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freakydiver

Just tracked from rw, going to pull, someone below now what?

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This seems to be popping up with some increased frequency around here as of late. Let's say you are involved in a rw jump of some sort (i.e. more than a solo). At the end of the jump you track and notice someone directly below you, what do you do when he or she is waving off about to dump in your face. Let's say the seperation is more than a 100 feet. I'm just bored at work and want to spawn a lil conversation, plus, it can't hurt to learn something new right???

Also, keep in mind, responses will be different based on what canopy you might have as a main...

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

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Also, keep in mind, responses will be different based on what canopy you might have as a main...



WHaaaa?

Somebody tracks under me and pulls, I don't care if its a 24 foot Xaos or a tandem. If you are already in a track you should have enough speed to maneuver to either side quickly. When flying RW camera, it's tougher cause you don't have any speed to work with when somebody dumps underneath you.

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What altitude?


If I'm in a track and they are directly below me, I'll keep tracking. Below and in front, I'd turn left. Why left? I seems to be my first choice. I've taken it down to about 1800' to avoid people on a big way break off. I'd feel comfortable doing it again. I've been much lower, but the risk starts out weighing the risk of a canopy collision.

It should be pointed out that these situations should never just "happen". When tracking away from a formation, especially a big way, your eyes should be scanning ahead, below, behind, left and right, of your path. You should have at least 5-6 seconds to do this.

One of the reasons I wear a chest mount on bigways is just this. When I track off, I note the vectors my right and left hand tracking partners are taking and adjust mine accordingly. I track for the determined amount of time going for the most distance covering body position possible. I look ahead of me to clear my airspace checking for the first wave(s) if there is one as I continue to track, I glance down and back and take a peek at my altimeter. When the time to dump comes it's check forward, down, back, left, right, and over the shoulder as I'm reaching for the handle.

Stay safe by staying aware of your surroundings.

On smaller way stuff (8ish or less) FF or RW (or whatever) you should be able to have a pretty good idea of where everyone is and where they are going at break off.

I've filmed some pretty good funnels on 6 to 8 ways where I wouldn't dump even though I had the center until I could account for each person. As they get bigger you just have to trust in your fellow skydivers to have the skills and awareness to play safe.
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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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Let's say the seperation is more than a 100 feet.



vertical or horizontal?

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Also, keep in mind, responses will be different based on what canopy you might have as a main...



Yhy on earth would answers differ?

I don't care if the guy above me has the most horribly slamming sabre ever created, it still won't open fast enough to prevent him killing my ass if he's only 100ft above me.

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I don't care if the guy above me has the most horribly slamming sabre ever created, it still won't open fast enough to prevent him killing my ass if he's only 100ft above me.



What if he pulls before you do? If he sees someone below him waving, he could skip waving himself and just pull.

I'm not saying this is better (or worse) than trying to avoid in freefall. I'm just saying that if the high person starts deployment before the low person, the high person gains an edge (which may or may not be enough).

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

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Good points, I was just throwing this out there to spawn conversation on it. I suppose a I probably pictured more like 300-500 vertical seperation when I said answers may vary. They could potentially vary with that type of vert seperation, dunno just bored at work heh...

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

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Let's say the reverse is true - you're the low man. One doesn't dump immediately of course, because that'd be inviting disaster. But if you get into one of those awkward situations like when you meet a person going in the opposite direction in a hall, and you both side stepp and keep blocking each others way, what options do you have as the low jumper, except sucking it low and wait for the other jumper to throw his pilot chute?

Sooner or later you have to get something out, after all, and hearing the third YEEOYEEOYEEO dytter warning is sorta scary.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

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