audible altimeter

[skyfool 0]

For those of you who jump with an audible altimeter, how often do you check your visual altimeter? I just started learning to sit-fly and I'm very aware of the fast fall rate compared to my belly-fly rate. Checking my altimeter on my belly is just a natural thing (I usually fly in mantis position, so its right in front of me. I check it every few seconds.) While learning to sit, checking the altimeter has not been easy. Makes me a little wobbly. I don't want to get an audible and become compacent about checking the visual. I'd appreciate it if some more experienced freefliers could share their own methods of keeping track of the altitude. Thanks!

[QuickDraw 0]

I just thought i would throw this into the hat :

Would it be that difficult to make an alti that projects onto someones goggles or some other type of head-up display ?

Clear LCD would seem ideal. any thoughts ? .....

-- Hope you don't die. --

I'm fucking winning

[Kris 0]

From the time I've started sit-flying I've always worn a wrist-mount. I've just learned to compensate so that I can read it.

If it's a problem, see if your rigger can make you a hip-mount for your altimeter.

Do not depend on your audible. It is a backup only. My ProTrack is set to go off below my break-off and deployment altitudes. If I hear it before I've initiated one of those two then I have severly screwed up. And there has been more then one time where my audible has not gone off on a dive.

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

[jedeisurf 0]

Use your eyes get a visual of where you are at altitude wise. Repeat at at least three times. David

[julesUK 0]

1. get an audible and set it for 500 above breakoff while you're learning to sitfly until you can smoothly and safely transition from whatever body position you're in to a track. At some point you are going to be glad you had it (but don't forget point 5)

2. check your altimeter about once every 10 seconds - if its wrist mounted and you can do it while keeping heading and fallrate unchanged you're doing well as a learner sit flier so its a good thing to practice a lot when learning.

3. get pissed off with yourself whenever the audlible takes you by surprise - if it does then you're not doing 2 properly.

4. be very careful to check your altitude when jumping with other low experience freefliers

5. Never rely on either your audible or your visual altimeter

A good way to avoid being complacent about altitude awareness is to vary the kinds of jumping you do - hop and pops, tracking dives, freefly groups, sitfly groups and FS all have different speeds (and different exit altitudes if you go to enough dropzones) so you don't know when to expect breakoff without looking.

[freakydiver 0]

"Use your eyes get a visual of where you are at altitude wise. Repeat at at least three times."

Couldn't agree with you more. Why do you think that they teach you look at alti look at groun in AFF. The BEST alti is your eyes, its also the least likely to go out of whack when practiced regularly. I personally know of three jumpers who haven't jumped with an alti in over 10 years and do just fine because they use their eyes - and BTW - they are all kick ass any style flyers and swoopers.

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

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

Do not depend on your audible. It is a backup only.

It's actually a backup to a backup. The wrist mount is backup to your eyes looking at the ground.

[fundgh 0]

It may be back up, but I think it is mandatory for FreeFlyers! Not that it is hard to be altitude aware, but altitude goes by fast and if you get caught off guard trying get that sit stable, or trying not cork out under somebody, you need a second set of eyes to keep you in check. I set mine at about 6000 ft so it keeps me aware rather than informing me that I fucked up.

...FUN FOR ALL!

[PhillyKev 0]

Don't disagree. Just pointing out that I don't rely 100% on any altimeter. My primary indicator is the ground rushing up to say hello, not a device that could fail. And I find it sometimes easier to look down at the ground then at my wrist when in a heads up position.

When I'm trying something new, I don't use that as an excuse to lose altitude awareness. My primary goals on every jump is to pull, pull on time, pull stable. Everything else is gravy.

[freakydiver 0]

Even if it is mandatory it should never ever replace your eyes. If you are getting caught off guard trying to get a sit stable or trying not to cork out on someone, than you've progressed to far too fast imho. Altitude first and foremost no matter what. Look at it, learn it, and do not rely on some mechanical device to help you out, and don't get caught up in the fact that just because something is "mandatory" it doesn't mean it is necessary.

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

[sundevil777 102]

Although not too relevant for the average jumper, isn't it true that serious RW teams do not look at their visual altimeters to determine breakoff?

Of course they may be confirming the validity of their audible warning/lack of warning with their experienced sense of altitude from their calibrated eyes.

However I think that the best teams stay devoted without distraction until they get their audible warning. If everyone has one set to the same altitudes, the chance of screwing up is pretty low.

Then again, remember the 4-way team that were all saved by their Cypres? I wonder if they all used audibles?

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

[skymick 0]

Ive gotta admit when im doing team 4 way jumps I raely used my wrist alti, just relied on my Pro-Dytter whihc I know is wrong. But im getting to the stage when I can sense the amount of time ive been in the air so I can tell when we get to 4000 (roughly). And like you said theres 3 other guys in the air with me, so if I see them track off im outa there

[phoenixlpr 0]

I have a ProTrack too. I had 2 mals in a seq. It wasnt so pleasent to hear the siren....(student mode) It gives me more safty. Once Ive mounted altimeter on the chest strap, I couldnt see during the freefall..... I had to trust my eyes a bit, Ive opened by ProTrack, but I wouldve opened anyway. Anyway I use to check my altimeter time to time. Theres one more inportant thing. Ive heard a story that someone was trusting AA, after some time he realized that he left it on ground and he had a low opening. Keep in mind if you dont have it.

Safe landings

[flyer299 0]

I screwed up yesterday on my second jump. The plane took off and I realized I only had my Audible (visual was left on the ground). I didn't panic and did the dive. This was my first time with out the visual.

So I decided to play a game... Guess when the beeps will go just by visual, and Pull high if they didn't come when I thought.

To my surpise I called the beeps with in 2 seconds of 5,000 and 3,500. I wish I didn't have to test my eyes that way, but I felt good that my Eyes and internal clock are good.

Having said that, I made sure my visual altimeter was with me for the rest of the day.

[Jiggs 0]

Don't tell me you "rely" on myself and Jim for breakoff. Sounds like a 4 way cypress fire waiting to happen

Actually playtime is sually over when we decide to freefly, that usually the best time to breakoff.

"Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain."

"In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

[skymick 0]

no just Sam, we both know he's soft enough to actually bother tracking off at 4000' hehe

[Genn 0]

Quote

While learning to sit, checking the altimeter has not been easy.

While you're in a sit position, try just turning your head and wrist...while stayng in the same position.

Is your vision ok? I ask because you said you're used to it being right in front of your face while in the mantis position. Can you read your alti w/your arms extended?

[ChileRelleno 0]

You'll see alot of 4way teams that wear alti's on their hips, that way there is almost always a alti visible in the formation in relation to any teamate.

ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414
Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868

[skyfool 0]

Tanto,
I can see the altimeter well in any belly position I've flown, including mantis or traditional boxman. I have been checking the altimeter in the sit position by turning my head and wrist. At this stage, I'm still concentrating on where my arms, legs and torso need to be to maintain stability and heading, so I wouldn't want to bring an arm in and have to figure out how to compensate.
I said that the alti was "right in front of my face" because in the mantis position (as I was taught) it basically is.
I initiated this whole thread because I've found that even a turn of the head and wrist can make my sit a little shaky. My goals right now are stabilty, heading and of course altitude awareness. I've just found that, as opposed to when I learned how to fly on my belly in AFF, checking the alti in my first few sit jumps has not been as natural.
Thanks for all the great input everyone! And BTW, I am getting coaching from a world class freeflyer, so its not like I'm just tumbling through the sky with my altimeter glued to my face.
Blue skies everyone!