Michael Kamen, "Parapluie"
Michael Kamen, "Boy Eats Chocolate"
Drop altitude 1500 feet AGL, time of drop approximately 1045
WX at 1100: 53 (12), DP 30 (-1), winds E 9, unlimited vis, RH 40%
Today marked the hardest landing I've ever done. Ever. While I was facing into the wind, I picked up a gust from my left to right approximately 50 feet off the ground and hit going approximately 7-8mph. Then my parachute landed in a thorn bush. Thank god I'm not jumping combat equipment!
That was offset by going up and doing another static jumpmaster duty, this time on the last lift of the jump. My unit saves most of the JMs for the last pass, sometimes going up to higher altitudes (as I did a few months ago). Today, owing to weather (it was about 35F this morning at manifest call), there was no altitude above and beyond the normal 1500' AGL.
I was able to cheat somewhat by making my spots the lift prior, and it paid off. All my jumpers landed safely on the ground in spite of significant winds at altitude, but my last jumper landed near the tail end of the DZ.
All in all, I'm thinking maybe I'm jumping too much, but the opportunities are there and the risk is low relative to other places I could be jumping. So I'm still in the hunt. Nine more and I have a master parachutist rating...
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