I was senior jumper on a relatively junior load and had to spot the plane. Everyone was having a good time, and Paul (names changed to protect the innocent) was going nuts with how hot a day it was, and started stripping-- shirt, pants, the works. Nude skydive. Psyched. General amusement in the plane.

Can you guess? I blew the spot. I still kind of think it was unintentional..... . It became clear to most of us in freefall that we were going to miss the airport, so everyone opened high. It did no good. We landed across the river in a nurse's back yard. Watching Paul scramble to turn his canopy into a sarong, and the look of forced nonchalance he had to put on when the pretty young nurse came out and started peering suspiciously (first at him, then at ALL OF US) is my supreme moment in jumping. But it gets better. Then we all had to hitch hike home along a busy state route. You can guess what we looked like.

Paul, by the way, "Now does not greatly care/To skydive naked any where".

(grin)

Leon Malinofsky