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ntrprnr

Tracking and avoiding jump run...

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OK, this has been bugging me all night since I started thinking about it.

We know this to be a truth: Don't track up jump run.

We know this to be a truth, also: At breakoff, turn 90 degrees and track away, slow down, look for objects in your way/above/ etc, wave off, pull.

I heard on the plane the other day, "and try not to track up the jump run."

Well, what if my 90 degrees (give or take a degree or two) happens to be, based on my position at break off, up jump run? Four members in my group, all tracking off at 90 degrees equals a full circle - someone (or two) is going to be relatively close to jump run, right? Two people will be tracking correctly away from jump run (the 12 and the 6 on the clock face, for instance) but the 3 and the 9 will be tracking close if not on jump run.

First thought? Keep my eyes open, but continue my 90 degree track away because the danger you see (your group on your jump) is greater than the danger you don't see (other jumpers on the same load, not in your group.)

Second thought? If I'm directly up the jump run, alter my trajectory by a few degrees. But then, that could put me at greater danger of someone in my group.

So I post here. There's probably a most basic of answers that I'm not thinking of because I'm tired.

I'd love to hear thoughts. I did a little search on Drop Zone, but nothing came through with that title in the first page, so I got lazy and typed this out. :)

Thanks!
_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

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When you break off from a group, you track far enough to safely open your parachute without smacking other people in your group, usually 4-10 seconds of tracking, depending on how large the group and how high the breakoff. The spacing between each group should provide enough room for you to track up, down, or sideways to the jumprun without encroaching on another group's airspace. That's why more time between larger groups.


The other type of tracking is solo or group tracking dives. This will be tracking for much longer than 10 seconds and cover much more distance. Instead of getting out 2 miles from the DZ to miss everyone, it's more practical to track off the jumprun line, therefore missing the protected airspace of the regular groups. This usually means tracking perpendicular to the jumprun line.

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I'm not infinitely experienced like others on here but part of the idea of giving seperation between groups is that you have enough space between groups to allow for everyone in the group to break from the center of the group and track away safely (regardless of jumprun direction)

of course that's in an ideal world... and I've been wrong before... :$
Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

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Quote

OK, this has been bugging me all night since I started thinking about it.

We know this to be a truth: Don't track up jump run.

We know this to be a truth, also: At breakoff, turn 90 degrees and track away, slow down, look for objects in your way/above/ etc, wave off, pull.

I heard on the plane the other day, "and try not to track up the jump run."

Well, what if my 90 degrees (give or take a degree or two) happens to be, based on my position at break off, up jump run? Four members in my group, all tracking off at 90 degrees equals a full circle - someone (or two) is going to be relatively close to jump run, right? Two people will be tracking correctly away from jump run (the 12 and the 6 on the clock face, for instance) but the 3 and the 9 will be tracking close if not on jump run.

First thought? Keep my eyes open, but continue my 90 degree track away because the danger you see (your group on your jump) is greater than the danger you don't see (other jumpers on the same load, not in your group.)

Second thought? If I'm directly up the jump run, alter my trajectory by a few degrees. But then, that could put me at greater danger of someone in my group.

So I post here. There's probably a most basic of answers that I'm not thinking of because I'm tired.

I'd love to hear thoughts. I did a little search on Drop Zone, but nothing came through with that title in the first page, so I got lazy and typed this out. :)

Thanks!



In (non tracking dive) group jumps, track away from the center.

www.iit.edu/~kallend/skydive/#resources and download the stuff on exit safety.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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also when I am making my turn to track from a formation I make a quick left right check to see where the other jumpers have turned, so to avoid an intersecting course with them
Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

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i think you typed wrong should be 180 turn and trac - when you brake off some of you may be tracking up or down line of flight - this is were you need a good sense of the size of your group and the size of the group in front and behind you - adjust the length and angle of your trac acording to these variables - for instance if i am in a 3 to 6 way without video and first out and end up tracking up line of flight i will shorten my trac a little as long as i can see the others are tracking ok - if i am in a large group i will stager my trac depending on what i see others in my group doing ( if i see my right and left tracking good i will try to split the difference between the vidiot and the next group - if i am tracking away from line of flight i will track my ass off to give those that did get stuck with line of flight the chance to short trac if needed - the importance is that you have a good coa with everyone in your group - don't get tunnel vision when you start tracking look between your legs over your head under you and in front of you during you track - small groups are easier because you can see everyone trac from your group - remember always keep your head on a swivle

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