PhreeZone 15 #26 December 20, 2004 One more MAJOR thing. There is to be no consumution of any alchohol at all prior to any of the jumps. Some people at some places think that just since the beer light is on they can drink a few sips of a beer or something waiting on the plane or what ever. If you can not wait to have your beer until the plane is completely tied down, all the jumpers accounted for and gear in the hanger... then you need to stay away from night jumps till you can do them clean and sober. I'm going to do a summery of this thread, could I get an S&TA or two out there that willing to review the finished product so that it can be checked for accuracy at your DZ? Let me know if I can PM you when I'm done with it.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #27 December 20, 2004 Another tidbit I'd like to add... Guys with a lot of night jumps often carry a loud whistle on a string around their neck... If you get hurt, and you're 'down' no one can see you, tooting away brings the cavalry pretty quick... A small cell phone is handy too. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cvfd1399 0 #28 December 20, 2004 One thing I notice is that when the beer light comes on the plane is tied down, but I still see people drink then go pack rigs. I know that some people will laugh and say well yea that is what a reserve is for. IMO if yor get unfocused and hurt you or anyone else that is not something to laugh at. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #29 December 20, 2004 I've never done a night jump, but I would assume that checking that your AAD is still on before boarding the plane is pretty important. "For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyhighkiy 0 #30 December 20, 2004 as far as the perspective thing goes, if you haven't done it yet, (assuming you're familiar with your DZ) set up general altitudes to make certain turns in your landing pattern, I almost got myself in a bit of trouble on one of my night jumps because I was trying to judge by my eyes rather than my alti.... BE THE BUDDHA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #31 December 20, 2004 QuoteOne more MAJOR thing. There is to be no consumution of any alchohol at all prior to any of the jumps. Some people at some places think that just since the beer light is on they can drink a few sips of a beer or something waiting on the plane or what ever. If you can not wait to have your beer until the plane is completely tied down, all the jumpers accounted for and gear in the hanger... then you need to stay away from night jumps till you can do them clean and sober. I'm going to do a summery of this thread, could I get an S&TA or two out there that willing to review the finished product so that it can be checked for accuracy at your DZ? Let me know if I can PM you when I'm done with it. Phree, One more thing to include in you summary. After each load, everyone on the load needs to check in with manifest as soon as you land. No more jumping until every jumper on the last load is accounted for. And the whitsle is a good idea along with a small light to check your canopy after opening. You will find me working ground crew with Mar. I did 2 night jumps in November, both demos and both paid well. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #32 December 20, 2004 QuoteI've never done a night jump, but I would assume that checking that your AAD is still on before boarding the plane is pretty important. Nick, good point. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crutch 0 #33 December 20, 2004 QuoteOne more MAJOR thing. There is to be no consumution of any alchohol at all prior to any of the jumps. Some people at some places think that just since the beer light is on they can drink a few sips of a beer or something waiting on the plane or what ever. If you can not wait to have your beer until the plane is completely tied down, all the jumpers accounted for and gear in the hanger... then you need to stay away from night jumps till you can do them clean and sober. Damn, that takes all of the fun out of it! Yes, in reality this is a very good idea. That is exactly why we only do night jumps on announced nights and not spur of the moment times. This way we can plan our drinking around our jumping. One thing to add to this, is it is usaully much colder at night and added clothing sometimes becomes a distraction that is not accounted for. Just another thing to think about. And yes, I also get paid (sometimes quite well) for about 1 in 4 night jumps I make!blue skies, art Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #34 December 20, 2004 Yea, I love the steep approach. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #35 December 20, 2004 Quote And the whitsle is a good idea along with a small light to check your canopy after opening. *** When we do night demos we all have Protec helmets, taping a small flat flashlight to the top..much like a miners helmet allows you to have decent illumination wherever you're looking. It's easy to check the canopy, and lets you see the ground at landing time. Strobe lights; I put mine on the harness where it connects to the container, facing down...that seems to keep flash effects on eyesight to a minimum. Some guys attach them to the back of their helmet. I think one of the greatest hazards is collision at night. The easiest way to make yourself seen is to have a light shining up at the canopy. What I do is put 3-4 rubber bands on the left rear riser. When the canopy is open I slip a 2AA mini mag-lite into the bands pointing up... you can see the canopy for quite some distance. The 2nd greatest hazard (imo) is at landing. The landing area can become congested with people who's adrenalin is really pumping. Awareness needs to be the highest priority. There should also be a light of some kind on / in the windsock... and landing patters and direction briefed in detail. To light my altimeter I use a small 1 in. glow stick. I tape it to the face at the 10 o'clock position with black electrical tape. This keeps the face well illuminated and covers the part of the stick that may be a distraction. I set my audible for 2000' as an 'Oh Shit' last ditch reminder. In the case of a snivel that takes longer to clear than realized. Or if still in free fall...straight to #2. I have over 150 night demos and probably half again that in night 'fun' jumps. A night jump is NOT an ordinary skydive... You need to prepare both yourself and your equipment well before hand. They're always fun...just don't do nothin' stupid! