Swooping a Tandem

[steve1 5]

My youngest daughter should be making a tandem jump soon. I'd like to swoop down and be part of the fun. I've only lurked one tandem so far, out of a 206. I'm just wondering about safety issues. Is there anything in particular I should watch for? I know that I need to stay clear of the drogue. Also to be way clear when they open. I'm also wondering about fall rate. The only time I've done this was following two men out. They were falling like a rock, and I had some difficulty getting down to them. I may have given them too much time on exit. I was worried about having the drogue chute suddenly spring up into my face, if I followed them out too closely. Thanks for your ideas. Steve

[PhreeZone 20]

Launch it like you are on video, climb out and leave on the set and float the exit.As long as you leave early and float your slot, there should be no issues as long as the TM clears you for the jump.
If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will....

[prost 0]

Actually most tandems tend to fall kind of slow. Unless you are tall and thin with a slow fall rate, you might want to wear a baggy suit. Talk to the local camera fliers. They can give you a good idea about how fast a certain tandem will fall.
William

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Chat with the Tandem Master, and camera flier, they will give a whole list of dos and don'ts. Where you should be at various stages of the tandem, blind spots, explian the trap door effect, and potential areas of concern etc....
I would also practice with a few tandems before you do the one with your daughter, it will save you rushing, flailing, and possibly goofing a good photo opportunity.
Plus what the guys said above....
Have a great time, I'm sure your daughter will love it.
Cya
D

[AggieDave 6]

Be careful, I saw a video of a tandem done a couple weeks ago (not at my usual DZ) where a guy going out with a friend doing a tandem ended up funneling the exit and running into the tandem. The tandem was sent out of that on its side (scary), but the TM quickly righted themselves and dumped the drogue. If you've ever seen the side spin video, that sort of thing happening on exits kinda gets your heart rate up...
Aerials
So up high
When you free your lives (the) eternal prize

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Hell Dave, I've seen a side spin video from Sibson, with the drogue round the tandem masters neck, the video guy swooped in and cleared it.
I think he got some sort of medal for the save.
Its quite a well known incident in the UK. I can't remember the individuals involved off hand, but I think Ronnie O'Brien was the hero......
Cya
D

[Sebazz1 2]

If it is your daughter doing the jump you should wear a baggy suit. The fall rate will most likely be slow unless the JM is 200+ Lbs. The individual tandem JM will probably decide weather he/she would prefer you to dive out after the tandem or float. To each their own. When docking on the tandem approach low. The tandem will have a large burble sorounding them so approach and dock lower than the tandem so as not to get sucked onto their back and get wrapped up in the drogue. Also dock on your daughter and not the Tandem master. Turn and track away before pull time. Tandem opening are a little odd sometimes "trap door affect" so if you are unfamiliar with them stay away at pull time. Swooping tandems is very very fun. Plus it's your daughter, so even funner
Sebazz........

[slotperfect 7]

Several things to add or elaborate on here:
-Tandem rig manufacturers (the issuing authority for the Tandem Instructor's rating) have minimum requirements for doing RW with a tandem. Yes, even if you don't dock but are in the same airspace you are "relative." This becomes a big deal if an incident occurs - liability issues.
-Your daughter's Tandem Instructor has to be comfortable with you being in the air with the tandem. It's not a regular skydive.
-Along with the size/weight/mass of the pair, the size of the drogue and the size of the TM's jumpsuit will make a big difference. If the pair is light, the TM is wearing a baggy jumpsuit (a lot of them do), and he has a 60" drogue, you may not be able to recover from the "rear float and leave on set" position.
-Above all, the area above the tandem pair, whether the drogue is out or not, is a NO FLY ZONE
-Elaborating on the "weird" tandem deployments: on the Vector or Sigma, when the drogue is released, it deflates, causing the "trap door effect" brought up by Sebazz. If you are too close, you can get "sucked in" over the top of the huge tandem canopy as it opens.
-This can be done safely, and you can be a safe part of it. The reason I say that is that you stood responsible enough to pop up here and ask us about it.
Post the cool pic of you and your daughter after the jump, OK?
Respectfully,
SP

[steve1 5]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Hopefully there will be some pictures. Steve

[kwmontreal 0]

Hi Steve,
Some good advise here in these posts. I regularly "chase " at our DZ as it really adds some fun for the jump. Above all you must consult the TM and he needs to feel safe with you. I have always done this from cessna aircraft (182 & 206), and always dive the door. I usually have my hand out on the TM's shoulder and leave immediately after I loose touch with him so I am out of his vertical airspace. Depending on how quick he deploys the drogue I usually have to do some quick head down flying to chtch up. Most of the time I wear my FreeFly suit usless the passenger is 200lbs.or more, in which case I opt for the RW suit. This really takes practice and I don't take it lightly. I even set my Protrack for 7000ft. so i make sure I am well away for thier deployment. Here is something few people think of .....many people chasing just jall away and deploy at a lower altitude!! Don't do this .... what happens if the TM has a mal. and needs to chop it?? You don't want to be playing under him in this situation!! TRACK AWAY as in any other jump!! You can even take this a sept further and be of assistance to the TM. For two or three of the TM's I check their gear (pud, reserve pins ....ect) prior to climbout. I also watch closely on the climbout. It wouldn't be a first for a reserve pin to be dislodged on the door while climbing out. We would want them off real fast!! There are many things that need to be considered. What you have started to do is not just a fun jump (yes ......it is fun). Its a responsibility, and if done incorrectly, can be a big liability. Its awful to think of ones self "burning in", but for me it would be perferable to causing others to do so, or taking others out with me.
I don't mean to be all doom and gloom. I just want to be sure you realize what your getting into when you chase. It is a big responsibility.
JUMP SAFE !!
Kent

[slotperfect 7]

Great post, Kent. You are the man. I can tell that you are all about fun AND safety. {SP bows deeply}
Respectfully,
SP

[rhino 0]

Don't go above or below and stay in his field of view.
They will pretty much tell you what to do if they are comfortable with letting you swoop down to them.
Blue Skies .....