GPS Spotting

[skydveraz 0]

So, I asked the pilot if he was doing the spotting.
Got a for sure YES! Didn't pay any attention when I left
the plane. Had a very nice skydive over central Texas!
Turned lots of points on a RW dive! Landed in a field
with a horse going totally CRAZY! Had a nice walk back to the DZ.. So, Who else has been there, done that??

Arizona only has two seasons, Hot and HOTTER!

[faulknerwn 36]

It was a 182! Most of us who grow up at 182 dropzones learn early on to always look out the door and choose when to go. The pilot just says when its ok to open the door.. Its unfortunate that many big dz jumpers forget that.. They tend to get used to leaving when the pilot says go!

I kinda like being able to direct the plane. We had lots of puffy clouds today and I directed the pilot on multiple loads to zig this way and zag that way so we didn't hit them.

It reminds me of a time about 10 years ago I was visiting a dz with an otter. The gps went out on the plane. I had 1 jump total there I think. Everyone in the back was like lost - seemed to be clueless how to spot! I suspect the tandem masters in the front might have had a clue but everyone in the back looked lost. So I (who grew up with 182's) had to spot the Otter at a dz I'd jumped at once because none of the fun jumpers there had a clue.. It was amusing - and what was even more amusing was how after I got down people talked to me like I was a god because I knew how to stick my head out of the airplane and spot!

[incendium 0]

I tend to agree with the spot issue. Personally I think it's a lost art. At large DZs it's green light and go. Having learned on a Cessna DZ and worked on both ever since, it pays to look before you jump. Having said all that, I broke my own rule being caught up in the moment on a tandem jump and the pilot told me "Door" and I opened it and got into position and one, two, three out we went. I set drogue and said "Sh*t".
So after we had a perfect standing landing in the soccer field behind the DZ My passenger, experienced type, asked me if I looked before we lept.... Nope!!!
But it all worked out.... and I owed beer....so it definitely worked out for the dz folks.....

v/r
Paul
"Never argue with an idiot, they will only bring you down to their level and beat you!"

[MikeJD 0]

I cut my teeth on visual spotting as well, and if someone I trust is first out then I like to see them with their head out of the door. If it's the first load of the day, when you're still discovering what the winds are doing at different altitudes, it's even more important because although the pilot knows where you are, he doesn't necessarily know where you need to exit.

But given the choice between being spotted by the pilot and one of the young 'uns who's never had to learn the art, I'll take GPS! However there's nothing to stop every group from taking a look before they get out.

The main problem then is miscommunication between the pilot and the jumpers. Does a green light mean we're over the spot, or will the pilot put it on to say we're clear to drop and then flash it over the spot?

Our DZ is surrounded by farmland too, and we have to be careful to avoid crop and animals. Skydveraz, if the horse had bolted and injured itself things could have got very expensive!

[warpedskydiver 0]

That is what is really nice about having Rook fly the plane.

he KNOWS how to spot.

Even then everyone needs to be heads up.


I am an inexperienced skydiver, but I am familiar with kicking loads out of a plane.

Sometimes I would do it just to hitch rides with AF crews.

They seemed to like me.

Plus, they had wimminz on the plane

[shropshire 0]

Quote

Plus, they had wimminz on the plane

That's sooo sexist






Where do they post vacancies for these jobs?




.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[rlucus 0]

I know how to spot, I work at a 182 dropzone.

Beyond that when I'm at a DZ with a GPS and set procedures I follow those. If red means "open the door" and green means "get the hell out," that is what I do. If you're first group out you should be keeping an eye on the spot before the door opens, and checking everything else before it turns green. You should be ready and leaving the plane within a 2 or 3 seconds.

And for those that are waiting for a "better" spot then the pilot gave them. Get over it. Either it is WAY off, or it is good enough... if it's way off then say so. Otherwise GTFO.

[MikeJD 0]

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If you're first group out you should be keeping an eye on the spot before the door opens, and checking everything else before it turns green.

Well said. And I think those waiting for a "better" spot forget that they're not the centre of the load. On a big DZ the first group out has to accept getting out slightly short so that everyone can make it back.

[TheBachelor 4]

This brings up the issue of everyone in the plane yelling "go" when the green light comes on. Of course they can't see the spot. I got my training at a Cessna DZ, so I learned to spot (and had some long walks). I DO look before I go.

