Tail Strike Avoidance

[diablopilot 2]

Be part of the solution or quit. Your post has the tone that you're entitled to things that you need to do for yourself and you're expecting others to be giving you something.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[billvon 3,068]

>most places i have ever been to have asked to see everything like
>reserve pack dates, AADs, licenses.

I've jumped at Raeford. They asked to see my packing data card and license, even though they knew me when I first showed up.

> i think it should be addressed

True. Grounding people like yourself who work to find ways around the system is a good solution.

[iambeav2 0]

Ok, can't lurk anymore. I may or may not know any of the posters in this thread except for the OP...but I was at Raeford this past weekend and I had "Forsaken"'s experience...I walked up and asked Tony where to sign up to jump (I've jumped in NC all my career, but never at Raeford). He said go to manifest. The lady there, VERY nice yes, gave me a slip of paper to fill out and told me to go get my shit checked out at the school. Walked in there, saw Tony again, asked him to look at my stuff b/c manifest said so. He asked me, "Is it in date", and I said yeah...and he said it was fine. I never even took my gear bag off my back to get the rig out. I walked back up, handed her my slip and 25$ and proceeded to jump by myself. Was spoken to ONLY by people I knew previously, none of the standard Raeford crew. I had to ask if there was any designated swoop, tandem, student area and which type of pattern there was...and it was hard to get this outta some people. So, just to add and hopefully not flame...I got the "no verification" service. I didn't even have to whip out my card to prove I was a USPA member or licensed jumper.

...it's not the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone...it's the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until someone appreciates it for you!

[diablopilot 2]

  Quote

Ok, can't lurk anymore. I may or may not know any of the posters in this thread except for the OP...but I was at Raeford this past weekend and I had "Forsaken"'s experience...I walked up and asked Tony where to sign up to jump (I've jumped in NC all my career, but never at Raeford). He said go to manifest. The lady there, VERY nice yes, gave me a slip of paper to fill out and told me to go get my shit checked out at the school. Walked in there, saw Tony again, asked him to look at my stuff b/c manifest said so. He asked me, "Is it in date", and I said yeah...and he said it was fine. I never even took my gear bag off my back to get the rig out. I walked back up, handed her my slip and 25$ and proceeded to jump by myself. Was spoken to ONLY by people I knew previously, none of the standard Raeford crew. I had to ask if there was any designated swoop, tandem, student area and which type of pattern there was...and it was hard to get this outta some people. So, just to add and hopefully not flame...I got the "no verification" service. I didn't even have to whip out my card to prove I was a USPA member or licensed jumper.

Sounds like things are working well, or did you want to be patted down, strip searched or more?

This ain't the TSA, and we don't need our hands held when we put on our big boy pants and go to the DZ.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[humanflite 0]

  Quote

Sounds like things are working well, or did you want to be patted down, strip searched or more?

This ain't the TSA, and we don't need our hands held when we put on our big boy pants and go to the DZ.

Bingo

Forsaken and iambev

Things happen at DZs like this regularly (I know of several I visit regularly)

it doesnt make them a bad DZ and posting it in a forum like this does not really help, at all.

This thread is about avoiding tail strikes, not dropping a DZO in the brown stuff.

[ozzy13 0]

+1

Never give the gates up and always trust your rears!

[iambeav2 0]

Not dropping them at all...I went to the tunnel meet and needed to get a jump in during the day, so I went there. I know all to well "If you don't like it, don't go." and therefore I don't go. I was just adding to forsaken b/c apparently nobody seemed to believe that he wasn't checked. I wasn't unhappy that I wasn't checked at all...but def. didn't get the "Welcome, this is what you should know about this DZ" that I think every DZ should do. You know, just a few things here and there. I am in no way flaming, as stated in my original, but it was my only option to go to for the tunnel meet. Any other occassion, I just choose not to go there.

