going low

[kallend 2,106]

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I have a question regarding this topic . . .

If you are doing some relatively small RW (2-10 way) and you lose a jumper who dropped low on the formation, does everyone not go to the low man ?? I thought its easier for all the jumpers to recognize that one jumper is low and get to that person and build the formation again, since it is MUCH easier to drop than it is to rise. At least thats what I've learned about smaller fun jump RW .....

If you don't want to be low, don't go there. Solves the problem at a stroke.

...

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

[billvon 3,067]

>does everyone not go to the low man ?

Depends on the dive. On a 2-way? Of course. On a 4-way? Fastest person sets the fallrate, so it's not an issue. 8 way? Perhaps. Perhaps the best thing to do is key the point and build the NEXT point on the low guy.

16 way? Depends on the skill level. If it's a low skill level dive, it may be better to hold the formation rather than try to key it prematurely and risk a funnel. (Or key it when no second point was planned.)

Bigger than that? Every bigway has a go-low plan; sometimes it's stay with the formation and track away with them, sometimes it's try to get up for 10 seconds then start tracking. This MUST be discussed beforehand; on a jump run with other groups, for example, tracking away at 10,000 feet can be deadly.

[MotherGoose 0]

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>does everyone not go to the low man ?

Depends on the dive. On a 2-way? Of course. On a 4-way? Fastest person sets the fallrate, so it's not an issue. 8 way? Perhaps. Perhaps the best thing to do is key the point and build the NEXT point on the low guy.

16 way? Depends on the skill level. If it's a low skill level dive, it may be better to hold the formation rather than try to key it prematurely and risk a funnel. (Or key it when no second point was planned.)

Bigger than that? Every bigway has a go-low plan; sometimes it's stay with the formation and track away with them, sometimes it's try to get up for 10 seconds then start tracking. This MUST be discussed beforehand; on a jump run with other groups, for example, tracking away at 10,000 feet can be deadly.

Excellent advice and great info Bill, thank you.

You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

[pchapman 279]

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If you are doing some relatively small RW (2-10 way) and you lose a jumper who dropped low on the formation, does everyone not go to the low man ??

While it may be the ideal, I find going for the low man doesn't happen much if it is in the jumpers' self interest to not do so. If it's a bit of a zoo (the formation fallen apart), but everyone is generally in the same chunk of sky, the low man is someone logical to start rebuilding on. But if a fun jump one-point 8-way formation is almost complete, and one person goes a little low, the rest think 'tough luck' and contine on with at least getting a nice 7 way together. They'd rather fly what they've nearly got than try a tricky restart from scratch. Although if they're all paying attention, they would try to punch it out (arch more & fall faster) to help that little-bit-low guy get back up. Certainly they don't break the 7 way and go into a massive dive bombing attack on a guy who is a hundred feet below!

So it could be quite dangerous if the "rule" were drilled into a newbie's head without also emphasizing it's limits.

[bigdad510 1]

I agree. Low number jumpers like myself like getting formations together. Another PLAN (has to be discussed) is to key a signal where everyone breaks grips, stays together, the fall rates pick up, regrip and regroup. I know experienced skydivers don't so this, but it is an option and it does work. By the way:

Greetings from the desert all! Still glad I can access from my deploymet. 3 months to go!

Brad