Night Cross Country?

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Is that as insane as it sounds? Does anyone do them? Vance Brand has a fair bit of air traffic and I definitely wouldn't want to do one here, but I'd really like to enjoy the view from 12,000 for longer than I can while spotting or in freefall.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[yoink 321]

It's not the brightest idea I can think of, certainly.

I don't think I've ever heard of any dz doing them...

The biggest question in my mind would be 'why would you want tot put yourself in a position to land out, at night.?'

Night jumps are definitely a riskier type of jump. Increasing the risk by combining it with cross country seems like a bad idea to me. Particularly as the reason for doing cross country - the view of a different landscape passing you by isn't there is you did it at night.


All that said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of the old-time guys have some stories of having done it way back when...

[JohnMitchell 16]

Right terrain, maybe a full moon, I think it would be a blast. Make sure your light is visible while you're under canopy. Talk to the pilot about what he should tell air traffic control. Double check your winds aloft and take a cell phone.

[gowlerk 2,200]

About as sensible as night CRW. And that's been done many times.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[councilman24 37]

Doesn't have to be a cross country to enjoy the view. Just open high. Planned ahead with pilot and DZ of course.

We did a few night cross country's. Where I'm at there are enough roads, towns and fields that spotting and landing out if necessary isn't a big deal. We were usually flying down one of the state two lane high ways.

But one of the prettiest jumps I ever made was a night jump where I just opened high over the DZ. There was a low ground fog and a bright moon. The moonlight made the fog glow with the tops of the hills and trees poking through. Looked like something out of a fairy tale and I expected a dragon to fly by any minute.

A few of the night jumps had hauling winds aloft but okay on the ground. Some became cross country's because that's were the spot was. We were talking about one last night. I went up to spot for two low time women doing their first night jump. When we got up there I could tell the winds were howling at altitude from the progress of the plane, or lack of it. Took the spot about a mile out for a freefall solo. I sent the two women out and closed the 182 door to go around for a second pass. The pilot (DZO) asked me "Are they going to make it?" I said "They could" And they did. Fell through the wind and opened over the DZ.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[ShotterMG 0]

Sounds like an awesome idea. If its a clear night and a full moon its no more risky than a day jump. Use a strobe light under canopy and you're good.

[medic0079 0]

make sure you pack well a malfunction pretty much means your loosing your main.

[ufk22 33]

ShotterMG

Sounds like an awesome idea. If its a clear night and a full moon its no more risky than a day jump. Use a strobe light under canopy and you're good.

NOT.....
Two things;
Will you recognize landmarks well enough in the dark to know you're heading back?
If you don't make it back, are you able to land in the dark safely? Spotting obstacles, judging altitude, just seeing changes in terrain (uphill/downhill)?
It's certainly been done, but is it smart???

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[BIGUN 1,317]

Done Many.

Full Moon Only

Plan your routes that day according to the 3 or 4 different directions of prevailing winds for night.

Plan your outs for each route.

Each skydiver to have their own set of chem lights (One color per person).

Take a fully charged cell phone and the student walkie talkies.

I use LifeTracker app

Make sure you have a ground crew well-versed in the area, so if someone has to bail they can recover the skydiver and then walkie talkie to everyone else as "safe"

If someone takes an out... do not deviate from your dive plan - let the ground crew handle it.

Do not use strobes... it will interfere with your nightvision

We take a single headband light and place it tight on our thighs... Raise that leg to check canopy during opening - you'd be surprised at how much the light bounces off that blossoming canopy.

In some cases, ATC will ask the plane to circle the group at the exit altitude until they arrive back at the DZ and let them know everyone is down and safe.

The first time is a lot of preparation work, but you'll be able to do them faster & better with each subsequent jump.

Always take a few minutes to debrief each jump before beer light.

Phreezone "Eric" wrote an article about night jumps in the safety section with several of us as contributors. Please read that. Feel free to respond to this thread or contact me via PM if you have more questions. Enjoy.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[jumpsalot-2 3]

BIGUN

Done Many.

Full Moon Only

Plan your routes that day according to the 3 or 4 different directions of prevailing winds for night.

Plan your outs for each route.

Each skydiver to have their own set of chem lights (One color per person).

Take a fully charged cell phone and the student walkie talkies.

I use LifeTracker app

Make sure you have a ground crew well-versed in the area, so if someone has to bail they can recover the skydiver and then walkie talkie to everyone else as "safe"

If someone takes an out... do not deviate from your dive plan - let the ground crew handle it.

Do not use strobes... it will interfere with your nightvision

We take a single headband light and place it tight on our thighs... Raise that leg to check canopy during opening - you'd be surprised at how much the light bounces off that blossoming canopy.

In some cases, ATC will ask the plane to circle the group at the exit altitude until they arrive back at the DZ and let them know everyone is down and safe.

The first time is a lot of preparation work, but you'll be able to do them faster & better with each subsequent jump.

Always take a few minutes to debrief each jump before beer light.

Phreezone "Eric" wrote an article about night jumps in the safety section with several of us as contributors. Please read that. Feel free to respond to this thread or contact me via PM if you have more questions. Enjoy.

Strobes are required equipment.

Life is short ... jump often.

[chuckakers 425]

JohnMitchell

Right terrain, maybe a full moon, I think it would be a blast.

+1 - sounds like a hoot if the logistics are solid.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[propblast 0]

jumpsalot-2

***Done Many.

Full Moon Only

Plan your routes that day according to the 3 or 4 different directions of prevailing winds for night.

