I took a personal day off from work today, and went down to the drop-zone with a friend to get two small details signed off (was hoping to get them signed off, and then do my license qualifier jump). There were some firsts for me:
1) Spotting: This is hanging out the side of the airplane at altitude, determining precisely where above the ground you are and directing the pilot so you can exit the plane in a place where you can land where you are supposed to. These were my first solo spots.
2) Hanging Exit: We were using the Cesna 206, and this exit involves swinging your legs out of the plane onto the step, then grasping the strut, walking you hands up the strut up to where it connects to the wing, and stepping off the step, just hanging from the strut, and then releasing.
3) Hop-N-Pop: Also called a clear and pull, this involves stabilizing and pulling your parachute within 5 seconds of leaving the airplane, done at 5,500 and 3,500 feet above ground level today (I normally jump at 15,000 feet above ground level).
Well, my first jump, from 5,500 feet, went fairly smoothly and I had a very good landing, so that was signed off. However, the second jump, from 3,500 feet, didn't quite go right.
I spotted fine, got out hanging from the strut, and released... here's f4 up #1... instead of staying relaxed and arched, I tensed, so started tumbling. Manage to recover most stability, and went to pull my parachute. This became f4 up #2, and boy was it a dosey.
To keep the air pressure equal on the top and bottom of your body, your arms are bent at the shoulder and elbow, and the hands sort of above your head. When your right arm goes down to pull the pilot chute out to release the parachute, which is around the small of your back, the left arm needs to reach slightly higher and across, to keep the same amount of wind resistance to keep you stable. Well, for the first time in 42 jumps, I failed to do this. In fact, as my right arm came down my left arm did as well. This resulted in me tipping head down as my pilot chute was released... it hit me in the leg (luckily did not wrap around my leg) as it deployed... the chute continues to open, and I'm upside down. This FAR from the ideal body position... very, VERY far. As the chute opened, the open shock rotated me around 540 degrees, passing THROUGH my parachute lines. On the way through the lines, my right leg bounced off (the instructor monitoring me from above told me I was lucky... slight bit less tension on the line, it would have wrapped around my leg and broken either the ankle or the knee, and would have resulted in me hanging upside down from my leg with an open canopy, which is extremely difficult to get out of). The canopy opens... mostly. I reach for my steering toggles, and they aren't where they are supposed to be. I've managed to wrap my brake/steering lines AROUND my risers and some of the rest of the lines.
I determine that it's opened far enough, and I've got enough control that I can land it... actually, had a decent landing. And then got the royal chewing out from the monitoring instructor on the ground... to be honest, I already knew what I'd done wrong, and was chewing myself out. Needless to say, I did NOT get a passing grade on my 3,500 foot jump. I will NOT make this error again. It came VERY close to be a very injurous situation.
I hadn't realize precisely how much adrenaline had been dumped into my system till it finished wearing off on the drive home, and I was absolutely zonked.
It's definitely been an experiential day.
LthrOttr |
