1st Night Jump!

[UpstateBonehead 0]

1st Night Jump complete! What a blast! A little more intense then daylight jumps but didn't have any real issues. Checked the Heading and Spot when I got to the door (last one out after a 5 sec delay to give the other first timer in front of me some additional clearance), did a nice poised exit at 10,000, confirmed the general direction to the DZ during free fall ("down the elevator shaft" with no tracking) pulled at 5,000 ft, didn't rush to get down, turned in on final almost directly above the target (winds 10-12), landed in the lighted area (but a x-wind gust blew up and drifted my canopy a bit sideways about a 1/2 a second before my feet hit the ground so I had a slight right stumble to my knees). I pack slow so the veterans did another load and I watched them come down, realized the winds were picking up again and made the right decision to leave well enough alone and call it a night. It was a blast and can't wait to do it again!!!

"I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived." Willa Cather

[jclalor 12]

I thought mine was more intense than my first AFF jump.

[UpstateBonehead 0]

jclalor

I thought mine was more intense than my first AFF jump.

That seems to be the consensus here.... But it honestly was one of the easier "required" jumps I've done. My Hop 'n Pops (5,500 and 3,500) were far more intense then this one; possibly because my HnPs were the first and second times I jumped a Rig that I packed.

It probably helped that it was a small load (we jump from a C-182) with people I've known for years; 2 very experienced jumpers who helped the other 2 of us (both 1st timers) with helpful advice on the ground and in the plane. They also made absolutely sure we could see the DZ before we started the jump run and pointed out the places/objects that were particularly well lighted on the ground (in case we got disoriented during free fall).

I also found that not having any perception of ground rush was surprising calming. I just counted to 5 after the penultimate jumper left, climbed out on the step, relaxed, hopped and arched. Looked around for a bit, paid attention to altitude and pulled. Never really had the sensation of not knowing where I was in relation to the DZ or the ground. After that it was just paying attention to the other canopies and setting up a good pattern.

And now that I think about it, no one at the DZ really made a huge deal out of it. They said in so many words "Do what you've been doing, find the DZ, pull where you're supposed to, don't do anything stupid under canopy, pay attention and you'll be fine. The ground comes up fast and your depth perception may be a little different. Oh, and don't forget to have fun!!!"

It was really a great experience that I can't wait to repeat.

"I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived." Willa Cather

[JohnMitchell 14]

UpstateBonehead

1st Night Jump complete! What a blast!

I remember my first NJ, like it was yesterday. 4 way out of a Cessna from 7500. Intense.

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(but a x-wind gust blew up and drifted my canopy a bit sideways about a 1/2 a second before my feet hit the ground so I had a slight right stumble to my knees).

A tip for landing in winds? I see a lot of people do just what you describe. Maybe a cross wind, maybe slightly off the wind line, or maybe just an asymmetric flare.

Regardless, fly the canopy ALL the way thru the flare, and all the way to the ground. If you're pushing to the left, steer a little to the right. If you're pushing to the right, steer a little to the left, even if you're right in the middle of flaring. It's just like driving your car down the highway. I call it "killing the drift". Just use differential steering to keep the ground underneath you from sliding back and forth.

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It was a blast and can't wait to do it again!!!

Sounds like your DZ did a good job keeping it safe. Have a great time on the next one. Ready to do a 2 way for some night RW?

[UpstateBonehead 0]

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A tip for landing in winds? I see a lot of people do just what you describe. Maybe a cross wind, maybe slightly off the wind line, or maybe just an asymmetric flare.

Regardless, fly the canopy ALL the way thru the flare, and all the way to the ground. If you're pushing to the left, steer a little to the right. If you're pushing to the right, steer a little to the left, even if you're right in the middle of flaring. It's just like driving your car down the highway. I call it "killing the drift". Just use differential steering to keep the ground underneath you from sliding back and forth.

Thanks for the pointer! Much appreciated. "Fly the canopy until you're done moving and not just til your feet hit the ground." One of my Instructors

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Sounds like your DZ did a good job keeping it safe.

They truly did; everyone from the DZO down the CoC to the other jumpers on the load!

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Have a great time on the next one. Ready to do a 2 way for some night RW?

Next year after getting a bit more (hell, a lot more!) experience! I'm nuts, but not homocidal or suicidal!!

"I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived." Willa Cather

[JohnMitchell 14]

UpstateBonehead

Next year after getting a bit more (hell, a lot more!) experience! I'm nuts, but not homocidal or suicidal!!

