Reply to: Jumping out of a plane

[Sockpuppet]

I've never understood why anyone would jump out of a perfectly servicable plane.

There is no such thing as a perfectly serviceable air plane. Given enough time every plane will eventually crash.

[NotAllThere]

...TBH anyone that dies after jumping out of a plane should be considered suicide no matter how many chutes they have.

I've never understood why anyone would jump out of a perfectly servicable plane.

[gingerjedi]

Olu Deniz ?

Yes Mount Badabag (1,900m), it's supposed to be one of the best paragliding sites in the world.

[Pogle]

I’ve been paragliding from a mountain in Turkey a couple of times, it's rather reassuring that the canopy is 'up' before you leave the ground.

Olu Deniz ?

[gingerjedi]

I’ve been paragliding from a mountain in Turkey a couple of times, it's rather reassuring that the canopy is 'up' before you leave the ground.

[BrilloPad]

Mate was at a schoolboy rugby tournament today. They had the local skydivers put on a show before the main game. Unfortunately some poor chaps chute never opened and he landed and died just behind the main stadium. Not something I have ever tried, any adrenalin junkies on this forum? I thought it was extremely uncommon these days for both the main and the reserve chute to fail?

My brother has done loads as he was a major in 1 para. I think the chances of failure are part of the fun. But then he enjoyed the cresta run : something that even Clarkson found scary.

I prefer to stay home with the kids. Doing my knitting.

[oracleslave]

Only if an AAD such as a cyprus is fitted.

Oracle, I am assuming that your mate lives in South Africa?

Yes, see here

[Sockpuppet]

Very uncommon. In fact the reserve chute should open of its own accord as soon as you get below a certain altitude.

Rhubarb.

Only if an AAD such as a cyprus is fitted.

Oracle, I am assuming that your mate lives in South Africa?

[minestrone]

One of my friends Father died parachuting when in the army, they expected to make a jump in Germany in the 70s but the officer in charge got the wind direction wrong and a bunch of them landed in the Rhine, when they found the body they found he had been strangled by the cords as he was washed down stream.

[minestrone]

ISTR something similar happened several years ago, and at first the police were suspicious it might have been murder (someone sabotaging the shute).

I don't think the case was ever solved conclusively, but it became increasingly clear the shute had indeed been sabotaged - by the guy who was killed, in other words a bizarre suicide.

This could well be the same, and if so what an antisocial twat!

The Stephen Hilder case.

TBH anyone that dies after jumping out of a plane should be considered suicide no matter how many chutes they have.

[OwlHoot]

ISTR something similar happened several years ago, and at first the police were suspicious it might have been murder (someone sabotaging the shute).

I don't think the case was ever solved conclusively, but it became increasingly clear the shute had indeed been sabotaged - by the guy who was killed, in other words a bizarre suicide.

This could well be the same, and if so what an antisocial twat!

[Cliphead]

Fair enough. Not about cojones for me. Regardless of skill or ones ability to 'hack it' it seems the more jumps you do the increased likelihood that something will go wrong. I enjoy other things in life sufficiently that this I can do without.

Yeah, was kinda strange listening to the instructors talking among themselves about the near misses they had. Not into the macho thing myself, did the jump as a charity fund raiser. I'd do it again but I've got better things to do on weekends and anyway I like to bring the aeroplane back, much more skill involved in that.

[oracleslave]

I think the implied message was more - if you don't have the cojones take up knitting

Fair enough. Not about cojones for me. Regardless of skill or ones ability to 'hack it' it seems the more jumps you do the increased likelihood that something will go wrong. I enjoy other things in life sufficiently that this I can do without.

[Cliphead]

Is it a case of 'hacking it' or more if it's your time then so be it?

I think the implied message was more - if you don't have the cojones take up knitting

[rhubarb]

I thought it was extremely uncommon these days for both the main and the reserve chute to fail?

Very uncommon. In fact the reserve chute should open of its own accord as soon as you get below a certain altitude.

Rhubarb.