Demo jump: Timing of music with landing?

[JohnRich 4]

How do you time the music of the U.S. national anthem so that the music is ending at the same time as the landing of the parachutist with the U.S. flag? The Star Spangled Banner is about 1:30 to 1:45 in length. So how does the guy in charge of the music know when to start playing the music, in order to get the timing correct? Does the jumper give some kind of signal like leg kicks when he's at a certain altitude, knowing how long it takes to descend from that alititude, to cue the music-player to start the song? Please enlighten me.

[airtwardo 6]

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How do you time the music of the U.S. national anthem so that the music is ending at the same time as the landing of the parachutist with the U.S. flag? The Star Spangled Banner is about 1:30 to 1:45 in length. So how does the guy in charge of the music know when to start playing the music, in order to get the timing correct? Does the jumper give some kind of signal like leg kicks when he's at a certain altitude, knowing how long it takes to descend from that attitude, to cue the music-player to start the song? Please enlighten me.

Hi John,

There are a couple of ways to do it...

1st you want to time your rate of descent with the flag deployed and in about the same environmental conditions as the planned jump. Easiest way is with a video on your helmet and just say: "at 1550" "at 1500" etc. then check the clock when ya run it back.

We ordinarily use a radio air to ground to cue the starting of the anthem, this is something you may want to have a few 'dry runs' at too...if it's recorded music have it so one push of the button starts it.
~may seem obvious but I've seen people load the CD when the 'start music' command is given, 20 second lag in getting it going.

If you don't want to use a radio, then best visual cue I've used is a WDI...have it ready to toss in your jumpsuit and at the given altitude let it fly.

Some times less obvious visual cues can go unnoticed causing a late start, or misinterpreted causing an early one...from the ground 'was that a leg kick or not?' has a potential for problems.

Big yellow WDI is tough to miss...and BTW, even IF using a radio a WDI as a 'back-up signal' is cheap insurance against dead batteries or whatnot.

Time the drop, take into consideration the lag time for communication (usually 3-5 sec) and stay off the tarmac on a hot thermal day and ya should have it close.

Just an FYI: On MY 260, with a 20x40 flag @ 38lbs I signal for a 1:15 version of the anthem at 1200', it times out for 1100' but there is the lag time.

Always better to have it end with the jumper at 30-50' feet up than still playing thirty seconds after landing.

Hope that helps!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[JohnRich 4]

Hi Jim. Thanks for that detailed answer. It kind of explains my rough thinking that I had come up with on my own, but you've got it refined down to the n'th degree.

I'm not the organizer of the demo, but I want to know how to make things work right if I get a chance to inject my assistance. I don't know if the music is being coordinated. It'll be a small demo into a golf course in Katy, TX, for a Wounded Warrior fund raiser. About seven jumpers involved, all veterans themselves; Army, Navy and Marines. We don't have an Air Force puke yet. I'll be bringing in a small flag. Aircraft support by Spaceland.

I hooked up my big accuracy canopy and got used to it all over again, including practicing with my flag, so I'm ready.

For future reference, I know my descent rate, so I would just need to find out how long the anthem version is that they'll be playing (which seems to vary widely), brief the music-player on the procedure, and stuff a WDI into my jumpsuit and remember to throw it at the right time.

Good info! Thanks a bunch.

[ksjumper 0]

I thnk singers tend to stretch it out while a band can play it in 1:15. A back up plan if they finish really early is to play patriotic music to bridge the gap.

[JohnRich 4]

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I thnk singers tend to stretch it out while a band can play it in 1:15...

Yeah, I hate it when they stretch a bunch of one-syllable words into 8 syllables.
They go from:

"Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

To:

"Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there-ere-ere-ere-ere-ere-ere-ere."

Just sing it like it's written, darn it!

[dpreguy 14]

John Rich

My suggestion:

1. Time your descent from the altitude that will give you the correct number of seconds. This is easy, as you now have the appx number of seconds = about a minute and a half or bit more for the Nat'l Anthem and about 73 seconbds for America the Beautiful. Now make a jump or two with your canopy to tweak or confirm the seconds it takes for you to touch down. Carry a stopwatch to do this. Then add about 10 seconds. It is better to have the singer end prior to your touchdown, than after.

