Talk to me about night jumps....

[hawkflight 0]

Would like as much as information as possible about night jumps.....thanks in advance for all replies........please explain them in great detail as if I were a two-year old.......Thanks Tattoo Tom

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"Any fool can learn for his own mistakes, a wise man learns from anothers." Mark Twain

[PhreeZone 15]

You sit around in a dark place for a bit to let your night vision get better. Plane takes off at sunet/after dark. Climbs to altitude with all inside lights off/only red lights on. Red lights do not effect your night vision, any other color does.You will have a Strobe light attached to you and usually a glow stick on your altimeter. At jump altitude its a normal skydive. Turn the strobe on under canopy. Do not collapse your slider under canopy. The flapping can be heard by others so they can avoid you. Most DZ's use car head lights to light the landing area. They park the cars so that they are facing into the wind. You fly over the cars and land in the area they have lit up.

Big thing to realize is that when you are coming in for landing you will probally see a big black canopy racing right at you, its your shadow and do not try to turn to avoid it. Lots of people have been hurt that way.

Its a more complex jump, but nothing too exteme.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[airtwardo 6]

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Its a more complex jump, but nothing too exteme.

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That about sums it up...!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Tonto 1]

Great descrip.

Above all else - beware the shadow..

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[airtwardo 6]

[Kramer 0]

How is your depth perception in terms of flaring at the right time? Pretty easy? I'm worried about thinking I'm at 50 feet, being at 1 foot, and crushing my knees.

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[homer 0]

I have only done my night jumps well after sun set and can only add to what has already been said. KNOW THE AREA YOUR JUMPING & ALTITUDE AWARENESS. At night all your usual reference points are no longer there. The DZ and surrounding area looks a lot different with only street and building lights. It is easy to get confused and not know where the DZ is even with vehicle lights lighting up the landing area for you. Other than that it is an experience that is hard to describe freefalling into blackness. It only gets better the more people you add.

CSA #699 Muff #3804

[MrJones 0]

Phreezone seemed to nail it. I have only done 6 night jumps. My home DZ makes your first a solo from 7k. It was very comforting knowing there was no other traffic in the air. After that it was full altitude...2 ways 3 ways whatever.

I have never had a problem with the shadow because the full moon was always in front on landing but I think it would be worth noticing where the moon is in regards to the landing pattern on your jump.

If you decide to attach glow sticks....Please attach them very well.............It is a scary thing for those watching on the ground (including the DZO) to see a Glow stick pound in and not know for sure if it was still attached to a jumper.

Oh yeah Have a blast!!!!!!!!!!

NUR ZUM SPASS

[airtwardo 6]

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If you decide to attach glow sticks....

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Speaking of which...

I always attach one to the main risers,
if you should have to chop it...

It helps in locating the main.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[murps2000 86]

Great description of everything that usually goes on during night jumps.

I feel I should add that occasionally, as in the case of my first night jump, the shadow actually turns out to be another canopy. In my case, it turned out that somebody who left before me pulled higher than their assigned altitude. I then had to steer away from the lit part of the landing area, as the other jumper was obviously unaware of my presence. I then realized that having car headlights illuminating the landing area makes every other bit of area around it that much darker. Luckily, I had my trusty Spectre190 at the time, so I put her into about 1/3 brakes and got ready. I knew roughly what altitude I was at, because I could still see the cars to use them as a reference, and I had practiced flaring from brakes with that canopy. In spite of the howling uppers, it was dead calm at the surface, so I started moving my legs, and slowly finishing my flare at what I thought was about ten feet. When I felt grass under my shoes, I abruptly finished my flare and stood it up. I think, also, a little luck was involved.

I did my second jump later that evening, and did things a little differently. I decided to avoid the headlights altogether (which was where the traffic would be) and set up so that when I'd land, I'd be able to see our windsock (which was illuminated). It was at the perfect height for when I'd need to flare that canopy from full flight, and it worked quite well. I also heard later that sometimes people use a glow stick on about fifteen feet of string that is stowed on there shoe for the skydive, but that they can dangle beneath them under canopy to see when it hit the ground.

Next time I do night jumps (intentionally, anyway), I'm going to put a small caving light on each of my shoes. I figure if landing lights are good enough for airplanes, they're good enough for me. Also, if I find a way to put two strings of x-mas lights in parrallel rows facing the wind direction, but away from those damned cars, I'll do that, too. I figure if runway lights are good enough for airplanes, they're good enough for me.

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Speaking of which...

I always attach one to the main risers,
if you should have to chop it...

It helps in locating the main.

I always put one on my PC. It is viewable from a lot of different angles, makes finding a cutaway a lot easier, and during deployment makes it easy to see if I have a PC in tow, etc.

I just cracked it, tied it to the base of the PC and packed the PC.

