DZ safety ratings

[bgband 0]

I recently made my very first jump (tandem) and loved it. I'm hooked and can't wait for my second. I was telling someone about how great the experience was, about the DZ and everyone I had contact with. He proceeds to tell me where I went has one of the worst accident ratings in the country. I saw the fatalities list, but is there a ratings system for overall accidents / incidents, and how can I view such a list? Being my first time I have nothing else to compare it to, and he's been jumping for 5 years. I was all set to make that my DZ to work on getting my license, but now I'm not sure. In the DZ locater it carries a 4 star rating and most reviews have been very positive. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

[funks 1]

how about saying which dz this is. Odds are someone on here jumps there and can give you info...as far as a ratings system for dz's and accidents i dont think anything like that exists, could be wrong but i dont think so.

btw - i couldnt care less, but expect to have people asking you to fill out your profile. anytime someone starts asking about safety and or incidents related to specific dropzones a lot of people on here will want to know who they are talking too.

[kelpdiver 2]

a 5 year jumper may know what he's talking about, or he may just have an ax to grind. I've found many people to have strong personal feelings based on their own experiences.

Or if you read here long enough, you'll find more than a few too. 'Perris is a dump with dirty bathrooms and a fraud of a jet.' Of course, it's one of the largest most successful DZs on the planet and virtually no one seconded the opinion.

I don't think you'll find any dropzone with a number of fatalities so significant as to point to a problem. Some run 10 or 15 loads of a Cessna 182 - that's up to 60 jumpers in the day. Or just over 2 Otter loads in 15 minutes at other places.

[pilotdave 0]

Just read the fatality reports and make that decision for yourself. If you find any dropzone that has student fatalities every year, you might want to stay away from that dropzone. But for example if a high fatality rate is caused by swoopers screwing up and killing themselves, that won't affect you...safety-wise anyway.

And don't forget that busy dropzones have more fatalities than small dropzones. More fatalities doesn't necessarily mean a higher fatality rate.

But fatality rates aren't everything. You want a dropzone with good modern student gear, strict rules for safety, and just good practices. Properly maintained planes, people wear seatbelts on takeoff, etc. Some of those may be obvious, others aren't.

If a dropzone doesn't FEEL safe to you, keep looking.

Dave

[tombuch 0]

Fatalities are only one part of the story. Injury accidents also matter, as does the general quality of the training you will receive, and the relationships you will build.

It's good that you are doing some research. Next, try calling around and asking all the local DZ's questions, vist a few other DZ's, and then make your decision.

If you would like a bit of help with questions and what they mean, check out my book JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy published by McGraw-Hill two years ago. It is loaded with background that will help you to evaluate a dropzone, and in fact, was written just for consumers like you. I think Amazon still has a preview of the first chapter, index, and table of contents available.

Sorry for the commercial plug, but your question is a good one, you are interested in research, and the book seems to be a good fit for you.

I'd also suggest you post the name of the DZ and area you are in so others with direct knowledge can offer their comments.
.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[Hooknswoop 19]

Quote

is there a ratings system for overall accidents / incidents

No such list exists since DZ's are not required to report incidents there is now way to track them.

As for safety of a DZ, you'll get differing opinons of the same DZ. The only way to know for sure is to have some experience, know what to look for and hang out at the DZ for a while, keeping your eyes and ears open.

There can be a 'cult' mentality among some skydivers that even when their DZ is doing things that are un-safe, they will justify them and still say their DZ is safe.

Derek

[bgband 0]

I wanted to thank everyone for their response and input. I was riding so high after that first jump and then to hear his comments. I needed to find out if they had any merit. I'm reluctant to name the dropzone, as I don't want to be responsible for sending any negative publicity their way. My whole experience there was totally positive and I do plan on going back.

[mr2mk1g 10]

If your friend isn't an experienced skydiver the chances of them actually having a clue about how safe or dangerous the DZ you went to are very very slim indeed. There are so many myths out there which people wholeheartedly believe in that non-skydivers are an amazing wealth of complete and utter nonsense when it comes to how much the "know" about this sport.

As above either do your own legwork or post here which DZ this is all about. If the place has a bad reputation (which is very rare and quite unlikely)someone will more than likely let you know about it.

Have fun in your new found sport. Soon enough you will be able to laugh at your friends when they tell you it's dangerous to go through a cloud because you won't be able to breath through your skin in freefall any more.

[Ron 7]

http://www.skydivingfatalities.info/Query.asp

Will give you an option of looking at the unofficial deaths for any DZ.

However as Tom said there is more than fatalities to look at. There are accidents and injuries that are not reported.

There is also the attitude of the jumpers to consider.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[PhreeZone 15]

I second the answer to call around and ask the DZ's abotu their injury rates. Explain to them that you are looking at going through AFF and are evaluating dropzones. Some might be a little leary of talking and giving specific information over the phone since they can not verify you are not a reporter trying to dig something up.. but at least their attitude and answers should help to give you an idea of the metality of the dropzone.

The best solution is to visit all the local DZ's (if you live in Cinci there are 4-5 I'd consider local to you). Take a look at their plane/planes. Do they look well cared for? Are they clean? Do they have seat belts and does it look like people use them? Are they leaking any oil/fuel? What are their student rigs? Are they new/how old? What canopies are they using? How many jumps on them roughly? What type of AAD are they using? How is their landing area? Is it on a hill, surounded by trees, next to an active runway, or is it nice and open with lots of outs if needed? Are all their jumpers hook turners or are they alll just landing randomly? Do they have qualified riggers on site? Getting answers to these types of questions will help you form a list of what you think is important and what is'nt in terms of safety at a Dropzone.

I'll agree with Hook on the cult thing. Some people refuse to say something bad about their DZ, but others also get into the "DZ X is bad, I've never been there since person A said so" type deal. I've been to a DZ I though was on the unsafe side before. Went back and visited it again a few years later and things had changed completely and they looked to be on average with the rest of the dropzones out there now. Dropzones change over time, some get "safer" others safety attitudes start to slip some.Do your research and ask specific questions. It is your life you are putting out there.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Witelli 0]

Quote

IDo your research and ask specific questions. It is your life you are putting out there.

I totally agree. One of the first things you'll learn in AFF is that you are totally responsible for what you are getting into. That is why you need to be a USPA member to fly alone, with that comes liability insurance. You are considered a pilot, flying your body which I'm learning is freakin incredible. I'm not sure how one DZ could have a higher percentage of fatalities unless their gear is crap or the people there are irresponsible. Keep your eyes open, ask questions and come to your own conclusions. I firmly believe if the gear is good and noone is in your way, and you're responsible, this is a pretty safe sport.