An entire load minus one Lands Out

[Casch 0]

Ok, not the entire load, just us trackers.

We did a 7-way tracking dive yesterday out of an Otter from 13K. We ended up exiting just past the DZ and tracked about a mile and a half away. Being the incredible noob I am, I wasn't really paying attention to the ground. I pulled at 3K and was like...ok where the hell is the DZ! But even people that opened up at 5K weren't able to make it back, except for the dive leader. I hung on my Rear Risers for a while until I spotted where I was going to land. It was a pretty big back yard. WLIE was to my left and it looked as if he was going to land there also. Then he cut over and headed for the field across the street. I figured it was for a good reason so I followed him over. I was too high so I did an S-turn and was still slightly too high, but the powerlines wouldn't have allowed me to drop any lower, so I traveled over the highway (rural) and came down in the far edge of the field. Unfortunately my canopy fell over a rather large sapling, about 15 ft. A very nice woman in the house about 20 yards away asked if I needed a ladder, and proceded to pull one out for me. It three of us skydivers to get the 'chute out of the tree w/o damaging it. I got some shit from Luke for not landing in the MIDDLE of the field...where it's nice and open, but I was already in a semi-braked approach and didn't feel like doing any s-turns so low, and I wanted to stay as far from the powerlines as possible. All in all I feel it was a great pre-second land out.

[BartsDaddy 7]

BEER!!!!

Handguns are only used to fight your way to a good rifle

[Casch 0]

I didn't say Fir...err, yeah....I didn't say the F word!

[Squeak 17]

who spotted the load?
and how come the leader made it back, was he on a lighter loaded canopy?

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[mr2mk1g 10]

Ok now I love tracking dives - but the last 3 I have done (last weekend) I ended up about a mile away from the DZ and sure I was gonna land off. Each time I just make it back into the top corner of the airfield on the rear risers all the way.

thats the last two weekends now - not a single bit of canopy time when Im not either on the rear risers or on final.

Any ideas from people how to keep your tracking dive close to the DZ. We go to great lengths to stay safe but close - eg we have a hair who is directed by the hounds and track 90 off the jump run then turn back parallel to the jump run into wind to try and stay close. Any tips?? I like my canopy time goddamnit.

[Luv2Fall 0]

I thought I wasn't going to make it back, also, this past Saturday due to tracking.

I was doing a two-way with another "low jump number" jumper and he scared me so damn bad at 7,000, I tracked as fast and as far away from him that I could. I dumped between 3,500 and 4,000 and knew that I wouldn't make it back.

I lucked out.................didn't have the altitude for a nice, pretty landing pattern, but I did end up about 5 meters from the peas...........extremely lucky.

[jumper03 0]

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I was doing a two-way with another "low jump number" jumper and he scared me so damn bad at 7,000, I tracked as fast and as far away from him that I could.

What the devil did he do to scare you? I ask so I know what not to do

Scars remind us that the past is real

[lazyfrog 0]

on my last track in Empuriabrava, landed nearly in Rosas... strong wind pushed me... I was so happy had a good speed and fall rate... but didn't really look if I was gonna make it back... Thanx to Alexis again for picking me up and to the pilots who spotted me

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Fumer tue, péter pue
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ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579

[Luv2Fall 0]

We were facing each other and maintaining a few feet between us. Either he or I were backsliding and developed quite a distance between us. Out of no where, he shot past me (& closely over top) like a bat out of hell............we're not talking closing distance to dock, we're talking major tracking/swooping or whatever he did. He shot past several yards and the last I looked (which was quickly), he didn't slow down.

[SkyPsycho 0]

Quote

Ok, not the entire load, just us trackers.

