Rstanley0312 1 #1 June 1, 2012 So I have been sitting on a passed D test etc. but I still have never done a group night jump. It seems every time there is a full moon I have something I have to do instead. So here is my question.... with some night jumps under my belt would it be a big deal to do my group one when there is not a full moon? I know it has been done but what is everyone's opinion on doing it. This has been frustrating bc this is all I need to send in my D paperwork.Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it. Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000 www.fundraiseadventure.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #2 June 1, 2012 You can look at it as an advantage if there's not a full moon - if there's a less-than-full (or no) moon, there's less chance of the "moon shadow" effect that creates the "phantom jumper" that's tricked many people into believing there's another jumper near them on landing."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rstanley0312 1 #3 June 1, 2012 Quote You can look at it as an advantage if there's not a full moon - if there's a less-than-full (or no) moon, there's less chance of the "moon shadow" effect that creates the "phantom jumper" that's tricked many people into believing there's another jumper near them on landing. I know and have seen "him" for myself with the landing area being lit up and runway lights.... is there really a big advantage to having a full moon? Landing off I guess there would be but if I land in the lz is there?Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it. Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000 www.fundraiseadventure.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fastphil 0 #4 June 1, 2012 A first quarter moon is almost as much light as a full moon and it is up earlier in the evening. There is probably two weekends a month easily jumpable, but there is something special about the lunacy of a full moon... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rstanley0312 1 #5 June 1, 2012 QuoteA first quarter moon is almost as much light as a full moon and it is up earlier in the evening. There is probably two weekends a month easily jumpable, but there is something special about the lunacy of a full moon... Thanks for the input!Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it. Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000 www.fundraiseadventure.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voilsb 1 #6 June 1, 2012 A full moon is completely useless. Even with a barely lit landing area on a new moon it's plenty easy to see. Also, most of the time night jumps are completed before a full moon has risen enough to be useful, so it may as well not have been there at all.Brian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #7 June 2, 2012 The best time is between about three quarters from a timing standpoint. If you wait until the full moon, and particularly after the actual full moon you have to wait until much later at night for it to be high enough to be effective. Many DZ's seem to wait until the full moon. This just means people are waiting around until later. For instance, on Jun 1 in my town the moon rises at 6:11pm and is 89% of full. By the end of civil twilight at 9:46 the moon is well up. On Jun 4th the day of the full moon, moon rise and the end of civil twilight is essentially the same time. This means you need to wait a couple of hours of more after dark for the moon to be up. So look to the week or two before a full moon for setting up the jump. After the full moon it will be midnight or later before you have any moon to work with. But the presence of the moon should not necessarily be a determining factor. You should be able to do the jump even if over cast. I haven't looked lately but last I knew it only had to be a two way. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #8 June 2, 2012 Personally, I prefer little to no moon and minimal lights on the ground. As mentioned above, when you have a good deal of moon light and or excessive lighting on the ground, you get some crazy shadow action going on from your own canopy and others during that last 500 feet. I've seen people auger themselves into the ground because they thought their own shadow was another jumper closing on them and they tried to turn away. Also, I've noticed that an over lit DZ tends to cause some jumpers to have target fixation while under canopy and jumpers stop looking around them and instead focus on the lit up area. It's a nocturnal form of "getbackitis". It strikes me as odd that its called a night jump yet people try and light up the landing area to daylight proportions when all that is needed are ground lights arranged into a wind arrow so jumpers land into the wind and in the same direction. A good resource for finding the light data in your neck of the woods can be found HERE"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #9 June 2, 2012 I agree. I prefer no lights for the landing area other than enough to delineate the target Trying to light it with head lights or similar such stuff just causes more problems. I'd much rather preserve my night vision and use ambient light, moon or otherwise, to land. I've seen the moon shadow stuff too but I guess I learned to recognize it. The exception to that is a fully lighted football stadium. Swooping into the light from the darkness always impresses the crowd.Two night jump stories. One of the prettiest jumps I ever made was into our rural DZ surrounded by fields and woods under a full moon with the ground fog rising in the low areas. It looked like something out of Tolkien with half the ground obscured by glowing fog under the full moon. The other one was a Cessna load where I went along to spot for the low timers doing their first night jump. I was watching the drift on the way up and realized the wind was still howling at altitude. I spotted for the first two on the first pass. I was waiting and waiting. The pilot realized the situation but the jumpers didn't. It was close to a no go but I was familiar enough with the roads and farms to spot like day time. I finally told them to go. Happened to be two women. After they left the pilot/DZO asked "are they going to make it?" I answered, "They could." The last jumper and I got out on the second pass. And all of us landed at the DZ with low ground winds. Night jumps are fun if for no other reason than to watch the newbies strap on flashlights and chemlights on every possible location. Ripcords, cutaway handles. forearms, altimeters. This is in the old days before lighted altimeters. I made some red led light that mounted on altimater II's and III's. That and the legally required strobe that I dangled below me was all I ever needed. Sometimes a chem light on the protec to do RW. The other good idea was to bust a chem light and tape it to your main riser. So you had a chance of finding your main if you cut it away. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rstanley0312 1 #10 June 2, 2012 QuotePersonally, I prefer little to no moon and minimal lights on the ground. As mentioned above, when you have a good deal of moon light and or excessive lighting on the ground, you get some crazy shadow action going on from your own canopy and others during that last 500 feet. I've seen people auger themselves into the ground because they thought their own shadow was another jumper closing on them and they tried to turn away. Also, I've noticed that an over lit DZ tends to cause some jumpers to have target fixation while under canopy and jumpers stop looking around them and instead focus on the lit up area. It's a nocturnal form of "getbackitis". It strikes me as odd that its called a night jump yet people try and light up the landing area to daylight proportions when all that is needed are ground lights arranged into a wind arrow so jumpers land into the wind and in the same direction. A good resource for finding the light data in your neck of the woods can be found HERE Thanks for the website Scott and thank you Terry and everyone else for your input!Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it. Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000 www.fundraiseadventure.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 4 #11 June 2, 2012 Quote Personally, I prefer little to no moon and minimal lights on the ground. That's because when you jump at night people shoot at you. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #12 June 2, 2012 Quote Quote Personally, I prefer little to no moon and minimal lights on the ground. That's because when you jump at night people shoot at you. Sparky Touche. "It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
