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[marko]

You: “Only an idiot would jump from a perfectly good airplane”
Me: “Have you seen our jump plane?!”

Very early on (like jump 14 or so) I pulled and nothing happened. I looked over on my back and saw the pilot chute dancing happily on my back but not leaving to extract the main chute. The very next moment I notice there is a parachute floating away by itself and I thought “Wow, someone had to pull their reserve!!”

I looked down, saw the reserve D-ring in my hand and exclaimed, “Oh, it was ME!!!”

For all those who drill safety maneuvers, we thank you [emoji4]

Wow!

I only knew two people who were skydivers. BOTH of them had similar experiences and after that they both decided it was time to find another hobby.

In fact, the following week I had planned to accompany one of them for my first jump but his bad experience forced both him and me (he in a full leg cast up to his hip) to spend that Saturday at a bar instead.

 

[blueskyk]

Here’s my favorite hanger flying story from my Dad (career Air Force pilot and loved flying sailplanes with me)...as a young cadet he is instructed to meet his instructor at a particular aircraft and the plan is to practice some touch and gos. They both climb in, take off and as they are preparing for the first touch and go, he asks my Dad if he would like to try the first one. My Dad says, sure and after some careening and bouncing about on the runway, gets the aircraft up and off again.

“Maybe you should do the next one” my Dad says sheepishly.

It doesn’t go much better. The two of them trade off, bouncing and careening a little less each time until the tower requests they stop.

As they taxi back, my Dad asks, “Just how much time do you have in these?”

“Not much- aren’t YOU the instructor?”

My Dad: “Aren’t YOU?!!!