sleeping on the ride up

[beeman 0]

If this has been discussed before, sorry for the double post but a picture I saw recently (not the first time I've seen this happen) got to me.

I'm obviously still fairly new to skydiving, but I can't imagine the desire to sleep on the plane ride up. It seems to be more prevalent with experience (to a point, past that some people seem to know better).

I can think of several good reasons not to - vidiot walking through the plane knocks your (or anyone's) hacky loose, you waste opportunities to check your gear/monitor weather and traffic, lost awareness of spot until the last second, and aircraft emergency are among them.

So I'm honestly asking the question: for how many, particularly more experienced skydivers, is this an acceptable addition of risk? How many consider it acceptable after "a few good gear checks"? Why?

well...I was going skydiving anyway. let's go.
Earn your pancakes.

[Erroll 80]

beeman

If this has been discussed before, sorry for the double post but a picture I saw recently (not the first time I've seen this happen) got to me.

I'm obviously still fairly new to skydiving, but I can't imagine the desire to sleep on the plane ride up. It seems to be more prevalent with experience (to a point, past that some people seem to know better).

I can think of several good reasons not to - vidiot walking through the plane knocks your (or anyone's) hacky loose, you waste opportunities to check your gear/monitor weather and traffic, lost awareness of spot until the last second, and aircraft emergency are among them.

So I'm honestly asking the question: for how many, particularly more experienced skydivers, is this an acceptable addition of risk? How many consider it acceptable after "a few good gear checks"? Why?

If you are organised in terms of gear checks etc. then there is no real additional risk.

I remember watching Graham Field reading a book on the way up in the AN2. It took about 40 minutes to altitude - most jumpers on those loads took nice long naps!

[grue 1]

When I was a "young" jumper I used to play PSP on the way up in the 182 or 206, back in '05/06 or thereabouts.

These days once my protrack pings me to take off my seatbelt, I check my handles and then it's time for a nap. I typically wake back up around the 10,000' mark, though once in a Skyvan I didn't wake up until the pilot yelled "GET OUT OF MY PLANE ASSHOLE", and I realized everyone else had left. Jumped up, checked my goggles, ran down the plane and supermanned out the door

With the notable exception of that jump, I don't see an issue with it.

cavete terrae.

[nadominhoca 0]

I don't know what is worse, sleep on you way up or keep messing around with everyone in the plane the whole time..

I kind of prefer the second option, although some times I get some angry looks, by the quiet guys..

Honestly I don't think it's a big issue.. relaxation comes with experience..

[suuz83 0]

I LOVE a nap on the ride up....

I don't think its unsafe. The snooze is so light that when something happens it has your attention anyway.

good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere

[potatoman 0]

Back in the day we had a 210RG, with a sound system. So it was heavy metal all the way up. No chance of sleepy, lol.

I do take a nap from time to time, but very lightly, and still kinda awake. Specially on 4way rw jumps, I try and relax, smooth mind, smooth jumps. That is normally after 1000ft, but have my buds wake me at 9k.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[beeman 0]

nadominhoca

Honestly I don't think it's a big issue.. relaxation comes with experience..

and a lot of things come with relaxation. In 59 jumps I've seen an alarming number of them - thankfully (and regrettably) only one of those with direct, serious consequences. I've been guilty of some dangerous mistakes myself.

But that's kinda why I asked. To see if people more experienced consider it a problem. I'm not going to change what I do, just curious.

well...I was going skydiving anyway. let's go.
Earn your pancakes.

[airtwardo 7]

I'm not sleeping...I'm checkin' my eyelids for light leaks!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[beeman 0]

airtwardo

I'm not sleeping...I'm checkin' my eyelids for light leaks!

good thinking. Never know when one might come up

well...I was going skydiving anyway. let's go.
Earn your pancakes.

[tkhayes 348]

Become an instructor and then do 8 student AFF jumps in a day from a C182. By the end of the day you need a nap.

I would tell my student "I'm not ignoring you, just chilling out - wake me up at 8500, and enjoy the view"

[normiss 806]

I'm punching you in the coin purse if you dislodge my PC.


A second one for waking me up.

[dninness 4]

1995 or so, I had about 70 jumps and was at Z-Hills for the Turkey Boogie. As the plane was ready to taxi out, one of the video people ran out and hopped on, clipped her seatbelt (rear bulkhead) leaned her head back and was (to me) asleep by the time we were wheels up.

Now, in retrospect, may not "alseep" but "resting her eyes" and "relaxing." As it was 1030 in the morning, it seemed odd to be "asleep," but then Z-Hills is a busy place and who knows what kind of partying went on the night before.

I nudged a guy I was jumping with who was local and said "Is that normal?" and he said "Yeah, this is probably her 3rd or 4th jump this morning, too.." And I remember thinking at the time "I don't ever want to work so hard at skydiving that I have to sleep on the plane."

Now, 1100 jumps later, if I'm not supervising a student on the plane, my eyes are closed before we taxi away from loading. :)

And my two jumps out of Mr. Douglas at that boogie in 1995 taught me the value of some shuteye on the way to altitude.

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[jimjumper 25]

The "Bird Machine" DC3 in the early eighties had a big screen TV in the back for the ride to altitude. We would watch a video on the way up. I got a couple jumps out of it at the '84 Herd Boogie and it took about 50-60 minutes to altitude. If you already saw the in-flight movie a nap was also an option!

[NWFlyer 2]

I don't sleep, but I often do close my eyes and zone out. It's more likely (especially if I'm training) that my eyes are closed so I can focus and visualize. Visualizing's free and helps me fly better.

"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

[Trafficdiver 8]

On the Sunday of a Boogie I try my best to stay awake for the ride up, but fail.

And freefall does not cure a hangover.

[riggerrob 643]

Ah!
The good old days of radial engines, when a nap was mandatory on the way up.

[riggerrob 643]

tkhayes

Become an instructor and then do 8 student AFF jumps in a day from a C182. By the end of the day you need a nap.

I would tell my student "I'm not ignoring you, just chilling out - wake me up at 8500, and enjoy the view"

..................................................................................

I was not sleeping ... rather I was leading by example ... mentally reviewing the dive plan.

[PiLFy 3]

I only pretend I'm sleeping to screw w/AFF Students .

[TEB6363 0]

I thought they had to be done with AFF before you got to screw them

Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!!

[dthames 0]

For many years I have rested my eyes to kill time and to not be distracted by things around me. While not really asleep, I try to focus my thinking on something other than sitting crowded in the plane waiting for altitude. Even as a student, if I could close my eyes, think about the jump, and sort of doze off while doing it, that after a few minutes when I opened my eyes, I felt a LOT better and ready to get on with the business at hand. Recently I heard information from a study that showed that if you keep your eyes closed for 6 minutes or longer, it has a measured effect as if you had take nap, regarding relaxed and refreshed. I believe this completely.

You can listen and be semi-alert while on the edge of being asleep. You might try to practice relaxing at home for 10 minutes or so and see if you can observe the affect.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[airdvr 210]

I believe I slept on the way to altitude more on Sundays than on Saturdays. Wonder why?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[xsniper 1]

riggerrob

Ah!
The good old days of radial engines, when a nap was mandatory on the way up.

Especially if you had worked the midnight shift the night before and would be headed back to it after a day at the DZ (AHH...the '70s).

[Boogers 0]

riggerrob

Ah! The good old days of radial engines, when a nap was mandatory on the way up.

Yes Indeed. The combination of long climb to altitude, and the purr and vibration of the piston engines, was good enough to put anyone to sleep. It was like one of those beds in a cheap motel that you put a quarter in a slot and it vibrates you to sleep.

These darned turbines we jump now climb so fast and smooth, that you don't even have time for a good cat nap!

[riggerrob 643]

Boogers

***Ah! The good old days of radial engines, when a nap was mandatory on the way up.

Yes Indeed. The combination of long climb to altitude, and the purr and vibration of the piston engines, was good enough to put anyone to sleep.

These darned turbines we jump now climb so fast and smooth, that you don't even have time for a good cat nap!

................................................................................

Cat nap?
Cat nap?
You take your cat skydiving with you?
What a kind and considerate human/food bowl filler ....

[skinnay 0]

nadominhoca

I don't know what is worse, sleep on you way up or keep messing around with everyone in the plane the whole time..

I kind of prefer the second option, although some times I get some angry looks, by the quiet guys..

Honestly I don't think it's a big issue.. relaxation comes with experience..

I may be one of "the quiet people" you speak of. I am usually quiet because I'm focused on the jump and getting mentally prepared. I've also invested tens of thousands of dollars into tunnel time to have better jumps. I'm not against anyone having fun, but when someone is loud and obnoxious the entire way up, I can't focus on what I want to do. Since you already acknowledge getting dirty looks, I doubt you care, but you should consider that people are in different situations than you.