A Glossary of Skydiving Terms
PeterL
I found a 3 page handwritten Glossary of Terms, which I have now
transferred to this medium for prosterity :-)
A Glossary of Common Terms
AAD: Automatic activation of Deployment. A device intended to activate
deployment should the jumper fail in this himself. Not to be confused with
AID, a state of mind achieved when the AAD fails (Assumption of Imminent
Death)
BASE: The practice of jumping from non-aviation type things. Advocates
maintain it stands for "Building, Antenna, Spans, Earth".
Opponents prefer the definition "Bones And Snot Everywhere"
D-License: Award given to someone who has spent more than $5,000
skydiving.
Dirt-Dive: Downwind accuracy.
Free Bag: The most popular individual in the bar; the girl who never says
"No".
Flare: The graceful downward movement of a students hands as he/she draws
the steering toggles down, 1-2 seconds after landing.
Freestyle: A series of out-of-control maneuvers stolen from 1st jump
videos and linked together so as to appear intentional.
Hook knife: Shortened from it's original form "Hooker- Knife". This piece
of equipment was designed to fend of prostitutes during late night runs
into town to fetch more beer.
Hook Turn: A landing technique designed to test the skills of modern
orthopedic surgeons.
Instructor: A rating given when an individuals ego exceeds the size of
his/her canopy.
Line-over: A term heard at late night DZ parties, "OK, there's 5 of us, 11
lines divided by 5 is 2 each plus one line over."
Microline: The line dividing Skydivers and inpatients of mental
institutions.
Opening Shock: The trauma of opening a can of beer and not knowing it has
been shaken or dropped.
Pilot Chute: Ritual performed when the person/persons flying the aircraft
consistently screws up the jump run.
Ring signal: The view from the cockpit when a pilot's fly-by gets mooned.
Spot: A location on the ground that mysteriously becomes invisible from
the air.
Tandem: A method of insuring against last second refusals.
Terminal Velocity: The speed at which impact with the ground will kill
you.
USPA/APF: A group of people who everybody votes for and sends money, but
nobody knows why, and what for.
Wind Hold: The situation in which jumper on the first lift of the day,
having spent the night consuming beer and pizza, try desperately not to
fart/shart. (NOTE: The team name "Airmoves" is believed to stem from the
fact that none of them ever achieved this.")
Zero P : A condition which befell many skydivers in the late 60's, when,
after excessive alcohol consumption, their kidneys failed.
Relative Work: An exercise in which closet homosexuals get to hold hands
and kiss each other 2 miles above the earth, where no-one can see them.
--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia
If we are not meant to eat animals,
why are they made of meat?
Mike Spurgeon
Finally a proper use of the newsgroup...
PeterL
>
> Finally a proper use of the newsgroup...
>
:-)
I don't get to see all the other crap, I've gradually kf'd all the
'participants'.
But speaking of finding all the old stuff, I found a letter from Alan
Roulston (Canada) with my No Beer #, a leftover bag of glitter that I used on
ash dives ( a combination of large pieces of glitter/shiny confetti and flour
makes for a great release and visual from the ground on a clear day), and my
old address book.... and I think I saw your address in there.
I just need to find out which "Keep It" box I put it in and find it again!!
:-)
PeterL
> Roulston (Canada) with my No Beer #, a leftover bag of glitter that I used
> on ash dives ( a combination of large pieces of glitter/shiny confetti and
> flour makes for a great release and visual from the ground on a clear day),
> and my old address book.... and I think I saw your address in there.
> I just need to find out which "Keep It" box I put it in and find it again!!
> :-)
Sorry Mike, it wasn't your address..... Barry Brummit's :-)
ynotssor
PeterL <P...@brissie.aus> typed:
> A Glossary of Common Terms
...
> Hook knife: Shortened from it's original form "Hooker- Knife". This
> piece of equipment was designed to fend of prostitutes during late
> night runs into town to fetch more beer.
>
> Hook Turn: A landing technique designed to test the skills of modern
> orthopedic surgeons.
From when that glossary was being compiled I remenber that one as "Shortened
from its original form 'Hooker Turn', when one deviated from the late-night
beer-runs. A landing technique designed ..."
PeterL
news:7mhfl9F...@mid.individual.net:
That may have been the case in the 60-70's :-)
But in the 80-90's, it was certainly an orthopedic surgeons 'dream time'.
I was there when Perris admin finally saw what hook turns were doing, and
banned them from the DZ altogether.
ynotssor
PeterL <P...@brissie.aus> typed:
>>> Hook Turn: A landing technique designed to test the skills of modern
>>> orthopedic surgeons.
>>
>> From when that glossary was being compiled I remenber that one as
>> "Shortened from its original form 'Hooker Turn', when one deviated
>> from the late-night beer-runs. A landing technique designed ..."
