Author Topic: skydiving (Read 10138 times)

skydiver · « **on:** January 31, 2014, 09:51:24 am »

Just thought I would share a couple of pictures from my old hobby. Below is my best friend Craig we are doing a biplane pic taken by myself

An other friend doing a down plane I am on the left pic taken from the ground by wife, we are under 1000 feet above the ground.

This is a tandem instructional jump I am on top the guy on bottom it is his first jump pic taken by video jumper

This is called a drag plane my brother is on top I am in the middle and friend Dave is upside down. Picture taken by wife, from the ground we are about 1200 feet when taken.

Another biplane done by my brother and I Pic taken by myself

riverbee · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2014, 09:57:47 am »

wow! great photos! i like the 2nd one, so you don't do any skydiving anymore?

skydiver · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2014, 10:20:30 am »

Not in the past 11 years, still have the gear, wanted to last summer. But I developed a hernia that required surgery, then my bunions got done because my deductible was met. Still on the mends, may be will need one more surgery do to bones not wanting to heal find out in 9 days if things are improving, or if I go back on the table.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2014, 11:30:24 am »

Ohh... my god... I looked..

and it sent terror rushing up my spine....
I still have a BRAND spanking new Parachute I ordered in 1983. I have never even opened it.. I got it, two days after the friend that wanted me to jump with him was killed. I was living in Oxnard California at the time.
7 years later in Maine, I held my wife while they put her brother in the ground. He left behind a BEAUTIFUL young wife and even more beautiful little girl, when his chute tangled during a HALO.. No Sir, not for me unless the aircraft is on FIRE and in danger of exploding.. otherwise I'll ride it in yellin encouragement to the pilot the whole way!!

Perry · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2014, 12:08:45 pm »

NOT A CHANCE! Not in this lifetime.

Slowmodem · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2014, 12:24:17 pm »

When I was in the Army, I was told that there were only two things that fall out of the sky.

tefer2 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2014, 01:00:25 pm »

What airport you folks loading out of?

skydiver · « **Reply #7 on:** January 31, 2014, 01:54:30 pm »

Lazy So sorry to hear of your loss. It is a risk I have excepted. Just like riding in a car, it can take you just as quickly and you may not have done anything wrong. I take my training very seriously, do proper gear checks before each jump review emergency procedure in my head all the time, even during my hiatus from the sport. I have logged 550+ fun jumps, 500 plus tandem jumps with no injuries.
Perry Give it a try and then you may understand why the birds sing

tefer2 I started off in Grant Mi. now closed. Then move on to Marshall Mi. where I did all my tandem jumps
Slowmodem Not true. Are you calling me bird----- ?

Marbees · « **Reply #8 on:** January 31, 2014, 01:56:42 pm »

If you were destined to drown, you wont be killed in the fire

skydiver · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2014, 02:21:27 pm »

Quote

If you were destined to drown, you wont be killed in the fire

tefer2 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2014, 02:30:36 pm »

I think the local club is at Allegan now, was at Plainwell. You guys make me nervous when flyin out of there. Would hate to run into ya with the propeller!

minz · « **Reply #11 on:** January 31, 2014, 07:13:44 pm »

I used to use static line (Never got qualified to fall without one) when my slider did not come down all the way. It was an adventure. I probably had a lot more time as I was jerking the crap out of the lines until it came down but I figured I would try the drowning route.

G3farms · « **Reply #12 on:** January 31, 2014, 07:29:25 pm »

Looks fun, but not sure I could do it. Always wanted to try, but just not sure I could do it. Used to do a lot of rope work and caving, but just not sure I could do that. Been in some tight squeezes in caves, laying on my back and having to turn your head with hard hat on sideways just to slide through.

iddee · « **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2014, 08:10:47 pm »

I've played with the steering wheel at 200 MPH plus, but skydiving, NO.
I've pulled full grown wildcats and 'coons out of hollow trees and taken them home alive, but caving, NO.
I've pulled catfish out of holes under the river bank bare handed, but some things are just not my style.

To each his own suicide route, I guess.

Riverrat · « **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2014, 08:14:22 pm »

I did a tandem jump with the Boeing skydiving club from 10,000 years ago. Loved it. They crashed the plane 3 weeks later and never got to go again. I knew something wasn't right when I got on the plane and pilot was setting in a seat that wasn't bolted down and wearing a parachute

skydiver · « **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2014, 08:49:14 pm »

Quote

I think the local club is at Allegan now, was at Plainwell. You guys make me nervous when flyin out of there. Would hate to run into ya with the propeller!

That could always be a possible, but experienced jumpers should fly back to the airport in a way that should keep them out of the pattern for in coming aircraft. But not all pilots as well as jumpers always play by the rules. That's why we need to talk to each other if one isn't behaving to prevent a bad mishap.

Quote

I used to use static line (Never got qualified to fall without one) when my slider did not come down all the way. It was an adventure. I probably had a lot more time as I was jerking the crap out of the lines until it came down but I figured I would try the drowning route.

Slider not coming down all the way happens more when the jumper is a bit lighter side. It is sized on the big side for softer opening at maximum exit weight. You did right in pumping you brakes (steering lines) to work it down. Sounds like you are now into scuba, that's cool, and can be just as dangerous if you fail to keep your head on straight if things go wrong.

Quote

Looks fun, but not sure I could do it. Always wanted to try, but just not sure I could do it. Used to do a lot of rope work and caving, but just not sure I could do that. Been in some tight squeezes in caves, laying on my back and having to turn your head with hard hat on sideways just to slide through.

Give it a try it took me 25 jumps to know if was right for me, had to get the confidence in the equipment I guess. Glad I stuck with it. There's no describing steeping out into 10,000 foot of nothing if going tandem or AFF. have been wild caving just two times both times in the same cave 3 years apart. Down in WV after BASE jumping the new river gorge bridge on bridge day. The cave was named saltpeter cave 30 minutes outside of Hinton if I recall right may be another town (burg) closer call Sulfur Springs. Have you heard of it?

G3farms · « **Reply #16 on:** January 31, 2014, 09:06:33 pm »

Not heard of that cave, but have been across the bridge a couple of times.

My caving days were mostly in middle Tennessee, around Cookeville area. Johnson cave was the one I was talking about, takes about ten hours to go to the end and back out. Pretty nice, has a thirty foot rappel and then the tight squeeze for about 50 feet, there is a hole in the ceiling of the tight squeeze just big enough to stand up in and put a harness on, lay back down and wiggle to the edge of the second rappel, about 50 foot into a room so big we could not light up the ceiling, has a small waterfall in the back of it.

Crofter · « **Reply #17 on:** January 31, 2014, 09:07:34 pm »

It would take someone with a sharp stick to get me out the door I think. I have done a fair bit of climbing and rigging but I am no "natural" at it like some ironworkers I have worked with.

I think though that I would jump from a plane a way ahead of bungee jumping!

G3farms · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2014, 09:10:06 pm »

Dad was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, AA, in WW2. Said there was noting like it and loved to jump.

No way in Hattie's would I ever bungee jump, just ain't no way!!

Riverrat · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2014, 10:05:41 pm »

Quote from: G3farms on January 31, 2014, 09:10:06 pm

Dad was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, AA, in WW2. Said there was noting like it and loved to jump.

No way in Hattie's would I ever bungee jump, just ain't no way!!

Them ole boys paratrooping are tough as nails. Been told them old round chutes had them ole boys hitting the ground about as hard as getting hit by a moving truck