Will you land off with your jump buddies

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Obviously this poll doesn't apply to you if you don't know about the malfunction one of your jump buddies may have just experienced if you only learn about it on the ground. But if you see one of you jump buddies cutaway from a malfunction from the air, what are you likely to do?

This weekend I did my first formal CReW training (and yes all my fellow freefliers got a kick out of seeing my rig with risers and a Lightning 176 canopy sticking out of my container which was built for a 135) and during the briefing, my CReW dog instructor told me about one of his pet peeves in the regular skydiving world and that is that many times, when someone cuts away from a malfunctioning main, they are on their own. In otherwords, in the CReW world, the dogs work together and if one person is landing off they all are landing off (or at least one other CReW dog will be there with them). And I got to experience this first hand yesterday. So while on my 2nd CReW jump of the day, one of my instructors had two lines break on his main canopy upon opening. He gave us the sign not to come in and dock and rode the mal out until somewhere above 2k where he cutaway and deployed his reserve. And then myself and my other CReW dog instructor proceeded to follow Super-Dave's gear down into some farmers field. Steve S (my other instructor) was happy to see that I remembered the "CReW dogs look after each other" comments and it was good that two of us were in that field as we helped each other get our gear and Super-Dave's gear over several barb wire fences. Of course it also is a good idea to be there to help you buddies out if they have a bad landing.

So from now on, when I see one of my jump buddies cutaway from a malfunctioning main, I will make a point to land off with them and/or their gear. What will you do?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[SkySlut 0]

I guess it depends on who it is and what their skill level is...If they look like they are having problems or arent very experienced, I would land with them. If they look fine and I feel that they have the skills to deal with the situation at hand, then I would keep an eye out for their gear. So I guess it depends on the situation and person, but I would be willing to land out to help out.

[Brian425 0]

As a newbie, I don't have the skills to follow someone unless I know they are going to land in a big open area. Once I have the skills I would follow. No one should be left alone in a potentially dangerous position. Even if everything ends up ok, it would be nice to have someone to help you look for gear and walk back with. I would also guess it's a good way to make a new friend.

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[piisfish 140]

I try to land out with the other. The same with an outlanding not due to a mal.

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

[bbarnhouse 0]

I think it depends on how far off they land. If it is way out, yes I will always land off with my buddy even if I can make it back.
I would hope that my buddy would do the same.

[jerry81 10]

a)If (knock on wood) one of the people I jumped with had to cutaway, I'm keeping an eye out for their gear and landing out with them if they can't make it back.
b)If they can make it back, I'm keeping an eye on their gear nevertheless- not neccesarily following it all the way down, but definitely noting where it went.
c)If we're all too far (and noone had any malfunctions), I'd still rather land with others (and have in the past), even if it means a longer walk- more fun to return together and bitch about the spot, easier for anyone to pick us up and safer if someone should (knock on wood again) hurt themself on landing and needed help.

---

[relyon 0]

My priorities are:

1. Make sure the person under reserve is OK and someone lands with them.
   
2. Follow the gear. I'll catch a freebag if there's altitude and airspace; I won't touch a main in the air if I don't already have it when it's chopped. I'll follow stuff most anywhere that doesn't put me in significant risk.
   
3. Always land together when landing out if at all possible.

I've followed freefallers under reserve and spotted and/or retrieved gear on a couple of occasions. Without exception they've been pleasantly surprised to find out someone was looking out for them when they expected to be on their own.

Bob

[councilman24 37]

IF you have the skill and appropriate equipment to do it safely you or someone should go along. 11 out of 13 of the last UNintentional low turn fatalities were off field landings. While I don't know and don't mean to imply any of these could have survived if other jumpers landed with them (and they may have in all cases) it can't hurt to have help. Even untrained help to guide others. Again, if your not experience and sure that you can recognize the dangers and land off field safely, don't become another incident.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

My priorities are:

1. Make sure the person under reserve is OK and someone lands with them.
   
2. Follow the gear. I'll catch a freebag if there's altitude and airspace; I won't touch a main in the air if I don't already have it when it's chopped. I'll follow stuff most anywhere that doesn't put me in significant risk.
   
3. Always land together when landing out if at all possible.

yup

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[wmw999 2,534]

I've done it in the past, and having used my reserve about a month ago and lost the freebag and pilot chute in part because no one followed me down (hard pull, so no main at least), I'll keep doing it.

Folks, whoever just dumped their reserve might be jumping a new reserve, they might still be taking inventory and forget about the freebag, or whatever. It's cheap to land with them if the area is unobstructed, and a description (preferably contradictory with someone else's) of where it might be, 1/2 hour later, just doesn't cut it as well for finding the freebag.

Those suckers are expensive, too

And that's not even taking into account the possibility of hurting yourself jumping an unfamiliar canopy, or having had the original mal because of a physical problem.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[FrogNog 1]

It depends on what the outs look like. If the outs look reasonably safe, I would land off. If it's unreasonably unsafe to land off, I have to protect Number One.

"Reasonably Safe" has to do with my skill level at the time and knowledge of the area.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[Nightingale 0]

if they were experienced, I'd keep an eye out for their gear and do my best to take note of where they landed. A total newbie, I'd keep an eye out for where they landed. I'd rather not land out on purpose just yet.

