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fmmobley

Going low on formation - stay or track away?

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I'm already off into monty python with the previous nothing implied or even conceptualized.

I didn't see anyone advocating leaving early. I was, however, advocating having a plan being the main thing - whatever the plan is. (my personal plan would be stick around, little or big-ways).

But I just (stealthily) looking for discussion on what people do in very big ways when the organizer puts out something that individuals may conflict in opinions on.

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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

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I just want to quote upon my personal foul ups with respect to these issues, 1st jump from a C208 at 12,000 ft, the second a C206 from 9000 ft.

Jump 1: 2 way, funneled, seperated and tracked away, fell to 4,500(ft) waved off turned away, tracked, waved off, opened (3500ft)

Jump 2: 2 way, funneled, seperated, turned so we looked at each other side on , fell to 4,500(ft) waved off turned away, tracked, waved off, opened (3500)

What we learnt from the first jump (We are both quite new to the RW area of the sport, but you don't need to begin on the jump with a pro first story!) is we had failed to communicate what we would do with a funnel siuation. When I released and waved, my partner assumed it was "wave off this isn't going to work" and she tracked away from me. This wasn't my intention but as we were too far to get back together, I turned and observed her until reaching our agreed seperation height, at this point I turned began tracking and checked the direction of her track, this was 180 degrees from me so fine, 5 seconds later, waved off and opened.

On the second jump we agreed that if we funneled then we would seperate and whoever was lower stayed and whoever was higher droppped. We funneled again big time but our height difference was too great by the time we were both stable and had found each other, we both turned so we were looking sideways at each other and continued our fall to 4500 ft, then waved, turned, tracked, waved opened.

My questions are; :S
1) Did we do the correct and therfore safe thing in both jumps ?
2) If this was an RW jump with a larger group would the same principle work safely?

Thanks in advance for comments.

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My questions are; :S
1) Did we do the correct and therfore safe thing in both jumps ?
2) If this was an RW jump with a larger group would the same principle work safely?



1 - First jump - YOU made sure you knew where the other person was. The other person left early and didn't know where you were- likely. SInce you are both knew enough that you couldn't do a 2-way she could have tracked in a great big circle and not even known. So 2 things - a) Know where everyone else is - you did it, she didn't. b) have a plan - didn't happen. You did good though considering.

2 - Second jump. a) you both kept acount of each other b) you had a plan {{{c you kept it to a 2 way at your skill levels - BONUS}}} Although, if you each see each other, keep trying to get together until breakoff, just stopping and eyeballing each other is a wasted of useful flying time - "trying to fly and eyeballing each other" is more productive. Just avoid getting directly over/under the other during that time

You're doing fine. Stay smart (like you are currently)

...
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

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On the contrary, if you take the time to check what the jump run is with the staff while you're on the ground, you will be able to line up perpendicular to jump run. This is of course dependent on the fact that you know which directions your runway points to.



Which assumes that the staff on the ground knows, and that the winds don't shift or ATC request the pilot to change jump run on account of traffic conflicts, or ...

I still see no reason to have different rules for a 2 way than for an 8 way or a 20 way, where jump run direction is irrelevant to track off.
...

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

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when you say you all track at the same altitude I assume you mean the planned break-off? So on your loads the low man will always be tracking before the rest of the group? I am reading alot of people saying not to track until the group begins to track and then the low man pulls super low. why?
canopy collisions are bad

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Unless you are super low you shouldn't be more than a second off from the rest of your group. You still end up breaking off right around the same time.

If you get so low that you have seconds between you and your group then maybe you need to consider doing much easier skydives, or ditching the speed suit!!!
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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