raft jump - the people out of the raft

[bizarra 0]

just made our second try at a raft jump out of otter. (not the idea plane, but you make the best of what you have) we have figured out the exit, can get off the hill, and in a raft to earth position. problem is, the people out side the raft can't get stable. they bang up against the bottom of the raft, etc. this last time, the more people that let go/fell off, the more stable the raft became, until they were all gone, and we were falling stable (in a slow turn) with no one holding on to the outside.
we have an ongoing debate at the dz about how people should exit, people in the front super big, people in the back really small, until it flattens out. (or vice versa)? what they should wear, baggy vs. tighter clothes? the placement of body weight i.e. heavy people in the back or front? and since we all have only made two raft jumps, we don't really have the answers.
so, i'm looking for thoughts or ideas from those of you who have pulled this off in the past. i'm particularly interested in the body positions for the people holding on, and any other tips or tricks that you may know.

[PhreeZone 20]

Well..... I've only got about 15 raft jumps last year that worked out of our 17 tries, so here is my pieces of advice. Clearly a tailgate is perfered, but this should work with an Otter slowed on jumprun too.
1) Evenly distrubuate the weight in the raft. Heaviest in the middle, lighter on the ends. Same goes for the people on the outside. Heaviest on oppsite corners.
2) Everyone holding onto the outside MUST be as close to the raft as possible through the fist 2500 feet. Chest on the Raft works best. The further out (Arms reach) The harder it is to control. For Exit the front people need to launch it just like a super big base, ie only one hand on the base the other flaying thier body. The Rear needs to be close as possible on launch and adjust the fall rate if neded at first. If anyone starts to flip in the raft.... they NEED to let go. It can become a perpetual motion and hurt the people insude the raft.
3) Have the 2 people in the rear contol the steering. I.E. they are the leg of a person. If the raft is turning left, the left person need to get thier legs out.
4) 4 people holding on for exit is the best if you can launch it, then transition to 2 in the middle if if can get it stable and down to 10000 feet. It will slow the fall rate and eliminate most of the tendency to turn.
5) Front person in the raft needs to have their legs over the front of the raft. Actually, all legs need on the out side of the raft, none should be tucked under anyone. This gets the balence point much lower and a more stable raft is the result.
6) The raft needs to be rock hard at exit. Inflation of the raft will have as much to do with the stability of the raft as most other things. If the Raft is inder inflated, it will be really hard to keep steady.
7) Break needs to be at about 6500-6000. Allow 4-5 seconds for the out side people to track before having the raftee's roll out of the raft. They need out by 5000 at the lowest. This will safely allow every one to get stable, track and deploy with out humming it low. The raft should fall in a stable position at this point if it was near stable in the air.
8) If you want to get the raft back easily, have one of the people on the out side only track for about 2 seconds and deploy. This peoson can chase the raft till about 1000 feet then start looking for outs if its not going to land on the DZ, Most seem to land a ways of and in the summer, the crops like to eat rafts. The Person should have excellent canopy and accuracy skills if the area around your DZ is lacking in outs.
Let me know if you have any more questions....
Cause I don't wanna come back down from this cloud... ~ Bush

[bizarra 0]

Thanks for the advice. We will try again next no wind day. Raft landed on the DZ last time, we are trying for the peas next time. ;)

[PhreeZone 20]

We've put the raft in the Peas once. I Don't even bother with a second pass for the raft. The key in Tail gates is getting just the perfect Zero G exit and a fast o nthe gate to exit time. Best currently for us (3 in the raft,4 out plus video) is 7 seconds after the last tandem till Zero G call.
Just remember, the raft MUST be the LAST thing out of the plane. No groups exiting after it. Losing the raft and having it drift under another Group is only asking for serious injuries.
Cause I don't wanna come back down from this cloud... ~ Bush