I am comfortable exiting at... (non-emergency)

[fcajump 164]

Ok... lets put a little real world to it.
You current are HOT to jump.
You have your choice of rigs for the given conditions. (you don't have to take the sniveler or spin-rocket)
Weather is fine, except for the hard ceiling of clouds (no busting ).
Pilot will only go x high. How high do you need to be comfortable with a H&P?

JW

PS - I am always amused at the "low pass" at 5,500-8000', and the looks I get from jumpers who have never jumped anything but the Otter at 14k.
PPS - limited to 2k based on USPA BSR's.

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[pilotdave 0]

Ha, I'm surprised you started at 2000'. I know plenty of people that have gotten out below that.

I'm fine with 2000 feet and have done it a number of times... but the ground does look awfully big.
Dave

[dragon2 2]

In a non-emergency, lowest altitude here you are allowed out is 2.5k, so of course I never got out any lower

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Scrumpot 1]

Depends on how big the RW Group is, and/or how many (and exp levels) of those I will be chunking off with me. Also need to consider how many points we will want to successfully turn. - Anything above 2k will do. 3k if I'm going larger than 6-way is all.

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[skycamefalling 0]

The lowest I have gotten out at is 3k. I would get out at 2k though.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[pchapman 279]

Time to snicker at turbine babies!

Just recently in another thread a new guy wrote about not wanting to "suck it down to 3000 ft" before deploying.

[theonlyski 8]

1000' AGL

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[jdatc 0]

Quote

Ok... lets put a little real world to it.
You current are HOT to jump.

You have your choice of rigs for the given conditions. (you don't have to take the sniveler or spin-rocket)s.

I've gotten out with the wingsuit at 2k a few times if there was nothing else. But I have a undersized base canopy I freepack into one of my skydiving rigs, so I don't really mind.

Put me in my largest suit on my Crossfire 2 rig, pulling via BOC and I'd opt out. right tool for the job.

of Course making 80+ wingsuit base jumps this year does factor in to my 'low altitude' currency.

Truth is though, I'd rather take the higher hop and pop and fly a bit... but if 2k is it.....

_justin

ps I was one of those people who learned via AFF, so for a time, spoiled with hop and pops at 5k, I would have considered anything less than that low about 6 years ago.

[crotalus01 0]

2000 feet is just fine. If I still had my Sabre I wouldnt have a problem getting out at 1500 feet - I would be under canopy by 1400 feet if it was a slow opening

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Ok... lets put a little real world to it.
You current are HOT to jump.
You have your choice of rigs for the given conditions. (you don't have to take the sniveler or spin-rocket)
Weather is fine, except for the hard ceiling of clouds (no busting ).
Pilot will only go x high. How high do you need to be comfortable with a H&P?

JW

PS - I am always amused at the "low pass" at 5,500-8000', and the looks I get from jumpers who have never jumped anything but the Otter at 14k.
PPS - limited to 2k based on USPA BSR's.

I am good with 2 K.... up here with the clouds....you do what you gotta do on those wind dummy loads

[billvon 3,076]

With the right gear, the right airplane and the right DZ I'd get out at 500 feet.

[JohanW 0]

Static line round, fast plane, (soft, flat) Russian DZ?

Johan.
I am. I think.

[Hellis 0]

Quote

Pilot will only go x high. How high do you need to be comfortable with a H&P?

Hey! Why would you force us to do a H&P?
Such a waste! From 2000 you could probably get atleast 3 points and still beat the AAD

Or is this poll meant to be in inches?

[kimemerson 7]

I've done 1,500' From a Cessna with a bungee pilot chute.

Here's someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtoTJ9Aic8

[Skyper 0]

Quote

I've done 1,500' From a Cessna with a bungee pilot chute.

Here's someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtoTJ9Aic8

yeah, sure. As I said before, it depends on how much money you've got. Go jump from bridges it's low and you don't need any financial, legislative nor administrational burdens. You don't even need reserve, AAD, Rig and all that "non-cool" and "uncomfortable" stuff. be free, jump chute free!

