mxaexm 0 #1 January 15, 2009 Hi All, I did my first static line jump over a year ago and I loved the whole experience...thinking of getting into skydiving as soon as I will be done with all of my pilot's certificates....my question is: -Would opening higher than recommended (higher than 3500agl) increase level of safety? -Would jumping with bigger canopies increase my safety? (I'm thinking bigger..slower etc...I would like to get into skydiving just because I love aviation not to impress anybody with super fast and super small canopy..if you know what I mean). Any other tips?? thanks and be safe!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #2 January 15, 2009 the higher you open, the more time you have to deal with whatever comes out, generally more than enough time is better than not enough time. im allowed to open as low as 3500, but i usually pull about 5500... besides, i like flying the canopy too usually larger canopies are more docile, you can have some super soft, super slow landings with them if they are loaded lightly enough, just expect end cell closure"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #3 January 15, 2009 Quote-Would opening higher than recommended (higher than 3500agl) increase level of safety? Yes and no. When you are first starting out you will be jumping with instructors and in fairly controlled conditions where you, the student, will have your own piece of the sky. You will quite literally be the center of your skydive. So, opening higher than the minimums set for more experienced skydivers is a good thing as it gives you more time to react in a bad situation. That said, you'll be given a specific altitude to open at by your instructors and expected to open AT that altitude. However, as time goes on in the sport and you jump with other people, those same altitudes will actually be dangerous for a variety of reasons only one of which is, you will be clogging up the sky. Generally speaking, if you're going to open above 3,500 feet or higher, you really should let other people on the plane know about it so you can be put out later in the load. At particularly busy drop zones, high openings can definitely be a BAD thing if people aren't aware of what you're up to. Quote -Would jumping with bigger canopies increase my safety? (I'm thinking bigger..slower etc...I would like to get into skydiving just because I love aviation not to impress anybody with super fast and super small canopy..if you know what I mean). Yes and no. Again, as a student you'll start out on HUGE canopies and gradually move down in sizes. As you progress you'll find that bigger isn't always safer and there is a happy medium which is just about right. Where that is for YOU will vary depending on your skill and comfort level.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nutz 0 #4 January 15, 2009 Quote the higher you open, the more time you have to deal with whatever comes out, generally more than enough time is better than not enough time. im allowed to open as low as 3500, but i usually pull about 5500... besides, i like flying the canopy too usually larger canopies are more docile, you can have some super soft, super slow landings with them if they are loaded lightly enough, just expect end cell closure 33 jumps and already giving advise. I hope if you are opening that high you are exiting right before the tandems. To the OP. There are many things you can do to increase safety, opening high will not necessarily make it safer but in general altitude is your friend. A bigger canopy can be safer too. Basically this sport is as safe as you make it but there are things you have no control over that can kill you. Safety day is coming up in March. maybe this is a good subject to talk about. In the meantime I would suggest talking with your instructors and remember that you can get good advise here - you also get a lot of idiots. "Don't! Get! Eliminated!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #5 January 15, 2009 where i jump, its recommended to open at 3500ft.. i like that rule! “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #6 January 15, 2009 If you routinely pull at 5500' at something larger than a single Cessna DZ without letting the rest of the load know, including the pilots, and leting the DZ know you may very well end up with a jumper coming through your canopy. Make sure you know all of the ramifications of your advice.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #7 January 15, 2009 Quote However, as time goes on in the sport and you jump with other people, those same altitudes will actually be dangerous for a variety of reasons only one of which is, you will be clogging up the sky. Generally speaking, if you're going to open above 3,500 feet or higher, you really should let other people on the plane know about it so you can be put out later in the load. At particularly busy drop zones, high openings can definitely be a BAD thing if people aren't aware of what you're up to. On the other hand, on small, Cessna drop zones it can be done with ease. I jump at a small drop zone and hop & pops at the top are very common. As far as the safety aspect. If you look at the cause of fatalities in our sport the lack of a good parachute is not the big problem. As you gain experience the extra altitude during opening is of rapidly diminishing value above about 3000'. Choosing a conservative canopy is a much more effective way to change the odds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #8 January 15, 2009 Quote where i jump, its recommended to open at 3500ft.. i like that rule! Some days we don't even get out at 3500. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mxaexm 0 #9 January 16, 2009 QuoteQuote However, as time goes on in the sport and you jump with other people, those same altitudes will actually be dangerous for a variety of reasons only one of which is, you will be clogging up the sky. Generally speaking, if you're going to open above 3,500 feet or higher, you really should let other people on the plane know about it so you can be put out later in the load. At particularly busy drop zones, high openings can definitely be a BAD thing if people aren't aware of what you're up to. On the other hand, on small, Cessna drop zones it can be done with ease. I jump at a small drop zone and hop & pops at the top are very common. As far as the safety aspect. If you look at the cause of fatalities in our sport the lack of a good parachute is not the big problem. As you gain experience the extra altitude during opening is of rapidly diminishing value above about 3000'. Choosing a conservative canopy is a much more effective way to change the odds. What would be a good example of a conservative canopy??