The bottom line is unless you can see where the plane is in relation to the DZ, quit the yelling to go. Even if you know where the DZ is, there could be another reason not to jump such as traffic.

There are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years...

[happythoughts 0]

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This brings up the issue of everyone in the plane yelling "go" when the green light comes on. Of course they can't see the spot.

The unfortunate part is that the retards who do this will not recognize themselves, or why their ignorance is so annoying.

"Go...go!"
"Sure. I was just waiting until I see an airport."

[skydveraz 0]

Quote

It was a 182! Most of us who grow up at 182 dropzones learn early on to always look out the door and choose when to go. The pilot just says when its ok to open the door.. Its unfortunate that many big dz jumpers forget that.. They tend to get used to leaving when the pilot says go!

I kinda like being able to direct the plane. We had lots of puffy clouds today and I directed the pilot on multiple loads to zig this way and zag that way so we didn't hit them.

It reminds me of a time about 10 years ago I was visiting a dz with an otter. The gps went out on the plane. I had 1 jump total there I think. Everyone in the back was like lost - seemed to be clueless how to spot! I suspect the tandem masters in the front might have had a clue but everyone in the back looked lost. So I (who grew up with 182's) had to spot the Otter at a dz I'd jumped at once because none of the fun jumpers there had a clue.. It was amusing - and what was even more amusing was how after I got down people talked to me like I was a god because I knew how to stick my head out of the airplane and spot!

I see you know about this one! The sad part is I know better and do know how to spot (or so I thought).. So, What's the story on the Horse, Did it get over it??? We still had fun though!! And no one got hurt!!! That's all that matters!!

Arizona only has two seasons, Hot and HOTTER!

[SkyChimp 0]

I always look before jumping.... we had a large increase of gliders at the airport for a while.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[WILDBILLAQR 0]

Hey Ken,
How many times did you go though the exit count before actually leaving the plane?
Good times, good times!

----------------------------------------------
"Thats not smoke, thats BUCKEYE!!"
AQR#3,CWR#49

[skydveraz 0]

Quote

Hey Ken,
How many times did you go though the exit count before actually leaving the plane?
Good times, good times!

I think we should of practice the exit count a couple of times! We would have been over the target by then!

Arizona only has two seasons, Hot and HOTTER!

[billvon 2,394]

Funny conversation last week:

Me: "So where's the spot going to be with these winds?"
BC: "Well, we have to take it about four tenths south . . ." (discussion over spot ensues)
Me: "OK. Wait - do the spotting switches on these planes even work?"
BC: "I dunno. Ask Piya; he'll know."
Me: "Hey Piya, do the spotting switches on the Shark work?"
Piya: "Yes, but the pilots usually don't pay attention."
Me: "Why not?"
Piya: "They assume you're just screwing with them."
Pilot (nearby) "That's because people usually ARE screwing with us!"
Chris: "All I ever use em for is to remind the pilot he left the green light on."

[flyboy62000 0]

Having been on both sides of the coin on a regular basis I would say there's a lot of...it depends in this answer.

When I'm flying, I check the winds estimate the spot based on it and then drop the first load. After that I fine tune the spot since the winds forecast comes from 90 miles away and is not perfect. In a Cessna, I encourage the jumpers to hang their heads out and wait for wherever they see as the prime spot based on their canopies, opening altitudes, etc. Although I do get a little annoyed if I've flown the same jump run for five loads with the spot right on and get major "corrections"...but the bottom line is as the pilot I'm staying in the plane so if you want a 10 right I'll give it to you. That's how you learn.

In an Otter, Skyvan, or Casa if the first group waits for the "prime" spot there is a real potential for the last group to get hosed, depending on what's on the load. There, especially if a few loads have already been flown with good results and I'm first out, I'll take a quick peep, just to verify that the pilot didn't accidentally put in the wrong waypoint and fly 10 miles in the wrong direction before exiting.

As far as learning goes...spotting is an essential skill that ALL jumpers should know how to do. Just because you jump an otter with a great jump pilot today doesn't mean you'll always be in that ideal situation. You may find yourself on a trip at a small dz with a pilot who has no clue about what happens once you leave the plane and in that case it's up to you to ensure that you are in the right spot when you exit and don't blame the guy flying the plane if you can't spot.

Blue Skies,
Adam
I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry