Dorothy Hoffner, 104, dies days after setting world skydiving record in Ottawa

[Bikeguy]

The world record was set at our local skydiving club. 

Way to go out..

https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley/2023/10/10/dorothy-hoffner-104-dies-days-after-setting-world-skydiving-record-in-ottawa

[Kirby]

Glad she had fun till the end.

[Bikeguy]

Yeah she had fun.  

And she jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.  I'll never do that. 

[Zealot]

🥰. 

[BR46]

2 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

And she jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.  

You don't know that 

[Bikeguy]

8 hours ago, BR46 said:

You don't know that 

So far... the jump planes have had no issues.  

The people jumping from the plane...   most do just fine.   Over the years 18 skydivers not so much.    link    

 

Accidents[edit]

The center has had several accidents in its history. In 2002, it was found that the facility's death rate that year was eight times higher than the national average. 13 deaths occurred between 1993 and 2002 at the facility, with some experts^[who?] saying that flights at the airport cause collision hazards for aircraft into nearby O'Hare and Midway airports. In 2022, a skydiver was found dead in a cornfield near the facility, though investigators concluded the death was not related to the world record attempt going on at the time. At least 18 deaths have occurred in total there.^[15][16][17]

 

I never thought about the jets flying to Chicago... until now.  

The jets fly over our home (and city) ALL the time.  Not the 'exact' same flight path, but close enough.   The jets fly between 5 and 10  thousand feet above our home and land in Chicago about 18 minutes later.  The skydive plane takes off and flies in circles around the area until they get to about 13 or 14 thousand feet.  I know when it's the skydive plane... you can hear it at nearly full power, and see it slowly climbing above our home too.   So... the skydive plane flies thru the airspace where the jets are using, twice per jump.  

So... I sure hope the jets (or air traffic control) see the skydive plane on radar.   I've seen it on Flight Radar 24.     Here is a jet that flew over a little while ago.   It was at 10 thousand feet, higher than normal.  But that is still lower than the skydive plane flies when they are jumping.  

Hey @Wilbur are there 'rules' about this?  I suspect there are. 

 

 

[Wilbur ★]

18 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

So far... the jump planes have had no issues.  

The people jumping from the plane...   most do just fine.   Over the years 18 skydivers not so much.    link    

Accidents[edit]

The center has had several accidents in its history. In 2002, it was found that the facility's death rate that year was eight times higher than the national average. 13 deaths occurred between 1993 and 2002 at the facility, with some experts^[who?] saying that flights at the airport cause collision hazards for aircraft into nearby O'Hare and Midway airports. In 2022, a skydiver was found dead in a cornfield near the facility, though investigators concluded the death was not related to the world record attempt going on at the time. At least 18 deaths have occurred in total there.^[15][16][17]

I never thought about the jets flying to Chicago... until now.  

The jets fly over our home (and city) ALL the time.  Not the 'exact' same flight path, but close enough.   The jets fly between 5 and 10  thousand feet above our home and land in Chicago about 18 minutes later.  The skydive plane takes off and flies in circles around the area until they get to about 13 or 14 thousand feet.  I know when it's the skydive plane... you can hear it at nearly full power, and see it slowly climbing above our home too.   So... the skydive plane flies thru the airspace where the jets are using, twice per jump.  

So... I sure hope the jets (or air traffic control) see the skydive plane on radar.   I've seen it on Flight Radar 24.     Here is a jet that flew over a little while ago.   It was at 10 thousand feet, higher than normal.  But that is still lower than the skydive plane flies when they are jumping.  

Hey @Wilbur are there 'rules' about this?  I suspect there are. 

Lots of rules.  We are warned of active skydive, glider etc areas and are generally kept above or go around active, special-use airspace.  It is done in coordination between ATC and individual jump planes. 

[Wilbur ★]

I posted a friend of my mother's jumping at 99 YOA.   I guess even at 104 those pesky women are trying to one-up each other!  

[Dottleshead ★]

That's pretty cool, Dorothy.  Godspeed.

[Bikeguy]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

Lots of rules.  We are warned of active skydive, glider etc areas and are generally kept above or go around active, special-use airspace.  It is done in coordination between ATC and individual jump planes. 

That's good to know.  I assumed there must be rules.     

I'm still not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. 

[Ralphie ★]

3 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

That's good to know.  I assumed there must be rules.     

I'm still not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. 

Me neither!  I prefer to experience my extreme sports from the couch. 

[Bikeguy]

4 hours ago, Ralphie said:

 I prefer to experience my extreme sports from the couch. 

We were on vacation back when bungee was the thing to do.  WoBG would want to do that.  I told her go and have fun, I'm not doing that.  Then she quit asking,  she told me someone at work had some kind of injury (can't remember now). 

[Ralphie ★]

2 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

We were on vacation back when bungee was the thing to do.  WoBG would want to do that.  I told her go and have fun, I'm not doing that.  Then she quit asking,  she told me someone at work had some kind of injury (can't remember now). 

Yeah, my thoughts eggzactly!  That can’t be good to get jerked around like that!  Definitely not for someone on the downhill slope of life where everything is more A\|#^** brittle and fragile!  

But if someone wants to do crazy shit like that or climb Mt. Everest or some such I am more than happy to read aboot it from a comfortable position.  I loved Into Thin Air mainly because I was warm and comfy while reading it.