The Gravity of the Situation
Deland Florida 6/30/07
Scott Miller's Essential Skills Canopy Course
Last jump of the day was designed to be a long spot from the Drop Zone. The plan for me was to exit from 13,000 feet with another guy in the class, "Itchy", and open our canopies starting at about 5,000 feet. We were in the front of the Otter and the last group not in the class leave the plane. The other fun jumpers leave and the pilot cycles the light for us to hold. We head further out for a few more seconds. Light is green, Jim exits. A few seconds later, Itchy and I head out and have a really good jump. We share my altimeter and I begin to turn and track at about 6,000 feet, wave, pitch my pilot chute. I am under canopy fairly quickly right above 4,000 feet as planned.
Where is the drop zone? No big deal, I grab a riser and turn finding that it is 180 degrees behind me. Although it was designed as a long spot and I expected to fly in brakes to make it back, I did not expect what I saw. 4,000 feet and this is what I see ahead of me.
Map One
Ok. In my heart, I really did not think that I was going to make it back and I knew this fairly quickly BUT I still have to try. Immediately I go into deep brakes and hook my fingers under my leg straps holding my brake lines so my arms won't get tired. My next priority was to figure out what I am dealing with and what is under me for alternate places to land. I did do the smart thing and looked behind me - huge open field. Sure I could make that but I still had options before me. Being found would be a huge problem. It's gonna be dark soon so if I am lost and hurt, then that is even worse.
So what do I have? I see the edge of the drop zone ahead of me and there is a chance that I could make that edge and that would be all I needed without being greedy. Between me and that edge are an ocean of very bad decisions mixed with a few possibilities.
Power lines
Roads
Power lines
Small lakes
Power lines
Houses
Power lines
Several parking lots
An industrial park
Of what I see, before me the parking lots, industrial park and the median of the state road look like the choices that I will have to deal with. Whatever I choose in the end, I know that I will likely land somewhere that was never, ever considered for somebody to land in. This is not my home drop zone with fields all around. I AM IN THE SUCK. As I now near 3,000 feet I am clearing the houses which I am really glad about but I am not making good progress to really make it back home. I review all of my choices again and decide pretty much then that the best of the shit I have to deal with is the industrial park. There is a small green clearing that I see along a road in the park. Are there power lines and tall equipment near by? You bet. I still have no idea if I can deal with what is behind the fence but I will know when I get closer.
2,000 feet - hell with it, I am bailing out of trying to make it back. I see Itchy slightly above me but a good half mile ahead and he is clearing the main highway which I have not. At 2,000 feet this is what I saw.
Map Two (I flew a straight line from the first point to second)
The industrial park it is. I see a lake ahead of me and the last thing I want to happen is end up in the water (power lines or whatever) so I am making this clearing no matter what. Whatever it takes, I am gonna put it down there. There is a ton of equipment and machinery in this factory on the property but I try to focus on the grass and it seems to be clear of power lines. Set up for my pattern, make it to my final and see that I might be staring at a barbed wire fence so I grab my front risers and swoop it in and stand up my landing.
Map Three (Landing Zone)
A couple people looked at me like an alien but I was just glad to be alive. They found me, and eventually came and picked me up.
I grew up a lot Saturday in the sport and I learned some hard lessons. If I had it to do again, I would not have gotten out of the plane if I knew the spot was that long. The spot is my responsibility and only I am accountable. Sure the pilot shares some blame but I got out on my own. I just thought the spot was good enough to make it back. There is blame to be shared but I am my own pilot.
The good that comes from this is that I was truly tried by fire in a situation that would put a percentage of jumpers out of a hundred in a hospital at best. I did well. I managed my risks. I made all the right decisions given the situation before me and I lived without a scratch. I gained confidence in myself. I learned. I am alive. The best thing that I can do is move on from this and put it in my past and not allow my future jumps to be colored by fear of this happening again.
Today as I was driving back to Orlando to the airport, I passed a familiar fence and field.
