Royd 0 #1 July 8, 2007 Our official dropzone area is narrow and long and if the wind is out of the north or south we wll be landing crosswind. No problem. The wind today was out of the southwest so we were landing to the west. While three of us were in the plane the wind shifted to due west. On my track, I ended up due east of the dz, about 1500 ft out. Of course, the single wind blade was invisible to me and the wind sock was over a half a mile away. I must have been in La La land. The other two jumpers, who were below me saw the situation and headed downwind. I held upwind until I knew my elevation was right and headed in. I was at about 150' when the other two landed and I realized how much ground I am covering. Oh, shit. After a good flair and plane out I was still traveling at about 15 mph. I wound up with one slightly swollen right ankle and a dirty rig. What did I do wrong? I did not consciously do a wind check under canopy after opening. There is a power plant 3 miles to the north and I could have simply looked at the steam from the smoke stacks. This is Florida and huge Cumulus clouds can change the wind direction in a minute. This is probably what happened. I did not follow the other jumpers in. What I did right was after I realized the situation I did not try to turn into the wind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFFI 0 #2 July 8, 2007 Quote I held upwind until I knew my elevation was right and headed in. I was at about 150' when the other two landed and I realized how much ground I am covering. Oh, shit. After a good flair and plane out I was still traveling at about 15 mph. I wound up with one slightly swollen right ankle and a dirty rig. So, I am not quite clear as to which direction you were facing when you touched down...Mykel AFF-I10 Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WeakMindedFool 0 #3 July 8, 2007 So they saw the change in the wind, headed down wind and changed the pattern 180? The hard rule at my home DZ is 1st down sets the pattern. Wind direction is part of the equation but everyone follows the first down. If you want to land in any other direction...you land out. Now that's here, you might have different rules there, but following the pattern the lowest is setting is always a good idea, it makes us predictable. All of that said, good on you for taking the downwinder! It beats the shit out of a low turn!Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for lost faith in ourselves. -Eric Hoffer - Check out these Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #4 July 8, 2007 Quote What I did right was after I realized the situation I did not try to turn into the wind. Yipper! Who gives a shit if you get dirty and bruised? It's a sport dammit! When you fuck up you keep playing and you play to keep playing. BTW you owe beer for fucking up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #5 July 8, 2007 Quote Quote What I did right was after I realized the situation I did not try to turn into the wind. Yipper! Who gives a shit if you get dirty and bruised? It's a sport dammit! When you fuck up you keep playing and you play to keep playing. BTW you owe beer for fucking up. Damn!!!! 255 jumps and this is his first screw-up??? Wow! Must be a young skygod! My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Royd 0 #6 July 8, 2007 Oh yea, one more indicator. I saw the cessna, which had been landing east to west, circle the field. I wondered why he did it. I wasn't over the runway and I was a thousand ft. above him. Now I know. Just one more tool in the box! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,116 #7 July 9, 2007 > What did I do wrong? Not much! You landed safely (outside of a minor injury) which is the important part. As you mentioned, being aware of wind/pattern can help. Also, being able to land downwind and crosswind can help when you misjudge winds (as many of us have done on occasion.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #8 July 9, 2007 In my estimation, you did at least one thing right.... you did not turn low to attempt to get back into wind... Into wind is NOT top of my landing priority list... Canopy above my head, free of obsticles and not turning is/are. (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #9 July 9, 2007 avoid the waiting to take off plane on the runway, better go into the bushes. even if there's a river. lesson learned saturdays.. i was not amused! winds up high were low, but strong on the ground. reversed to what one would expect on that peticular DZ.. ah well, shit happens! i will pay more attention to the windsock tough next time..“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #10 July 9, 2007 The winds did pick up to VERY strong on Saturday afternoon at Verbier too.... I had a 2 hour flight ealy on and then stayed on the gound watching Tandems struggle. There was a spectacular thunder-storm at Bex as we drove through Sunday morning too.... Not a good summer (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #11 July 10, 2007 no, not really.. but forecast promises a great weekend to come, i'll get some more jumping done then.. our staff are actually quite conservative if it comes to wind. which is good if you have read my story.. but since this summer seems to be so windy, somehow that changed..“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