We did a 7-way tracking dive yesterday out of an Otter from 13K. We ended up exiting just past the DZ and tracked about a mile and a half away. Being the incredible noob I am, I wasn't really paying attention to the ground. I pulled at 3K and was like...ok where the hell is the DZ! But even people that opened up at 5K weren't able to make it back, except for the dive leader. I hung on my Rear Risers for a while until I spotted where I was going to land. It was a pretty big back yard. WLIE was to my left and it looked as if he was going to land there also. Then he cut over and headed for the field across the street. I figured it was for a good reason so I followed him over. I was too high so I did an S-turn and was still slightly too high, but the powerlines wouldn't have allowed me to drop any lower, so I traveled over the highway (rural) and came down in the far edge of the field. Unfortunately my canopy fell over a rather large sapling, about 15 ft. A very nice woman in the house about 20 yards away asked if I needed a ladder, and proceded to pull one out for me. It three of us skydivers to get the 'chute out of the tree w/o damaging it. I got some shit from Luke for not landing in the MIDDLE of the field...where it's nice and open, but I was already in a semi-braked approach and didn't feel like doing any s-turns so low, and I wanted to stay as far from the powerlines as possible. All in all I feel it was a great pre-second land out.

your profile says you only have 41 jumps.........you landed ok, you were aware of the powerlines, ya didnt want to make any low turns,

id say you did fine......you lived, you learned, what to do and what not to do in future occourences....

good job...........

_______________________________
HK MP5SD.........silence is golden

[Casch 0]

The tracking dive was a spur of the moment thing and obviously wasn't spotted too well. We would have been fine had we done RW...

The leader made it back because she's like 110 lbs with a light wingloading, and probably pulled around 5K instead of 3...

[mnischalke 0]

I can't remember who taught me this if it wasn't Timmy from Monkey Claw, but here's what I like to do: Our group is last out and has a good margin between the last group. I lead them right out the door into a long carve under the otter and then hold a heading about 150 degrees off jump run. It usually puts us about a half mile off jump run at dump time. Doing the carve also lets the last out jumpers cut the corner to get in the group faster.

I also advise people peal off the track at break off. Its kinda strange, but if one jumper in the back simply does a 180 to track off, he will still be tracking backwards (the same way he was going originally, just feet-first) for a good while before coming back to neutral. It's sorta like the Optimot (sp?). I don't want him sliding backwards past somebody who may have dumped in place in the center of the pack. Its easier to just peel off.

Damn, I love tracking dives...

mike

Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills--You know, like nunchuk skills, bow-hunting skills, computer-hacking skills.

[tattoojeff 0]

did April lead the tracking dive?

[davelepka 4]

You could try this. Have the tracking dive exit last. After the second last group gets out, have the pilot take you out a little further, than do a wide (2/10's of a mile or so) 180 (left or right, dependent on the winds). Now you are headed back toward the DZ, on an alternate, but paralell jump run.

There are several advantages to this system. First you are tracking in the general direstion of the DZ. When you open up, you should be upwind (if you have chosen your distances properly) with only a slight crosswind crab to get back on the windline. Second, it affords you the oppertunity to track in a strainght line for the entire jump, making the job of teh leader far easier. Last, by tracking the direction of flight, the plane will carry the last jumpers out along the line of the dive while the first people are exiting, so when the last guy gets out, his swoop is primarliy vertical, as opposed to having to fly down and over to the group.

[Zenister 0]

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did April lead the tracking dive?

oh yea! that little girl tracks flat and really fast when she wants too, i had been getting lazy with my track until she started leading....we were having so much fun (docked on her ankles and she was making big S turns whipping me around the sky) that we forgot to look down

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Casch 0]

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oh yea! that little girl tracks flat and really fast when she wants too, i had been getting lazy with my track until she started leading....we were having so much fun (docked on her ankles and she was making big S turns whipping me around the sky) that we forgot to look down

I think it was my most favorite jump so far. Very educational and it tested my ability to think on my "feet". Schuweeeet

[funks 1]

I always try and make it a habit to turn around between 7-8K and head the other direction. I have never been screwed doing that and always comfortbaly make it back with plenty of altitude to spare.....

[mr2mk1g 10]

but you then start tracking back up the jump run and run the very real risk of tracking into someone in FF or under canopy - dont do that when you jump with me.