Sad day for the responsible swoopers of this world

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

Quote

Another major US dz has adopted to 180 rule. Skydive Crosskeys has recently implemented this rule. It's sad one dz (SDA) can have such an effect. To implement a rule thinking it will fix things without any teaching, so sad.

Crosskeys has had this rule long before SDA. I visited Crosskeys last year and was told that there were no hook turns greater then 180. I believe (and could be very wrong) this was put into effect after two swoopers had a collision and were killed.

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[billvon 3,058]

>To implement a rule thinking it will fix things without any teaching, so sad.

Teaching wouldn't have saved Bob. Warning and/or grounding Danny would have. You need both education (to teach people what they need to know) and regulation (to keep intentionally dangerous people from putting others at risk) to solve this problem.

[superstu 0]

I was at a DZ this past weekend where there was almost another canopy collision. this DZ has seperate landing area's for high performance and conventianal landings, a "no greater than 180 degree" rule in the main landing area, and a "first person down sets the direction".

in this instance the first person down set a cross wind landing (winds were shifting a little bit), as others landed one jumper initiated a 180 turn to landing in the set cross wind landing and as this person rolled out another person doing a standard landing patter decided to land in to the wind which meant he was cutting off everyone else landing in the proper direction including this swooper. as the person who did the 180 planned out from their turned they were aware enough to turn and avoid the collision. the person doing the standard approach was clueless until they were talked to.

kind of goes to show that it's not the pattern as much as the pilot...kind of like swooping or landing in general, it's not the parachute that makes people good it's the pilot.

in this situation the key preventing factor should have been education. the jumper that landed in to the wind and cut everyone off needs to understand the importance of everyone landing the same direction, how to land cross wind if necessary, and also just how to be more aware.

to all you tandem, AFF, S/L instructors, and experienced canopy coaches, these fundementals MUST be taught right from the begining. if they aren't then it might cost you more than you expect.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[billvon 3,058]

We have a similar problem at Perris, since we also use "first person down sets landing direction" rule in the grass area. When we have problems like the one you describe (people landing opposite to each other) then the grass is closed for that load, and everyone has to land out. Not a problem for us since our landing area outside the grass is huge - but that may not work everywhere.

[frost 1]

This weekend i witnessed a conversation between a fellow swooper and CPC competitor and a local at the hosting DZ.

I dont recall the whole conversation but it came down to this: "you, swoopers, endanger 90% of the skydivers when you get out of the plane. what can i do to teach others to avoid accidents because of you?"

That made me almost lose it, for some odd reason... I just got up and walked away, fearing that i might say something bad to point out the guy's stupidity and it might escalte into a big scene (he was drunk).

Quite possibly the local jumper was stricken with grief over a recent dual fatality at that DZ...

However, the idiocy of making such a statement to a competitive swooper was quite clear and very annoying to me. Annoying because it rubbed me the wrong way, as i consider myself (and 95% of competing swoopers) very well versed in safety as well as in common sense and decision making.

Why am i saying this? Because i think that the canopy control education of non-swooping jumpers is the key here. As far as experienced pilots - it's a constant exercise in good judgment, since they should already have knowledge of the proper piloting techniques in traffic.

SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

[freefli 2]

There was this rule, you are correct. But now it even applies to the pond area.