LD Jeffries

Emergency Bailout

November 7, 2007

Hi Folks,

Just a short narrative of how this happened. I was doing tumbling aerobatics and got spit out of a lomcovak inverted and in a slow left spin at about 2800 feet. I left the power up and initiated recovery but got impatient when it didn't immediately respond. A quick flick of forward stick immediately created a cross-over spin that instantly went to 400 degrees per second and flat inverted. I made two attempts to recover at idle power without success. I initiated bailout at 800 feet while still spinning at a high rate while flat and inverted. I got clear of the aircraft and pulled and was instantly under canopy at about 300 or 400 feet and heard the aircraft hit. I had time enough to kick out one complete twist, unstow the toggles, turn into the wind and descend between 100 foot pine trees for a dynamic Parachute Landing Fall landing about 30 feet from the impact site. "Plum Crazy" was a beautiful airplane and I miss her a lot. Thank you SOFTIE, you saved my life!

L. D. Jeffries

Holding the SOFTIE Emergency Parachute that saved his life, LD Jeffries describes what happened while flying his Ultimate bi-plane that lies crumpled in the background.