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hottamaly 1 #36 December 21, 2004 It's also a good idea to bring a whistle with you so you can get the attention of others if you need to do so while under canopy. Skydiving gave me a reason to live I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #37 December 21, 2004 QuoteQuote And the whitsle is a good idea along with a small light to check your canopy after opening. *** When we do night demos we all have Protec helmets, taping a small flat flashlight to the top..much like a miners helmet allows you to have decent illumination wherever you're looking. It's easy to check the canopy, and lets you see the ground at landing time. Strobe lights; I put mine on the harness where it connects to the container, facing down...that seems to keep flash effects on eyesight to a minimum. Some guys attach them to the back of their helmet. I think one of the greatest hazards is collision at night. The easiest way to make yourself seen is to have a light shining up at the canopy. What I do is put 3-4 rubber bands on the left rear riser. When the canopy is open I slip a 2AA mini mag-lite into the bands pointing up... you can see the canopy for quite some distance. The 2nd greatest hazard (imo) is at landing. The landing area can become congested with people who's adrenalin is really pumping. Awareness needs to be the highest priority. There should also be a light of some kind on / in the windsock... and landing patters and direction briefed in detail. To light my altimeter I use a small 1 in. glow stick. I tape it to the face at the 10 o'clock position with black electrical tape. This keeps the face well illuminated and covers the part of the stick that may be a distraction. I set my audible for 2000' as an 'Oh Shit' last ditch reminder. In the case of a snivel that takes longer to clear than realized. Or if still in free fall...straight to #2. I have over 150 night demos and probably half again that in night 'fun' jumps. A night jump is NOT an ordinary skydive... You need to prepare both yourself and your equipment well before hand. They're always fun...just don't do nothin' stupid! Damn, he's long winded. But he has posted some very good information that he has used over the years on demos and can for sure be used on fun night jumps. And this bears repeating.......just don't do nothin' stupid! SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #38 December 21, 2004 I don't post much in this forum, probably because I hardly ever skydive. But I do have a few (probably in excess of 500) night jumps, most of them into not so well lit landing areas. Something I haven't seen mentioned in this thread. If you aren't landing in a well lit area (i.e. in this context, you're landing out): Focus your attention on your peripheral vision. You can tell where the ground is, and hence when to flare, much more easily by the change in shades of grey to the side than by the big patch of black in front of you. If you happen to be landing beside a structure of some kind (no idea what kind that would be) you can easily determine ground level by being aware of the color change from the ground to the structure. I've used this trick to make stand up landings on moonless nights with zero ground light.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #39 December 21, 2004 QuoteIf you happen to be landing beside a structure of some kind But why would you be landing next to a structure? SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gordy 0 #40 December 21, 2004 PhreeZone's post throughout this thread give an excellent description of what goes on in a nightjump, they are really good fun, but really cold (especially in Scotland!) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madeyebiohazard 0 #41 December 21, 2004 I made my first one at rantoul this year every one said I was insane ( every idiot skydiver in the world being in the air at night) The one thing I would offer is that if you are uncomfortable with or unfamilar with the area or other jumpers position youself as the last jumper on a paticular pass. and ensure everyone has a staggered openning altitude yours being the highest. this will give you an oppurtunity to identify the other jumpers below you and watch them set up and land. learn from them. H-minusYou must be fast cause you were flying when I past you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #42 December 21, 2004 QuoteDamn, he's long winded. *** Actually...it's an excuse! I'm hiding out in my office all week! YOU would too... 3 teenages off school for the next 3 weeks.... And Mom's in Scotland today...! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #43 December 21, 2004 QuoteQuoteDamn, he's long winded. *** Actually...it's an excuse! I'm hiding out in my office all week! YOU would too... 3 teenages off school for the next 3 weeks.... And Mom's in Scotland today...! Na na na na! Retired and no kids. When do I get my hat? SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foggy 0 #44 December 22, 2004 QuoteI've never done a night jump, but I would assume that checking that your AAD is still on before boarding the plane is pretty important. To be more specific in the case of Cypres. Remember when you turned it on? it is going to shut off 14 hours later. Just in case you were up bright and early for the first load at say 7am then the night load taking off at 9.01pm. So better just to turn it off and cycle through the power up procedure. As for the whistle. proved to be useful for a friend of mine. Cell phone would be nice. One person on the ground appointed to check in the load and one person in each group appointed to account for their group (buddy-buddy system). Lay your gear down then check-in before packing. Be nice to appoint a "load master" in the aircraft to assist the less experienced with their exit timing. All breakoff and opening altitudes upped by a minimum of 500ft. Be confident in your current canopy and suggest at least a couple of jumps at that location that day on that canopy. Sounds like a no-brainer to say no downsize but would not recommend upsizing either unless you have landed it the same day. Be aware that the oxygen density changes for night flying. Have no specifics but hypoxia can be a greater risk above 10,000msl than in daylight. Maybe an aviation specialist can be more specific. Foggy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #45 December 22, 2004 >>I've never done a night jump, but I would assume that checking that your AAD is still on before boarding the plane is pretty important.<< Never mind all the important stuff, but for experienced people, can anyone tell me why there isn't a DZ that only operates at night . . . I can think of many more important things I can do during the day besides skydiving. I'd love to visit a DZ where the buck off load is the sunset load, and not the sunrise load. Night World? NickD BASE 194 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #46 December 22, 2004 There kinda is/was one that did a little like your wish. Tri-state skydivers used to run night loads every Wednesday night I think year round if there was people there. I never met people with as many night jumps in a year as some of that crew had.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Designer 0 #47 December 22, 2004 Tom,night jumps are just about the coolest jumps you will ever make skydiving.I love them.Have 9-10-11(not sure exact # without logbook search.)The first night jump is usually made between 5000-3500"Solo".Solo is important as not to get overloaded by the new experience.A novice flying in (freefall and under canopy)at night can be really dangerous to other jumpers.Go through the briefing.Have fun,Land safe!Later,rabbit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #48 December 22, 2004 Phree, How is the article coming? SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #49 December 23, 2004 Still working on a few things in it. Lots more info to add based on every ones suggestions Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
