tombuch

Close, but not entirely correct. See: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20001211X13693&ntsbno=BFO94FA015&akey=1 Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yup, USPA is working on it, but the process is super slow. The first thing I'll mention is that in the USA it is a skydivers responsibility to avoid jumping over other traffic. It is hard to identify high speed traffic far enough out to avoid a collision, but it's easy to see and avoid small aircraft. See Article 8 "Airspace" at: http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. It's a primer on general airspace issues around drop zones. Your thoughts about improving sectional markings are good, but sadly most pilots don't use sectionals anymore. These days we are all using GPS, and because of technical issues, drop zones are not even included in any GPS or FMS system. I've been working on international standards to allow the boxes in big airplanes to recognize drop zone databases (we now have a new international ARINC standard to do that). The parallel step is to have the FAA build a digital database of active dropzones, and USPA/FAA/AOPA/ASF are working on that project. The next step is to get the GPS manufacturers to write code to display the new data. That last step is a bit off in the distance, but will be handled, I hope. Finally, we need to clean up the sectionals, and that too is in the works. The aviation system is very stable, and that is usually a big benefit to our industry. Unfortunately, it's hard to change a stable operation. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It looks like this bill simply exempts municipalities from the liability of skydiving, and does NOT extend that protection to private operators. The new language simply adds skydiving to an existing list of activities that already have municipality exemption as follows: (d) "Recreational activity" includes a rodeo, an equestrian activity, skateboarding, skydiving, roller skating, ice skating, fishing, hiking, bike riding, or in-line skating on property: It's a good bill that should make it easier for drop zones to operate on public airports. See the complete text of Utah SB179 at: http://le.utah.gov/~2007/bills/sbillint/sb0179.htm Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I would probably give the tandem about 15 seconds and allow myself to slip into the cloud, assuming it's just a small puffy cloud and it easy to clear the airspace under it. If it's more of a cloud than that, I wouldn't jump. I hate the idea opf a tandem jumping first because there can be a bit of pressure (as in this case) for the next person to reduce the wait time. Keep in mind the tandem pair will be sliding all over the place, and they are sitting ducks. Doing a go around with clouds and a high opening tandem is a bad idea too. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Your profile says you are a student with 21 jumps, and your post says this was your first hop and pop. I think you should have had a coach or an instructor with you for that jump. Absent an assigned coach, you could have mentioned to an experienced jumper by the door that you might need help, and asked for progressive guidance. If (as happens at many DZ’s) a jumper is saying “THE GREEN LIGHT IS ON GET OUT, GET OUT,” he is not being helpful. An alternative is for him to smile and say something like “…that large clump of trees and that house are just north of the field, so the airport is back there. The spots fine, you should be able to jump. Have a good one.” That takes about 20 seconds. Many non-instructors don’t understand the distinction, or why it’s so important to be supportive in a high stress situation. I’d also say that you shouldn’t get out if you are not comfortable with the spot, and it’s pretty hard to be comfortable if you have no idea where you are, or don’t have an instructor/coach to assist. I’m guessing this was designed as a low altitude learning jump for you, rather than everybody doing a hop and pop. The hop and pop is an important training event, obviously because of the shorter freefall time, but also because of the spotting differences, the short time to get ready for exit, and the general stresses associated with it. If others were rushing you because they wanted to get out, my suggestion would be to let them jump and hopefully get a second pass from the pilot with a bit of guidance about where the DZ is. If the jump run was just for you, I’d ask for a go around and explain the problem. Mistakes happen, and sometimes a new jumper gets confused. A good DZ will invest the flight time to be sure every student is safe, and has a chance to learn. Pilots are human and they sometimes get angry, but it’s your safety on the line. Plus, keep in mind a typical jump only costs about $20.00 - $25.00, and if you aren’t comfortable it’s well worth staying in the airplane and taking the financial loss. It sounds like you understand that it’s also a good idea to know the jump run and exit points before you get in the airplane. You can do this by watching a few loads before it’s your turn, asking manifest or an instructor, or asking the pilot. That should give you an idea of what to expect. Of course the jump run may change in flight because of winds or traffic, so be familiar with the entire area so you know where the DZ is even if you can’t see it. It sounds like that has happened, and you learned from the jump. Also, at big turbine DZ’s the pilot may put you out on a low pass while climbing to normal altitude, so he might not have time to set-up a standard or expected jump run. Others reading this would do well to recognize how stress can build, and why a beginner may need some extra help. We were all in that position once, and when things get weird in the airplane we should help novices to learn and grow. I’m convinced that part of the retention problem in our sport is caused by beginners becoming too stressed by everything demanded of them in the fast paced turbine world we now jump in, so they quit. Back in the day every experienced jumper made it a point to help support beginners and nurture them into our world. In many places (especially big DZ’s) that nurturing/mentor relationship between beginners and old-hands is gone. We should all work to bring it back. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

If I'm on a collision course with somebody I'll often do my best to avoid the collision, but also shout out to get the second person involved in preventing a double fatality. I'd really hate to die because that other person is listening to music. Plus, if the worst does happen and we do collide, we will need to figure out what to do in a super hurry. I'd rather not have to shout above his headphones to communicate. Skydiving and parachute flight are plenty of fun without music as a distraction. Be here, now. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Gosh, talk about obscure readings of the regulations! I’m not a lawyer or DPRE, but I spent a great deal of time sorting through regulatory changes and offering comments to the FAA about those changes. I’ll offer my view and stake out a position that says a person under the supervision of a rigger has ‘always’ been able to pack a reserve parachute, but until a 2001 regulatory change, that person was unable to pack a main parachute. Part of the regulatory change to parts 65 and 105 was to eliminate this inconsistency and allow a rigger to supervise a main pack job, just as he was already authorized to supervise a reserve pack job. I’ll agree that the language in parts 65.111 and 65.125 appears to be inconsistent, but a historical reading of the regulation, and a review of the FAA intent as defined in the original NPRM and final rule with comments, makes it clear that an FAA certificated rigger CAN supervise the packing of a reserve parachute. The original proposal to alter parts 65 and 105 is available in the Federal Register here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=18302&dbname=1999_register Comments and the final rule are available here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2001_register&position=all&page=23543 Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

In addition to all the other good answers, I'd suggest you pick up a copy of my book JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy. It was published by McGraw-Hill in 2003 to answer questions such as yours. Another good book is The Skydivers Handbook. Both are available from most booksellers, including Amazon.com. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'll add another good resource that I authored at: http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. See "Article 12-Landing Direction Defined." This is a feature in the S&TA section of The Ranch web site that defines first how we select the landing direction (prior to boarding), but then spells out some near-collision conflicts/solutions with graphics. It's worth a read for beginners who are thinking about how to avoid collisions in the landing area. Even if your DZ uses another way to select the landing direction (perhaps first person down), the graphics should help to better illustrate how to fly defensively to prevent collisions. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

This problem is not new, and neither is the sudden interest following a series of accidents. Our sport has been through this all before. As a 20+ year instructor, pilot, rigger, and former S&TA I have watched us deal with industry-wide equipment issues, aircraft issues, training issues, and more. I believe solutions need to develop at the grassroots level and embraced by the local jumper community. Most DZO’s will not respond to USPA or to rules, but at least some of them will probably respond to customer concerns. The trick is getting individual jumpers to advocate for broad reform. Unfortunately, individual jumpers don’t know what to ask for, or how to push their DZO’s for change. USPA could be a conduit for informational exchanges among jumpers and DZO’s. My suggestion is to produce an operations handbook for drop zones that deals with both broad and specific issues. The handbook should be available on the web so everybody in the sport begins at the same base level. We already have DZ’s with good policies. USPA would do well to gather the successful DZO’s together and use their knowledge as a starting point. I’d also suggest a series of seminars to help explain issues to jumpers so they better understand risks and how to mitigate those risks. I think we already do this at some DZ’s for Safety Day, but I’d like it to be more comprehensive. If money was no object I’d have USPA create a traveling road show for boogies that would take a single consistent message to jumpers throughout the country. AOPA and the ASF do a great job of this, but it is really expensive, and probably not possible with a shrinking jumper population. However, some smaller scale variation could be supported by our national organization. Thanks for your interest, and good luck in your term on the board. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Separation between groups has been hashed out here about a million times. The 45 degree rule doesn't work. Don't use it. Time is what matters. See Article 15 Waiting Between Groups at http://theblueskyranch.com/STA.php. I'd also suggest you select an instructor you trust and ask for help understanding the math behind selecting an exit point. It's a great ground instruction segment that fits well with a bad weather day. The best way for you to learn is to ask questions and actively seek out information. There are also a few great books available to help you. The Skydivers Handbook is one, and there are others too. That topic has also been discussed many times here. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

