Landing Direction

[karlm 0]

At JSC (Johannesburg Skydiving Club) we have developed a descent area and landing pattern program that has been very well received at the DZ.

We fly a PC-6 Porter and have divided our landing area into two areas, one is for Pro Rated (jumpers who have a rating to do demo jumps) and the other for the rest of us.

I have attached a jpeg of one of the patterns, as they rotate according to wind direction.

The diagrams are placed at manifest and all load masters are aware of the system and chat to the jumpers before boarding.

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[piisfish 140]

there are 4 "main" wind directions and accordingly different landing patterns at JSC. The only point is that the correct sheet has to be displayed at manifest

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[JohnRich 4]

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At JSC (Johannesburg Skydiving Club) we have developed a descent area and landing pattern program that has been very well received at the DZ. I have attached a jpeg of one of the patterns, as they rotate according to wind direction.

Excellent! All you have to do is slap something like this up next to the manifest window.

[3ringheathen 0]

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As I said before, the general rule there is to follow the windsock. However, if the windsock is limp, then and only then, would this sign have any meaning

Why not just have an established landing pattern for no wind/light and variable?

At my dz, the prevailing wind is out of the west. Therefore, when the wind sock is limp, everyone lands to the west. No sign needed. It's standard practice, and it's what people are most familiar with anyways.
-Josh

If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me*
*Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

[karlm 0]

Yip, thats just what we do, the duty staff of the day keep an eye on the wind and change the chart to reflect the current direction.

It has become a very useful tool for both students and visitors at the DZ.

We also have a rule for "no wind" or "light wind" days, and that is landing with the club on your right. Keeps it all simple.

Our jumpers also have become more educated and there is always a chat about landing direction and descent areas before take off.

We have found that the split landing approach and descent areas, have kept the students and less skilled away from the buildings. And helped keep the air traffic issues low. With over 400 drops a weekend it can get busy.

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[JohnRich 4]

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Why not just have an established landing pattern for no wind/light and variable?

At my dz, the prevailing wind is out of the west. Therefore, when the wind sock is limp, everyone lands to the west. No sign needed. It's standard practice, and it's what people are most familiar with anyways.

Our landing area is long and "skinny", with the long ends running north and south. So we generally like to land in one of those two directions. However there is no "usual" wind direction; it can come from any direction; N, S, E or W. So, while I like your method, your scenario doesn't fit as well at this location.

The problem would be if we set up a default "north" landing direction, but the winds had been from the south previously, for example, prior to the wind sock going limp. That would create a contradictory situation.