Here's a story from Jim Roode

Near the Edge #1

I've had several "Near the Edge" experiences in my life. Here is one of a several from my days in the Army. This one with the 82nd Airborne.

Some of you remember who Mae West was. In the Airborne there is a parachute malfunction named after the well endowed actress. I was in position to observe one close  up and personal.

10:00 AM  takeoff in the workhorse C130, 60 troopers divided evenly on each side of plane. About half getting their midmorning nap, the rest sitting quietly between the roar of 4 Allison T56 Turbo props. I sit in the middle of the lefthand Stick.

About 30 minutes into the flight comes the order.

Stand up:         Get off your butt.

Hook Up:        Hook your static line to the overhead cable. This is what opens your chute.

Check Equipment: Each trooper checks the parachute pack of the person in front of him.

Stand in the Door: Troopers on each side nearest the door get in position to disembark.

GO!:                Exit the aircraft.

I move with the crowd and make a normal exit.

Oh, Oh. I did not feel the normal jolt that happens when you instantly go from a couple hundred mph to 0. Looking up There's Mae in all her glory. Two small connected umbrellas instead of the big glorious chute you expect to see.

We'd been trained for this possibility. Find the wind direction and pull the reserve cord. Catch the reserve as it emerges and throw it downwind so that it deploys away from you.

This I did but to my chagrin there was not enough wind and the reserve deployed into the shroud lines of Miss West, completely covering my face rendering me sightless.

This is a pickle and a short pickle at that. I am  approaching the ground much faster than the human body can endure such a collision.

I remembering an instructor explaining how this malfunction occurs and that  it is possible to fix in air. The shroud lines are over the top of the canopy creating the Bra like structure that the failure is named after.

I also remember what it looked like when I observed it. I grabbed the right hand riser (the strap that connect the harness to the shroud lines) and begin to jerk with everything I've got. It feels like it is moving. 15 maybe 20 of those and poof, bump I touch the ground in what was the softest landing I had ever experienced.

I rolled over, looked up and watched the last man exit the aircraft I had just left. "Thanks God"

I latter learned from observers on the ground that I had a cheering section. Most thought they were witnessing a terrible accident. They could see that I was making progress in jerking the lines of the chute but didn't think I would be successful. The chute opened just feet off the ground giving me a little push up thus explaining the super soft landing.

2 seconds latter and I would be dead.

Jim Roode