OK...you asked for it.

[freeflir29 0]

OK...someone suggested that I post my entire safety article on here since it had to be hacked up to fit on the Skydive Atlanta web site. So...here it is.
The Importance Of Spotting
Spotting is one of those skills that seems to have gone the way of the DoDo Bird. With the advent of GPS and high performance canopies it seems skydivers have been lulled into complacency. True, any jump pilot worth his salt can put an Otter load of skydivers on the DZ. What some seem to have forgotten is that spotting isn't just about seeing where you are going to land. Skydivers are one of the many airspace users out there. We share airspace with every shape and size of aircraft. From 747's to ultralights and hang gliders. We also share an equal responsibility to deconflict our airspace use. This is where spotting comes in.
I'm just as guilty as most other skydivers in assuming that our wonderful pilot will turn the green light on at the right time and make those radio calls to warn other aviators out there about skydiving operations. Enter the weekend VFR pilot in his rented Cessna 150. He is out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon enjoying his aviation pursuits just as skydivers. He's at his cruising altitude of 3500 Ft without a care in the world. He isn't a skydiver and maybe has never even been to your airport. There isn't a parachute symbol on his sectional, so why would he have any clue that skydiving operations are ongoing. He isn't going to switch his radio frequency every few minutes to keep up with every single airport along his route and you are about to exit an aircraft because the green light came on. Everything MUST be A-OK if the green light is on, right? You could be dead wrong!
When you are spotting keep a sharp eye out. I learned in the military to check for hazards in all directions. Straight out, up, forward, down, to the rear, and back to the front of the aircraft. Then check your actual spot by using the aircraft door edge and as straight down an angle as you can get to see where you are going to land. Military JM's spend an average of at least 1-2 minutes hanging outside the door for every pass of jumpers. There is an initial check about 2 minutes out. Another at 1 minute and yet another at 30 seconds prior to release. How long do you spend spotting? You must check for dangers in all 3 dimensions before making a decision to exit. If you are the one in the door, the safety of the entire load is on your shoulders. On a partly cloudy day it can be especially difficult to spot a tiny Cessna among the white puffy clouds. Keeping an eye out for aircraft on the way to altitude is also a good idea. If you are in the door, you are the Jump Master for that load, and it's up to you to make sure the jump is conducted safely. If you aren't comfortable with the responsibility there is no shame. Ask a more experienced jumper for help. You might learn something. Better safe than sorry.
However freak a skydiver/aircraft collision may be, it is a possibility. As I write this, we lost a skydiver from the Hinton, England DZ due to an accident just like this one last weekend. He collided with a glider sometime during his skydive and both he and the glider pilot perished. Spotting is an art that must be revisited on EVERY skydive. Senior jumpers and DZO's must ensure that spotting is standard operating procedure on EVERY skydive. The "Big Sky, Little Skydiver" theory is a recipe for disaster. Counting on weekend Cessna pilots to obsessively switch frequencies to monitor operations at your airport is foolish. Look before you leap and lets all stay safe out there. If you don't feel confident spotting, you can ask me any time. Just look for the crazy guy in the black and purple flames jumpsuit........
"Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[prepheckt 0]

Thanks for posting this article, it certainly will make me pay more attention on the way to altitude.
Blue ones

[MiataDRM 0]

Ditto, thanks Clay. May I offer you a pet goat as a small token of our appreciation? Seriously, thank you & semper fi (along w/ all sorts of blue stuff).
**I'm a Pschydiver!
Majdi

[drenaline 0]

You are very right Clay, very good article.
"Life is full of danger, so why be afraid?"
drenaline

[jtval 0]

good article...I knew you were waiting for someone to ASK you to post it....(I did want to read it anyway)
Have fun, Live free, SKYDIVE!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/jtval100

[bbarnhouse 0]

Thank you Clay, I will strive to be a bit more thorough in my spotting hence forth. Geez I love this place.
Cheers
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but rather by the moments that take our breath away.

[freeflir29 0]

Bump!!!!!!!! Only 144 reviews??? Now...if it said something about sheep I'm sure it would have broken 1000. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

We onlt have a 182 with no GPS at our DZ - our flight plan is usually so the dz is in sight at most times, and we normally keep an eye out for traffic on the way up. Like you said, it's easy to get complacent, and that's when things can happen.
Adrenaline Junkie Skydive Monkey

[jtval 0]

its funny how that works isnt it Clay!
Have fun, Live free, SKYDIVE!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/jtval100