Plan your outs for each route.

Each skydiver to have their own set of chem lights (One color per person).

Take a fully charged cell phone and the student walkie talkies.

I use LifeTracker app

Make sure you have a ground crew well-versed in the area, so if someone has to bail they can recover the skydiver and then walkie talkie to everyone else as "safe"

If someone takes an out... do not deviate from your dive plan - let the ground crew handle it.

Do not use strobes... it will interfere with your nightvision

We take a single headband light and place it tight on our thighs... Raise that leg to check canopy during opening - you'd be surprised at how much the light bounces off that blossoming canopy.

In some cases, ATC will ask the plane to circle the group at the exit altitude until they arrive back at the DZ and let them know everyone is down and safe.

The first time is a lot of preparation work, but you'll be able to do them faster & better with each subsequent jump.

Always take a few minutes to debrief each jump before beer light.

Phreezone "Eric" wrote an article about night jumps in the safety section with several of us as contributors. Please read that. Feel free to respond to this thread or contact me via PM if you have more questions. Enjoy.

Strobes are required equipment.
Absolutely correct. And when rigged correctly will not blind you.

Propblast

[bill6870 3]

Actually the requirement is for a light that is visible for 3 miles but there is nothing that says it has to be a strobe. I agree though that if the strobe is rigged correctly that it won't blind you.

Blue Skies

[JohnMitchell 16]

I wonder if it needs to visible for 5 miles above 10,000 feet.

[bill6870 3]

That's a great question. The FAR only mentions 3 miles but it is only required once you are under a good canopy. Maybe they just didn't think that anyone would be open above 10,000 ft.

Sec. 105.19 Parachute operations between sunset and sunrise
(a) No person may conduct a parachute operation, and no pilot in command of an aircraft may allow a person to conduct a parachute operation from an aircraft between sunset and sunrise, unless the person or object descending from the aircraft displays a light that is visible for at least 3 statute miles.

(b) The light required by paragraph (a) of this section must be displayed from the time that the person or object is under a properly functioning open parachute until that person or object reaches the surface.

Blue Skies

[propblast 0]

The key word is visible.

Propblast

[bill6870 3]

You are correct sir.

Blue Skies

[jumpsalot-2 3]

propblast

The key word is visible.

Ah, but ........... the ability of another aircraft to differentiate if a distant light is somewhere in the sky or in the distance on the ground may be the fact that it is blinking. The pilot might think, that light is blinking, maybe I should pay attention to it.

Life is short ... jump often.

[tikl68 6]

Growing up on a dz as a kid in the 70's (dad was a jumper/instr) they did them. One that was memorable was I think in 77' or 78' at Perris. They had lit a giant bonfire (bigger than normal) in the landing area as a beacon, and I THINK they were 5 miles out. Well unfortunately some bikers on the other side of town were also having a raging bonfire, and yep thats where my dad and his buddies landed. The bikers thought it was the coolest thing. Just imagine sitting out in the sticks drinking and smoking and a bunch of people come out of no where, out of the darkness.


Biker # 1 "dude what was in that pipe?"
Biker # 2 "which one there was 3"

[propblast 0]

jumpsalot-2

***The key word is visible.

Ah, but ........... the ability of another aircraft to differentiate if a distant light is somewhere in the sky or in the distance on the ground may be the fact that it is blinking. The pilot might think, that light is blinking, maybe I should pay attention to it.
Bingo.

Propblast

[jumpsalot-2 3]

tikl68

Growing up on a dz as a kid in the 70's (dad was a jumper/instr) they did them. One that was memorable was I think in 77' or 78' at Perris. They had lit a giant bonfire (bigger than normal) in the landing area as a beacon, and I THINK they were 5 miles out. Well unfortunately some bikers on the other side of town were also having a raging bonfire, and yep thats where my dad and his buddies landed. The bikers thought it was the coolest thing. Just imagine sitting out in the sticks drinking and smoking and a bunch of people come out of no where, out of the darkness.


Biker # 1 "dude what was in that pipe?"
Biker # 2 "which one there was 3"

Voted BEST POST ..... by far.


Biker ....... Hey man, where did you come from ?


Jumpers ........ The sky.


(Thanks Jeb Corliss for your contribution with this quote)


Edited: To thank Jeb Corliss.

Life is short ... jump often.

[Bealio 0]

jumpsalot-2

Edited: To thank Jeb Corliss.

Who is Jeb Corliss?

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Bealio

***Edited: To thank Jeb Corliss.

Who is Jeb Corliss?

He's just this guy, you know?

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Zlew 0]

One of the most fun, exciting...and slightly dumb jumps of my life was a night, no moon, cross country out in the middle of nowhere. As we climbed to altitude and looked over the cotton fields (no lights...no ground reference...not black...just nothingness) I remember thinking- what the fuck am I doing? I have nothing to prove...and this shit is dumb!

We got out about 9 miles away (from 9k). We could see 2 big cities, one about 10 miles away, and the other 40. But from where we got out to the airport...there was nothing but the beacon and runway lights on the horizon.

I knew that if I had a mal- my stuff was gone forever
I knew if I landed off, I had to just hope not to hit a fence/power line. *edit to add- also knew if i landed off it would be a half -3/4brakes from 100 feet and PLF landing.
The most sobering thing was knowing if I got hurt and landed off, it could be hours before anyone found me. We had radios...but still, was truly out in the middle of nowhere.

Seeing other canopies was pretty impossible, even with strobes.

It was fun! Risky, but fun. Made it back without much altitude to spare.