Far Out (Part One)
Dale and Gary made no false promises. As the Murphy law states, "If it can happen, it will and at the worst possible time."
The next evening, we met again. Emergency procedures were explained at this session. There are several types of malfunctions - a streamer, Mae West, and a total. Generally, the same procedure is used in all cases - look at the reserve ripcord - and pull it.
Once your camopy is inflated, check it for holes. If you think they are big enough to make a difference, pull your reserve; the holes have to fairly large and in vital positions to be a hazard. But, as we were cautioned, "When in doubt, get it out."
After one more training session, I was ready. The Friday night before my jump my mind was a tangle of procedures and precautions. I tried to imagine how it would feel as I jumped from the plane.
I drove into Herrington Field just in time to see Dale descending from the sky. I had never seen anything like it; a lone man gravitating toward earth, but controlling where he was to land.
Inside the packing building, members were efficiently bundling parachutes. Dedicated to sky-diving, these persons re-pack for another jump as soon as they return to earth. Since I will pack my own chute eventually. I watched closely.
Before jumping, I went through practical training. Gary took another student and me outside and we practiced landing falls. Landing position is feet together, knees slightly bent and arms up with elbows tucked in toward the body. You must fall to the side as smoothly as possible. We then went to the plane and practiced exits.
When we returned, John Schuman, third-year member, told us to get ready. John was our jumpmaster; he 'spotted' our position and gave us the jump orders.
We put on our parachute rigs. Then John showed us an area map of the general vicinity where we were to land. Schuman's confidence and enthusiasm helped me relax. But when he kept asking how I felt, I began to wonder what my facial expression conveyed. Did I look that unsure of myself?
He checked our rigs, and John told Jane Cramer, another student, that she would be first jumper because "she looked like she had a weaker will." I was congratulating myself on my confident appearance when he turned and said, "You'll
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