[WrongWay 0]

I'll land off with them, malfunction or not. If they're a newbie, chances are more likely for an injury, and even with experienced jumpers, anything could go wrong, and it's never good to be alone. For safety's sake, and just so the person won't have to walk or hitchhike back alone, I'll land off too.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[boxingrrl 0]

I don't have any problem landing off, especially if I can help someone retrieve their gear. The only time I have to boogie back to the DZ is if I'm doing a tandem video. Not many TM's would follow me into a field for the heck of it. I've been able to film a few freebag and main landings though, that were useful in finding the gear later.

[Albatross 0]

It is all about the canopy you are jumping and your comofort landing it 100% safely in the area. NO Gear is worth an injury cause you were stupid. That being said I follow gear and try to land near the person especially if they are inexperienced since they might not be used to the reserve's flight and flare and might be hurt or just shaken or disoriented.

I mean I was lucky on my reserve ride I was right over the DZ with no wind so my gear all landed near me and i landed in the main area and my free-bag was at the packing area before I was.
Thanks teammates

Chris

[TomAiello 26]

I always thought it was weird when someone had a malfunction, and everyone landed back at the regular LZ, chattering about it.

Personally, if I see it I'll almost always follow a piece of gear (the chopped main, if no one is going after it, otherwise the free bag), just because I've lost stuff chopping before, and it sucked.

I figure the extra karma I get from making sure someone gets their canopy back is well worth the load I might miss landing off.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[packerboy 3]

I landed a freebag in the bowl last summer!

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In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[SkydiveMO 0]

Where ever I've ever jumped one person gets to chase the Main, one the freebag, and if the jumper who cut away can't make it back a person lands with them. It's nice to know that everone is watching out for each other.

[USPA 0]

Every jumper at my DZ is followed from opening to landing, especially when it's likely the land out and we have a car standing by, key's in it with phone, radio and first aid supplies. Ussually the car is driving before jumper or his material reaches the ground.

Off course when I'm landing out, my own saferty comes first. Lying on the ground being another incident/ emergence doesn't help the situation.

When I'm doing a Tandemvideo, my priority is with the passenger. They paid a lot of money. Also if I land out with tandemvideo there's another "and someone almost died" story out there. I do have an eye out off course for both person and material, but the car is probably on it's way anyway. (Excemption would be like a look hookturn in the field (cause every second might count)

I always land next to people (students!) I don;t see standing up. I always chase materials if I spot them, priority for the freebag (if you got the freebag, you ussually can find the main easier than the other way around). When chasing the main (easier to spot) BE VERY CAREFULL OF THE FREEBAG it's around there chasing you

( Last year saw someon cutaway out of the corners of my eyes while I had line strech and after checks tried to spot the gear. Couldn't find the freebag so chased the main... Looking looking looking, (and looking aorund where the rest was going.. all the other way, ok), looking looking, ok it's gonna land there. Now where is that freebag? Looking forward "OH SHIT" and just passed it... ( 1000 feet) )

Last, when I'm jumping with e.g. a 4-way and doing video, they land out, then I also land out. (with them)

The trouble with skydiving; If you stink at it and continue to jump, you'll die. If you're good at it and continue to jump, you'll see a lot of friends die...

[Ron 10]

Depends.....

I most likley will try to make the DZ if I can.

My reasons:

1. The safest place to land is on target. Given the choice, I land where I know the terrain and obstacals.

2. If you land with a guy that is hurt..what are you gonna do? If you don't have medical training you could make the situation much worse.

3. If they guy is hurt...Is it better to have a guy with no training trying to help, or have the guy land on the DZ and send people to help him?

So if I can make the DZ I do. And I send someone to get him or I go get him myself.

Now there are plenty of times I land out with people...But the best plan in my opinion is locate the jumper and his gear and land on the DZ and dispatch help.

There have been accidents where people tried to land out to help people.

My team had a plan.

If one jumper has a mal...One person follows the jumper down..the others look for the gear and try to make the DZ and send help.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[crwmike 0]

If I have reason to believe them injured/incapacitated, I land with them in any place I believe I can survive and still be able to function to help.

If evidence indicates they are unharmed and must land off, I land as close by as I can in a safe area.

I follow gear to any safe area and will either get directions/coordinates or land at a safe nearby spot if it's going in the shit.

If we all are landing off, we try to land together. Just like landing direction, if the low Dog chooses a LZ that I can reasonably and safely make, I'll go there.

CRWDogs don't let CRWDogs land alone.

Skies,

Michael

[OzoneJunkie 0]

I found 2 mains last year cuz I followed friends/gear down. My buds do the same for me. Only time I won't is when it's obviously dangerous. But, our dz landing area is on the smallish side, so opting for a soccer field is like a step up ;)

[pajarito 0]

If someone I'm jumping with has a cutaway, I'm following that person down every time to make sure that they're ok. No matter what their experience level is.

[ericber 0]

I agree with pajarito. Follow the person and make sure they are ok; just me.

Blue Skies
Eric Bernstein
D-9298
ericber@oz.net

[VectorBoy 0]

I will chase gear ( and have done so ) I will land out with someone else ( and again have done so in the past ) I will not follow someone into a bad landing situation thats guaranteed to make it a double trouble situation, why add to the burden of the first responders? Survival is a personal situation and a mandatory responsibility.

I will also not follow someone who is doing all of the wrong things in order to make it back. Set an example if you made it back they can too, show them how afterward.