Safety and Training
based on USPA Skydiver's Information Manual,
and The USPA Integrated Student Program

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.?"

When to reset: If you land off, reset. If you take a ride back and the road goes up and down, reset. If someone takes your car with your rig in it, reset. If you happen to be in an aircraft for more than 90 minutes, reset. A thunderstorm can screw it up, so if you are at the DZ in one, reset. Also, after 13.5 hours, reset.

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.

1.	Slider misplaced during packing
2.	Sloppy packing
3.	Loose line stows
4.	Unstable body position
5.	Increased freefall speed

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. Be sure that your wing loading is appropriate for the skydiver you are today, not the one you used to be, or the one you may be someday.

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EQUIPMENT SAFETY

Borrowed Equipment: Too often borrowed equipment is first used in a hurry-up situation. This is a bad idea. Many accidients, fatal and non-fatal, have occurred when the victim was using equipment he or she borrowed to make a back-to-back load. The first time you use gear, even if all the specs on the gear such as cnopy size and rig size are the same as yours, you still need to practice the "new gear" rule of high pulling, very conservative canopy work, and of course no high performance landings. Consider a borrowed rig a demo jump. Take it easy, be safe and be determinedly conservative until the gear is as familiar as your own.

Gear replacement timing. These 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.

Pilot chute: every 400 jumps Slinks: replace with every line set replacement Main risers: every 1000 jumps 3-ring release system: maintenance every 30 days Linesets: Spectra - 300 to 400 jumps; vectran - every 600 jumps Steering lines: check the trim by looking up while in full flight: if the tail is being pulled down they are out of trim, if the lines are loose and the tail is horizontal they are in trim. Keep you eye on this. Also watch for twists in the lines and take them out at least once a day. Four line check: Know this and check them with every canopy change. Even with a four-line check the canopy can still be put on backwards, so use your head and don't rush. Closing loop: change at first sign of wear or graying in color. Closing loop grommet: check this at every closing loop change or adjustment. Keep news ones in your gear bag.

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 tow 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 the 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.

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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 may be helpful here as a guideline (even though the 5 degrees is never really reached), especially if you are also counting seconds. Just counting the seconds is not enough; look at the group out and count as well.

If a large group is exiting ahead of you, be sure to stay back away from the door to keep the plane's trim centered and to not overload 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.

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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.

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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. Always and only make skydives with dive plans, 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?

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FORMATION BREAKOFF SAFETY

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HORIZONTAL SEPARATION SAFETY. (With thanks to Mike Hawley)

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LANDING SAFETY.

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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 your rig and check what you see others checking on theirs, and look at others' around you.

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TRAVELING WITH YOUR RIG

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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 for packing 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)

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WEATHER

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Increasing ground winds can indicate an approaching weather system and stronger winds at higher altitudes. A skydiver could find himself in a situation of unexpectedly 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. lso watch who is NOT getting on the aircraft.

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.