Night Jumps...any pointers?

[golferbill 0]

I'll be making my first night jumps this weekend...any advice is certianly welcome.. tell me about it!


(I'm sure this issue has been delt with before but lets go there again!)

Thanks!

[Kris 0]

Have fun! My night jumps were some of the most beautiful jumps I've been on yet.

Phreezone wrote a great article on it which is in the safety section.

So you want to make a night jump?

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[2fat2fly 0]

neverf mind, Kris beat me to it

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[ockers 0]

Pull?

[sundevil777 102]

Don't be surprised when your own shadow is coming at you - it will meet you as you land, looks like your getting cut off.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[golferbill 0]

I shall!!!!!!

[bodypilot1 0]

Think of Peter Pan when your in freefall, you'll remember the feeling forever.



Be safe.
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[jonstark 8]

If you can find some RED goggles or glasses to wear for the hour prior to boarding and during the ride up your eyes will be much better adjusted to low light levels. REALLY!

Don't look at any light. Break cyalumes without looking at them.

Next time go nekkid!!!

[peckerhead 0]

My first night jump was #70

It was my 12th jump on a ram-air.....


My, how things have changed....

Get a good briefing, have a plan, and stick to it.

And most of all have fun!

[EvilLurker 2]

It's not a bad idea to take a good look out the door and find the landing zone before you exit. If you're doing a 2-way, stagger your opening altitudes and make sure the high opener has a visual on the low one before setting up and for a landing. Know where the power lines/fences are, they're hard (impossible) to see when it's dark. Borrowing an altimeter with an illuminated dial would beat having a light stick tied to your wrist, like I did. The red goggle idea is good, I didn't do that, either.

[78RATS 0]

the most dangerous time is flying around [blind] under canopy. illuminate yourself.

Rat for Life - Fly till I die
When them stupid ass bitches ask why

[Tonto 1]

(I'm not stalking you.)

The "watch the shadow" advise is really important. I know of several injuries caused by low turns to miss "the dude under the black canopy just below me."

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[CornishChris 5]

Don't fuck up.

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[LilZilla 2]

Hey Hushpuppy, did you say your first? Beeeeeeer!!! Actually, I shouldn't talk cause I'll be jumping with ya this weekend too, and yes........I mean no it won't be my first. Looking forward to it!!!

[EvilLurker 2]

I'd agree with that, if you're doing a 2-way, make sure you have an agreement like "I'll throw out at 4k and you throw out at 2500, then stick to it. Have the person with the higher wing loading be the low puller, then you shouldn't have the possibility of a mid-air. It's pretty hard to find the other canopy in the dark, even if they have a strobe/lightsticks and it really sucks to wonder if they're at your altitude or not. That was what I was most concerned about, but we jumped out plan and ended up with good seperation. (I never saw their canopy until they were on the base leg, and I was looking for them HARD). The solo jump is a piece of cake in comparison, I really enjoyed that one.

[skygirlpc 0]

Hey Bill!
So your doing your first night jump this weekend? You will love it! They are so cool! I don't have much advise to offer, after all I have only done one.

I can tell you though, that MD will take good care of you! He is so good to watch out for first-timers! He may even lend you his lit up altimeter.

I don't know if I will get to stick around that night or not. But, if I'm not there have a great time! And, you owe, you owe!

Blue Skies,
Danielle

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

[droquette 0]

I have been waiting for over a year now to do my first night jump... unfortunatly the opportunity has not been given to me as of yet... any ideas?

HISPA 72 ----- "Muff Brother" 3733

[bnacrazywoman 0]

Bring your cell phone--you never know where you'll land.

BN

[LilZilla 2]

I'd definately have my cell phone with me. My step-mom was dropped off about a mile and a half away from the DZ on her first night jump. She didn't have any idea where the heck she was. Pretty scarry situation I'd bet. From what she said, there were no lights on where she landed so she ended up in a tree in some guys front yard. The owner of the house was pretty suprised when he aswered the door to see a skydiver standing there with a canopy full of leaves and branches.

[TomAiello 26]

Quote

The "watch the shadow" advise is really important. I know of several injuries caused by low turns to miss "the dude under the black canopy just below me."

I think this might be avoidable just by changing the lighting. I actually find that I have trouble landing on night skydives because they turn on so many lights. Is there a "standard" way to light the landing area for a night jump?

The best lighting I've had for night jumps is just a good ambient light (full moon, for example), followed by a bunch of glow sticks just scattered around the landing area. Some spot of light on the ground (but not too bright--something like a glow stick is good) at the edge of the peripheral vision is really useful in judging when to flare. Also some kind of contrasting visual just above ground level (light colored buildings on a dark colored ground are great for this) can be helpful in judging the flare.

Big lights of the variety I've seen on most DZ night jumps tend to just blind and annoy me.

Your mileage may vary, though. I'm over 500 night jumps at this point, so I may be more comfortable with them than some skydivers.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[LilZilla 2]

You could always talk to manafest and get a date posted. Get a list together, and take it from there.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

Don't be surprised when your own shadow is coming at you - it will meet you as you land, looks like your getting cut off.

Good advice.

My one night jump so far is still one of my favorites. It went SUPER well, and was a LOT of fun!
I was counseled that on landing, I should flare a little before I think I should, because due to differences in depth-perception at night, on-time is late, and early is on-time. He was right. I flared a tiny bit early and it ended up being just right. So begin your flare a smidge before you really think you are supposed to. (Of course, please verify this advice with someone more experienced than I am. I think it's right, but hey, I have only 175 jumps.)


Enjoy your night jumps. They're a blast!

Blue skies,
-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Get yourself a glow altimeter, like the Aliti-2 Galaxy, which has a glow face that is really good at night, very readable. (Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have an audible, too.)

On my one night jump, I had a small glowstick taped to my regular altimeter, and it was not very good at all.

A glow-face altimeter is worth the investment.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

I have been waiting for over a year now to do my first night jump... unfortunatly the opportunity has not been given to me as of yet... any ideas?

Really? Likewise my first naked jump. I want to do that really bad.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[shropshire 0]

All of the above ..... and wait for the sun to go down

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