Your first night RW jump should be like your first night jump, very conservative and very well planned. Just pulling a 2-way out of the plane, tracking early and pulling high will suffice for the B-license requirements (or is it C-license now?). That's how my wife did her 2nd night jump, although she made her partner turn a bunch of two way points. ("Why not?" was her response. . . )

If you go with a fairly experienced jumper, the risk should be little greater than any risk on your solo night jump. Don't let it scare you off.

[jumpsalot-2 2]

I thought the 2 night jumps were only require to receive a D license. Don't you need a B license to do a night jump ?

Life is short ... jump often.

[JohnMitchell 14]

jumpsalot-2

I thought the 2 night jumps were only require to receive a D license. Don't you need a B license to do a night jump ?

I sure you're correct. It's changed a lot since I got my licenses (1 night jump and 100 jumps for the C, I think, and a real water jump and 200 jumps for the D). Although I'm still an instructor, I'm not an S&TA anymore, so I don't do any license sign offs these days.

[jumpsalot-2 2]

Real Water Jumps. That is something all jumpers should do. I do have one. Unplanned. I learned a lot swimming and dragging my cut away canopy to shore ......... just grab the tail and swim ......

Life is short ... jump often.

[JohnMitchell 14]

jumpsalot-2

Real Water Jumps. That is something all jumpers should do. I do have one. Unplanned. I learned a lot swimming and dragging my cut away canopy to shore ......... just grab the tail and swim ......

Nice job! I've done two, one preplanned and the other, well, not so preplanned.

[riggerrob 558]

JohnMitchell

***Real Water Jumps. That is something all jumpers should do. I do have one. Unplanned. I learned a lot swimming and dragging my cut away canopy to shore ......... just grab the tail and swim ......

Nice job! I've done two, one preplanned and the other, well, not so preplanned.
...........................................................................

Like John, I have only done two water jumps. The first jump was well-planed ...... near a friend's lake-side cottage. The evening ended with a BBQ.
My second water-jump was not so well-planed ..... lost my jump-suit ...... missed the beach .... landed in a quarry .... near a clothing-optional beach .... most embarrassing!
Hah!
Hah!

[riggerrob 558]

The OP provided a good example of best-practices for night-jumps: familiar DZ, familiar airplane, familiar parachute, solo hop-and-pop, medium altitude, senior jumpers coaching junior jumpers, simple dive-plan, etc.

The only hint not mentioned were cell-phones and whistles in chest pockets.

[Bob_Church 7]

jumpsalot-2

Real Water Jumps. That is something all jumpers should do. I do have one. Unplanned. I learned a lot swimming and dragging my cut away canopy to shore ......... just grab the tail and swim ......

I got seriously lucky on my first water jump. I got invited to do a demo for the Sternwheel Regatta in Charleston Wv. Instead of paying out money for repacks and stuff I got the jump free, the cleaning and repack free (my rigger was the one who invited me), a free t-shirt and $25 for the jump. And of course we got fed. And talk about safety, when I bobbed back up out of the water I saw the local Coast Guard crew zooming in on me in their boat.

[Bob_Church 7]

I've only got three or four actual night jumps but my log books show several "dark jumps."
Those are the ones where you haven't got lights or anything but people screwed around so long that it was dark when we finally got to altitude.

[JohnMitchell 14]

My unplanned water jump was a demo into Commencement Bay in Tacoma, WA on the 4th of July. The winds were high and the spotter put us out, instead of upwind, abeam the anchored barge we were supposed to land on. He was on a highly loaded 9 cell and barely made the barge. The other 7 of us were in the water. Nothing like going swimming in cold salt water wearing all your gear, a jumpsuit, and a smoke bracket on your foot.

Luckily the winds were so high that when I hit my canopy remained inflated and was dragging me along. I never did have to inflate my LPU. I flipped over to see where I was going and darn if I wasn't dragging towards a nice looking boat with a great looking woman in a bikini, holding a drink.

I was thinking I was going to have an amazing James Bond kind of experience when suddenly the Sheriff's boat ran up, over my lines, and "rescued" me just yards from her boat. The whole time I'm yelling "NO, go get the others. They're farther out!"

My wife, Vskydiver, was watching from the shore and laughing her cute @$$ off the whole time. . .

The only good thing? I had wisely left my altimeter back at the DZ.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Bob_Church

I've only got three or four actual night jumps but my log books show several "dark jumps."

Come to think of it, I've done several night demos, but going into a football field or lit-up state fair doesn't feel very "dark", does it?

The state fair demos we used to do at night were so cool. We had pyro flares we lowered down and lit under canopy, so we trailed white sparks across the sky. The visuals of all the rides on the midway, lit up and running, were amazing. Wish I had had video.