Freefliers beware... 180 go-arounds can be dangerous

[motorheaddown 0]

Greetings,

Being freefliers, as you know, we are typically loaded between the RW teams and students/tandems. On at least two occasions, our FF group was stopped by the pilot on the final leg of the jump run because the spot was getting long. To save time, the pilot made a 180 go-around which was also offset from the previous jump run by about 1/8 mile. Seems reasonable... right? Well, not really.

In both instances, our headdown group beat the previous RW team back to the DZ. In fact, we actually opened on level with the belly-fliers the first time. The second time, I had canopies below making their final approach on landing.

Beware, if the pilot decides to turn downwind from the jump run, there's a good chance jumpers under canopy are somewhere between you and the DZ. You should be even more careful if a large RW group gets out in front of you. They will float even more.

Don't get me wrong; our pilots are some of the best in the business. In fact, one of them jumps, too; he just doesn't freefly. I talked it over with the DZ manager and chief pilot, and they're taking actions to prevent 180s from being a safety hazard at our DZ.

Be careful and don't be afraid to request a FULL go-around if you have concerns about group spacing especially if the group in front of you is flat-flying. If the pilot is making a go-around, insist it's UPWIND. Better to get a long spot than have canopies below making approaches to land. It's up to you to break the chain of events that leads to incidents. Just thought I'd share what has happened to me on more than one occasion.

Thanks,
-scott

[Vertifly 0]

What happened to the replies on this thread!!! ??

[erikzero 0]

delete
delete
delete
delete
lol

[EricaH 0]

This is really interesting, but I have a few ?.

Is this dangerous set up when jump run is say running east west & the drop zone is south of the lateral run, so everyone's heading accross jump run.

I can't see if jump run creats a U & the landing area is in above the open end of the U (kinda like that non-english U w/ a dot above it). Well, that way, the students would be getting out closer to the dz & so they would end up opening directly above the freeflyers heading back to the dz.

Sorry, for the long post, you're right, I can not figure out a configuration where this could end up safe.

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[skymama 37]

Quote

What happened to the replies on this thread!!! ??

Rule #4.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[cheneyneel 0]

Sorry mate I dont seem to see from your post on how the 180 is dangerous. As long as it is off set you are cool.. off set clears you from the airspace that everone else is in... assuming that the winds are out of one direction and jump run was directly into the wind because the direction of the off set jump run makes a huge difference..
You just need to make sure that freefliers are getting out first on the downwind jump run in front of Tnadems and Belly fliers..

If you open even with the belly fliers that left on the original jump run and you left on a 180 off set shit man you guys must have been gong 250++ MPH or belly fliers giong 65mph

[cheneyneel 0]

also it is OK to make it back to the DZ in an order different than the order you left the plane in..

[marks 0]

unless you have somone, maybe a newby, tracking off jump run like he/she was told. then you might have a problem.