Blue Skies Ahead!

During the period from Spring to Fall, my weekend planning usually begins in earnest on Wednesday of the week. It’s then that the weather reports for the weekends become more believable and accurate. For my upcoming activity, I look at three important components. These are cloud cover, winds and precipitation.

If the clouds are low and there’s rain, the plane can’t fly. If the winds are too high (especially with significant gusts) one could be hurt or worse.

If all is well with the weather world, then the Saturdays and Sundays start around 7 AM. The first load (“stick” for my paratroopers) of the day is referred to as the “wind dummy” load. That’s when we really see how the weather is affecting freefall, flight, and landing.

No matter what, there’s always a sense of excitement on the 60+ acre drop zone. It’s almost electric. People start to arrive, park and look for the manifest office. All sorts of folks for all sorts of reasons. For many, it’s a “bucket list” thing. For others it’s the beginning of a new adventure that will take them into old age.

Some come in groups. It might be a birthday celebration so there’s a lot of support. They bring cake, soft drinks, presents, and grilles for BBQ. Some come alone…just because. All are welcome.

As the lines grow at the manifest office, one can hear the plane engines start. The pilot has completed his external and internal checklists and is getting ready to taxi to the loading area.

The tandem instructors and videographers have met their first students of the day and briefed them on what’s about to happen in about 20 minutes or so. This sets the stage for the rest of the day.

A few yards away, a group is “dirt diving” (practicing) the formations they will attempt in the air. Sometimes, older, more experienced jumpers wait for the second load. It’s all a matter of preference (and experience).

People will arrive and leave all day. One group that’s expected to arrive early and leave late are Accelerated Freefall (AFF) students. There’s an awful lot to learn. In this field, book learning is, of course, important, but experience is really the best teacher. The secret is to build some of that experience on the ground and translate it successfully to the air.

The first load has boarded the plane, sat in their “assigned” seats, and buckled their seatbelts for the first 1500 feet of their trip “to altitude”. Chances are it’s a combination of tandems and “fun” jumpers. Some of the latter will exit between 5000 – 6000 feet. This is a “low pass”. The tandems will get out around 10,500 feet and the rest of the load will go to 13,500 - 14,000 feet before exiting.

The excitement on the plane is palpable. Some folks can’t stop talking. Some are absolutely silent. All eyes are wide and breathing is rapid. One can almost smell the adrenaline. When I talk to first-timers, I offer them the following advice. Once they get home and are comfortable, I suggest they have one serving of their favorite libation and they will (once the adrenalin has subsided) sleep like a baby.    

Welcome to skydiving!!

This past weekend our Mayor reminded me that a lot of what we teach in skydiving is applicable to where we find ourselves today.

When I instruct new skydivers, I have to dwell on a lot of potential negatives. In reality, even though skydiving problems are statistically low, it is very important to learn about and practice what to do if an unforeseen emergency arises.

Just before I made my first AFF jump (not a tandem in those days), my instructor asked me what I was most afraid of. I immediately replied, “That I’ll like it!” Well, here I am almost 20 years later still loving it!

In skydiving we’re given two opportunities to land safely. The first is a main parachute and the second is a reserve. This is by design. (However, in BASE jumping, there’s only one parachute…now, trust me, that can be interesting!) Our gear is well made and inspected by experts. Our reserves are inspected and packed by federally licensed riggers. All of this to instill safety and confidence.

My caution to every student I’ve taught over the last 15 or so years is, “Work the problem to the ground! Never, ever give up!”

Today, I think we find ourselves in a similar position. It seems as if one day we were walking around, interacting, conversing, and whatever we did on a daily basis and the next day our world changed radically.

Having to use my reserve twice in my skydiving career is a little like that. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until it wasn’t. My task was to go to “plan B” and walk away. It worked and I did!

So here we are, freefall as usual and then…go to reserve.

We have every opportunity to recognize and work the problem at hand. All we have to do is think positively and deal with the issue in the best way possible. Let those who are qualified give us the advice and help we need. The rest is up to us.

Have a wonderful week. Continue to be careful and recognize the signs and symptoms. Look out for one another. Call if you need anything. And as we like to say in skydiving…Blue Skies!!