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Safety and Training
Things Learned on Safety Days and in Other Ways.
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| AADs Activation: If a skydiver is still in freefall at 800 feet, without an automatic activation device, the chance that he or she will not survive such a scenario is close to 98%. The spectacular drop in impact-related fatalities due to the introduction of the electronic AAD speaks for itself. Specifications: (Click on image above for a larger view) 78 mph at an altitude of 800 feet (approximately six seconds from impact) Manually pulling and deploying the reserve takes about three seconds. At terminal velocity, falling 800 feet takes approximately three seconds. The minimum pull altitude for experienced skydives is 2,000 feet. This is 1,200 feet (or seven seconds) above the AAD trigger setting at 800 feet. Research shows that the human brain requires 0.7 seconds to perceive any danger and react accordingly, regardless of background or training. This leaves only 2.3 seconds for a 3 second procedure of deployment. The chart above is informative on this issue. Ask yourself, "What if I pulled at 3,000 feet and gained another 5.5 seconds to deal with an emergency.?"
ACCESSORIES AND SAFETY AADs: Gloves. Altimeters. Googles. Jumpsuits. Cameras. Toys. AIRCRAFT SAFETY As you board, much without delay to your seating area and attach your seatbelt and secure cameras and video helmet. Wearing your fastened helmet during takeoff is always a good idea. Hold on to your seatbelt. While buckled during ascent to the designated altitude for the removal of seatbelts keep your free hand loosely near the seatbelt buckle. In an emergency, having your hand already in position may save very valuable seconds in an emergency situation. BOARDING AREA SAFETY Always approach a fixed-wing aircraft from behind. Always approach a helicopter from the front. Always know load's exit order and jump run direction prior to boarding the plane. If the approach to the aircraft is marked, stay well within the safety area. Pay attention with boarding, this is not a time to be talking and goofing around. Check and know the implications of the winds aloft at 12,000, 9,000, 6000, and 3,000 feet. Check the ground winds and sun position prior to to boarding. Know the landing direction that the load organizer or senior instructor/skydiver has specified. If no landing direction has been specified, ask. CAMERA FLYING -- Skydiving skills must be better than average in whatever discipline you will be using your camera gear. -- Minimum of a C-license and at least 50 jumps on the skydiving equipment you will be using. -- Carefully consider the camera gear you will be flying. Consult with experienced camera flyers and riggers prior to jumping. -- Winged camera suits require non-camera jumps to become proficient in flying, deployment, emergency and landing protocols. Wear gear in a training harness to insure that you can reach the toggles and risers and other issues. -- Plan each camera jump, especially deployment procedures with groups. -- If you are interested in photographing students check with the Chief Instructor or an S&TA prior to attempting this. Typically, jumping with students requires an instructional rating. -- The cardinal rule of camera flying is that the best video in the world must not add any additional risk for the skydivers being videoed. SIM Section 6-8 CANOPIES7-Cell vs. 9-Cell Canopies. Generally, canopies with higher aspect ratios (the ratio of the span to the chord--the front-to-back measurement) turn faster, glide flatter and stall more sharply than canopies with lower aspect ratios. Designers typically "add cells" to make canopies with higher aspect ratios because it's an easier way to create a smoother airfoil and minimize distortion. (When ram-air canopies were first introduced, cell size was limited by the width of available fabric, but that's not really the case anymore with today's smaller canopies and wider fabric rolls.) A clean airfoil is important for high-performance canopies that rely on lift for good landings. For these two reasons, 7-cell canopies tend to be "boxy" and they tend to be more docile than canopies with 9-cells. Other characteristics of a canopy--overall size, aspect ratio, airfoil shape, trim and planform--play a significant role in determining how a canopy opens, flies and lands. It's certainly possible to design a radical 7-cell and a gentle 9-cell. Thus, the number of cells shouldn't be the main reason for selecting or rejecting a canopy. CANOPY SAFETY Collision avoidance: (1) set breakoff altitudes of 1500 feet above the highest opening, 2000 feet for groups of six or more. These