Safety Check
February 2008

Playing the (Pro)Active Role
Although some drop zones go out of their way to welcome visiting skydivers with helpful information about their jump site, others either do not see the need or are operating at too fast a pace to do so. At many DZs, jumpers visiting for the first time can just show up, flash their USPA license, get a quick gear check (possibly only a check of their reserve card and seal) and manifest for a load. But jumpers—especially those relatively new to the sport—must understand the consequences (potentially fatal) if they’re not proactive when going to a new DZ.

When you arrive at a new drop zone, don’t worry about looking inexperienced by asking questions. Instead, concentrate on keeping yourself and the people you don’t yet know safe by getting all the information you need. The more questions you ask and get educated answers to, the better your odds at making a safe skydive and having a good time.

Find an experienced local skydiver or instructor, and spend a few minutes finding out about any local policies or nuances the DZ has:

• View an aerial photograph, and familiarize yourself with how the drop zone looks from the air. Find out where the good and bad outs (off-DZ landing areas) are as well as major obstacles on and off the drop zone.
  
  
• Ask about typical jump runs and find out what the current one is.
  
  
• Ask for an educated guess of where is too short or too long to get out of the plane given the current conditions.
  
  
• Is the DZ’s jump aircraft exactly the same as what you’re used to or entirely different? If it’s new to you, find out:
  • Who is in charge of the spot, and how does he signal corrections to the pilot?
  • What kind of lights (e.g. for spotting) are used in the plane and when?
  • How does the door in the aircraft work, and when do you know it’s OK to open it?
    
    
• Even if the plane is the same make of aircraft you’re used to, are the seating arrangements the same, and are the seatbelts in the same locations?
  
  
• Find out if ground speed is announced by a particular person each load or if you always have to ask the pilot or know ahead of time based on previous loads.
  
  
• What exit order do they use? Formation skydivers, followed by freeflyers, AFFs, tandems and then wingsuit pilots?
  
  
• What landing patterns do jumpers fly? Is there a maximum degree of turn allowed in the pattern?
  
  
• Do they use a tetrahedron or follow a wind sock?
  
  
• Do they have a designated landing direction on no-wind days?
  
  
• Find out who are the good up-jumpers in your discipline to try and get on a load with. You can also politely ask if there are any local jumpers not to jump with. It’s always nice to know in advance who "that guy" is (the one who would try and get you on a zoo load full of unsafe jumpers).

If you do not yet own your own gear, visiting a new drop zone is the worst possible time to downsize or even jump the type of canopy you landed decently only once back at your home DZ. You will have plenty of other things going on, so the last thing you need is to worry about a rental canopy that’s too small for you. If you own your own gear but are remotely out of currency, you must still be extra cautious, as a recurrency jump at a different drop zone has added difficulties.

What usually hurts visiting (especially lower-time) jumpers at new drop zones is trying to look like the cool guy or girl who travels to multiple DZs all the time and who doesn’t speak up. Ask plenty of questions up front, and be proactive in the loading area and plane so you know what others around you are doing and to let them know what you’re up to. It never hurts to have more information than you need, but having too little could get you into a bind. Fly informed, and you’ll fly safely.

—Lambert, D-21277
S&TA; static-line, AFF and tandem instructor

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