Smoke Jumpers

[SKYOCEAN 0]

I did a search and didn't see this question so here goes...I was watching my local news tonight and they showed smoke jumpers in california. Why do they use round chutes? I saw four diffrent angles and they were round. I was under the impression that you can't really steer a round. Seems pretty dangerous in that environment.

I should have been a kickass drummer and a world famous first base man.

[mdrejhon 8]

I think I heard rounds are much safer in a forest environment -- because they "fall into the forest" more cleanly. And more immune to turbulence of a gusty forest too.

Some other expert will be glad to expand on this...

Rounds aren't that dangerous per se -- you can steer them to a limited extent I heard. Not very easily, but well enough to land safely between trees.

[DJL 235]

It's pointless to have the performace of a square; detrimental, when you think of the tight spots they're shooting for.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[slotperfect 7]

I have been through the USFS Smoke Jumper course in Missoula, MT. Although that was a long time ago, and things may be changing, USFS jumpers used round canopies because most of their landings (due to terrain) were intentional tree landings. Jumpers would cap the tree they landed in on purpose so they were safely and securely hung up in the tree. Then they would use a let down rope coiled/folded in their cargo pocket to lower themselves from the cutaway main. Then they put their climbing gear on, get back into the tree, and go get their parachute out.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Smoke Jumpers used ram-airs because the terrain they jumped in allowed for nearly always finding a small landing area to put down in.

As I said, I'm not sure if that's their way of thinking now. I listened to Bill Gargano at the last Symposium talking about the huge difference in philosophy between the two groups during breakfast one morning.

Arrive Safely

John

[SKYOCEAN 0]

That makes sense to me thanks!

I should have been a kickass drummer and a world famous first base man.

[DanDruff 0]

There is a huge sense of loyalitly between the blm and fs jumpers for the equipment they use. if you asked one from either organization who had the best equipment they both would have the same answer. Jumpers are also mobile resources. They will move from one jump base to another as conditions dictate even if its Blm land or FS land. Its also common for thier to be mixed loads of squares and rounds in the same plane. and from the last news i heard the fs is trying to develop a system for its own jumpers using the squares. and for anybodys info i spent 5 years working for the blm as a hotshot, i missed my chance to be a jumper when i got a stress fracture on my tiba after day 5 of rookie training.