivid. I went second and refusing never entered my mind because all of us on that load guys from my army reserve unit. Dying was preferable to not jumping. The fear on the first guy's face distracted me so much that I forgot to be nervous plus trying to remember the drills kept me busy until I jumped. Then it go scary until the parachute opened.  :O

Interestingly the first guy out went on to join the Irish army ranger wing, who are our special forces. The third guy out went on to join the British Para regiment and became a company commander. I ended up as a skydive  pilot. I guess we all got hooked one way or other.
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Offline mechanic

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #24 on: September 15, 2014, 02:19:43 PM »
so any desire to do some freefall?

The chute ride is fun but nothing compares to the minute of freefall, front loops, back loops, looking at the sunset over the clouds, a bit of tracking. Check Alt. 6k. Still got time, the manic laugh audible over the wind, then 5k, 4.5k throw pilot....ahhh....still alive.

Free fall is so hard to describe that is what makes me want to jump and jump again, the only way to truly remember that feeling is to jump again.

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And I don't know much, but I do know this. With a golden heart comes a rebel fist.

Offline Curval

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #25 on: September 15, 2014, 02:27:15 PM »
Ahh...no. 

I don't even like rollercoasters man.

My life insurance company wouldn't be too keen on it either.  :)
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Some will fall in love with life and drink it from a fountain that is pouring like an avalanche coming down the mountain

Offline colmbo

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #26 on: September 15, 2014, 06:09:26 PM »
Quote from: mechanic on September 15, 2014, 02:19:43 PM


The chute ride is fun but nothing compares to the minute of freefall

The early one's were the most memorable in many ways.  I did static line progression so it started with 5 second, then 10 sec, then 15 sec free fall.  I really noticed the sound of the wind increasing as I accelerated on the 10 and 15 second jumps since I was finally getting to terminal velocity.

Awesome going out of a DC-3 late in the exit, the base very small waaaaay below you as you dive vertically to catch up….wind roaring, goggles bouncing, eyes watering….the base starting to mushroom larger as you flare hard to slow down and slide into your slot.

My at that time future wife working on her tandem rating, jumping out of the 182 that I eventually owned.  I did the camera for this jump.



The wife and I on one of our early dates:

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Fate whispers to the warrior "You cannot withstand the storm" and the warrior whispers back "I AM THE STORM"

Offline mechanic

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #27 on: September 15, 2014, 06:52:37 PM »
Ahh man, that is one of the best photos I have ever seen. And wow, that is low. How low was that awesome kiss?
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And I don't know much, but I do know this. With a golden heart comes a rebel fist.

Offline colmbo

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #28 on: September 16, 2014, 10:15:46 AM »
Quote from: mechanic on September 15, 2014, 06:52:37 PM
Ahh man, that is one of the best photos I have ever seen. And wow, that is low. How low was that awesome kiss?

We're 3500-4500'.  That was at Girdwood, Alaska…pretty little drop zone in a valley right next to Alyeska Ski Resort.  It was awe inspiring to break from a relative work dive at 3500' then turn and track toward a 4500' mountain. :)
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Columbo

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Fate whispers to the warrior "You cannot withstand the storm" and the warrior whispers back "I AM THE STORM"

Offline Guppy35

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Re: First Skydive
« Reply #29 on: September 16, 2014, 10:46:55 PM »
I'm another of the did it once to see what it was like folks.  This was back in 1979.  I made promises about the good man I would try and be all the way down!   It seemed a real foolish thing to do after I left the plane :)

I'd rather fly em then fall out of them :aok

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