Comments on: If at first you don't succeed, well, so much for skydiving.

If at first you don't succeed, well, so much for skydiving.

not_on_display — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:30:51 -0800

• Canopy Formation Parachuting Record: 81 100
• Formation Skydiving Record: 400
• 69 :pɹoɔǝɹ uoıʇɐɯɹoɟ ƃuıʎlɟǝǝɹɟ [also, champion freeflying duo Spaceland Anomaly]

By: Chocolate Pickle

Chocolate Pickle — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:33:22 -0800

Alright, how'd you do that?

By: Item

Item — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:35:22 -0800

˙ǝןʞɔıd 'ʎɹǝʇsʎɯ ɐ s,ʇı

By: datacenter refugee

datacenter refugee — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:35:42 -0800

Alright, how'd you do that? http://www.fliptext.org/

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:36:59 -0800

"Skydiving 69" needs an SFW tag. Or an MℲS tag, I guess.

By: maxpower

maxpower — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:50:53 -0800

While these videos are inspiring, I think I like my present hobbies just fine.

By: Lemurrhea

Lemurrhea — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:57:29 -0800

I went skydiving last summer in Gananoque, Ontario. Greatest time ever. As soon as I live in a town with a field (and have ~$3000 to spend on recreation), I'm getting certified. If you've got even a bit of curiosity, try it!

By: exogenous

exogenous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:15:27 -0800

I think I'd prefer going with a wingsuit.

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:18:28 -0800

Interesting note: when you get in trouble in the air, it is far safer to try to fly the plane down to the ground then to bail out with a parachute. You are very likely to hit the tail as the slipstream pulls you out the door (not giving you enough time to push away from the plane), breaking your back. The one and only time I've been on an aerobatic flight, I was instructed to "try to crawl out on the wing as far as you can" if I had to bail. Not quite sure how to accomplish that in a flat spin.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:25:41 -0800

Nifty.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:28:00 -0800

when you get in trouble in the air, it is far safer to try to fly the plane down to the ground then to bail out with a parachute. When I was taking flying lessons I was surprised how many people asked me if I wore a parachute while flying in those "small, dangerous" planes. Somehow they thought a Cessna was a death trap but jumping out of one over the greater Boston area was perfectly safe.

By: lothar

lothar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:55:17 -0800

Interesting note-filter: It's lots safer to try to fly the plane to the ground for the people on the ground. Jumping out of a Cessna is plenty safe, I've done it many times and have never hit the tail as the slipstream pulls me out the door. Incidentally, the slipstream doesn't pull you out the door, either. In short, don't leave the plane in flight if you weren't planning to.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:01:21 -0800

I love skydiving and if I had the time and resources I'd jump every week. But canopy work scares the bejeezus out of me. A wing suit would AWESOME, though.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:02:39 -0800

Be. Be awesome. Goddamn iPhone keypad.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:03:25 -0800

Also, people don't use the word "nifty" enough.

By: exogenous

exogenous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:27:37 -0800

"If an airplane is still in one piece, don't cheat on it; ride the bastard down." (attributed to Ernest Gann). I was talking with an owner of an Extra 200 and was surprised to learn that type certificate made it legal to fly only when the one or two occupants wore parachutes, even if no aerobatics were performed.

By: indyz

indyz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:59:03 -0800

Most aerobatic aircraft have seats that are designed to be used only when wearing parachutes. Not wearing a parachute would be at best uncomfortable, because the parachute is expected to provide much of the padding. If the seat is designed for seat-type parachutes, it can be downright dangerous.

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:04:28 -0800

If you're at the Boston 10th meetup, I will relate a story about going up in a Chinese-built Yak with a stocky Norwegian if asked (and plied with beer). It requires bad Norwegian accents to tell accurately.

By: ChrisR

ChrisR — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:12:59 -0800

When I was taking flying lessons I was surprised how many people asked me if I wore a parachute while flying in those "small, dangerous" planes. Somehow they thought a Cessna was a death trap but jumping out of one over the greater Boston area was perfectly safe.

bondcliff, I'd say that once someone has been in one of the little Cessna planes used at dropzones, they'd be more inclined to consider the jump to be the safer part. Those planes are frankly terrifying. One of the people on a load I was on would reach up, peel aside part of the roof, and jerk the plane around using the control cables. Then he and the pilot would laugh at the rookies' pale faces and wide eyes. Basically, give me a nice, under-loaded parachute over one of those deathtraps any day.

By: hypersloth

hypersloth — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:35:18 -0800

I just want to clarify part of backseatpilot's comment: You are very likely to hit the tail as the slipstream pulls you out the door That's only when a plane is going down. Otherwise, you cannot hit the tail of the plane, no matter how hard you try (and people have tried, hard, to slap the elevator a high-five) When a plane is level and people are diving, they are diving. As far as the slipstream goes, I've jumped a few times, and never noticed any sucking forces, but I wasn't in a nosedive, so I dunno. The only bad thing I have to say about skydiving is that you should prepare for the aftermath. Once you're done, you might find yourself in an anticlimactic state, thinking, well shit, what now? Sex? meh, boring... That part really sucks.