[DARK 0]

i probably wouldnt voluntarily get on a load that i knew ws only going to 2K or 2.5K but i wouldnt have a problem getting out at that height if i as on a load and the pilot all of a sudden said thats all we could get

i started doing static line from 3K and sometimes a bit lower so i dont mind it really but i definitely know people who ahve aff progression and their lowest exit has been their 5,500 hop and pop as a student

im not sure how i feel about their opinions i guess its personal choice but im glad that in an emergency situation between 2 and 3 grand all that would be running threw my head would be get out safely and not oh shit we are 2k and i gotta get out

[fcajump 164]

OK... should have known better...

I was curious to hear about the folks that won't suck it down low (
NOT trying to encourage folks to suck it down to 450'

I routinely jump an airshow where a "high" altitude jump ("wasting fuel" to hear one pilot tell it) is anything above 3k'. With a ceiling, we'll do the jump at 2k' at which my Spectre gets a bit... slow.

Then I go to the local Otter DZ and get nervous looks when I get out at 4,500' when the pilot turns on the "low pass" early. And many indicate that they've never been out that low...

Thanks for replies on both sides... Makes good reading.

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[VideoFly 0]

Since I broke my neck on a hard opening, I have switched back to my old Cobalt 150, which takes 1,200 to 1,800 feet to open beautifully. Therefore, the days of comfortably exiting low are over. Years ago, 2,000 feet on my Sabre 1 did not bother me, but if I were in an emergency situation at 2,000 feet or below, I’d go to my reserve first.

[sniper1rfa 0]

Quote

I was curious to hear about the folks that won't suck it down low (<4,500) as the new generation of turbine AFF jumpers.

Turbine AFF baby checking in. No problem getting out at 3500, but I actually did my H&P at 3500 - a lot of the guys at my DZ this year ended up doing the "3500" quite a bit higher.

I'm new, though, so I don't like going much lower, mainly because I've never had a mal and would like plenty of time to deal with it should it occur. From freefall I like to pull at 4k minimum. Don't have anything to prove, and the extra 5 seconds isn't that tempting.

I also really like my canopy time, and probably wouldn't get on a load if we weren't going to get 5000 or better.

[fcajump 164]

[replyDon't have anything to prove, and the extra 5 seconds isn't that tempting.

[jimmytavino 16]

my answer is...
All of the Above

might lay out my pilot chute, just as i'm losing the propwash...
( rather than go 3 or 4 seconds..
and be in "slower air"... at which point deployment could be more sluggish )
if we were at 2 grand or lower for the exit...though...
The trick on low H & Ps is to be Able to resist the temptation to extend the freefall all the way to terminal velocity...
no matter how nice it feels....That can be Ok at 4 grand or above... but not for any exit under 2,500 feet...

jt

[pinkfairy 0]

AMERICANS!



1500' for me, that's the lowest you can go here in Norway.

I've got a small size Pilot that I'm very current on, I always pack the same packjob: on heading, flat front, works from terminal, works from H&P.

I've never exited lower than 2000' and that was pretty intense, but I'll take 1500' if I can get it. I think it would be an extra kick.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[kimemerson 7]

Quote

Quote

I've done 1,500' From a Cessna with a bungee pilot chute.

Here's someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtoTJ9Aic8

yeah, sure. As I said before, it depends on how much money you've got. Go jump from bridges it's low and you don't need any financial, legislative nor administrational burdens. You don't even need reserve, AAD, Rig and all that "non-cool" and "uncomfortable" stuff. be free, jump chute free!

Yeah sure what? You don't believe me?

[billvon 3,076]

>From freefall I like to pull at 4k minimum.

FYI, pulling at 4000 feet in freefall gives you about as much time as if you exit from 3200 or so and pull immediately.

[Skyper 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

I've done 1,500' From a Cessna with a bungee pilot chute.

Here's someone else
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtoTJ9Aic8

yeah, sure. As I said before, it depends on how much money you've got. Go jump from bridges it's low and you don't need any financial, legislative nor administrational burdens. You don't even need reserve, AAD, Rig and all that "non-cool" and "uncomfortable" stuff. be free, jump chute free!

Yeah sure what? You don't believe me?

Yeah, sure... safety and training.