Parachute Pracrice

[ssmdive]

I am a skydiving instructor (Static Line, Accelerated Freefall, and Tandem).

I'll tell you that while mental games and walk thorough exercises will help dramatically, even skydiving students that have jumped before get 'door fear'. This can cause them to hesitate instead of jumping.

Short story: So I am in a Porter climbing at about 5,000 feet and the pilot turns to us and says, "Get out! I have an emergency!!" (If I recall correctly, there was a problem with the trim on the elevator or rudder and it was running wild). Anyway this was a top notch pilot and since I had a rig on... If the pilot says get out, I go. So I open the door and there is a jumper with 70ish jumps is in front of me and just FREEZES in the door. Will not go, will not clear the door - Just sits there. I try my sweet voice, I try my firm voice, I try my drill instructor voice... Nada. The pilot turns to me and says, "Get the hell out of my plane!" So I tackle the jumper and push them out. Once out I help flip them over and make sure they deploy.

So here is a situation with a jumper that just freaked out when it got real. Added to the fear was a low exit (no, 5K is not low), but the jumper had learned AFF which is full freefalls from at least 9,500.

There is very little real work practice you can do to prepare you for the situation. The BEST course of action is to have a plan of when the insurance company owns the plane (for me things like fire and I just lost a wing). Then 'dry run' the exit as many times as you feel comfortable and then do it that many times again. Before EVERY flight recap both your bail out situations AND process. If you are the adventurous type, go make a tandem jump. Making a jump will give you massive confidence in the equipment.

[WLIU]

The interview with Allen Silver here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWAUZ-oQtE

is very good.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[Bill Greenwood]

Diana, I am glad the kids got to do their flights. Maybe they would be good candidates for the 2 week kids summer camp at Oshkosh.

And by the way there are some chutes that would fit a small teenager. Softie for one, makes a mini, 20 in long, 15 in wide, and 2 inch thick and a micro which is 20 long by 13 wide and 2 thick. They were about $1100 some years back, and Alan Silver is or was a dealer.
There at least 4 or 5 manufacturers of quality chutes, the point is to get a good one, have it packed by a reliable person, and wear it when doing acro or similar exposure.

[pittsdriver3]

Great thread. I used to fly the jump plane here every once in awhile but never had the desire to jump. And you give the rigger a bottle of GOOD scotch if the chute saves your butt. Don

[WLIU]

One of my neighbors used his parachute today. They do work.

http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-new...state/25551208

Fly safe,

Wes
N78PS

[Greg Wilson]

The post describing an emergency with the aircraft carrying skydivers reminded me of one an uncle of mine told. He was 82nd Airborne WW2 and this happened state side on a training flight. They were I think in Alabama, it was a night flight and shortly after take-off the C-47 lost an engine. My Uncle George said that the jump master hit the lights and they stood-up, hooked-up and out the door. They had combat loads and he said you could feel the plane lurch as each trooper went out. They were over a river and I remember he told me that he looked up to check rigging and then his feet hit the water!, they had gone out the door at around 600 ft. Another uncle was with the 17th and like many combat vets said very little about the war. He was however very proud of "jumping the Rhine" in operation varsity.