Oct 6, 2011, 12:52 PM
Post #1 of 25
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Jumping without an Altimeter
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I just tried this and found it to be very fun and educational. I removed my audible, took off my wrist alti and told the people on the load my intent. One of the more experienced skydivers told me I would be better off keeping the wrist altimeter on and just putting duct tape over the section below 1000'. I followed that excellent advise so I could still see important altitudes for EP's. I did a Hop & Pop at 4k at pulled immediately. I had a good canopy and didn't look at the altimeter once.
The intent was for me to see how accurate I could be in the pattern just using my eyes, but I found it to be my most relaxing skydive yet. I wasn't having the internal dialogue "How high am I, Have I checked recently . . . "
I'm working on putting together the 10 landings within 2 meters for the 'C' license, so there is a yellow hula hoop in the intermediate landing area. I nailed it without an altimeter. I'm pretty sure my turns weren't exactly at 900,600, and 300, and I did have to 'S' turn onto final, but I was within 2 meters.
I wouldn't jump without an altimeter on a load to full altitude, but truly enjoyed the Hop and Pop.
Has anyone else done anything like this? It is a bad training idea?
Oct 6, 2011, 1:20 PM
Post #3 of 25
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Re: [rehmwa] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I'm not a fan of making it a regular habit, just wondering if it is good training as part of a hop and pop, or it is a stupid risk that shouldn't be taken.
Oct 6, 2011, 2:21 PM
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Re: [yoink] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I didn't actually remove the altimeter - just covered it up. Maybe it comes from pilot training, but covering up an instrument is much more certain than trying not to look at it.
Oct 6, 2011, 2:44 PM
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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Sure. These days I have no problems giving away any/all of my altis on Full alti/hop and pops. I won't give away my mudflap one , only cause I can't get it off easily.
I also prefer to have the digital for precise swooping setups, but am comfortable without it.
Oct 6, 2011, 4:56 PM
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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Has anyone else done anything like this? It is a bad training idea?
Mike,
I couldn't land my Stinson for beans. I was always coming in hot or slow or high or low... Finally after flying through a rain squall I lost my airspeed indication. I was in the middle of a very long cross country trip, from Los Angeles to Z-Hills but forged ahead. I immediately started to nail the landings. Each and every one was great. Got to the Hills, blew out the pitot-static system and never looked back.
(The only place I have ever worn an altimeter was on the front of my helmet.)
Oct 6, 2011, 7:41 PM
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I did my first 25 or so jumps w/o an altimeter, all the way thru 20-second delays. The landings (w/o alti) were easy, too: just hang there long enough, and you'll land just fine.
Oct 6, 2011, 9:11 PM
Post #13 of 25
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I don't care about not jumping with one but what you should do instead, is guess your altitude and verify it. Pretty quickly, you will be able to recognize what the ground looks like at many altitudes.
When tracking off, look at the ground, pay attention and see if you guess the correct altitude. That's a good place to start.
When you're really low, it's obvious but from 3000 on up, it's more of a challenge. It won't take long, and it's good training. One day your altimeter won't work, or for some reason, you don't have one.
Oct 7, 2011, 8:52 AM
Post #14 of 25
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Re: [hookitt] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I don't care about not jumping with one but what you should do instead, is guess your altitude and verify it. Pretty quickly, you will be able to recognize what the ground looks like at many altitudes.
When tracking off, look at the ground, pay attention and see if you guess the correct altitude. That's a good place to start.
When you're really low, it's obvious but from 3000 on up, it's more of a challenge. It won't take long, and it's good training. One day your altimeter won't work, or for some reason, you don't have one.
Very good drill, and to add...do that on the UP too. You can very quickly get and keep a mental sight picture of what things look like at important altitudes.
Some time in the future having that ability might save your life, in case a peripheral view of the planet unexpectedly close, automatically triggering the proper reaction is something we all should keep working on.
These days the instruments are more reliable, but we still should rely on them exclusively.
Oct 7, 2011, 9:45 AM
Post #16 of 25
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Re: [sundevil777] Jumping without an Altimeter
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Jumped without a visual alti for about 12 years, only had a Paralert and my eyes.
Knew an instructor who would only wear one for work, but would never use one (or audibles) for fun jumps. My favorite story was in regard to getting on a plane and the dialog with another jumper:
Other: Hey, where's your altimeter? Instructor: My eyes are right here. I don't use an altimeter for fun jumps. Other: Hey man, that's not safe. I had a buddy die recently. Instructor: Was he wearing an altimeter? Other: Of course he was.
[end of conversation]
NOTE: paraphrased. it's been awhile since i heard this story, but it certainly made him seem less insane.
Oct 7, 2011, 12:09 PM
Post #17 of 25
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Re: [Andy9o8] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I did my first 25 or so jumps w/o an altimeter, all the way thru 20-second delays. The landings (w/o alti) were easy, too: just hang there long enough, and you'll land just fine.
Same here. DZO Hoop never gave me an alti to use. I think it was because he and my brother didn't get along very well.
I'll argue the landings...T-10s I don't remember qualifying as "fun".
Oct 7, 2011, 1:28 PM
Post #18 of 25
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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Analog altimeters are completely worthless for pattern flying. Just need to do it a few times and figure it out. Practice makes perfect and all that. I have had a few students of mine who had problems figuring out how to fly a good pattern. Once I got them to stop looking at the alti and look at the ground, things got a lot better.
I know someone who has many thousands of jumps w/o an altimeter or AAD, it's doable if you're capable of paying attention to what's going on.
I will jump without one if needed, but i prefer to have one.
Oct 8, 2011, 10:00 AM
Post #22 of 25
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Re: [DiverMike] Jumping without an Altimeter
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In my static line progression we didn't wear altimeters until the 2nd 10 second delay. They assumed you could count to "10" okay.
Later, when working as a S/L jumpmaster, I quit wearing an altimeter because it seemed to be distracting to students. I could easily read the aircraft's altimeter on the dash. After all the students were out, I'd get to jump and just do a 5-10 delay. No big deal.
I did see a S/L JM open very low one day after putting out some students. His altimeter stuck and he let it fool him for close to 15 seconds.
Oct 8, 2011, 10:26 AM
Post #24 of 25
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Re: [kd5xb] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I had a situation as a student that i had no alti on the canopy ride down, on RAPS I was doing a 20 sec delay all went well pulled at 4.5k opened well, did my 3 practice flares then thought I would check my alti....... looked and there was no alti just the wrist strap lol, managed to land it better than ever right next to cross
Oct 8, 2011, 10:26 AM
Post #25 of 25
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Re: [kd5xb] Jumping without an Altimeter
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I got two jumps without a visual altimeter. I've just left it in my bag and realized just too late, just before boarding the plane. Both cases I was jumping my small canopy with almost sane WL.