altitudes are to be increased for freefly groups, faster parachutes, and jumps with toys or other special considerations. (2) dropzones should set a right or left hand landing pattern. (3) Separate landing areas for students and high performance landings. (4) avoid aggressive "S" turnings during an otherwise straight-in approach. (5) Planning and preparation. Develop and maintain a defensive canopy flight plan, before you get on the airplane. (6) LOOK before you turn! (7) Maintain separation at all times: above, below and left or right. (8) Improve canopy skills every year with professional courses and coaching. Canopy Turbulence: In 2007 there was an incident under canopy after a large formation (60) skydive, Skydivers were required to fly in heavy canopy traffic in an orderly standard pattern. On final approach, one jumper's canopy apparently hit the wake turbulence of the canopy in front of him and immediately collapsed, resulting in his death from a hard landing. Each canopy creates a wake vortex capable of collapsing any parachute behind it. This turbulence is found directly behind and above the canopy as it flies through the air. See SIM, Section 4. Wing Loading and Experience: 50 jumps over the past 12 months does not an experienced skydiver make. Certainly not if the jumper is wingloading above 1:1 or if the jumper is making high performance landings, or worse, both.
EQUIPMENT SAFETY Gear replacement timing. There are only guidelines on gear replacement and these are just suggestions. There is no subsitute for packing and inspecting your own rig on every jump.
Ensuring toggles are properly stowed. In an incident reported in Skydiving Magazine (8/07) a very experienced skydiver noticed that one of his toggles had come undone in freefall and was trailing behind in a spinning motion. When he attempted to deploy his main canopy, its pilot chute tangled in the loose toggle and excess brake line. This resulted in a pilot chute in town and the main container would not open. He tried to reach for his main pilot chute but couldn't do it. He turned sideways prior to opening his reserve so he would eliminate the possibility of having his reserve entangle with the pilot chute. This was successful and he landed safely under his reserve. The rig was too big in shoulders for the jumper. The loose fit MAY have contributed to the incident. The skydive was a freestyle jump so high speeds were involved in freefall. Always get gear checks on every jump and review your emergency procedures regularly. Pack safely and carefully. Inspect as you pack. Packing. Packing your own parachute is a safety skill. It gives you time to inspect your equipment and to really know it. Everyone uses paid packers sometimes, but packing yourself is part of being a skydiver. Keep your packing skills as current as all other skydiving skills. EXIT SAFETY. Be sure to find out the planned time between groups, prior to exiting, and with that in mind, watch the group that exits before you to ensure that adequate separation has taken place, regardless of seconds specified as the time between groups. The 45 degree rule s helpful here, especially if you are also counting seconds. Just counting the seconds is not enough. If a large group is exiting ahead of you, be sure to stay back away from the door, keep the plane's trim centered and not over loading the rear area. Know what your position should do to present to the relative wind maximizing exit positions and avoiding unnecessary collisions out the door. Jumping through clouds: This is strictly illegal, don't do it. Approaching Aircraft: Approach fixed-wing aircraft from behind; approach helicopters from the front. FIRST AID Every drop should have two or three appropriately-equipped first aid kits with at least the following items in it and ready to go: 1. Bandages to control bleeding 2. Ice packs for injuries 3. Slings for upper extremity injuries 4. Splints for fractures 5. Ace wraps 6. Sterile saline or hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol to clean cuts and abrasions 7. Sheaars or heavy scissors 8. Watch with a second hand. 9. A Stethoscope with blood pressure cuff 10. A pen and notepad Other things that can be useful. For trained personnel only. 1. Oxygen tanks and masks 2. Cervical collars 3. Intravenous equipment to start fluid resuscitation 4. Defibrilator The first aid kit should be placed in a central location, easily acessible to trained personnel on the response team for the drop zone. Bandaids should be kept separately and readily available so people do rifle through the emergency first aid box looking for them for routine cuts and small injuries. Work closely with local fire and police departments. Many of these departments