Internal Clock

[robskydiv 0]

I've noticed that on the average, after leaving the plane, my first altitude check comes right at 32 seconds. If I feel that I need to be even more alert, I'll check 3 times. Once I come off of the hill, again about mid-way through, at break-off, and of course right before pull time. How about you?

[quade 4]

Well, there's probably no point in checking it right off the hill. It's probably not more than 1,000 feet lower than when you left the airplane. I'll assume you also checked just before going to the door.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[robskydiv 0]

Yepper, Quade. You assumed correctly. I check my altitude in the plane before leaving. My point is that we all have an internal clock. While in freefall, when do you check your altitude? And I see that you check every fifteen seconds. I think that you have a beautiful mind.

[jtval 0]

I find myself looking at my alti around 6k...its like clockwork.

I guess it my Biological clock.

I check as I am leaving and I usually find myself at 6k going "HMMM" I should be close.

oh the hybrid, that I spiked on, I checked alot.b/c I didnt know how our fall rate was! it was weird. but i dont normally look at timed intervals

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[PhreeZone 20]

My internal clock is hosed recently. I've started flying a wing suit and 75 seconds for freefall really screws with your mind then when you do RW again its over in a flash.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jtval 0]

I can imagine that screwein with ya!
I was looking into one just to playaround with it ( i wanna get my cam soon)

must be strange-but its better to feel lower then feel higher

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[quade 4]

Quote

And I see that you check every fifteen seconds.

Geeze man, I don't know where you got that from.

For the most part I fly camera and there's almost no way I can do that and even glance at my altimeter.

I mostly rely on the fact that I'm looking more or less straight down at the ground for the majority of freefall and have a pretty damn good idea (by now) of what 4,000 feet AGL looks like.

I also have a Pro-Dytter in my camera helmet, but, um, I rarely look at my altimeter in freefall.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

My clock does not work at all. I skip back and forth from 50 second AFF dives to 70 second RW dives, to 135 second wingsuit dives. I generally have a feel for whatever I am doing, but still rely largely on my audible and how big the ground looks.

Chuck

[robskydiv 0]

Sorry bro. I had noticed that someone had answered the poll and assumed that it was you because of your quick response. Now we both know what happens when we "assume"

[flyer299 0]

I got an audible about 12 jumps ago. Once I forgot to take my normal Altimeter with me. I did the jump and decided to test my Internal Clock. I did a straight Belly to earth (Relaxation dive) and tried to guess the beeps on my audible. I called each beep 1-2 seconds before they went off (5,000 and 3,500). I might have cheated a little bit cause I knew the cloud base was at 3,500 that day (looking at someone else altimeter on the way up).

But I was impressed with my Primary Altitude awarness device (my brain). The thing in my helmet and on my wrist is a good back up device.

[GroundZero 0]

exactly...

100 seconds+ from 13000' make my tandem and aff jumps seen to hurry by.

I get skeered real quick when I'm not wearing my Bird-Man suit!

Chris

[jtval 0]

Quote

I might have cheated a little bit cause I knew the cloud base was at 3,500 that day (looking at someone else altimeter on the way up). .

thas not cheating thats Awareness!

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[John4455 0]

I practice my altimeter checks as part of the dirt dive. Plus I have an audible.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[BlueEyedMonster 0]

My internal clock really screwed me up when I started tracking dives--I wanted to pull really high. I didn't want that to happen when I started sits. So, I forced myself to quit using my internal clock. I watch for the size of roads/rows of corn and beans/trees. If I think there may be a discrepancy with my audible based on that, I check my wrist mount. But, I do not rely on any one method.

If you have a big fallrate range, relying on your internal clock could get you hurt.

[jumperconway 0]

Quote

My internal clock is hosed recently. I've started flying a wing suit and 75 seconds for freefall really screws with your mind then when you do RW again its over in a flash.

Funny, I average over 75 seconds a jump doing RW!

[PhreeZone 20]

I'm averaging 75-80 seconds and being under canopy at 5000 feet still If I was taking it as low as I do on RW jumps... I'm looking at more like 95 seconds. I can't wait to get a Skyflyer3

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[nightjumps 1]

In this order;

An internal clock
The other guy's altimeter while turning points,
Two Dytters
Calibrated eyeballs.
And count while tracking.

I occasionally look at my altimeter.

[robskydiv 0]

Wow flyer, you were really dialed in to have been able to judge your altitude w/out your audible. I remember once after I had sold my first Time-Out! on my first jump w/out it, I had looked at my altimeter, waved off, began to track and my brain was trying so hard to hear it. Really different. Thankyou to all who took the poll and responded.