artemis 0 #1 August 18, 2008 Hi, i am a Skydiver in Austria with 230 jumps. I got the opportunity to jump out of a hot air ballon next week, so i am wandering how to prepare for such a jump. Can anyone tell me what i have to take into account, or are there any additional dangers? I already have a friend somewhere on the ground pointing out the wind direction and picking me up. Is there a reason why i should not turn on my cypres on a ballon jump? thx Artemis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy_Copland 0 #2 August 18, 2008 Step 1: Pack Step 2: Jump Step 3: Pull1338 People aint made of nothin' but water and shit. Until morale improves, the beatings will continue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #3 August 18, 2008 QuoteIs there a reason why i should not turn on my cypres on a ballon jump? NopeOwned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #4 August 18, 2008 QuoteCan anyone tell me what i have to take into account, or are there any additional dangers? You are landing out. Be prepared landing with the balloon and that can be rough. Do not board and pay if balloon's pilot confess he has only half load of gas onboard. QuoteI already have a friend somewhere on the ground pointing out the wind direction and picking me up. That's interesting. Balloon don't follow roads. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #5 August 18, 2008 Quote Step 1: Pack Step 2: Jump Step 3: Pull Step 4 : Smile, Step 5 : Land Step 6 ; And this IS the important one - BUY BEER (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SPAWNmaster 0 #6 August 18, 2008 Not necessarily. If you guys launch upwind and plan the spot well enough you may not have to land out. If you do not believe you have the ability to land in a tight area with obstacles, don't jump. Everything else is cake. Happy hops ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d123 1 #7 August 18, 2008 I was ground crew on a Hot air Balloon for my friends 1 month ago. 12 people in balloon 2 jumping. Our plan was for us, the ground crew, to stay in touch via radio with the jumpers and guided by the them to check the landing area before the jump and to hold a windsock for landing. However the balloon climbs really really fast (less than 10 min to 7000) so us instead of being ahead of them we had to catch up with them. Make sure you've got a good landing area. Choose a place up-wind (ahead of the direction you're traveling) for landing and regroup. You can easily guess the wind speed (it's the speed of the balloon) so use that for spotting. As you climb out, the balloon is traveling, so make sure you've got a good spot when you exit and not when start you climbing out - our friends did that mistake, they choose the spot up-wind, climb out, took a lot of time to exit and meanwhile the spot moved slightly downwind. If you see packed hay it's a good sign. It means that the grass is cut so no rocks are hided by tall grass. Make sure the LZ it's big enough. Have a thank you note for the owners of the landing area. Be aware of cows, dogs, power lines, fences, etc. Give people that are in balloon with you you're email to send you the exit pictures/movies. Insist for 6-7000 feet and open 5000. The pilot of our balloon was in a rush to drop them. That might happen to you too so don't follow his advice, he's not jumping Have walkie-talkies (shared with ground crew), cell phone and money with you. Wear a jump suit. The ground crew has to take a mental note of the color of the balloon that their chasing. The ground crew has to have Champaign for the landing! ....my 2 cents Jean-Arthur Deda. Edit to make it more readable Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #8 August 18, 2008 Remember, this is a no wind exit. Like a some helicopter jumps or a BASE jump. If you exit with others make sure you have sufficient altitude to gain speed and separate. Planning on vertical separation is good also but not reliable, especially with today's slow opening canopys. I almost ate a canopy when the lower time jumper I was going to film exited before he was supposed to and opened below me without considering where I was. (We were well planned and briefed but he kind of freaked) The same jumper had previously broken his femur hitting someone opening under him on a helicopter jump. Don't take separation for granted. Also, be prepared for NO ground crew, no radio communication and no idea where your landing. Then when something does go right it will be a bonus. We're assuming this pilot is experienced with jumpers. IF NOT, get the pilot a briefing from an experienced balloon jump pilot. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catfishhunter 1 #9 August 18, 2008 Quote Insist for 6-7000 feet and open 5000. Why?With the posters number of jumps they should be good with anyting over 3.5k 1k to terminal and opening at 2.5. Now 6-7k would be a nice bonus but I have got out at 4.5 and 5.5 and even got lucky and went last and got out at 9.5 :D I made it back each time. MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d123 1 #10 August 18, 2008 Quote Quote Insist for 6-7000 feet and open 5000. Why?With the posters number of jumps they should be good with anyting over 3.5k 1k to terminal and opening at 2.5. Now 6-7k would be a nice bonus but I have got out at 4.5 and 5.5 and even got lucky and went last and got out at 9.5 :D I made it back each time. My friends had 240 and 180 jumps. We've found it safer to open higher. It was a good thing because they had more time to make it from the downwind spot and we had more time to make it to the landing area as well. We've park the car exactly when they've flared Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bertt 0 #11 August 19, 2008 Figure on falling about 500 feet in the first 5 seconds and reaching 50 miles per hour. After 8 seconds, you will be going around 100 miles per hour and will have fallen about 1000 feet ( depending on body position, etc). So if you have enough altitude, just look at the horizon and arch for about 8 - 10 seconds and you're doing a normal skydive. Other posters have given some good advice on spotting and choosing a landing site. Have fun.You don't have to outrun the bear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #12 August 19, 2008 QuoteStep 1: Pack Step 2: Jump Step 3: Pull I was thinking along the same lines. How do you prepare for a balloon jump? Smoke a cigarette maybe... If you're allowed to get up there and jump, you should have everything you need :P. I kinda missed my balloon jump at Skyfest, but from experience of jumping the helicopter, jumping off an object that isn't moving at high speed is different. It was funny, because I let go, fumbled for stability for a few seconds, got stable after I gained a little speed and pulled. It was awesome. I wish I had a video.Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kingbunky 3 #13 August 19, 2008 one other thing to consider, don't rely on your altimeter! you don't know where you will land or what the altitude will be. on my last balloon jump, we ended up following a ridgeline and our only landing option was a road on top of the ridge. i checked my alti when i thought i was around 400, but it was showing 700'+. i thought it must be wrong and eyeballed it. on the ground, it showed 400'."Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart." MB4252 TDS699 killing threads since 2001 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NovaTTT 1 #14 August 19, 2008 Carry your cellphone and some cash. Enjoy the jump."Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hausse 0 #15 August 19, 2008 QuoteQuoteIs there a reason why i should not turn on my cypres on a ballon jump? Nope I would say it depends on the landscape. My last balloon jump we started on a mountain and I jumped over a valley. If I would have turned on my Cypress, it would have fired as I opened lower than 750ft over the level of the starting place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy_Copland 0 #16 August 19, 2008 Thats what i love about still air, you are suspended in animation for that split second before things start getting fast and loud. You either nail the exit or fight for stability during the next few seconds until you have airspeed to control yourself like a skydive.1338 People aint made of nothin' but water and shit. Until morale improves, the beatings will continue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJD 0 #17 August 19, 2008 I think the key thing is to be calm. The exit is a bit freaky, and for most jumpers a little scary (hence we love to do it!), but of course it's fundamentally no more dangerous than leaving an aeroplane. A handle and pin check before you leave are an especially good idea, because they can be dislodged if you're having to squirm around in a cramped basket. By all means land back at the DZ if you can (I never have!), but expect to have a good chance of landing out - and remember that the most important thing is to land safely, so don't jeopardise that by getting fixated on making it back to a particular spot. Check the windsock direction before you leave the dropzone, so you still have some idea (e.g. from the position of the sun) when you don't have a reference on the ground. Don't rely on the direction of balloon drift, since this might be completely at odds with the ground winds. Enjoy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #18 August 19, 2008 Fair enough, but that situation has nothing at all to do with it being a balloon jump and everything to do with your take off and opening altitudes, which apply to all jumps with an AAD, not just balloons.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #19 August 19, 2008 I didn't look at my altimeter at all during the "freefall". Isn't much point until you're under canopy or checking your altitude before you jump. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #20 August 19, 2008 Think over your in-flight emergency procedures. If the balloon envelope should fail on the way up, or catch fire, have a go-no-go bail out altitude, and decide which parachute you are going to use at what altitude. Balloons do sometimes fail, I know, because it happened to me. At 1700-feet the whole top of the balloon blew out . . . NickD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpwally 0 #21 August 19, 2008 goofy smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #22 August 20, 2008 Quote goofy You're only in freefall for about 5 seconds and during that time you are concentrating on getting stable quick and immediately deploying. Why would I take the time to glance at my altimeter? :PRodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buzi 0 #23 August 20, 2008 QuoteQuoteIs there a reason why i should not turn on my cypres on a ballon jump? Nope Actually my two sense regarding the Cypress. If a balloon takes off then travels a bit, and if the ground isn't flat (somewhere with hills), you should turn your cypress off or change the settings to compensate for the difference of altitude. Anyways I have never jumped out of a balloon (would love to though), but I think what I am saying makes sense. D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #24 August 20, 2008 QuoteActually my two sense regarding the Cypress. If a balloon takes off then travels a bit, and if the ground isn't flat (somewhere with hills), you should turn your cypress off or change the settings to compensate for the difference of altitude. Anyways I have never jumped out of a balloon (would love to though), but I think what I am saying makes sense. As I've already said, taking your take-off and deployment altituges into consideration is necessary for any jump with an AAD and has nothing at all do do with being in a balloon vs any other aircraft.Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeJD 0 #25 August 20, 2008 Quote Think over your in-flight emergency procedures. If the balloon envelope should fail on the way up, or catch fire, have a go-no-go bail out altitude, and decide which parachute you are going to use at what altitude. Balloons do sometimes fail, I know, because it happened to me. At 1700-feet the whole top of the balloon blew out . . . NickD Nick, that's some cliffhanger. Not to scare the OP, but what was the outcome for those on board? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