will be happy to come out and conduct training sessions and they are generally very happy to learn about our equipment. Keep them informed of large events at the drop zone, prior to the start. Sometimes they may actually keep an ambulance ready at the drop zone. Know which of your jumpers are medically trained and involve them in the training and response readiness at your drop zone. FREEFALL SAFETY Full face helmets: full face helmets can restrict vision during a non-RSL malfunction and reserve deployment either due to vision restriction or due to being trapped by the risers. Practice extensively feeling for the handles in their emergency procedures, including in a hanging harness, twisting and underpressure (blindfolded). Also, on a solo, spend time practicing finding the handles in freefall in various freefall situations. Fall rate. When we are students developing a range of fall rates is a crucial skill, and once licensed and throughout a skydiver's career this never changes. Every jump is a fall rate jump. Work hard on this skill, know how to use it if you go low or high. Learn the procedures to rejoin a group if you are separated for any reason. Dive planning. Never make a jump without a dive plan and once you've planned the jump, jump the plan. Everyone in the group is counting on this. Free flying: Altitude awareness is super important due to the high fall rate. RW skills are imperative PRIOR to beginning freefly skydiving, especially including belly stability and tracking. Because FF breakoffs are usually higher, knowing the line of flight prior to exiting is crucial. First freefly jumps should be with a qualified coach. Only go head down after achieving sit-fly proficiency. Novices should not jump together. Stage breakoffs in hybrids and the first breakoffs pull higher. Hangers and stingers go first, then belly flyers. It is vital to slow down to under 130 mph at deployment. Give yourself time to track, flare and slowdown to belly stability for safe deployment. Since freeflyers get out after belly flyers, be sure to know the jump run flight plan: is it straight or a button hook? FORMATION BREAKOFF SAFETY LANDING SAFETY. PREJUMP ROUTINES Gear Check Tips: Be sure the rig you are inspecting fits the person wearing it. With articulated harnesses, each section of webbing should be checked. And remember, always three gear checks per jump: once before you put on the gear, once before you get on the plane, and once before you exit the aircraft in flight. Look out for your friends and we are all your friends. In the loading area and on the plane check on your rig what you see others checking on theirs, and look at others around you. TRAVELING WITH YOUR RIG Prior to leaving: (1) Give your rig a thorough check: lines, canopy, closing loop, etc. There may be no rigger where you are going, so check ahead and verify a rigger is on hand there. (2) Pack all the necessary accessories: visual and audible altimeters, jumpsuit, gear bag, and helmet(s). Bring an extra closing loop, stow bands and pull-up cords and one of those rug grabbers if you have one. Bring your night jumping gear also, because you never know: strobe and light sticks. (3) bring your license, be sure your packing data card is in order, and remember to bring your logbook. Upon Arrival: It's not a bad idea to open your main container and take a close look inside before your first jump. Then give you rig a thorough pre-jump gear check. Check out the aerial photos of the new drop zone, including the safe outs. Go out and look at the landing area, and if it takes a car ride to get there, do that. Be aware of the drop zone's landing pattern. Ask about prevailing wind conditions, and check ground winds and winds aloft yourself. Watch a load or two before jumping. Determine the spot and be sure a local jumper checks it for you prior to jumping. Zero your altimeter in the landing area and recalibrate audibles if necessary. (Parachutist, 6/2002) CAMERA WEATHER Increasing grounds can indicate an approaching weather system and stronger winds at higher altitudes. A skydiver could find himself in a situation of unexpected strong winds while trying to get in one more jump before an approaching thunderstorm. To jump in strong winds or not. Watch who is getting on the plane. It's usually the lower-experience jumpers and the tandems. Strong smooth winds can be okay, given wing-loading and penetration, plus a good spot. But with turbulence and wind gusts, it may be a formula for disaster. |
Other Safety Documents of Interest
Who should exit first: freeflyers or flatflyers?
Can you fall out backwards out of your sport rig?
What is a Scott Miller Canopy Course?
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