What Should I Know About a Cross Country?

[JENNR8R 0]

People keep asking me to go on a cross country, but the thought makes me nervous. What do I need to know before getting in the airplane?

The guy who answered, "Nothing, just follow me" didn't provide enough information to suit me.

What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy
ones? -- Monday.

[NWFlyer 2]

This is by no means comprehensive, but here's some ideas:

-- What the uppers are doing... and how that affects where you want to get out and where you want to be at various points in your travels "cross-country."

-- Where there are some good outs along the way just in case.

-- Major landmarks around the DZ. If you've never gotten out anywhere but almost right on top of the DZ, it could be a bit confusing to find the DZ.

-- What air traffic is like around the DZ.

-- Make sure the pilot knows what you're doing and how you're doing it. Mid-air collisions with aircraft generally work out poorly for the jumpers.

-- Make sure others on the load and on the ground know what you're doing so they're 1) not freaking out when you're not back at the same time as the rest of the load and 2) are looking for you if you're not back sometime soon thereafter.

-- Might carry a cell phone with you.

-- How cold it is up there. How warm you need to be for a few seconds of freefall can very different from how warm you have to be for a long canopy ride in the same air.

-- That if you feel at all dizzy or numb from that much time hanging in the harness, move your legs around and up and down so you don't pass out (I learned that one the hard way).

-- That they can be a TON of fun!

"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

[yamtx73 0]

The #1 rule for cross country... do not follow me because I have no idea where the hell I'm going...

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[NWFlyer 2]

Oh, one other thing I forgot - it's a good idea to do them with at least one other person so that you can keep an eye on each other and (hopefully) both end up in the same place.

"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

[JENNR8R 0]

I like that kind of honesty.

What could possibly go wrong???

What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy
ones? -- Monday.

[yamtx73 0]

Talk about the blind leading the blind.... would you like the list alphabetically or chronologically?

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[psychoswooper 2]

Take a beer with you in case you get thirsty.


It's a joke folks.

[Royd 0]

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This is by no means comprehensive, but here's some ideas:

-- What the uppers are doing... and how that affects where you want to get out and where you want to be at various points in your travels "cross-country."

-- Where there are some good outs along the way just in case.

Would you fly a cross country with the brakes stowed until you absolutely needed them?

How about carrying a gps?

[kenneth21441 0]

I love cross country trips on a skydive..Well hop and pop that is. We usually do ours above 10,500 and hope that the upper winds will carry us. Its a bit of guess work of where to get out at. But if you know the area it helps keep you in line of the real direction to follow. When you do them of course do it in a groupd of 2 or more and make sure that someone has the number to reach the DZ or some change in case you need a pay phone.

The longest range we covered one day was just over five miles and will got to the DZ. What helped: upper winds were over 40knots and lower were just under 10. A great ride at half breaks.

enjoy...

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[NWFlyer 2]

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Would you fly a cross country with the brakes stowed until you absolutely needed them?

Lots of people do this and it's certainly a viable option. I tend to do my controllability checks up high, then gently let go of my toggles and let them just hang out unless I need them. You can definitely get tired holding your toggles the whole time!

Depends on the jump, too. Sometimes I am using cross countries or high hop & pops to work on some canopy drills, so I'll spend lots of time playing with the canopy. Other times it's pure sightseeing.
Of course, you want to make sure that no matter when you decide unstow your brakes, you allow time to do a full controllability check of your canopy well before your decision altitude.

[marks 0]

bring a cell phone.

[krkeenan 0]

Go with people who know what they're doing. And stay with them. Have good plans for landing out and look out for each other.
If there's any CRWDogs around, ask them.

Kevin

======================
Seasons don't fear the Reaper,
nor do the Wind, the Sun, or the Rain...

[yeyo 1]

Wear gloves. Cold wind in the hands for 15 minutes its not fun

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[jheadley 0]

What about RSLs? The last time I did a cross country, everyone was yelling at me in the plane because I had my RSL hooked up, something about "how if you have a cutaway you'll fuck up everyone else..." I don't think they really understood why either, probably just something they always heard. We were not doing CRW either.

[NWFlyer 2]

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What about RSLs? The last time I did a cross country, everyone was yelling at me in the plane because I had my RSL hooked up, something about "how if you have a cutaway you'll fuck up everyone else..." I don't think they really understood why either, probably just something they always heard. We were not doing CRW either.

I've never heard that and I've done cross-countries at several large boogies where the jumps are well-organized with safety briefings from folks that are much more experienced than I am ... did you ask them why it was going to "mess everyone else up"?

[wildcard451 0]

Cross country jumps are great fun. Find me at the DZ Jen if you ever wanna go on one. We can start small with something like a 4-5 miler to get you warmed up. You can still see the DZ from that far out so it isn't all that scary. Basically stay in the plane until everyone exits, and have the pilot take you out as far as you want to go up jump run. Exit, pull, do a 180 and ride back.

How much playing you can do depends on how the winds are to come back with and how far you got out. Shmike, Posey, Mike, me, and several other like going for 3-4 milers just to play. When you start getting out to 8+, or even trying the 1 mile out for every 1000 feet up, you need to have a lot more planning involved, and winds favorable for the stunt.

As other have said:

Cell phones (for the long ones)
Dress appropriately
Make sure to shimmy in the harness a bit to keep some blood flow.
I don't really pop my brakes until I feel I need to. Less work.

Also, HAVE FUN! They rock.

[mattjw916 2]

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Take a beer with you in case you get thirsty.

...and make sure you open it at 10k.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[slug 1]

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What about RSLs? The last time I did a cross country, everyone was yelling at me in the plane because I had my RSL hooked up, something about "how if you have a cutaway you'll fuck up everyone else..." I don't think they really understood why either, probably just something they always heard. We were not doing CRW either.

I've never heard that and I've done cross-countries at several large boogies where the jumps are well-organized with safety briefings from folks that are much more experienced than I am ... did you ask them why it was going to "mess everyone else up"?

We watched the folks at LP gear up for the sunset cross contry. from what we saw a lot of people unhooked their RSl and attached it to the cutaway cable housing. to keep it ot of the way.

The other thing we noticed that a lot of folks undid their riser covers while waiting to board the acft.

We could guess why but you should ask them. Live and dive? tall man? amazon? etc.

R.I.P.

[kallend 2,027]

MAke sure the pilot tells ATC that there will be jumpers in the air between the exit point and the LZ.

Have a plan in case someone (you even) has a cutatway.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[bch7773 0]

if one person lands off, have someone else land with them too. Like the buddy system.


and for the RSL guys question... many times on cross countries I have been on, we fly very very close to each other. Sometimes just close enough to talk, other times we bump end cells. You would not want an RSL attached in this situation, in case of entanglements.
Plus you really don't need an RSL to open your reserve when you are at 10k.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[JENNR8R 0]

There is some really useful information in all of your replies to consider. Thank you!

What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy
ones? -- Monday.

[popsjumper 2]

Talk to experienced XC flyers. Krisanne gave you good clues about winds and such but there's a lot more to it than that.

Winds at all general levels.
Your canopy size, type, wingloading, glide angle, etc.
...it's not just, "let's go out 10 miles and see what happens."

Others provided good stuff about what to take with you...well, except the beer joke...maybe

But they sure are fun if you have others nearby with similar canopies to play with...or even alone simply watching the terrain. Sunset is ALWAYS a good time for XC.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Fast 0]

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...it's not just, "let's go out 10 miles and see what happens."

..it's not? Damn, that was a fun jump though. I mean we figured we would maybe make it back.

The person who posted on here from your DZ is probally a good person to talk to. I have done a bunch of them they are fun.

The only thing I want to point out is, sometimes when the winds are high people get a silly idea to do a cross country because we can go farther away. If the winds at ground level aren't something you would want to land in, don't let them talk you into it. At some point you still have to land.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[MotherGoose 0]

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What about RSLs? The last time I did a cross country, everyone was yelling at me in the plane because I had my RSL hooked up, something about "how if you have a cutaway you'll fuck up everyone else..." I don't think they really understood why either, probably just something they always heard. We were not doing CRW either.

I've never heard that and I've done cross-countries at several large boogies where the jumps are well-organized with safety briefings from folks that are much more experienced than I am ... did you ask them why it was going to "mess everyone else up"?

We watched the folks at LP gear up for the sunset cross contry. from what we saw a lot of people unhooked their RSl and attached it to the cutaway cable housing. to keep it ot of the way.

The other thing we noticed that a lot of folks undid their riser covers while waiting to board the acft.

We could guess why but you should ask them. Live and dive? tall man? amazon? etc.

R.I.P.

On my first cross country, we had 10 people go out with a full briefing by experienced jumpers. We were also advised to unhook our RSL's. We were told that not only do you not need one at that altitude, but in case an aircraft is heading at you, you want to be able to cut away and fall well out of its path. If your RSL is attached, you deploy reserve immediately on cut-away and are still in harms way.

As for the riser covers, we all undid them in the plane just before exit. We were told that sub-terminal openings were a bit more pleasant with the riser covers open. We went out at 12,500 ft. and our climbout was well over 7 miles from the DZ. Dress warm and bring a digital camera !!! The shots are amazing !!!!

Turn to find the DZ, don't unstow the brakes until you are sure you're making it back and prepare for a 15 to 20 minute canopy ride. Its really fun.

(everyone had cellphones and some had 2-way radio's)

You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

[wildcard451 0]

Personal lesson to follow:

Don't do crew with someone you just met at the boogie on an 8 miler.

Granted it was fun to both land our reserves in the same field, but I am still pissed that the ohio countryside claimed my freebag and reserve handle.

But damn that was a fun jump!