Derek

[Stacy 0]

All the safety things have been mentioned pretty much. Not sure what kind of plane you jump, but if you are new to night jumps, try to sit near the door. It's a lot harder to get references at night, since what you would look for in the day is obviously darkened. It takes a bit to acclimate yourself to the ground in darkness. I too did a hop n pop at about 7K for my first one for that reason. Things look different and outs (if needed) aren't always as obvious.

That said, night jumps are beautiful. I remember one particular jump at Cross Keys where you could see to one side the moon on the water, and on the other the Philly skyline. It was almost surreal.

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[airtwardo 6]

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I just cracked it, tied it to the base of the PC and packed the PC.

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I actually do that too...

had someone try to 'copy' my method,
and got the PC hung-up in the pocket...

I figured for a 'first timer' I would just mention
the riser instead.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[mjosparky 3]

Night jumps are a stunt and I get paid for those.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[jceman 1]

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How is your depth perception in terms of flaring at the right time? Pretty easy? I'm worried about thinking I'm at 50 feet, being at 1 foot, and crushing my knees.

That was the thing that had me worried before my night jumps, as my log book has several entries that read "Love sunset jumps, HATE sunset landings!".

I figured it woud be worse in the dark, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I had less trouble in the dark than in the twilight. I actually came up short of the lighted landing area on my first (solo) jump and ended up doing a tip-toe landing on the closed taxiway, but it really settled me down and when I went back up for the RW jump I was able to really enjoy it. Of course the fact that I nailed the second landing dead center didn't hurt.

Your mileage may vary.

Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money.

Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them?

[airtwardo 6]

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Night jumps are a stunt and I get paid for those.

Sparky

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Remind me next time I see ya...

I'll give you one of my~

"Make a Skydive~Get a Check" Hats!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Hooknswoop 19]

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I actually do that too...

had someone try to 'copy' my method,
and got the PC hung-up in the pocket...Unsure

I figured for a 'first timer' I would just mention
the riser instead. Wink

Oops

Good idea.

Derek

[MakeItHappen 15]

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Would like as much as information as possible about night jumps.....thanks in advance for all replies........please explain them in great detail as if I were a two-year old.......Thanks Tattoo Tom

My 4th Night Dive

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[happythoughts 0]

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Big thing to realize is that when you are coming in for landing you will probally see a big black canopy racing right at you, its your shadow and do not try to turn to avoid it. Lots of people have been hurt that way.

Worth re-mentioning.
Review everything that Phree mentioned and then pay close attention during your briefing.

[philly51 0]

Phreezone just about nailed it. One thing I would like to add is to wear sunglasses on the ride to altitude. This will protect your night vision when the inevitable stobe goes on in the plane. Be sure to take them off before exit.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, Shouting "...holy shit...what a ride!"

[PhreeZone 15]

Something that I totally forgot to mention but saw it mentioned else where is assigned pull altitudes. Before the jump most DZ's sperate jumpers based on their group size and wing loading and then put all the groups out first with the highest wing loadings going first and having the lowest assigned pull altitudes. Each group after that is assigned an altitude 500 feet higher as their pull altitude. If there are more then 5 groups usually there will be 2 passes. Once you are at your assigned altitude you pull. There is to be no spiraling down at all. This way the people with the highest wingloading are down and clear before the people flying the large/lightly loaded canopies are in the pattern. If you start spiraling you totally screw up the whole staggered approaches and greatly increase the risk of having multiple people suddenly showing up at the same level at the same time with the reduced visability of night around you.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[flyangel2 2]

I hate night jumps, they scare the shit out of me. I have stopped doing them. I didn't matter how many lights were in the landing area, I always had a bad landing. Since I had some night jumps under my belt, the newbies would ask me to go up with them for their two way. I would feel bad for them, and go. But I don't do it anymore, cause Night Jumps Scare the Shit out of me. Oh, sorry, already said that.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[PhreeZone 15]

Mary, If I'm ever around and someone asks... point them my way. I love doing them. I really want to start taking my Birdman suit out on them too.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[flyangel2 2]

You got it. I'll be the best ground support for you. I'll cheer you on and park my van in the right direction, but there is no way I'm doing another night jump.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[AMax 0]

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Mary, If I'm ever around and someone asks... point them my way. I love doing them.

Same here. I only have 8 under my belt and I absolutely loved every one of them

couple of things I would like to add:

1) Plan your day and advance - you will be jumping for few ours longer than usually. Make sure you are in good shape.
2) If you plan to make more than one, then get packed as soon as you land. Most likely there will be a lot of excitement after your first night dive. You will have plenty of time to share this excitement with the others after you are done jumping and grab a beer. You do not want to find yourself on a short call for a second jump when your main is still not packed.
(I did jump a trash pack job once, but this story should go to Ron’s “stupid things I have done” thread)
3) Get the chemlights in advance - some times they run out of them quickly at dz gear stores.

Have megafun.