not gunna make it

[pojj 0]

hi jumpers just would like peoples views on landing outs how people prepare for coming up short or long of the target, or keys to finding a suitable landing area and what are the common mistakes to get one self in such a situation.....

[Gato 0]

FIrst, do a Forums search on the phrase, "landing out", and this is what you get:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=landing%20out&sb=score&mh=25

Second, this is one of many questions for which there is not one good answer, and is best addressed by your instructors where you jump. Landing out is one of the most dangerous things a skydiver can do, and only the direct experience on your home DZ will adequately prepare you for this. I'm not trying to dodge the question, or be an asshole about it - just giving you the 411. You will find this applies to a LOT of stuff in skydiving.

The real idea is not to put yourself into such a position where landing out becomes necessary, but your instructors will guide you in making the right decisions when it happens to you. Good luck. Go jump.

T.I.N.S.

[jsaxton 0]

http://makeithappen.com/spsj/gethome.htm

[prodiver913 0]

good spotting, know the winds and run with the wind in 1/4 brakes for extra speed and fwd movement and a little lift. Don't land in the field with the one bull in it

I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.

[Chubba 0]

It's never too soon to start mastering the "accuracy trick"

[gemini 0]

Think about landing off on every jump and have your plan firmly in your mind, just like practicing your EP's.

Know where you are when you exit. If the spot is off, don't wait until you are under canopy to find out.

Have multiple alternative landing sites selected.

Remember the best alternative may not be between you and the dz. If there are obstacles between you and the dz, it may not be a good idea to try to fly over them. If the winds have increased or changed direction, you may not make it.

Look behind you and make sure there is an alternative site you can get to if you need it.

Know which way the wind is blowing and watch how people lower than you are setting up on final. There are no wind socks out there, but there are other clues like other jumpers, waves on water, dust and smoke.

Watch out for straight lines on the ground. Only man made items run in straight lines. You may not see the wires or poles, but the taller grass growing around the poles or under the wires is a clue that screams STAY AWAY.

Landing near roads is a good idea, but watch out for telephone and electric lines, fences and ditches which are hard to see from the air.

If you land in a plowed or crop area, be respectful of where you are. Land with the rows if possible and when walking out, walk parallel to the rows.

Remember to PLF. The ground may be very uneven, have ruts, stumps, vines. Landing safe and being able to walk out is much better than trying to look good!

Don't wait to the last minute to make your out decision. If you are looking at a landing area and saying to yourself, "I think I can make it." you probably won't.

Pick the area early, always be ready.

Blue skies,

Jim

[Megatron 0]

Perhaps this is my lack of experience talking but I dont see the big deal in landing off. Granted, it is more dangerous since there are likely more obstacle to avoid but assuming you're not skydiving over Manhatten, chances are you can avoid them with a good improvised flight plan.
Im gonna assume the off landing is due to an off exit point rather than a mal or something of that nature. Just look around, find a clearing and aim for it! Its not that hard.

[Scoop 0]

I've landed off a few times and its ended up being quite fun BUT only because it all went fine.

I think one of the important things is having that confidence and good judgement to recognise you won't get back to the designated PLA early and find an alternative safe area while you still have lots of time. When people try to make it then at the last minute have to avoid trouble is when accidents happen.

A good DZ briefing should tell you of any local dangers you should be aware of if landing out.

[tombuch 0]

See "Survival Strategies," an article I wrote as S&TA for The Ranch web site. It is available as Article 16 at: http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php.

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

[shropshire 0]

Plan early but always plan don't just be a passenger.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[topper 0]

I had to land out on my 3rd\4th AFF Console, still being dispatched by an Instructor so I didn't know how to spot on anything really.

The wind picked up and on a 280 manta I was going backwards at a fair pace, by 2.5 grand i was nowhere near the PLA, and starting to float over a motorway (freeway).

looked behind and saw electricity pilons and a whole host of other crap, turned downwind and flew straight over the lot to a clear field probably 4-5miles away from the DZ.

Turned into wind, landed backwards with a PLF, and just though WTF do i do now? Picked up my gear walked to the closest road (probably about a mile!) some kind driver picked me up and drove me back.

Moral of the story, keep your wits, and never stop looking around, don't be afraid to land miles away from the DZ if it's the safer option, and make your decision as high as possible.

Chris

[fasted3 0]

Quote

Perhaps this is my lack of experience talking but I dont see the big deal in landing off.... Its not that hard.

I have quite a bit of experience at landing off, and agree with you to a point. Deciding early and selecting a good alternate are good for making that happen, but don't get complacent. Sometimes a place looks a lot better from 500 than it does at 50, and even a small gopher hole or something can hurt you. Get home itus is worse, but approach every off landing with caution, and avoid them whenever possible. Carry a cell phone too.

But what do I know?

[theonlyski 3]

when i opened on my second or third aff, i looked down and wondered where the hell i was.

i got my berings, and looked out at the dropzone... faced into the wind (was downwind of the dz) and just floated backwords...

did a quick 360 to burn off some altitude, because what was behind me didnt look fun to land on. didnt really help any that i was the lowest and most inexperienced jumper landing out, and my radio was silent

set up a landing pattern on an empty field, making sure that there was no cows in this one...

fairly uneventfull landing, got drug a few feet, but it stopped. had time to regain my composure, collect the parachute and start walking before the truck showed up to give the 3 of us a ride home.

my fjc teacher still swears that i got some very important and impossible to replicate training off that jump. i agree.

