chadski 0 #1 October 23, 2007 hi i want to go and get in my initial jumps to work towards my A license and i'm wondering if there is a list or website that contains the ground level altitudes of all the dropzones, because it seems like the closer to sea level i am the more freefall i would get, allowing me get more for my money. if this is a stupid question don't be afraid to tell me so thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jheadley 0 #2 October 23, 2007 It's actually a clever question... I haven't heard that one yet. When skydivers talk about altitude, they always talk about altitude above the ground, (AGL), not over sea level. Say a dz that is at sea level advertises 13,500 foot jumps, well they'll actually go to 13,500 feet above sea level. A dropzone at 2000 feet above sea level that advertises 13,500 foot jumps would actually go to 15,500 feet above sea level. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #3 October 23, 2007 I think the cost associated with the travel would far outweigh the benefit of a few more seconds of freefall time. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark24688m 0 #4 October 23, 2007 Just download google earth then pop in the address of the dropzone you're looking at. It shows the ground altitude about sea level on the bottom bar. You can use this site to get the address of any dz you want. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moto89 0 #5 October 23, 2007 I think you'd notice the air density differences under canopy more than any difference in freefall times.Less talking, more flying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
millertime24 8 #6 October 23, 2007 This help? http://mac.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.htmlMuff #5048 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #7 October 23, 2007 Well there are those DZs that you pay extra to go all the way up and ride in the big plane. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #8 October 23, 2007 Quote Well there are those DZs that you pay extra to go all the way up and ride in the big plane. Don't forget the weather insurance, too!! Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #9 October 23, 2007 Quote When skydivers talk about altitude, they always talk about altitude above the ground, (AGL), not over sea level. Say a dz that is at sea level advertises 13,500 foot jumps, well they'll actually go to 13,500 feet above sea level. Unless they're in Las Vegas. But no skydivers there, just profiteers. Chadski can help us by giving a profile. Where I am you can pick AGLs between 13k and 18k. But also consider that each jump of experience (exit, opening, canopy flight, landing) is more significant than having an extra 10 seconds of terminal velocity. And opening high to fly around is not a bad thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #10 October 23, 2007 Quote It's actually a clever question... I haven't heard that one yet. When skydivers talk about altitude, they always talk about altitude above the ground, (AGL), not over sea level. Say a dz that is at sea level advertises 13,500 foot jumps, well they'll actually go to 13,500 feet above sea level. Sure, but at high (5000 foot MSL DZ) elevations - Freefall from the same AGL altitude is over noticeably quicker due to reduced air density - Anything over 12,500 gets you up to FL180 which is controlled airspace; while at sea level they may take you to 14, 16, or even 18,000 feet AGL. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ether 0 #11 October 24, 2007 Quote I think you'd notice the air density differences under canopy more than any difference in freefall times. Agreed! My home DZ is humid and at 9 feet above sea level (well, 9-13 feet, depending on what end of the airport you're on.. ), and at just a dozen jumps I went to a boogie which was at 1000 feet and dry. I *really* noticed the difference in canopy performance. A mere 1000 feet doesn't seem like much, but for a n00b it's huge. So, if travel costs aren't a factor, go for the lowest and wettest DZ you can.. Oh, and go for a grassy LZ rather than desert scrub too.. it hurts less. PS. At higher DZs you may not be able to get as much altitude if they use Cessnas... they don't really have enough power to get above 9000-10000 feet MSL, so you are kind of right.Looking for newbie rig, all components... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moto89 0 #12 October 24, 2007 My DZ's field elevation is a little over 5000', but the air density is commonly over 7500'. Our Cessnas can get us a solid 11,000 agl, but I've seen as high as 13k. It's a long ride up though.Less talking, more flying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpringVark 0 #13 October 24, 2007 Quote I think you'd notice the air density differences under canopy more than any difference in freefall times. Agreed. I did my AFF course at a DZ at +/- 3000ft ASL elevation. Thereafter I moved to a DZ more-or-less at sea level. The first difference you'll notice is that you have to flare earlier the higher your ASL. You won't notice the difference so much during freefall - but it does exist. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #14 October 24, 2007 I teach at a DZ where the field elevation is about 5,100 feet above sea level. We go to 12,500 above the ground. I have jumped at DZs at sea level. They go to 13,000 above the ground. If you go to a DZ with a large plane, the field elevation will not matter much. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonyv 0 #15 October 24, 2007 Quote hi i want to go and get in my initial jumps to work towards my A license and i'm wondering if there is a list or website that contains the ground level altitudes of all the dropzones, because it seems like the closer to sea level i am the more freefall i would get, allowing me get more for my money. if this is a stupid question don't be afraid to tell me so thanks Since most dropzones are located on airports, you can reference the A/FD that the FAA publishes. It contains information about most airports. Some DZ's are run on private airports and this directory may not contain that info. You can find the A/FD here: http://naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_afd-Tony (253) 445-8790 Velocity Sports Equipment Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeromobile 0 #16 October 25, 2007 What I would do is look at the top of this page under Dropzones. Go through the country, state menus, and click on the DZ of your choice. Under location, the name of the airport appears along with an alphanumeric code in parentheses. Copy or remember that code. Now go to www.airnav.com and under airports, type in that code. The next page will give you the airport elevation. Remember though jump altitudes are given in above ground level (AGL), so 10,000' at a sea level airport is still 10,000' at one with a 1.000' altitude. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #17 October 25, 2007 huh...airnav says ZHills is at 90ft, google earth shows the peas at 79ft.....either way that is higher than I imagined! Guess there really are hills in Zhills!! "The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #18 October 25, 2007 Quote huh...airnav says ZHills is at 90ft, google earth shows the peas at 79ft.....either way that is higher than I imagined! Guess there really are hills in Zhills!! but the highest point in the state is still less than the altitude offset at the DZ of choice for me. (well, true for the cypres, slightly false for the true altimeter offset.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #19 October 25, 2007 Quote Unless they're in Las Vegas. But no skydivers there, just profiteers. Maybe you should do some research. There are 4 dz's in the vegas area. only THREE of them fit your description. Skydive Mesquite has been a god send to Vegas jumpers. Quote The wise-ass answer to Chadski's questionis that Ground level is always zero as far as my altimeter is concerned.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #20 October 25, 2007 yeah, 80some miles is about what I drive, but that place is essentially in Arizona! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squarecanopy 0 #21 October 25, 2007 Maybe you should do some research. There are 4 dz's in the vegas area. only THREE of them fit your description. Skydive Mesquite has been a god send to Vegas jumpers. THAT'S A FACT. I jumped at Mesquite back in March and it was two days of kick ass fun. Love that Caravan. The other DZ's around there would not really even answer my questions on the phone. Just burning a hole in the sky..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #22 October 26, 2007 Essentially Arizona? If anything it's essentially Utah. Arizona is only a small finger that points into the state. The dz is located in Nevada. If you continue up the road antoehr thirty miles you go in and out of Arizona and end up in Utah. As Far as jumpers go most of the VEGAS jumpers are the locals. Mesquite is considered a local DZ because the next available DZ is 300miles away. I can drive 200miles in vegas in a few hours if I am running errands. 140miles to and from Mesquite ain't nothing (its 140miles from my doorstep the the wheel of the plane.) It is also the closest I have ever lived to a DZ.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #23 October 26, 2007 Quote Essentially Arizona? If anything it's essentially Utah. But if it were in utah, how would people pay beer fines?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
