Question about spotting.

[mnskydiver688 0]

What about us under 30 crowds who were trained at a Cessna DZ? Also if a guy with way more jumpsuit than normal (WS) says he wants to spot, beware!

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[npgraphicdesign 2]

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What about us under 30 crowds who were trained at a Cessna DZ? Also if a guy with way more jumpsuit than normal (WS) says he wants to spot, beware!

Why?

[rehmwa 2]

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Yep, not a joke. If you are ever after me on a load you better check the spot because I am damn sure spotting for my free bag.

I spot for the entire load, not just myself. You want to spot for the freebag of the group in the Center of the plane.

Typically, the spotter is the first one out. If you spot for your own freebag, then you are spotting for yourself, not the plane.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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What about us under 30 crowds who were trained at a Cessna DZ?

What does "Cessna DZ" vs. "Turbine DZ" have to do with anything. The point is, were you trained at a "GPS + Green Light = GO Lets be Lemmings" DZ vs. not?

[LloydDobbler 2]

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2a) When the GPS goes out, never trust anyone under 30 that says, "Yeah, I'll spot".

Tim, I started to take offense at this, having been trained at Cal City...but then realized I'm no longer "under 30." Fair enough.

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6) Green Light DOES NOT always mean GO!

Interestingly enough, I spent last weekend doing 4-way, and we were consistently the 1st group out. When we got down from one load, an AFF instructor (older guy than us, maybe in his 50's) walked over and complimented us on being the "first RW group he's seen that actually climbed out on the green light."

I know he was trying to be nice/funny, but what struck me was:

1) that he didn't realize we were the ones who had been holding our climb-out on green light all day, because it was consistently coming on well before/downwind of the airport (until this time, when it was right on the money), and

2) this guy's an AFF-I? With that much more time in the sport than me? And he's complimenting me because he thinks I'm taking the lemming approach?


Ah well. Go figure. I'll stick to spotting with my eyes, thanks.

Guess that goes back to your #1 about spotting being a thankless job....
edited to add:

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10) If you're trying to give corrections and the pilot just starts kicking the tail of the airplane around, you'd might be better off just hitting the cut button and getting out. Its not going to get any better and being called to the front of the plane is really embarrassing.

CUT button? Corrections?!?!!? Where the heck do YOU jump? Seems like most people don't even know what those are these days. Most places I've been lately, spotting is now a one-way line of communication: from the pilot to the jumpers.

Which I guess means we need to be teaching students when to listen, and when to selectively NOT listen...

Again, go figure. Seems to be a dying art.

Signatures are the new black.

[Broke 0]

You know on my completed SCR jump I didn't make it back to the DZ. I wasn't the only one from that load who landed off either. The first two attempts I spotted and everyone on the load made it back.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

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CUT button? Corrections?!?!!? Where the heck do YOU jump?

Sorry, I was having flash backs. It happens to us old guys...

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Ah well. Go figure. I'll stick to spotting with my eyes, thanks.

Yeah, that's kinda my point...

[erdnarob 1]

Here is the way I teach a student how to spot :

1) put your head outside the door making sure you don't rely on the horizontal edge of the door

2) look down on the ground and make circular glances starting with large radius to small ones and try to locate the closest point on the ground from you. This point when found is obviously the point laying at the vertical with respect to you. That spot is moving with the airplane.

3) Try to estimate if the path of that spot is corresponding to the path the airplane has to follow.

4) estimate if the path of that spot goes to the estimated exit point

5) correct the pilot accordingly

6) practice in the air with an experienced skydiver beside you a couple of time

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[Carrapeta 0]

I've been watching this thread recently because well, I've been really wanting to learn how to spot and spot well. I love sticking my head out of the plane

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[wolfriverjoe 1,350]

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What about us under 30 crowds who were trained at a Cessna DZ? Also if a guy with way more jumpsuit than normal (WS) says he wants to spot, beware!

Why?

The spot will be different for different fall rates. The ideal spot puts you (load/freebag/ect) right back at the landing area with little or no manuvering from you. Since how long you fall affects how far the wind pushes you, slow fallers (wingsuits and really light guys like me) tend to spot a lot longer than heavier jumpers or freefallers. pulling higher or having a larger, slower canopy has the same effect.
That said:
GPS is a good tool, but don't trust it blindly-the locals are still talking about the guy who went into (NOT through) the front window of the local cafe on the 1st load of the day, and that was 8 or 10 years ago
Make sure you know where you are. The trap houses at the skeet range in the next town over may look like the hangars on the airport, but they aren't.
Telling the pilot "Left 30, now right 5, now right 10, now right 10 more" is a good way to get him to ignore you next time-the ones that have been flying the same DZ for 10 years can spot as good as any jumper (at least ours can)
If the skygod who's spotting doesen't even look out the window until just before jumprun, plan on walking.
Having a jumpsuit on and a canopy hanging off your shoulder is a reallly good way to get picked up while hitchhiking.
Lastly, if your DZ is in a relatively open area, spotting is one of the few things you can screw up without too much risk of getting hurt.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Pulse 0]

I disagree with a good spot getting you back to the landing area without any input from the jumper. Canopies now can definitely stray one from 'good' spot is they're not flown.

I'm a believer in spotting so everyone's gear has the best chance to make it on the airport. For Cessna DZ's this is pretty easy. Harder at big turbine DZ's though I've found it rare to have much of a say in Otters or King Airs.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

[wolfriverjoe 1,350]

I meant manuvering, not input. If you are 1/2 mile off the windline, if you have to point downwind and hope you make it back onto the airport, if you have to turn into the wind and do front riser dives to keep from getting blown past the landing area, that sort of thing. Yes, not turning toward the landing area or doing spirals and front riser turns up high without paying enough attention to what the wind is doing to you can turn a perfect spot into an off airport landing. Like you said, if a cutaway canopy and freebag end up in the landing area, that was a great spot; but if one jumper cuts away at 5, and another at 2, the odds of both canopies and freebags ending up on the airport aren't good. I was focusing mostly on the fall rate issue.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo