bhale 0 #1 April 29, 2002 If your DZ is anything like mine, you have been plagued with strong winds, for months.Tandem instructors: What are your maximum winds, and how much do upper winds affect your decision to jump?Here is a scenerio: Ground winds 18-25, gusty. 500-1000 25+, 3,000 40-50, 5,000 50-60 (all winds are MPH). Would you jump? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #2 April 29, 2002 I'm not a TM but I can tell you that I have seen plenty of tandems at multiple DZ's go up in that wind. Looked pretty safe to me as long as you have on the spot shaggers. Hell, thats the only time tandems have really easy landings. "It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,070 #3 April 29, 2002 >Ground winds 18-25, gusty. The key word there is gusty. I'd jump in 20kt winds with a tandem if they were smooth; I would not jump in gusty 15kt winds.-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sebazz1 2 #4 April 29, 2002 Bill is right. I f the winds are steady I have jumped with 25-30 mph winds with a tandem. It's the gusty wind situations I will not jump in. I guess my limit is the same for tandem and personal jumps.Remeber to unhook your RSL before landing. Sometimes it is better to sit down on landing so that student and JM do not fall onto thier backs and get dragged. Make sure catchers are present.In high wind situations I have noticed that the plane will have more dificulty taking off than the actual jump being made. That is if the winds are coming across the runway instead of head on. I saw the otter land on one of the taxi ways that ran perpendiculare to the run way one time because of the high cross wind.SEBAZZ....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #5 April 30, 2002 Winds up to about 20 knots are fine for tandems.When winds get over 22 knots, it gets gusty. Gusts can ruin your chances of landing near the shaggers. Gusts also produce nasty downdrafts just as you are trying to flare.Strength and direction of gusts are directly related to how far downwind of obstacles (trees, buildings, hills, etc) you land. The farther you are from obstacles, the less dangerous the gusts.Suggestion, self-shagging collapses the main canopy quicker than any shagger. The trick is teaching your student to hold the toggles in his/her lap after landing. The tandem instructor quickly reaches up to grab an extra yard/metre of steering line and pulls it all the way down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bhale 0 #6 April 30, 2002 Thanks for the feedback, TI's. I do have around 500+ tandem jumps, and was just curious what your limit was. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
