Floater exit strategy

[labrys 0]

I’ve been taught this method for floaters leaving a side door aircraft and I’ve never given it a second thought until now:

Rear float just drops off the side and presents

Center float pushes out a body length and presents to give the rear float clean air

Front float pushes out 2 body lengths to give the center and rear clean air.

Is this standard practice? If it is, then wouldn’t it make more sense if the front / rear floaters reversed their roles?

My reasoning is that the front floater is already doing a more difficult job by virtue of taking most of the prop blast and probably having to look back at the center to see the count. The rear floater has a clear view of the count as is protected from the prop blast.

Seems to me it would be easier to have the rear float push out the farthest on “go” while the front just drop off the side as the center pushes out.

Owned by Remi #?

[jimmytavino 16]

where in the formation these floaters will dock....Front float kicks out, cause they are often on the center floats' left side,, in the formation.. Rear float simply gets clear of the 'base' and tracks back uphill to it, usually docking to the centers' right..If it is a linked exit the 3 floaters simply 'open up' to the props and try to leave '3 abreast'....everyone is then on the 'correct side' , relative to the center of the formation....right???
If you endorse having the rear float leave first and the front leave last.. then for sure The front foat will be in the way of all the divers and if timed poorly, any rear floater who is not a 'lightweight' could hose themselves if they go too soon....
It's tough to build an 8 way if one of the jumpers is 30 feet below it...
Of course, if it's just 3 jumpers,,,, ALL of whom are floating,, I suppose you could experiment with any variety of exits... try it... see what happens,,, but i wouldn't go changing what 'works',,,,,,, on the sunset big way

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[Malev 0]

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Center float pushes out a body length and presents to give the rear float clean air

Presenting on exit isn't really about "clean air". You have to remember that as you are leaving from a moving plane, the relative wind on exit is at a 45 degree angle and not perpendicular to the ground. The clean air (or rather "you were stealing my air") is mostly an excuse people use when they funneled an exit but want to blame someone else for their mistake!

Going on body lengths isn't the right way to think about exits. The aim is to present the whole formation onto the relative wind, so that you have everyone presented on that 45 degree angle. You want your tail (rear float) to be lower than the rest of the formation, and your point (front float) to be higher than the rest of the formation. The reason your centre float (normally Outside Centre) needs to be a body length out is to make space for the inside person (normally Inside Centre) to get out. You don't really want your point to be pushing out a lot - but you do want them to be making an effort to be high!

[kallend 1,623]

If all you have are floaters, your method would work.

Generally there are divers coming out too, and most often the floaters and first row divers are taking out a "chunk". How do you see your proposal working in that scenario?

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

[Remster 24]

I would think that, if a front float drops down on go, and the center floats go out, the front will take the air out of them and pile into them.

Remster

[davelepka 4]

Your front guys will steal the air from the rear floater. This kind of things happens to camera guys all the time, and this is why we have wings.

Another idea, screw the floaters, everyone dive out conga-line style, and do it that way (aka the fun way).

One more idea, get a life and start freeflying.

Part of that last idea is a joke.

[diablopilot 2]

Not taking into account where the floaters will be relative to the formation later in the skydive, I still think the front float needs to make the bigger push, and rear needs to drop off.

If you reverse it, then center and rear must each cross through front floats burble to get to clean air, vs. the front float taking the "clean" air and making the most of it.

Now where it really gets fun is when you become less conventional minded about it and float, oh.....say....7 to 9 people!

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[labrys 0]

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One more idea, get a life and start freeflying.

Part of that last idea is a joke.

I figured it was a joke...you know I never freefly

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to explain. I hadn't been looking at the big picture (as usual)

Owned by Remi #?

[billvon 2,394]

>Is this standard practice?

Generally, yes.

>If it is, then wouldn’t it make more sense if the front / rear floaters
>reversed their roles?

Nope.

For chunk exits, the floaters have to present in such a way that the divers just inside the door can present as well. And to launch well with your suggested presentation and keep the divers attached, the floaters would have to face OUTWARDS before launch, which is a difficult way to launch.

For bigway exits it doesn't really matter. Exits never work all that well because there is no key; everyone just goes. Which is generally fine for bigways.

[rehmwa 2]

When I'm up front, I think more UP than worry about about just how far 'out' I go. It seems to work ok.

get that hip and chest presentation out hard and stay flying

hard to tell if you are talking about non contact, or part of a piece chunk

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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

[MakeItHappen 15]

see
Optimize Floating
Originally published in Sport Parachutist's Safety Journal, V2, #1 Sept./Oct. 1989.
Floaters
Originally published in Sport Parachutist's Safety Journal V2, #5 Jan./Mar. 1991.
©Copyright 1989, 1991, 1996 by Jan Meyer. Republished with permission.
- reprinted in Parachutist 2/96

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

see
Optimize Floating
Originally published in Sport Parachutist's Safety Journal, V2, #1 Sept./Oct. 1989.

I like the part about "breaking wind" for the others. Our inside center does that frequently. Usually on the ride up. I had no idea how much of a sacrifice he was making. We should buy him a present.

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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