More to come?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

With spring here and summer just around the corner (or already here depending on geography), one has to think that there will be many more incidents and accidents to happen in the coming months. I've already started to see many of the people who jump at my home DZ start to have issues with their landings (what with the higher density altitude occuring as the weather heats up) and for all those rusty skydivers who've been hibernating all winter now showing up at the DZs. Are we entering a new season of carnage?

I'm 34 jumps into my latest downsizing saga and while I'm happy to report that I've stood up 33 of those 34 landings (the only biff occurred on my 2nd jump with my new canopy), I do realize that things will only be getting faster and faster for me as the weather heats up and I gain more experience but at the same time maybe gain more confidence which has the potential of putting myself in a bad position. So I just thought I'd mention that I'm happy with my new canopy, it's plenty zippy and challenging enough for me right now and I have no plans on downsizing anytime soon.

So back to the topic at hand. How do some of you feel about some of the other jumpers you're seeing at your respective dropzones? Do we have a chance to curb our injuries and deaths this season, or do we expect trouble? Once again, I'm saying all of this because I'm seeing many canopy pilots (even ones way more experienced than myself) biffing in their landings at this time of year when a few months ago they weren't.

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

[billvon 2,991]

>How do some of you feel about some of the other jumpers you're
>seeing at your respective dropzones?

We are fortunate here in that there's no off season. Few people get uncurrent in the winter here, since you can jump year-round. If anything, injuries seem to happen more often during the summer/early fall as density altitude increases and the winds get nasty.

[riddler 0]

Canuck - I saw the same thing last spring. It seemed like as the weather was getting warmer, incidents suddenly spiked, but then got a little better in the summer.

I'm guessing it's combination. Lots of folks don't jump in the cold, so they're out of practice. People have forgotten what it's like to have that many jumpers in the air at once, so collisions/wraps are more prevalent. Density altitude makes landings that much faster. More total jumps increase incidents.

I think it's true for everyone - not just jumpers. Pilots, manifest, S&TAs (with procedures), etc. The increase in traffic and the changing weather conditions.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD