Ragnarok 0 #1 August 14, 2005 Well, between two anyway. I did the AFF Cat B jump today (the third one). It was clear where we jumped and the wind was nice. I was floating down to the DZ and was watching lightning strike on either side of me. The wind was brisk, the clouds white, and the sun was keeping everything nice and warm. So far, this was the best jump yet. Very cool. One more load went up before we grounded for the day. The wind picked up a bit - 15-17 or so. I was able to make a nice landing - right in front of the hanger. I go on to Cat C and hopefully finish AFF in the next two days. Just thought I would share an interesting dive._________________________________________ Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006 Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008 Blue Skies Forever Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rookie120 0 #2 August 14, 2005 QuoteI was floating down to the DZ and was watching lightning strike on either side of me. Thats pretty cool to watch. The first time I saw lightning under canopy it was pretty close. Less that 1 mile away by my judgement. I got my attention and it took me about 10 minutes to pull my jumpsuit out of my ass. A little nerve racking for me.If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #3 August 14, 2005 Where was this?quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,116 #4 August 14, 2005 > I was floating down to the DZ and was watching lightning strike on > either side of me. If it was ten miles or so off, then that sounds like fun. If you're within a few miles of a thunderstorm, though, things can get VERY bad in a hurry. First off, thunderstorms are huge rising columns of moist air. What goes up must come down, and thus there are massive downdrafts around the edges of thunderstorms. These can easily collapse your canopy with no warning. Second, if you are near the base of the storm, you can get something called cloud suck. Hang glider pilots are familiar with this; it's incredibly strong lift that can easily suck you to heights where hypothermia or hypoxia can be a serious problem. Parachutists have been sucked to 15,000 feet and carried for dozens of miles by such weather. Two that I can think of had to cut away and freefall below the cloud base to escape. Finally, when the air beneath a thunderstorm cools, you can get what's called a gust front, a mass of cooler air that manifests as strong winds. These can hit very suddenly and can topple trees. Needless to say you wouldn't want to be caught in one. Thunderstorms are one of the few types of weather that _all_ aircraft, from Cessnas to 747's, avoid like the plauge because of their destructive potential. We should try to do the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #5 August 14, 2005 Quotethings can get VERY bad in a hurry. Amen to that! If there's one thing we do well at Raeford, it's our conservative weather calls. If there are thundestorms in the area, we monitor it's track and speed using online weather assets. If we can safely jump between them, we do - this happens quite often. If there is a chance that the storm will arrive over the DZ before the jumpers are safely on the ground, we stay down and wait it out.Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #6 August 14, 2005 Try reading "The Man Who Rode the Thunder." The book is about a US Marine fighter pilot who ejected into a thunderstorm, but did not enjoy it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlexCrowley 0 #7 August 14, 2005 QuoteIt's incredibly strong lift that can easily suck you to heights where hypothermia or hypoxia can be a serious problem. Parachutists have been sucked to 15,000 feet and carried for dozens of miles by such weather. Two that I can think of had to cut away and freefall below the cloud base to escape. This sounds scary as hell but cool, in that 'nature is amazing' sort of way. I'm from the UK where the weather is as apathetic as the population, I clearly remember being in Cheyenne WY and going through my first tornado touchdown and feeling the same way. While this sounds like a crazy question, if you were caught in that would you track out of the storm or simply freefall straight down until you hit clean air? Thanks. TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #8 August 14, 2005 QuoteWhile this sounds like a crazy question, if you were caught in that would you track out of the storm or simply freefall straight down until you hit clean air? How about ..... dont leave the plane in the first place? It's not like storm clouds are invisible. (.)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
Rookie120 0 #9 August 14, 2005 QuoteHow about ..... dont leave the plane in the first place? It's not like storm clouds are invisible. Very true. But when I seen lightning under canopy rain wasnt even visiable. It's not like I was looking at a 30,000ft hammer abover the airport and no lightning was seen before exit. I saw 2 ground strikes and that was it for the day. No other storms all day.If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #10 August 14, 2005 I jumped once when we could see a funnel cloud in the distance, I guess it is considered a funnel cloud and not a tornado until it reaches the ground.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scrublink 0 #11 August 14, 2005 Sounds like something I don't want to do. I am a "weather wimp". Part of my training for a pilot's license drove it into my head that thunderstorms are extremely powerful and unpredictable. It didn't really sink in until I flew about five mile away from one and had a bitch of a time getting the plane on the ground in one piece. I had no where to run by that time and eveery minute I was in the air it got worse. I Don't want to be in that situation again. I saw a group of skydivers (at a boogie) jump in front of a large storm in the midwest. They got beat up pretty good on landing, luckily no more than bruises from the bouncing and skidding. That was a cheap lesson for me and some others watching. Remeber the very old aviation saying "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground. Gravity still works in a thunderstorm, your canopy may not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #12 August 14, 2005 If you want to get airbourne, you really need to know weather. Even (apparently) distant storm clouds can have a major impact, really quickly... You REALLY dont want to get caught off the ground when a gust front comes through (trust me! - I've been in what looked like benign air on a PG and watching my ground speed on my GPS drop really fast..... I spiralled down REALLY fast and landed ASAP - things can change fast! It's much better to be on the ground wishing that you were in the air than being in the air wishing that you were on the ground!! . (.)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
billvon 3,116 #13 August 14, 2005 >While this sounds like a crazy question, if you were caught in that > would you track out of the storm or simply freefall straight down > until you hit clean air? It's rare for a storm to have updrafts over 100mph, so you'd generally just freefall out of it. If it were me I'd open as low as was safe to avoid cloud suck. The danger, of course, is that the bad effects of the storm, from rain/hail to turbulent winds, extend to the surface. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlexCrowley 0 #14 August 15, 2005 Thanks Bill. I figured it's not going to make the SIM too soon and while the chances are almost negligable of it ever happening I've found it better to never say never :) TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dharma1976 0 #15 August 15, 2005 QuoteWell, between two anyway. I did the AFF Cat B jump today (the third one). It was clear where we jumped and the wind was nice. I was floating down to the DZ and was watching lightning strike on either side of me. The wind was brisk, the clouds white, and the sun was keeping everything nice and warm. So far, this was the best jump yet. Very cool. One more load went up before we grounded for the day. The wind picked up a bit - 15-17 or so. I was able to make a nice landing - right in front of the hanger. I go on to Cat C and hopefully finish AFF in the next two days. Just thought I would share an interesting dive. Yeah I once had the great opportunity to be jumping in between 3 cells, that were about 8-10 miles out or so... it was amazing to watch the storms as I dropped, and then packed very quickly and went home ;) but when they are that far away it is neat to watch.... now though, I am much more picky about the weather/winds I will jump in that is for sure... which is why I like first and last load the most. Cheers and Blues Davehttp://www.skyjunky.com CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