Scott Miller's Essential Skills Canopy Course
Last jump of the day was designed to be a long spot from the Drop Zone. The plan for me was to exit from 13,000 feet with another guy in the class, "Itchy", and open our canopies starting at about 5,000 feet. We were in the front of the Otter and the last group not in the class leave the plane. The other fun jumpers leave and the pilot cycles the light for us to hold. We head further out for a few more seconds. Light is green, Jim exits. A few seconds later, Itchy and I head out and have a really good jump. We share my altimeter and I begin to turn and track at about 6,000 feet, wave, pitch my pilot chute. I am under canopy fairly quickly right above 4,000 feet as planned.
Where is the drop zone? No big deal, I grab a riser and turn finding that it is 180 degrees behind me. Although it was designed as a long spot and I expected to fly in brakes to make it back, I did not expect what I saw. 4,000 feet and this is what I see ahead of me.
Map One
Ok. In my heart, I really did not think that I was going to make it back and I knew this fairly quickly BUT I still have to try. Immediately I go into deep brakes and hook my fingers under my leg straps holding my brake lines so my arms won't get tired. My next priority was to figure out what I am dealing with and what is under me for alternate places to land. I did do the smart thing and looked behind me - huge open field. Sure I could make that but I still had options before me. Being found would be a huge problem. It's gonna be dark soon so if I am lost and hurt, then that is even worse.
So what do I have? I see the edge of the drop zone ahead of me and there is a chance that I could make that edge and that would be all I needed without being greedy. Between me and that edge are an ocean of very bad decisions mixed with a few possibilities.
Power lines
Roads
Power lines
Small lakes
Power lines
Houses
Power lines
Several parking lots
An industrial park
Of what I see, before me the parking lots, industrial park and the median of the state road look like the choices that I will have to deal with. Whatever I choose in the end, I know that I will likely land somewhere that was never, ever considered for somebody to land in. This is not my home drop zone with fields all around. I AM IN THE SUCK. As I now near 3,000 feet I am clearing the houses which I am really glad about but I am not making good progress to really make it back home. I review all of my choices again and decide pretty much then that the best of the shit I have to deal with is the industrial park. There is a small green clearing that I see along a road in the park. Are there power lines and tall equipment near by? You bet. I still have no idea if I can deal with what is behind the fence but I will know when I get closer.
2,000 feet - hell with it, I am bailing out of trying to make it back. I see Itchy slightly above me but a good half mile ahead and he is clearing the main highway which I have not. At 2,000 feet this is what I saw.
Map Two (I flew a straight line from the first point to second)
The industrial park it is. I see a lake ahead of me and the last thing I want to happen is end up in the water (power lines or whatever) so I am making this clearing no matter what. Whatever it takes, I am gonna put it down there. There is a ton of equipment and machinery in this factory on the property but I try to focus on the grass and it seems to be clear of power lines. Set up for my pattern, make it to my final and see that I might be staring at a barbed wire fence so I grab my front risers and swoop it in and stand up my landing.
Map Three (Landing Zone)
A couple people looked at me like an alien but I was just glad to be alive. They found me, and eventually came and picked me up.
I grew up a lot Saturday in the sport and I learned some hard lessons. If I had it to do again, I would not have gotten out of the plane if I knew the spot was that long. The spot is my responsibility and only I am accountable. Sure the pilot shares some blame but I got out on my own. I just thought the spot was good enough to make it back. There is blame to be shared but I am my own pilot.
The good that comes from this is that I was truly tried by fire in a situation that would put a percentage of jumpers out of a hundred in a hospital at best. I did well. I managed my risks. I made all the right decisions given the situation before me and I lived without a scratch. I gained confidence in myself. I learned. I am alive. The best thing that I can do is move on from this and put it in my past and not allow my future jumps to be colored by fear of this happening again.
Today as I was driving back to Orlando to the airport, I passed a familiar fence and field.
posted by Booster MPS at
11:07 PM
3 Comments:
mmkay...so this was *kinda* the story i was expecting - BUT YOU'VE STILL SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. i'll be sure to warn Fame NOT to read this or you'll be in BIG trouble - hahahahaha!!
I am glad you were able to write this.
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. Hard lessons in mortality and risk aversion to learn there. After your initial bad decision it seems like they were incrementally better after that. Good to have you back on terra firma and not aqueous disastrous.
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