>
> That may have been the case in the 60-70's :-)
>
> But in the 80-90's, it was certainly an orthopedic surgeons 'dream
> time'.
... or "plastic" surgeons'.
> I was there when Perris admin finally saw what hook turns were doing,
> and banned them from the DZ altogether.
"Finally"? You must be referring to "low-altitude" hook turns ... and
banning them is just a mandate.
I was there when we lost N141PV and 16 very-valued people. I'd like to think
that we "finally" learned to secure skydivers, cameras and boards upon
take-off, but I still see people refusing to wear belts and their helmets,
allowing their bodies and equipment to becme impact projectiles for everyone
forward.
Unfortunately, there is no "finally" ... how soon we forget.
PeterL
news:7mlncfF...@mid.individual.net:
> In news:Xns9CC7A83429389P...@61.9.191.5,
> PeterL <P...@brissie.aus> typed:
>
>>>> Hook Turn: A landing technique designed to test the skills of modern
>>>> orthopedic surgeons.
>>>
>>> From when that glossary was being compiled I remenber that one as
>>> "Shortened from its original form 'Hooker Turn', when one deviated
>>> from the late-night beer-runs. A landing technique designed ..."
>>
>> That may have been the case in the 60-70's :-)
>>
>> But in the 80-90's, it was certainly an orthopedic surgeons 'dream
>> time'.
>
> ... or "plastic" surgeons'.
>
>> I was there when Perris admin finally saw what hook turns were doing,
>> and banned them from the DZ altogether.
>
> "Finally"?
Yeah, the amount of injuries (and deaths) that were being sustained there amd
elsewhere finally gave Melanie and Tom(??) the impetus to ban them.
> You must be referring to "low-altitude" hook turns
Well, usually on here when someone mentions "hook turns" it is the ones that
are being done closest to the ground that are being discussed.
> ... and
> banning them is just a mandate.
Well, it was a 'mandate' on Perris grounds........ one that (in the heat of
the moment) I forgot about one day. Thankfully, the rock hard dirt around the
pit had been ploughed the afternoon/night before.
I got a kick in the bum from Manifest over that one....... and took my
medicine.
Pat, Blue's husband, did something similar and was banned for a period of
week. But then again, he was an instructor.
>
> I was there when we lost N141PV and 16 very-valued people.
We may have crossed paths. I was there in the days just after. What's your
christian name?
I had just found an old photo of me in the old 'Bomb Shelter' the other day
too!! I'll have to re-find it and scan it in. (Found it!!! Will scan shortly
and post tinyurl. Found some Ghetto party shots too :-)
> I'd like to
> think that we "finally" learned to secure skydivers, cameras and boards
> upon take-off, but I still see people refusing to wear belts and their
> helmets, allowing their bodies and equipment to becme impact projectiles
> for everyone forward.
>
> Unfortunately, there is no "finally" ... how soon we forget.
It's a case of "It hasn't happened to me, yet."
I came back to Australia in the aftermath of the Perris tragedy, and was
immediately packed into an Otter with about 25 other people, for a mass
(about 50-odd IIRC) multi-level hop'n'pop. On take off my only thought was
"If I survive this, I'm never going to be in this situation again." Everybody
was standing/crouching ready for a quick exit at 5K.
PeterL
news:Xns9CC96E2DB2498P...@61.9.191.5:
>
> Pat, Blue's husband, did something similar and was banned for a period
> of week. But then again, he was an instructor.
>
That should be "weeks".
ynotssor
news:Xns9CC96E2DB2498P...@61.9.191.5...
>> I'd like to think that we "finally" learned to secure skydivers, cameras
>> and boards upon take-off, but I still see people refusing to wear belts
>> and their helmets, allowing their bodies and equipment to becme
>> impact projectiles for everyone forward.
>>
>> Unfortunately, there is no "finally" ... how soon we forget.
>
> It's a case of "It hasn't happened to me, yet."
In the very many cases I've observed, it's more a matter of pure ignorance
of the event. Regardless of their age, they're (those who refuse to secure
themselves and equipment with belts) all too new in the sport to have been
there or to have been jumping anywhere at the time, and too ignorant to
learn from the past ... they can't even perceive the simple physics of the
present, e.g.:
Q: "Will you get that seatbelt fastened through your harness _now_ please?
We're taking off."
A: "That's OK, I don't need one ..."
I feel that I can dogmatically state that anyone who has been in a crash on
takeoff never knew ahead of time that it was going to happen, and one can
ask the N141PV survivors for corroboration.
Mike Spurgeon
> In the very many cases I've observed, it's more a matter of pure ignorance
> of the event. Regardless of their age, they're (those who refuse to secure
> themselves and equipment with belts) all too new in the sport to have been
> there or to have been jumping anywhere at the time,
Not so in what I see. Often those of the "we've always done it this
way" mindset.
> they can't even perceive the simple physics of the
> present, e.g.:
Perhaps nearing 100% on that...