Under Canopy through Cumulus Clouds

[northcave 0]

I know people talk about free falling through or by the side of tall Cumulus clouds and they say its amazing seeing it pass by. Like falling into a city of clouds.

Just curious if anyone has every opened extra early and had the chance to fly around a big cumulus formation and explore inside the nooks and cranies one?

If so was it any good?

If you're not familiar with cloud types click this http://images.usatoday.com/weather/photos/clouds/cumulus.jpg

Tim

[agent_lead 0]

here are some amazing cloud formations i would have loved to fly through

http://pic1.funtigo.com/valuca/?g=25544746&cr=1

--------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com/agentlead

[yoink 321]

There used to be a video around here called Ride that was a guy doing exactly that. Opening high and just flying past and round a large cumulus.

It's a really chilled out clip.

[northcave 0]

Quote

here are some amazing cloud formations i would have loved to fly through

http://pic1.funtigo.com/valuca/?g=25544746&cr=1

Lol,,,, you'd be lucky to see that never mind coincidently having a plane at 15k above it and a skydive ready to go.

But yeah it'd be pretty good!

[northcave 0]

Quote

There used to be a video around here called Ride that was a guy doing exactly that. Opening high and just flying past and round a large cumulus.

It's a really chilled out clip.

done a youtube search and think this is it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsRR0to-d7Q

thanks!!

[shropshire 0]

Flying without visibily of the ground at all times is very naughty.... and huge amounts of fun!!...

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[northcave 0]

Cool! nice pic!

[pinkfairy 0]

I was very lucky on my tandem jump, my first jump.

It didn't look like there was going to be a jump at all, but then a hole in the clouds appeared, and up we went.

When we opened at planned altitude, the first thing I saw when I finally concentrated on my surroundings rather than the freefall experience, was a big valley of white clouds.

Wow, that was amazing. My very appropriate comment was "Welcome to heaven!", one would expect to see little angels sitting on the clouds and dangling their legs. I got to steer the canopy around the tops of some of the clouds, and touch them with my legs.

Even my TM who is a very experienced skydiver and B.A.S.E jumper thought it was great, and it takes something to impress him.

So yeah, fantastic. I've tried to find some similar clouds, living in Norway we have a lot of them, but have not succeeded so far. I've had a big cumulus behind me for parts of my freefall, and I was falling along it trying to stay on the edge of it, and that was really cool too.

I've fallen through quite pretty things wanting to open, knowing that I couldn't or I would have freefallers in my canopy. And on the jump when I planned to open high I found nothing.

I know people who have flown clouds with wingsuit, and that sounds like fantastic fun too.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[shropshire 0]

It's of me flying the yellow paraglider over a mountain near to lake Annecy... one of the reason for not going into cloud... there could be a huge lump of rock in there!! and other pilots. When If I do go in, I stay on the sunny side (it's where the lift is anyway) but I can see which direction to fly out!!

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[funkcanna 0]

Hi,

On my first jump after my consols the full load opened above big fluffy clouds. There was only one hole that I could see and from where I was I watched 4 or 5 skydivers under canopy all spiral through this hole then I followed. It was amazing.

To know requires proof
To believe requires evidence
To have faith requires neither.
If you stick with that, we'll never be confused again

[yoink 321]

Quote

Flying without visibily of the ground at all times is very naughty.... and huge amounts of fun!!...

Technically we only need visibility of the ground for the canopy portion. Doesn't say anything about wingsuits...

[NewGuy2005 53]

Quote

Flying without visibily of the ground at all times is very naughty.... and huge amounts of fun!!...

That's one of the coolest pics I've seen.

[AdD 1]

I do go cloud chasing once in awhile. It often means landing off the dz "unintentionally". So far I have had good luck with hitching rides back and not too much walking. There are few things better than cloud swooping down a tower. Good for testing recovery arcs with and without input.

Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream

[shropshire 0]

Thanks. It was a cool experience. That area of France is my favourite and the conditions were perfect.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[skyriderdoug 0]

It's one of the best. Pick a day where they have built to 10 or 15k and do a hop-n-pop from altitude! There is nothing like "cloud surfing". Bring some friends and get some video. You can get into some pretty good dog-fights up there flying through holes, canyons, etc........

13 men in a dead man's boat and the oars leak!?!

[northcave 0]

I havent even passed my AFF yet and i seem to have picked up on quite a cool thing by accident. I just saw some clouds on the way back from the dz last weekend and thought it might be good. Looks like loads of you have already done it!!!

Anyway this is quite good. Wing suits through cloud - http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pi-AyTeCBpk

[bob.dino 1]

Yeah, it's fun.

It may be illegal in the USA - there's different rules about clouds there.

[chrismgtis 0]

Let's just say, "cloud rush" (much like ground rush) is fun. You're thinking "holy shit!....wow!....holy shit!.....wowww"

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[frynsky 0]

I once closed last on a 10 way star right before we punched a huge cumulus cloud. At times you could see no one, at times you could see the entire formation. BUT, you could hear everyone screaming and yelling the entire time. The kicker was, right before we punched it, we saw a circular rainbow on top of it, it was AWESOME. Mere words cannot do it justice. One of the most beautiful sights I have seen in my lifetime. We came out of it about 4-5k ft, right over the DZ. Blue Skies, White Cumulus Clouds!

[daveom 0]

Seeing then falling 'through' a circular rainbow is one of those life-changing memorable moments!



Dave

[northcave 0]

Quote

The kicker was, right before we punched it, we saw a circular rainbow on top of it, it was AWESOME. Mere words cannot do it justice.

So you're about to hit the clound with the sun about you and it forms a full circle rain bow?

[Opie 0]

Flying through and "exploring" a cloud is illegal here in the U.S. therefore I'm sure it's never been done here Not much exploring to be done though, all you see is moisture and it can be a bit unerving if others canopies can be nearby, and or you may unknowingly flying away from where you want to go. Now flying around those clouds can be pretty cool, just remember to maintain vfr separation minimums

p.s. I like the thread title

[lekstrom10k 0]

The ones you really have to watch for are the Nimbo-Cumulus like the ones at Rantual last year.One plane brought their guys back down ours went anyway We got to see a pretty light show too all around us One guy from Iowa got encores as he got sucked back up a few times. We were all sent to the shower building to wait a catagory 3 or 4 tornado to pass after it already touched down nearby. Nimbos can go with violent up drafts to 40000 or50000 feet. There is a book called "I rode the thunder" all about it

[NewGuy2005 53]

One time, on a coach jump, I think it was like jump #18, my coach was between me and a nice cumulus. I watched him fall down the side of it. It was like watching someone that had just jumped off the top of a white skyscraper.

Incredible

[frynsky 0]

That's right. A beautiful, target like, perfectly round rainbow. Only one I've ever seen.