Landing patterns...

[Islandcool 0]

So There I was...... At Elsinore and the winds were shifting a lot. This was my second time there. Had some difficulty with the landing pattern. Follow the same direction as the first guy is the usual method. Well the guy I followed did a downwinder. In fact at one time I saw people landing in 3 different directions. Look at the flags. Always good but it seems like by the time I'm low enough to see them it might be too late to head in the other direction. I also saw the the wind shift 180 in about 2 min. I wear glasses when I jump but do correct to 20/20. When I used to surf an unfamiliar sport I used to just watch for a half hour or so just go get the groove of the place. I know it can't hurt but could this apply in this situation? Or is Elsinore one of those place where the wind just tosses it up on you sometimes? Had fun by the way. Great people there.


Thanks

Ed

[YahooLV 0]

Landing patterns are supposed to be set by the first flyer down. Hopefully , this flyer is smart enough to know that there are a lot of people counting on his/her expertice to set an appropriate pattern that is safe and sane. Some dropzones, (Perris) have a preferred pattern for no-wind or indiscriminate wispy breeze landings. Check around with manifest or ask a few people for advice before you get going.

Now, all that being said, the wind can change directions at anytime. If you don't like the pattern, lost likely, you can land a bit "out" in a direction most consisitant with appropriate landing directions.

Now that we're entering the "DEVIL" season, be aware of where you are flying to, and keep your eyes open for swirlies. Have fun, be safe!

http://www.curtisglennphotography.com

[riggerrob 643]

The standard landing pattern at Pitt Meadows involves following the first guy down. If he is dumb enough to land downwind, you are obliged to follow him, but feel free to kick his dumb ass afterwards.
The first guy normally lands facing into the wind. The prevailing wind is from the west. If there is no wind, or winds are light and variable, we land to the west.
We believe that landing in a light cross wind is preferable to colliding with your buddy at 30 feet.
And if the guys ahead of you are being total geeks and landing in all directions, you always have the option of landing in the horse pasture or near the end of the runway.
When that sort of foolishness was happening last summer, Bob MaGee landed close to the hangar - on the wrong side of the beer line. Bob said that he would rather buy beer than land amongst those fools.

[airtwardo 7]

I've seen the wind going two opposite directions at different ends of the DZ at Elsinore!
Santa Annas & Pacific breeze crash at the mountians sometimes...
Wait until summer when the dust devils really start kickin'up there!
..It's still the prettiest place I've ever 'yumpd'

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[loughery 0]

I am sorry but my experience is not good enough to land downwind. If the first guy dow is flying a HOT canopy and surfing then yes he will be landing downwind But I alone am responsable for my own life and it will be a cold day in hell when I do something stupid just because someone else did.

just my 2 cents worth.

TOT

TOT
www.SkydiveMoncton.com

To my wife: 'If you ask me to stop skydiving, you are asking me to move out!'

[Michele 1]

IIRC, at Elsinore, if you choose to not follow the first guy down, there is the student area which is directly to the east of the grass "main" landing area. The swoop pond is to the south of both the runway and the "main" landing area.

I do believe you can land however is best for you at the student landing area, but I have been known to be totally, horribly wrong about things like that, and reserve that right in this instance. As for downwinders, well, I'm not good at them, either....but I'll take a downwinder over a low turn any day.

I am not accurate enough nor comfortable enough yet to actually land in the main area, so I tend to restrict myself to the student areas almost exclusively. And the one time I landed in the grass at Elsinore, it was a mistake .

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Islandcool 0]

Quote

If you don't like the pattern, lost likely, you can land a bit "out" in a direction most consisitant with appropriate landing directions.

I think this is what I was looking for. If I don't like or I'm confused about the direction of landing I should land off a bit. At Elsinore I always use the student landing area because the canopies are slower and there is more room. I don't know the DZ that well so I don't use the main landing area. Besides...you think I want everyone to see me face plant?

Thanks Guys

Ed

[billvon 3,090]

> But I alone am responsable for my own life and it will be a cold day in
>hell when I do something stupid just because someone else did.

You're obliged to do that if you want to land in the main landing area (the grass) at a place like Perris. If you prefer not to land downwind, you can land in the student landing area, which is much bigger and where you can land in any direction you want. But landing the wrong way in the main area endangers other people's lives and that's not good.

> I am sorry but my experience is not good enough to land downwind.

Yikes! I hope you have a plan to learn that skill pretty soon. Being able to land downwind can save your life when the wind switches direction 10 seconds before you land, or when you have to land downwind to make the only clearing in your landing cone.

[Stacy 0]

at zhills the standing joke is after the skydive, every one turn a 360, track, and land towards the peas.

[SanDiegoRW 0]

Quote

at zhills the standing joke is after the skydive, every one turn a 360, track, and land towards the peas.

Ahh... haha I guess I will be in on that joke in about 18 days. I can't wait to get home!

-Kenny

[VectorBoy 0]

Quote

I've seen the wind going two opposite directions at different ends of the DZ at Elsinore!
Santa Annas & Pacific breeze crash at the mountians sometimes...
Wait until summer when the dust devils really start kickin'up there!
..It's still the prettiest place I've ever 'yumpd'

_________________________________________________
Yes that is the case here at elsinore. There use to be a small private airport in the industrial complex back in Temecula, a few miles south of the DZ. It wasn't uncommon to have the wind socks at either end of this little airport to be 180 degrees out from each other, usually cross wind, and I'm not talking a lite breeze here they were kickin straight out!
At elsinore there are plenty of options as long as you don't commit yourself into either a low turn or flying over or into the packing area or any of that new construction, cranes, ditches pipes, equiptment all measurably immovable. Stay lakeside and land anyway you want with all that land available to you. And what billvon said about downwinders was tits on. You have to be tuff! Glen

[loughery 0]

Sorry I did not know that there was separate landing area for Students. I only have 112 jumps and have never jumped out of anything but Cessnas. We have no more than 5 jumpers i the air at once and have one huge landing area.

TOT

TOT
www.SkydiveMoncton.com

To my wife: 'If you ask me to stop skydiving, you are asking me to move out!'