2. Tell the announcer or the singer to start singing immediatley when the flag is unfurled, and not before.

3. On demo day, deploy your flag at the at the correct altitude. I have sometimes written the altitude on a piece of masking tape and stuck it to the left side of the altimeter.

It has been my experince that waiting until (for me it is about 1400 feet AGL) that altitude to deploy, is the best drama producer for the performance, as the crowd actually sees the flag unfurl and then the singer begins. Quite dramatic. Better than having the flag unfurl at high altituce where no one can see the deployment, while the crowd patiently waits for the singer to start. No drama with that method.

No gadgets, no radios. Just deploy the flag at the correct altitude and have the singer use the flag deployment as the que to start singing. Add 10 seconds to the 'song duration time' if you are confident of the time to sing, or 15 seconds if the singer isn't consistent. Works every time.

[airtwardo 6]

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John Rich

My suggestion:

1. Time your descent from the altitude that will give you the correct number of seconds. This is easy, as you now have the approx number of seconds = about a minute and a half or bit more for the Nat'l Anthem and about 73 seconds for America the Beautiful. Now make a jump or two with your canopy to tweak or confirm the seconds it takes for you to touch down. Carry a stopwatch to do this. Then add about 10 seconds. It is better to have the singer end prior to your touchdown, than after.

2. Tell the announcer or the singer to start singing immediately when the flag is unfurled, and not before.

3. On demo day, deploy your flag at the at the correct altitude. I have sometimes written the altitude on a piece of masking tape and stuck it to the left side of the altimeter.

It has been my experience that waiting until (for me it is about 1400 feet AGL) that altitude to deploy, is the best drama producer for the performance, as the crowd actually sees the flag unfurl and then the singer begins. Quite dramatic. Better than having the flag unfurl at high altitude where no one can see the deployment, while the crowd patiently waits for the singer to start. No drama with that method.

No gadgets, no radios. Just deploy the flag at the correct altitude and have the singer use the flag deployment as the cue to start singing. Add 10 seconds to the 'song duration time' if you are confident of the time to sing, or 15 seconds if the singer isn't consistent. Works every time.

Howdy Red~
I know you are a very experienced demonstration jumper and we've worked together before... but I'm gonna offer a little something different for the less 'seasoned' performer to consider:

Though definitely a more 'dramatic' initial presentation it 'can' have some drawbacks...especially for a beginner demo jumper.

As with parachutes, flags don't always deploy cleanly, and the larger you go the more problems you can have, for example when the back part of the flag wraps the leading edge...or when it loops over itself and makes the 'bow-tie'.

Both are somewhat minor deployment problems that can be cleared, often with just stalling the canopy and getting a 'snap' in the lanyard...however, there are also other types of deployment problems that either take more time & altitude, or can't be cleared at all.

If you've waited until 1200' to start dealing with what 'could' end up being a serious situation, you have put yourself into a corner drastically affecting the options you have and the time you have to use them.

Thinking in terms of 'the chain of disaster', adding the lower deployment 'links' to the chain doesn't add up in the cost/benefit analysis regarding the showmanship impact gained by lower deployment...at least in my book.

You have already added more links than most jumpers like, just by strapping a flag ON.

Also think about situational awareness regarding WHERE you may be deploying the flag by waiting until you are lower...for example~ depending on the winds and the spot, if you're going into a stadium you might be over people at 1200' and as we all know you never deploy anything attached to you over a 'human-bean'.

Obviously there are a lot of ways to perform a successful demo and we all have adjusted to what we feel works well and is safe...personally, I never go anywhere near my cut-away to reserve hard-deck on a demo without everything out and flying.

Time gets short around a grand especially on a demo, wanna talk dramatic...starting the skydive all over again with the altimeter in triple digits REALLY gets the crowd's attention.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[dpreguy 14]

Very good points:
. Never deploy anything over rhe crowd
. Low altitude is not the best time to start dealing with problems

Correct on both points

Mine works for me, as it is a nicely deploying setup. May not work for everyone.