Now on top of that, I know the jumper hurt as do many here, and I'm just saying, what if another 50ish to 75ish jumper decided to go out here, after her main DZ was a Cessna DZ and knew nothing about anything...and got no advice or guidance, something similar could happen. Sorry to make it SEEM as if I was shitting on this DZ, and I honestly am not. I have my opinions and those will be set aside for a different thread.

...it's not the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone...it's the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until someone appreciates it for you!

[DougH 270]

I have to raise the BS flag!!

This is a dangerous sport and people should know to ask questions when encountering new things.

A new DZ, a new plane, a new body position, a new discipline... you should be asking questions for any of these things. Identify the relevant information, the dangers, the rules and procedures for that specific dz, etc. That is the responsibility of every jumper that isn't a student.

75 jumps doesn't equate to ten years old! Just because manifest didn't spoon feed her the information doesn't mean it wasn't available if she had simply asked for it.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[iambeav2 0]

Ok.

...it's not the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone...it's the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until someone appreciates it for you!

[fasted3 0]

I agree with you 100%. If they don't tell you, ask!

And for the record, I went to Raeford with 85 jumps.
They checked my equipment, logbook, and license before I jumped. I was given a thorough briefing to include exiting a low tail aircraft. Several older jumpers took me in and gave me an advanced course in skydiving, for free.
I find it hard to believe that a young jumper was able to slip thru the cracks there. If it did happen, I would think it an exception, not the rule. In any case, it is still the jumpers responsibility to ask those questions.

But what do I know?

[Bolas 5]

When I go to a new DZ:

* I ask to see an arial map
* Get someone to point out any hazards
* LZ restrictions
* Exit order
* Wind indicators
* Landing directions
* Etc.

Some places give me "the tour" without asking, others don't.

Besides, if you're gonna complain about Raeford, complain about the outdoor concrete packing...

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Okay, spread the word to the new jumpers on tail strike avoidance. Dive out low, aiming for the floor. Tuck up in a ball and do a few flips. You'll clear the tail better and have more fun. Don't catch any more air than you have to. Don't hop up at all.

[riggerrob 643]

".... the speed of the aircraft was still pretty fast because obviously the pilot was still trying to gain altitude, ..."

.........................................................................

You have a lot to learn about airplanes.

Airplanes do not climb when they are going fast.
They need to slow down to best rate of climb speed/best angle of glide speed/approach speed/jump run speed to climb.

[riggerrob 643]

We learned the answer - to avoiding tail strikes sixty-some-odd years ago - back during the Second World War.
Why do skydivers insist on re-learning lessons the hard way?
Shortly after they started using DC-3s/C-47s/Dakotas to drop static-liners, the British Army recognized the risk of tail strike. Their solution was to drop a notch or two of flaps to place the airplane in a tail high attitude.

Skydivers and the Royal Canadian Air Force re-learned that lesson in the early 1980s.


If the Royal Air Force could learn that lesson in 1942, why are skydivers still ignorant?

[raymond_jones 0]

a couple of thoughts...............

1.) she has 75 jumps, so she should have an "A" license. she doesn't have to have an AAD if she doesn't want one and the DZ doesn't make it mandatory. or she has 75 jumps, has NO "A" license (should have .an AAD) and probably should take up bowling.

2.) she jumped up. (thats her own damn fault and no one elses) even if an experienced jumper said something to her theres a good chance she would have jumped up anyhow, most likely because she has done it 74 times before.

3.) Raeford normally does check gear and paperwork. I know cause i jump there and have been checked after being gone for a few months or years.

4.) for ppl coming from a DZ whose motto is "if your gonna be stupid, you'd better be tough!" you sure bitch a lot about things.

JUST JUMP !!!!!! ( but not UP !!!!!!) a new motto for you free of charge.)

"your the shit till you eat it !!!!!!!! damn that wall hurts..."

[iambeav2 0]

+1+1+1+1 for the fellow Sonic Beefer!!

...it's not the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone...it's the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until someone appreciates it for you!