Getting in the landing pattern

[KevinP 0]

I figured I would share my experience on my AFF 1 jump AFTER the video.

Canopy check was uneventful with no worries. I check altimeter and I was at, IIRC, about 3500. I identify my landing area, check the tetrahedron and start to make my way over to the holding area that my instructor and I had discussed. I get there and have lots of altitude left (~2500), so I decide to just fly around a bit. Cleared the space around me in all dimensions and did a couple of 360* turns. I get back on heading toward the entry point of my pattern and realize that, by my estimation, I was too far south. I turn north to make a short run and, at about 1500 feet, turn back toward the entry point. And stopped moving. Turns out that the wind between ~2K and ~1K was blowing directly toward me. At this point, a three-leg pattern is out the door and my instructor tells me to line up on the center of the landing area (I was the only jumper left in the air besides tandems, but they land on a different LZ, so my air space is totally clear). I wind up landing about 150m north of the LZ. When I get face-to-face with the instructor on the radio, he asked, if I was basically not moving and was pretty much even with the LZ, why would I run upwind? I explained my thought process and then the two of them described a penetration check and how I could have applied it to that situation.

In short, I figured piloting to the LZ would be the easy part. haha Not so much.

For the record, on AFF 2, I landing in the LZ. Far NE corner, but on the grass. LOL However, I did have another student that I followed in.

I'm looking forward to my next jumps. I didn't fully appreciate all the variables that affect landing even in an area that is 250' by 450'.

Sincerely,
Kevin

[Muffie 0]

Good lesson/reminder for all of us lower jump number jumpers.

Just in terms of your comment about following another student in - we had some crap weather here this past week or so and I was doing some reading up on canopy collisions and there was one from about five years ago where two students collided because one was behind the other coming in and the front student did a 180 to get back towards the landing area. So, just something to think about when other students or jumpers with low numbers are in the air with you - don't count on them being predictable or heading in the direction you think they will and give yourself enough separation from them to react to whatever they may do. I'm sure you had plenty of separation coming in, but figured I'd get that thought out there for anyone reading who may not have thought about it before. I'd thought through a number of scenarios, but not that one.

Loved the video of your first jump BTW.

[KevinP 0]

I should have been more clear. I used another student's pattern. He was at least 1000 feet below me. He was turning final before I even entered it.

And I preferred the second video, but thanks. :)

Sincerely,
Kevin