OK, another jumper sent me an email asking that I check this thread out and offer my thoughts, and this post is a good one to address. Back in the day (before 2001) the FAA placed the responsibility for compliance with all regulations on the jumper and the pilot. When the FAA rewrote part 105 in 2001, the core language of many of the regulations was changed to read “No person may conduct a parachute operation…” The words “person” and “parachute operation” are defined to include riggers, manifest workers, packers, property owners, DZ managers, and anybody else involved in a jump. For detail see my article #13 called FAA Regulation Applied at: http://theblueskyranch.com/sta/tb13.htm Thus, under current regulation responsibility for confirming the pack job is legal and in date extends to anybody connected with the DZ. Back in the day’ when the responsibility was shared by just the jumper and pilot, there were cases where the pilot was issued an FAA violation because a skydiver had jumped with an out of date reserve. The pilots in these cases refuted the charges, claiming they had no way to inspect the rig and determine if it was legal and in date while also flying the airplane. The FAA countered that the pilot retained responsibility for compliance with all regulations, but that he could delegate the actual inspection to another responsible party, such as the drop zone manifest desk. Thus, pilots were left holding the bag for a violation that they really couldn’t control on their own. The rewrite of the regulation in 2001 fixed this issue buy formally sharing responsibility with the DZ operation. The pilot can still be held for the violation, but so can the DZ and anybody associated with it. An inspector can now review the procedures that the DZ uses to confirm a rig is legal and find that the pilot has reasonable grounds to rely on those procedures, and thus issue a violation to the DZ instead of the pilot. As for the requirement that the rig be sealed when jumped, there is a requirement that the rigger seal it, and everybody associated with the jump can be held responsible if the rig was packed by somebody other than the an FAA certificated rigger. The only way for a drop zone (or pilot) to assure the rig was last packed by a rigger is the official seal. If a rig has a seal, and the data card shows it is in date, then everybody associated with the jump has reasonable grounds to believe the rig is legal. Absent the seal and corresponding data card there is no such assurance, and an FAA inspector would have an easy time issuing a violation that would be upheld on appeal. I’d say that a drop zone that doesn’t check a reserve seal can easily be held in violation if an FAA inspector finds a jumper with an out of date reserve, unsealed reserve, or a rig that otherwise doesn’t comply with part 105 (such as a US citizen jumping a non-TSO’ed rig). . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You have a point. Introducing concepts like looking for traffic just before exit isn't such a great idea. However, spotting and checking for traffic is part of the AFF program, and must be covered before a student is approved to self supervise. If a student is approved for solo jumps, then he needs to understand how to spot, and how to clear the airspace. Typically, that is covered first with ground instruction, and then in-flight assistance with spotting before jump number 7. The USPA Integrated Student Program includes it in category "D." Keep in mind that FAR 105.5 places the burden of clearing the airspace on the pilot and jumper, and makes no distinction between a student or instructor. If you are getting out of the airplane, then traffic avoidance is your responsibility. You must understand this regulation and accept the responsibility before you can be cleared for self supervision. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

It sounds like you are doing more than most people. The key is to keep your eyes out the windows on jumprun, and then to do a final check before you get out. If everybody in the airplane does that much, then the risk of collision goes way down. My only suggestion is to get your student involved too, which you may already be doing. When I was doing tandems, I made it a point to check out the windows and get the student looking outside too, even on the first jump. It wasn't so much to have them check for traffic, but it at least got them started looking out the window. On later jumps we would cover the "why" of looking. Obviously that's a part of AFF. It amazes me how many jumpers, especially on large airplanes, don't even glance out a window, much less actually look for traffic. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Humm, a near collision just after opening. My hunch is that the airplane was probably just a couple of miles away when the jumper got out. The question that comes to my mind is why the jumper(s) didn't see the airplane when they were spotting. It takes two to tangle... . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