"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

[MakeItHappen 15]

Quote

when i opened on my second or third aff, i looked down and wondered where the hell i was.

i got my berings, and looked out at the dropzone... faced into the wind (was downwind of the dz) and just floated backwords...

did a quick 360 to burn off some altitude, because what was behind me didnt look fun to land on. didnt really help any that i was the lowest and most inexperienced jumper landing out, and my radio was silent

set up a landing pattern on an empty field, making sure that there was no cows in this one...

fairly uneventfull landing, got drug a few feet, but it stopped. had time to regain my composure, collect the parachute and start walking before the truck showed up to give the 3 of us a ride home.

my fjc teacher still swears that i got some very important and impossible to replicate training off that jump. i agree.

Here's another article from SPSJ, High wind Landing Approaches, that is especially useful when your ground speed is backwards.

.

.
Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[grimmie 173]

Landing off at Perris or Eloy is usually an easy task. But many jumpers have injured themselves doing it. If you have to land off at a place like the Ranch, be prepared to dodge apple orchards and lots of trees.
I have seen many newer jumpers panic and try to make it back to the DZ upwind, realizing much too late they have nowhere good to land as they end up way short.
There is a quick thought process you should go through on every jump after you are open and clear your airspace.
1. Where am I?
2. What is the wind doing to me?
3. What is the safest landing area?
4. What are the hazards? Are there hidden hazards like barbed wire fence, cornfields, power lines, rotors over objects?
5. Where are those other guys I jumped with going? Should I follow them?
6. Is there a better location downwind to land?
7. How much time/altitude do I have to reach a safe LZ?

I have seen jumpers at Skydive AZ hit buildings, fences, trees, cement barriers and do hook turn carnage off field. That's only a couple of hundred of square miles of open desert, what could possibly go wrong???

[JohnDeere 0]

Where are you supposed to land off in belize?

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[Andy_Copland 0]

Something i used to do as a student or when im at a new DZ and dont know the lay out too well is check which way the wind is blowing in respect of the sun.

Gives you at least a rough idea of the direction with no wind socks.

Personally i like landing off, puts a grin on my face landing somewhere different.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[Croc 0]

Landing off can often be a big deal and ALWAYS must be approached with caution. You cannot avoid obstacles that you can't see. Last year an experienced jumper broke her femur at our DZ when she landed off due to a bad spot. At the last moment she suddenly realized she was going to hit a barbed wire fence.
Off landings are by their nature dangerous. From 100' a dry creek bed looks like a level path, and power lines are invisible. Even slightly sloping ground can throw off the timing of your flare. Know your outs and plan ahead.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[gemini 0]

Quote

...but I dont see the big deal in landing off.

That's inexperience. Next to hook turns, I have assisted more injured jumpers due to landing off/bad spots trying to get back than any other incident.

As others have said, plan early, plan everytime.

We lost a very experienced jumper once because he elected to fly over a swamp with no outs and couldn't make it to the dz side instead of running downwind away from the dz to a clear field.

Blue skies,

Jim

[grimmie 173]

We never have a bad spot!

[wrespess 0]

Quote

Perhaps this is my lack of experience talking but I dont see the big deal in landing off. Granted, it is more dangerous since there are likely more obstacle to avoid but assuming you're not skydiving over Manhatten, chances are you can avoid them with a good improvised flight plan.
Im gonna assume the off landing is due to an off exit point rather than a mal or something of that nature. Just look around, find a clearing and aim for it! Its not that hard.

I can see how you can think it's that simple, but in reality it's not.

What if your DZ is next to a 100,000 acre forest preserve?

What if the DZ is on a beach?

Some obstructions are to large to simply fly around and require planning.

[ladydyver 0]

I have had several off landings....and it is like the more experienced jumpers have noted...you can't always see your obstacles until they are staring at you right in the face....you have higher risk of injury. For me, I always have a back up plan. I found out a couple of times last year doing RW that if the experienced guys are leaving the dive early --- you might want to take a look around and see where exactly you are at.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[tkhayes 125]

read and learn.....

If you get a chance come to Z-Hills and I will go over the seminar with you

[dgskydive 0]

Quote

Perhaps this is my lack of experience talking but I dont see the big deal in landing off.

Never Poo-poo at that thought of landing off. Rich said it really well. But even at places like Perris and Eloy where they have big "outs", it canbe a challenge to not twist or break something when landing out. There is a reason they didnt use that area for the main landing area.

Dom

[LaRusic 0]

This is pretty well exactally how the accuracy trick was taught to me, and its AWESOME!! Where i jump there is a very small landing area.....bout 80metres by 80 meters....landing off is not a big deal because the surrounding area is just not nice cut grass, its soybean field (besides the runways). I used to have lots of trouble landing on the short grass till i was taught the accuracy trick, landing within 20ft of our target cone is easy now(last 40 jumps) cause like everyone has said...the trick works 100% of the time.

The Altitude above you, the runway behind you, and the fuel not in the plane are totally worthless
Dudeist Skydiver # 10