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #10 January 16, 2009 look at you giving advice blindly to someone with 33 jumpsAt the DZ he jumps at 5000 ft opens are pretty sandard across the board. He doesnt need to be getting out right before tandems on every load. Its rare he would need to do that. Most of our freeflyers are opening around 5000 to 5500 as well. Our jumpers and instructors on the load typically communicate well with whos doing what. I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #11 January 16, 2009 if proper seperation is given and people are taught not to track up and down jump run that wouldnt be a problem either. the key is someone with experience organizing on the plane. then the real key is everybody doing what they are suppose to including staying aware. Which will never happen someone is always doing something that wasnt mentioned or was made up on the fly. (no pun intended)I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TerminatorSRT4 0 #12 January 16, 2009 opening higher can give you more time to deal with a malfunction...but it kind of sucks when the wind on the ground is a little under 10mph but the wind above 2,000 feet and higher is 36+ mph and you open up at a little above 4,000 and you're on the first jump run and you're flying a lightly loaded canopy and you end up landing in some random guys farm trying to avoid the barbed wire, cows and cow shit just sayin' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #13 January 16, 2009 Quote opening higher can give you more time to deal with a malfunction...but it kind of sucks when the wind on the ground is a little under 10mph but the wind above 2,000 feet and higher is 36+ mph and you open up at a little above 4,000 and you're on the first jump run and you're flying a lightly loaded canopy and you end up landing in some random guys farm trying to avoid the barbed wire, cows and cow shit just sayin' sounds like a good reason to look at the winds aloft and get better at spotting... just sayin "I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #14 January 16, 2009 bingo!I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TerminatorSRT4 0 #15 January 16, 2009 Quote Quote opening higher can give you more time to deal with a malfunction...but it kind of sucks when the wind on the ground is a little under 10mph but the wind above 2,000 feet and higher is 36+ mph and you open up at a little above 4,000 and you're on the first jump run and you're flying a lightly loaded canopy and you end up landing in some random guys farm trying to avoid the barbed wire, cows and cow shit just sayin' sounds like a good reason to look at the winds aloft and get better at spotting... just sayin I wasn't the spotter but I do agree about the winds aloft, should've paid more attention and also to add, I said how it was the first load of the day, don't know about you and where you jump...but for us that generally means you're the guinea pigs for basing the jump run path for the rest of the day, the rest of the jumps I made that day I made it back to the landing area Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #16 January 16, 2009 Not at a busy DZ or boogie where the next plane is coming over in 2 or 3 minutes expecting everbody to be below a 1000' by then.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtnesbitt 0 #17 January 16, 2009 "If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yarak 0 #18 January 17, 2009 yea thanks for that but theonlyski isnt jumping at a multi plane DZ. If he were to visit one and there was a maximum opening requirement it should be made known by the DZ or organizer on the plane. I was just saying where he jumps its acceptable and doesnt normally need special consideration in exit order. but you are right in specific situations it needs to be consideredI'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your fucking packing tent down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerpaul 1 #19 January 17, 2009 Quoteyea thanks for that but theonlyski isnt jumping at a multi plane DZ. If he were to visit one and there was a maximum opening requirement it should be made known by the DZ or organizer on the plane. I was just saying where he jumps its acceptable and doesnt normally need special consideration in exit order. but you are right in specific situations it needs to be considered He also needs to know that what he is used to is, in fact, pretty unusual. If he isn't already aware of that, he could be in for quite a surprise when he goes elsewhere, even without multi-plane or a boogie. Part of taking care of yourself is knowing when what you are doing is out of the ordinary. That way you can be proactive when you go somewhere that procedures might be different. If he doesn't realize that 5.5 openings are unusual, and he goes somewhere where that expects 3.5 openings, it could end up being a case of nobody telling anybody else anything. Mistakes happen. Most places won't expect such a high opening altitude, and they could, by mistake, fail to tell him. So, it is best all around if he learns now that what is normal for him is not necessarily normal everywhere. Forewarned is forearmed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #20 January 17, 2009 ive been to a couple diffrent dz's and i always inform the load of my opening alt... always!"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerpaul 1 #21 January 17, 2009 Quoteive been to a couple diffrent dz's and i always inform the load of my opening alt... always! Great! Glad to hear it! Keep it up. Another thing you might consider is to get some exposure to the lower opening altitudes that are more commonly used. That way, if/when you go somewhere where you are not ALLOWED to open so high, you are not in an unusually high stress situation. Because high stress situation can make you do silly things. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 3 #22 January 17, 2009 i suppose i could give that a try when i get back after some recurrency and whatnot jumps"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybill 19 #23 January 18, 2009 Hi mx, "opening altitudes" are a trip. 2500' floor for novices and if you're a hot shot 2K to unload trash. Then we started AFF training and students were opening at 4500'!! Well, the deal is we have to get the student open first..THEN.. the JM's and Instructors get to save Their life!! Now since this has been going on for several years, most jumpers are "frozen" above 3500'!! Hell when I was with New Dimensions Flite School at Perris Valley, we'd get the student uncorked by 4 or so then me, the other JM and the Camera man would fly to the middle and toss 3 or 4 points of impromptu RW eg L Donut, R donut, round, L donut or what ever we came up with and still get open by 2 grand!! Good times!!SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #24 January 18, 2009 Quote As you gain experience the extra altitude during opening is of rapidly diminishing value above about 3000'. Choosing a conservative canopy is a much more effective way to change the odds. A very sage insight. Thank you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #25 January 18, 2009 QuoteHi mx, "opening altitudes" are a trip. 2500' floor for novices Just for the sake of accuracy...Minimum 3K for Students and A licenses.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
