King Air exits

[jumper03 0]

Another question from a hope to be 4-way team.

Our DZ has a king air. Comp. uses an otter or tailgate. We've spoken to the DZO about getting an otter every once and a while and as a team we've discussed travelling to another dz that has an otter for training.

However, thats not always practical. What's the best way to use what we've got to the max? i.e. that little ass door on the king air....

Thanks,
Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[JumpRu 14]

we took out F (open accordion) out of KA, 3 out 1 in. Inside center takes point and outside center. Good luck!

[jverley 0]

When we had a situation that required extended training out of a King Air, our coach advised us to just pick a single bullet proof exit that we could launch and transition from easily. We chose a Satellite.

The thought process is that you are training your freefall skills and your sub-terminal transitions. No need to waste effort learning a lot of exits you will never use. Practice exits when you get the opportunity to jump the competition aircraft.

John
Arizona Hiking Trails

[AMax 0]

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However, thats not always practical.
Jump

Depends on how serious you want to be. Traveling is not practical, but training out of the plane that is not used for competition is even less practical. This is true for all levels from Intermediate to open. Lets say, if you want to be competitive in Intermediate class, your team needs to master a lot of different exits. For example, this year was our first year together and we took 26 different intact exits (we used E for blocks 1, 15 and 21, P for blocks 7 and 13 and D for block 9). In close competition only one bad exit can cost you a lot. Consider this when you make a decision

[bodypilot1 0]

I concur with what jverley said, about taking out a bulletproof exit then transitioning, but also be ready to travel to a DZ and practice that uses the type of aircraft you'll be competing out of.


Good luck
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[Ron 7]

For an intermediate team....Learn two exits and make them bullet proof.

Meeker and Sidebody.

From those two exits all of the points are fairly close.

There is benefit in learning exits from a plane you will never use. Both a KA and an otter both have left side doors. Yes, they are smaller. But think about how easy an otter will be if you can launch an exit from a tiny KA door?

But in most cases just have those two exits and you will do well.....

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[jumper03 0]

And for a rookie team? All of us have under 500 jumps but by the time season starts next year, with the training we have planned, two of us will be over that and the other two close to 500 as well.

Thanks for all the tips.

Jump

Scars remind us that the past is real

[Ron 7]

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And for a rookie team?

I'd do the same. Even this year as an open team we had a few exits that we didn't launch the point. We launched a sidebody for block 7, and a meker for Bipole/Bipole.

If you get the exit launched well and transition, you will score better than a team that has shakey launches of the first point. And think about it this way...how many practice jumps are you gonna do 100?

Well there are 16 randoms..so thats 6 launches for each exit.

OR you can launch two exits 50 times each.

Which do you think will be more solid?

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[AMax 0]

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and a meker for Bipole/Bipole.

Did you really? My team can give you some free coaching how to take it intact

j/k

When Doc Sherry put us in a door with a tail head jamming in the middle, point inside the plane and the centers facing out and resting their legs on points shoulders I could not believe it will ever work. We took it out 4 or 5 times and it always flew.

[GQ_jumper 4]

and a meker for Bipole/Bipole.

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How easy did you find it to transition to the 14 from the E?

I've seen some teams launch the top of a 17 and transition to the 14 from there as well.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

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[nitrox100 0]

Agreed but for a King Air I'd recommend adding a Satellite to your bulletproof exit list. It transitions decently to quite a few things and it very easy out of a KA. Doug Park talked us into doing Satellites from a King Air back in his FX days.

Having said that, I met a team that could launch nearly anything from a KA including a Comp Accordian. They were fun to watch. That wind is a bitch for the front float.

[Ron 7]

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Did you really? My team can give you some free coaching how to take it intact

No, but I had to come up with something.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Ron 7]

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How easy did you find it to transition to the 14 from the E?

Easy. And the "E" sails better than the 17 launch.

The 17 is quicker...But if you are only gonna do only a few jumps I think you would be better served practicing an exit that work for several exits....You will not do 17 except for Bipole where Meker works towards several other points.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[GQ_jumper 4]

But if you are only gonna do only a few jumps I think you would be better served practicing an exit that work for several exits

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hadn't though about it that way thanks bro

What other points do you usually use the E to transition to?

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

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[Ron 7]

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What other points do you usually use the E to transition to?

We don't, but any round formation..

Blocks : 1, 7, 14, 15 I have seen some teams use.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[AMax 0]

You can also modify E to make some transitions quicker. For example, for block 1 we have IC take high left hand grip on OC's right arm (instead of left arm) - this way the centers are already in star picture and all IC needs to do is to drop a right hand grip on Pt's leg and take OC's left hand to build the top of the block.

[rehmwa 2]

We trained a King Air our first season (AAA). For fun, we took that season and agreed to work out launches for about everything. Some accommodating occurred on some formations (a catacord we'd have three out and the OC was in a mirrored picture at the point slot, etc.) Side flake opal was interesting. We launched a few that absolutely blew away the traveling coaches during meets. They were amazed - it goes to show what a team can accomplish when they aren't told something "can't" be done.

But the rules still apply - timing - presenting the formation - presenting the individual.

I think any formation can be launched from any door. It just depends on how creative you want to get and how hard you want to practice to get it competition worthy.

That said, try a bunch and have fun. But for practice and competition it's best to have just a couple (or a few) that you are confident.

...
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

[jumper03 0]

Thanks for the tips. We figured out two exits this weekend by forming the formation on the ground then backing ourselves into the mock up. We lauched the sidebody exit all day sunday and it flew a lot better than we thought it would. Twice it came out solid. We also worked out the satellite launch but didn't do that one yet. We got all winter to train.

Besides, we still need to get used to each other. So we did the exit then round to donut, round to donut just to get used to flying relative.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[GQ_jumper 4]

well, mile hi is probably sending its otter to eloy for the winter so its lookin like il be workin out of a king air as well. or i can just save the money to jumpin and put it towards the new tunnel out here

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower