Night Jumps

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

What is this... answer #84??



Anyway, I usually tape a couple mini light sticks... like these... http://www.teachersource.com/Chemistry/GlowintheDark/MiniLightSticks.aspx... to my altimeter during night jumps and I use black electircal tape to do this so the shine "into" the altimeter through the clear plastic lens, thus, light up the face / dial of the altimeter while not "into" my eyes when I look at it.

On my first night jump, I had so many chem sticks, you'd have thought I was one of those Elvi guys and I took two of those mini-mag lights to check my canopy and wave around once I got open. Anyway, I got open and as soon as I turned on that flashlight to check my canopy I said goodbye to what ever night vision I had, turned said flashlight off, thought, "that was dumb" and didn't take a flashlight with on any of my subsequent 20-something night jumps. On my second night jump I just had some chem sticks on, but still too many... per Nick.

My current night jump plan, I'm kind of minimalistic when it comes to #'s of chem sticks. Two, maybe 3, of the standard sized green ones on the back of my helmet and NO strobe. Anyway... Okay... here comes the disclaimer part... I'm not saying any of that is the smartest of things, its just what I've done.

To the OP... no matter how many chem lights and strobes you decide to wear or take with, my 2 cents, do your best to position them such that the light they emit stays out of your eyes as much as possible.

You could always do the ol' F105 pilot nuke mission trick and wear one eye patch on the ride up, jump, initial canopy checks with flash light and then take the eye patch off when done so you'd have at least one eye with decent night vision left.

[arl120384 0]

Are most night jumps usually a wash when its cloudy?

[mnskydiver688 0]

Strobe for under canopy, cars with headlights on in the landing area, a neptune with the backlight turned on. Oh yeah and that bright white spot in the sky that apparently is made of cheese.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[pirana 0]

I've only done 4, but would do one every weekend given the opportunity. All mine have been done with clear skies and at least some moonlight, but I would think with enough experience you could do them with cloud cover as long as you could get altitude. Check with your local veterans/instructors.

My 1st one I was very surprised at how well I could see with even just a quarter moon low on the horizon. For the full moon jump I think I could have seen everything even with sunglasses on. Perfect little mini-surf landing on both of them.

Course there was also the one where I hammered in due to a late flare. I was trying to land near the bonfire and had been looking right at it. I turned my attention back to the upcoming Earth, but not in time for the eyes to begin recovery, so I kind of flared but mostly PLF'ed based on my position relative to the fire. That smarted.

Love the Night Jump.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Sletzer 3]

They're going to do them this Saturday at Skydive Atlanta, weather permitting. It looks like it might be cloudy unitll around 10:30 p.m. DZO said they had all the strobes and whatnot. I guess I'll just take my happy ass out there and see what this night jumping business is all about.

I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows*

SCS #8251

[corvettedude 0]

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A fellow Perecy Walker fan. Way cool reading.

Are you him?

I think you (or he) is still alive.

Running to Wiki.

Hell I think Im still alive, not sure about our friend tho.
Did you find anything out?

Well now I feel silly. You quoted Percy Walker, and I was thinking Walker Percy; author of Lost in the Cosmos, subtitled The Last Self Help Book.

Mr. Percy, to my surprise, died way back in 1990.

Mr. Walker however, died even longer ago, back in 1880.

Mr. Percy is an author I recommend very often on the topic of identifying and owning up to who we are. We being any specific individual, not a group of us, or we in a literal sense.

I am most relieved to find you are still alive.

Thanks Bro, me to

It is possible to get all A's in school and still flunk life~Percy Walker

[JohnMitchell 16]

Perfect timing for it. It will be an early moon, almost full, very high in the sky by 10:30. September is the best month for night jumps, I think, because it's not too cold but it gets dark fairly early.
I've got maybe 7-8 night jumps, about half of them demos. Night demos are cool, and usually well lit.

[Tuna-Salad 0]

I've often wondered myself on this. Would it be possible or just plain dangerous to put a chem light on either end of the canopy. Green on right /Red on left. (This is how pilots in the air tell if an aircraft is coming to or away - left or right at night.. Boats might be the same??) Anyway I think it would be wise to mark where the top of your canopy is for the sake of other jumpers.. maybe pack a white glow stick in with the PC? Of course I'm noob but that's why im asking. I do plan to carry a small bright flashlight with me to look at and check my canopy after opening. ( If I remember that is reccomended in the SIM anyway )

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[jimmytavino 16]

when the chance comes up
EVERYone should make a night jump.
it fun, it's exciting. it adds to a jumpers collective experiences, and when shared with friends,, is quite memorable...
chem lights are perfect for night jumps. years ago we only had clumsier flashlights...
the strobes shown earlier in the thread, run off a D cell battery,,, ( always store it with the battery OUT) and put out a very good flash.

i've enjoyed 24 night jumps over the years, sometimes 2 or 3 in one night.. the early ones were solos, and done with round mains.
But i was on my clubs first "4 way at night, " back in, around '77 or so...

we enjoyed a few formation load, night jumps.. ( 2 cessnas) in the early 80's,, exiting at 10,500 and building a night SCR back in july of 1981...

missed them for many years,,,
as my kids were little, and i didn't get to the DZ as often...

then, frontier skydivers members and friends
rejuventated the interest in them when we had an otter...

VERY well organized, with detailed,
( some would say.. O C ...) briefings,
specific requirements, and no exceptions,,,, many members got to enjoy the beautiful views
of the Niagara Frontier, the deep darkness of lakes Ontario and Erie, and the city lights of not only Buffalo NY, but Toronto Canada, as well, far accross the lake...
We did big ways, small ways, solos, and licensing requirement jumps...
Our club holds the current World Record POPS Night Skydive.... we've broken it 3 or 4 times now...
We built 12 way, a
few years ago, then upped it to 14, then had a couple of 16 ways, with one out, then built an 18 way... All Pops, night jump in 2006.

safety under canopy must be diligent....and primary.

save the whooping and hollering for later, , tame down the canopy, fly predictably and conservatively, and follow the established pattern..
especially with many canopies in the air....
one of our members suggested that each person carry a whistle,, like a coaches, or cops' whistle, just in case an out landing might result in an injury... the whistle allows the jumper to notify friends, of where he or she might be located,,,when they come looking...

we also used round, stick - on glow lights,, taped to the back of the container, of one or sometimes 2 people, who are in the base of a n RW jump...( 2 different colors)... VERY helpful for divers, as they approach,,, especially if the base rotates off the line of flight....

have fun

jimmy
nscr 1817

[jhrmustang 0]

Not close to doing night jumps yet. But how about putting a red filter onto a mini-mag? That way you could check the canopy and still maintain the night vision. Whereas with the clear lens you would say goodby to the night vision right?

The strong can always afford to be gentle, It is only the weak who need to "give as good as they get."

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

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Strobe for under canopy, cars with headlights on in the landing area, a neptune with the backlight turned on. Oh yeah and that bright white spot in the sky that apparently is made of cheese.

Yeah, and on that whole "tail-light-to-head-light" into the wind thing for lighting up the DZ with cars with their headlights on... make sure you send a reasonalby sober person out the the landing area that undertands that concept to help the folks taking vehicles out there so they get it right. Last night jump I did, they had it 180 out and landed us downwind in about 7 to 10 Knots; not a lot, but enought to make it interesting. Fortunately, it was dark and we didn't know we were landing downwind until it was all said and done.

[Guru312 0]

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Also, where do most attach the lights, rig, chest strap, legs arms?

See how I attached my strobe the night I set the world record for parachuting night pukes: The Duke of Puke

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[mnskydiver688 0]

It is really fun when you set up cars facing each other.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[mdrejhon 8]

My helmet light worked fine. It just shone outwards so it's pitch black when I look ahead, and I avoided putting my hands in front of the light. I checked my canopy just by raising my head upwards slightly, so that only the outer dim part of the light fell onto the canopy. I was easily able to illuminate my landing spot too, even though there was already illumination.

[Sletzer 3]

Well, I got my first night jump in this Saturday. Pretty awsome stuff! Did a two way with a much more experienced jumper and we had a blast. We had a 4 or 5 point dive flow and finished it at 10 grand. Spent the rest of the time geeking each other, staring at the moon, clouds, and the cities underneath us and miles and miles away. Very Cool. Of course the two girls beside me on the plane that jumped out topless behind us didn't hurt the experience either

We used strobes mounted on our webbing facing toward our backs we activated under canopy. Had two glowsticks on my helmet, and once under canopy, one in my mouth Didn't carry a flashlight, just felt the canopy fly with all the usual controlability checks. Any doubts? Get rid of it.

We staggered the deployment altitudes by at least 500 feet, and dropped off jumpers in 3 groups with 2 passes for each group. Carried cell phones for any out landings- mandatory check in once on the ground.

Linded cars up on the LZ angled with their lights in the direction we were landing (to show the way and avoid blinding us). I landed just short of the lit area, made for a very interesting flare. (Ummmm, now?!) But landed on my feet. Worked out fine and everyone landed great.

I was the second one on the ground so I was halfway done with my 40 by the time the last person touched down
It was funny to see how interested everyone was in our landings, until I remembered once again that two girls went topless. Oh yeah!

It does take more focus to do these kinds of jumps, but they are unique and incredible. If you ever get a chance DO IT!

I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows*

SCS #8251