OK, I’ll take credit for being a super idiot back in my youth. At the time I probably had a couple of thousand jumps and was using a rigger who foolishly offered a free repack for anybody who could catch his own freebag. It was an insane offer, but I was a few days out of date and dumb enough to try to collect. So, up we went to do some RW. At the bottom of the jump I deployed and then cutaway a good parachute and fired the reserve, and then started going after my freebag. The rigger quickly figured out was was happening and didn’t really want to give away a pack job, so he started chasing the freebag too. It was a game of chicken-fighter-pilot at 1,000 feet until the rigger realized I had more guts than brains, so he backed off. At about that point I snagged the bag on my lines and then had to drag the reserve in with 3/4 breaks on the other side. It wasn’t a pretty landing, but I walked away from it and collected on the free repack. I learned my lesson (well, not for a while, and not until after I had collected a bunch more insane stories), but I eventually grew up, settled down, and became a somewhat respected S&TA. Kids, don’t try this at your home DZ. We really did these kinds of stunts back in the day, but of course that’s one of the reasons the fatality rate was so damned high. These days safety matters, and stupid human tricks are appropriately frowned upon. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Don't use a skydiving helmet when skiing or snowboarding. Ski/snowboard helmets are designed and tested for use under very cold temperatures. The ability of a material to retain the same flex pattern under very cold temperatures is a critical element of safety. A skydiving helmet that is not designed for cold weather may become brittle and fracture on impact, creating lots of shards to stab you in the head. I teach both skydiving and snowboarding, and strongly support PPE for snowboarding that is designed for winter sports. Helmets are one part of that, and snowboard specific wrist guards are another. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The killjoy that “fucks it up” is dead friends. There have been far too many accidents involving jump planes. Flying skydivers is a tough job that often involves airplanes loaded to or past their weight limits, moving ‘cargo’ that tips the plane out of balance, slow airspeeds at exit that place the airplane near a stall, jumpers hanging on outside the airplane that add asymmetrical drag, rapid turn-times between loads, low fuel levels to keep the weight down, poor maintenance, pressure to fly through clouds and with strong crosswinds, risks from premature deployments, and a thousand other things that make it a very dangerous kind of flying. I’m a commercial pilot with single and multi-engine ratings, and more than 4,500 jumps. I want the most experienced pilots possible flying my jump plane, and won’t deal with a DZ that hires beginner pilots just trying to build time. Flying jumpers takes significant flying skill and experience, tremendous judgment, and the willingness to stand up to a DZO who is pushing limits. I hate hearing discussions like this one that seem to focus on how to beat the rules to make it easier and cheaper to fly jumpers. The fact is that our lives are far too valuable to trust them to well intentioned but inexperienced pilots. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Check the registration search function at FAA.gov. and enter Freefall Express to see all the aircraft they own. Be cautious in reading the database as there are several companies called Freefall Express. See http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/nnumsql.asp?NNumbertxt=355AG It's listed as an AEROSPATIALE AS355F TWINSTAR. There have been several different helicopters over the years, so different parts of the web site might be out of date. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Isn't that nearly as bad as letting it slide and the guy thinking it was ok to do it? Who else would the blame be on? It's not a blame game. It's about educating and improving safety. Five years of being S&TA at one of the largest DZ's in the northeastern USA certainly taught me how to be civil and deliver a safety message without coming across as an angry cop. A non-confrontational approach generally works best. If the person isn't receptive (rare) then the nasty prick in me must step forward. Keep in mind most people come to a drop zone to have fun, and most are really focused on being safe. Sometimes their risk management skills are pretty weak, but rarely are they intending to put others in harm's way. Anger is a pretty lame way to improve safety. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'll begin my review when the guy asked if could join you. It could be that he had tons of jumps and could have really enhanced your dive. So, the first thing I'd ask is 'how many jumps do you have and what would you like to do?' That gives you a chance to evaluate his experience and offer an informed yes or no. I have more than 4,500 jumps and will often ask if I can join a pick-up two way. I don't go out of my way to offer my experience, but am always glad to offer if asked. If the two-way doesn't want me to join them that's fine, no offense, and then I'll stay away. In this case the guy was told not to join in, but then essentially did so anyway. That's rude, and depending on his experience, also dangerous. When he told you he had been in close proximity as an observer you probably should have said something like "Gosh, we really wanted lots of space so we could slide around and not worry. You may have plenty of experience, but just being there makes us feel crowded, and I'd really appreciate it if you maintained normal exit separation in the future. It would really make us feel safer." Hopefully he would get the message. If he resisted, that's when I'd take it to a DZ official. I usually think it's better to address issues like that person to person without placing blame on the other guy. I think most people want to do the right thing, and few jumpers intend to create a dangerous or uncomfortable situation. I know sometimes it's tough to think something like that through at the time it happens. You could mention it to the DZ manager at this point and ask him to offer a friendly, non-confrontational training tip to the other jumper, but overall, based on what you described I wouldn't get too upset at this point. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The poster above hit a good point. Don't aerial maps have a parachute symbol on them to warn aircraft there is a DZ down there? Isn't the pilot of the "target" aircraft at least partially responsible to steer clear of an obvious hazard? Printed sectional charts do have a tiny parachute symbol, but few pilots are using sectionals any more. Most now use GPS or some other digital map system, and those do not include drop zones. It is very possible for a pilot to get a current flight briefing, check all NOTAMS, use the latest IFR approved moving map software in a state of the art aircraft, and not even know there is a drop zone nearby. See http://dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1133168;#1133168 for more details. This is a national (and international) problem I have been working for more than three years. We are making progress, but it is slow. Until we get drop zone data to every pilot, jumpers must be extra cautious and fully clear the airspace before any jump. Final resolution of the legacy issue is easily still ten years away. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Ok, lets look at this example again. Both you and the other airplane were in the same basic airmass, but since the uppers were stronger than the winds at 2,500. That should have given you more of an advantage in ground speed than the other airplane. I'm still betting the Cessna was only a couple of miles away when you exited. I understand that it's tough to see out the windows from the student position in a Cessna 182, but there was also a pilot on board, and at least a couple of other jumpers. Looking for traffic is a shared responsibility. ATC is there to help, but they sometimes get busy and radar coverage at 2,500 feet isn't always so great. Keep in mind that the pilot of the other airplane has a right to be there...it's his airspace too, and we have the responsibility to avoid creating a hazard. I know even the best jumpers sometimes make mistakes, and we can't ever be at 100 percent effective in spotting traffic, but we can sure try to stack the deck in our favor. Everybody MUST look for traffic. That's step one. We shouldn't be jumping in clouds or low visability conditions (see: http://theblueskyranch.com/sta/tb19.htm. That's step two. Pilots flying near drop zones need to be looking for traffic as well, but too often they don't know there is a drop zone along their flight path. USPA and the FAA need to step up their efforts to get drop zones depicted on digital flight displays, and that's happening, but not as quickly as I would have hoped. Local drop zones also need to reach out to the regional pilot community so they know who and where we are. That's step three, and probably isn't happening at your DZ. I'm glad you are OK, and that no collision happened, but unless we all really pay attention it is just a matter of time before the industry has another fatal collision. A couple of years ago when I was S&TA at The Ranch there seemed to be tons of near collisions when we were jumping from the Otters. I started keeping track, and almost all of them involved small airplanes at opening altitude. In just about every case at least one of the 20+ jumpers on board could have, should have, spotted the airplane before exit. It really is our problem and responsibility. . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Assuming you got out at about 14,000 feet, you probably spent a minute (or less) in freefall. A Cessna 182 travels at about 120 mph. With a bit of math, it would appear that the Cessna was no more than two miles away when you exited the airplane. Why didn't you or somebody else in the jump plane see the Cessna? Checking for traffic is a critical responsibility of every jumper on every jump. See: http://theblueskyranch.com/sta/tb1.htm . . Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Mike: That’s a very interesting and thought provoking post. I think everything you wrote makes sense, and all the identified causes of staff turnover are very real to varying degrees throughout the sport. I understand the importance of asking USPA and the skydiving community to work on solutions to staff turnover, but I really think the bulk of the issue belongs to the DZO’s. Too often we have skydiving DZO’s with no business sense, and no management level skills. That creates problems with profitability, student retention, and staff retention. They are all linked. I’d like to see a DZ focused organization (perhaps PIA, definitely not USPA) help DZ’s get their act together on the business front, and I’d like USPA to help instructors handle their relationship with DZO’s. That may be pie in the sky, but I think splitting DZ’s from USPA is a key part of the solution. Interestingly, I work in the winter as a snowboard instructor. Our representative groups are the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI). We have many of the same turnover problems, as I suspect most other recreational sports do. Heck, these past summer days I’ve been at the DZ very little, and instead have been teaching fly fishing. The fishing guide industry also has high staff turnover. Perhaps it would be worth getting an informal group of similar organizations together to see if there are common problems, and any working solutions. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy