Masters Skills Camp s1

BIG TIPS FOR BIG WAYS

Carol Jones

Masters Skills Camp

www.mastersskillscamp.com TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Large Formation and Aircraft Etiquette page 3

2. Dress for Success page 12

3. Exits page 14

4. Quadrant – Stadium – Radial page 21

5. Red Zone and Red Hot Zone page 26

6. Get a Grip page 31

7. Break Off page 35

8. Staying Alive under Canopy page 37

9. High Altitude Skydives and Hypoxia page 40

10. Other Assorted Tips page 44

Revised edition 2013

Photo credits – page 20 George Katsoulis

Albert Berchtold

Revised 7/11/13 Page 3 Large Formation and Aircraft Etiquette

Welcome to the world of large formation skydiving. Whether this is a brand new world to you or you are an “old hand”, this handbook is meant to be a resource that will help you process all the information that goes along with big way skydiving.

These tips have been compiled from years of experience (mine as well as others) in big way formation skydives. But this is also a work in progress. As new information develops, changes and additions will be made to this handbook.

BIG WAY SKYDIVING - OVERVIEW

Big way skydiving is a world unto itself. Big way skydiving has etiquette, language, and rules all its own. By becoming familiar with the rules, language and etiquette, you will find yourself more comfortable in a situation that will be characteristically stressful.

Big way skydiving is not a skills camp. There is not enough time to go over all the basics while participating in large formation skydiving. The organizers are going to expect you to know certain information, take care of yourself and be responsible with all the information that is given out.

HIERARCHY

On a large formation skydive each aircraft will have a plane captain. Your plane captain is the person to whom you should direct any questions or suggestions. Your plane captain is the person to whom you should go if you have any questions about how to perform your job most efficiently. If there are any issues which should be brought before the organizers, the plane captains are the people who will do that. Your goal, regarding the organizers, is to be invisible and predictable. If you are not being noticed, chances are high you are doing a brilliant job.

DIRT DIVE

Revised 7/11/13 Page 4 Generally, you will not know your slot in the formation until you show up for the event. Occasionally this information is given out in advance, but don’t be surprised if it is not. At the event, a large picture of the formation will be posted and you will be given a specific amount of time to study that picture and then you need to be ready to show up for the dirt dive. Maximize your time by focusing on the details that you need to know and don’t spend time on information that will not lead to your success. First, find your name and memorize your slot number. It will be a letter and a number. The letter refers to the aircraft you are on and the number refers to your exit order and your slot in the formation.

BIG TIP

If you have short term memory issues, write that number on the back of your hand. It is really bad form to show up at the dirt dive not knowing your aircraft and slot.

Look at the Formation diagram below to see the formation that was used for the 2012 Skydivers Over Sixty World Record. This would be an example of what you could expect to be posted. The aircraft used in this formation were 2 Twin Otters and a Sky Van. The Twin Otter on the left is identified as “A” and is known as left trail. The Sky Van is identified as “B” and is known as lead. The Twin Otter on the right is the “C” aircraft and is known as right trail.

You can see that each aircraft has numbered slots which correspond to numbered slots in the formation. For example, if your name was listed as C1, you would be front-front float on the right otter.

After you identify your slot, you will know by looking at the picture in which quadrant your slot is located. (Quadrant and radial explained in detail in section 4) This is important information and will aid you in being in the right place in the formation. In the example of C1, your quadrant will be between 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock in the formation.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 5 Revised 7/11/13 Page 6 Now, find your radial which comes out from the base. The radial will be a specific line coming from the base and running through the entire formation. Think of a radial as being one spoke of a bicycle tire. This line coming towards your slot will be very specific as it runs through the formation – off the left shoulder of the person in front of you, or through the grips of the pair in front of you, or directly behind a specific base person, etc. It is a very specific line. Using the example of C1, your head should be lined up right behind the grip of B1 and B2.

Next, identify your partners. Who is located on either side of you, who is in front of you and who is behind you? Find out their names from the name list. If you aren’t already familiar with them, look for them and introduce yourself. They will also be looking for you. Knowing who is around you will make you more efficient in finding your slot at the dirt dive. Using the example that you are C1, you need to know who B1 and B2 are as that is who you are docking on. B8 and B7 which are across from you in the base will be good reference points in helping you to identify your radial. You should be aware of who A1 and C8 are as you all may be approaching the formation at nearly the same time. You will want to know who C2 and C6 are as they will be docking on you.

B10 is your “clone” across the formation. You will be looking under the grips across the formation and trying to stay on level with B10.

BIG TIP

If this is too much information to trust to your memory, take a piece of paper and a pen with you while you are looking at the formation picture and write down all the details you need to aid you in finding where you should be in the dirt dive. The more you take care of yourself and act like you know where to be, the less time and attention the organizers will have to give to you. The result is a more favorable impression that you have made and you haven’t even skydived yet. Again, invisible and predictable.

Make sure you take the responsibility to know when and where the dirt dive will be located. NEVER be the last one to the dirt dive. If you are to show up with your jump suit, make sure it is fully on. If you are to show up with full gear, make sure you have on all your gear, including your helmet. Your goal is to have

Revised 7/11/13 Page 7 the organizers only notice that you are on time and in place with all equipment that they have asked for you to be wearing.

In the dirt dive, while the organizer is talking, DO NOT TALK. If you have something that needs to be clarified, wait until the organizer has finished speaking then raise your hand and wait to be acknowledged. Often, they will cover all your concerns if you will be patient and let them finish. If the organizer is addressing a group that is across the formation from you, you still need to be quiet. It might be helpful information for you and you don’t want to be noticed by the organizer because you are talking. Think invisible.

In the dirt dive your job is to concentrate and start looking for your landmarks. You should have several reference points. What color of jumpsuits are you lining up behind in the base? What are the colors on the opposite side of the base? What color of jumpsuits do the jumpers in front of you have? What are the colors directly beside you? Look behind you – if you are slow to the formation, the jumpers behind you may get there first and you need to know for whom to look. (You shouldn’t pass the ones who are in front of you in the formation but it may happen. Be prepared.)

When the organizer asks you to walk through the approach to the formation, mentally you should be thinking through all the reference points that you now have. Walk through the formation as if you were actually skydiving. Think to yourself how you are going to fly when you enter the red zone. Imagine yourself in the red-hot zone. Think about how you are going to fly in your position before you take a grip. And finally, just as in the real skydive, before taking your grip take a breath and exhale. The walk - through should be as close to the actual skydive as you can make it. (Red zone and red hot zone are covered in section 5. Taking a grip is covered in section 6).

Practice the break off in the same manner. You may be given a specific tracking group. If so, practice with the group in the dirt dive. If you are not instructed to track with a group, as you turn to break off in the dirt dive, look left and right and identify during the dirt dive where potential traffic problems might occur in

Revised 7/11/13 Page 8 the air. In large formation skydiving you may not turn an actual 180 degrees from the formation. When you are practicing in the dirt dive, make sure you pay attention to the angle you need to be on as you move away from the formation to ensure that you have clear space for tracking.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 9 BOARDING THE AIRCRAFT

It is your responsibility to know which aircraft you are boarding. It is your responsibility to know whom you are to line up behind when boarding the aircraft.

BIG TIP

A tip to help you board the aircraft properly is when you are practicing the exit in the mockup, turn around and identify the person behind you. The person behind you when you are practicing the exit is the one you will follow when you board the aircraft.

As you board the aircraft, take care that you sit so there will be a minimum amount of moving around when getting ready for exit. Large formations typically go to higher altitudes than normal. If so, you will also be using oxygen. At exit altitude you will want to refrain from as much movement as possible to gain the most benefits from the oxygen. Also, to minimize stress and maximize your sense of calmness when exiting, plan ahead. Make sure you are sitting in the proper position so that when everyone stands up for exit, people don’t have to shift around for you to be in the right order.

As you take your seat, make sure you have the right seat belts. Usually you will have a full plane so you need to make sure that every seat is occupied.

BIG TIP

A tip to get the seat belts organized correctly in an aircraft with bench seating is as you sit down, pick up your seat belt and your neighbor’s seat belt. The person who sat down before you will have the other half of your seat belt pair and will hand you the one you need after you sit down. When your neighbor sits down, you can hand him his half and then secure your seat belt. This helps to prevent the situation where everyone gets buckled and then have to undo their belts and

Revised 7/11/13 Page 10 slide down because a seat belt pair got out of order. Anything you can do to promote calmness while you are participating in large formation skydiving will only help to ensure your personal success.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 11 RIDE TO ALTITUDE

Large formation skydiving typically involves higher altitudes and the use of oxygen. The oxygen will be turned on usually as you pass through 12,000 feet AGL. There will be an oxygen briefing that will cover those details.

Some helmets are equipped with an oxygen port. If you have that type of helmet, you will not need the cannula. You will simply place the hose into the port. If your helmet is not equipped with a port, you must use the cannula in your nose. Sucking on the oxygen hose or just putting it into your mouth does not give you the best benefits of the oxygen.

BIG TIP

A tip on using the oxygen system is to place the cannula loop over your head and run the loop behind your ears with the cannula placed into your nose. Put your helmet on and plan on skydiving with your cannula. Some people like to run the excess tubing down the arm of their jumpsuit so that they don’t have as much hose to deal with while skydiving. That will depend on the aircraft oxygen system and they are all set up differently. Benefits to skydiving with your cannula are that you will always know which one is yours, you won’t be sharing other people’s germs by getting the cannulas mixed up and it will stay clean and not get stepped on by skydivers on other loads.

By the time the altitude is reached when the oxygen is turned on, you need to be fully ready to skydive. Helmet on, gloves on, leg straps tightened, booties on, and anything else that you need to do. Once the oxygen is turned on, your job is to sit quietly and conserve your oxygen. Give a thumbs up to your plane captain or the oxygen monitor to let them know your oxygen is flowing.

BIG TIP

A tip to help keep your face shield from fogging up is to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe normally and calmly.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 12 Once the oxygen is turned on there should be no talking, no high fives, no fist bumps, etc. Just sit quietly and mentally prepare yourself for your skydive. DO NOT disconnect from the oxygen system until the last possible moment. (Refer to Section 9 for a detailed explanation of hypoxia)

Revised 7/11/13 Page 13 EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

Sometimes unexpected events will happen on the ride to altitude. These unexpected events could be due to weather issues, air traffic control constraints or other issues. If this should happen, it is very important that you remain quiet and allow your plane captain to receive communications from the pilot as to what is happening and what needs to be done. The pilot will inform the plane captain as to what decision is being made by the other aircraft. Your plane captain will inform you as to what your plane is going to do. By remaining quiet, you help that process to happen quicker than if there is a lot of noise and confusion.

If the decision is made that there is to be a go-around or that the jump is to be called off and if the floaters have already climbed out, the best way to get everyone safely back into the aircraft is by following these steps. Those who are seated in the front of the plane (nearest the pilot) need to move back into their seats. All those who are in the door ready to exit need to move back into their seats to make room for the floaters to get back into the airplane. As you move back into your seat, find your oxygen tube, reconnect it, sit down and try to maintain calm breathing.

Once the doorway is clear, the floaters can now climb back inside the aircraft. Open the Formation diagram again. Using the “C” aircraft as an example, C1 which is front-front floater needs to remain in place blocking the wind until all of the other floaters have climbed into the aircraft. The center floaters (C2 and C3) should come in first. Once back inside the aircraft, one of the center floaters should grab the harness of C4, the rear floater (WATCH THE HANDLES) and help rear floater back inside. Then rear-rear floater (C5) needs to be helped inside and if there is a camera person, they will also need assistance to get back into the aircraft. After all the floaters are back inside, front-front floater (C1) will need assistance to safely get back into the plane.

After recovering all the floaters, all jumpers need to be back on oxygen, breathing calmly and slowly and waiting for instruction. Sometimes the decision is made to try again. If that decision is made, it is very critical that you calm yourself mentally and physically. If the decision is made to abort the jump and descend for landing, everyone needs to put their seat belts back on. This can be a very confusing and highly emotional - charged proceeding. By knowing the steps needed to cope with this situation, you can remain calm, do your job and can help reduce the stress level.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 14 DEBRIEF

After the skydive, you will be told how much time you have before the debrief is called. If you can’t pack for yourself fast enough, hire a packer. Something to consider on large formation skydives is that you will generally be assigned a specific landing area. You can almost count on NOT landing in the main landing area and either having to get picked up or having a considerable walk back. Depending on where that landing area is located will determine how quickly you are able to get back to the packing area to start packing. DO NOT be the last person to the debrief.

When the video of the skydive is shown, the organizer may ask “Who is this?” The correct answer is your name. If you have a very common name or if there are more than one person with your first name on the skydive, you will want to say your first and last name. When the organizer says, “Who is this?” NEVER say “me”. In a large group, the organizer is not going to be able to see who just said “me”. Answering with your name makes the organizer spend less time on you and that is a good thing. Make sure you say your name loud enough for the organizer to hear you. It is not always a bad thing when the organizer points you out in the video.

When the debrief is finished, you will be given a specific time and place for the next dirt dive. Write it down if you need help in remembering. DO NOT be the last one to the dirt dive and NEVER make people have to come find you because you missed the call.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 15 Dress for Success

JUMPSUITS AND OTHER GEAR

When participating in large formation skydives, you may be assigned a slot that requires you to have a fast fall rate or you may be assigned a slot that requires you to be able to fall slower. Generally you will be asked which slot you prefer when you register for the event, but that does not guarantee that you will get that slot. The majority of skydivers who participate in large formation skydives have at least 2 jumpsuits that they will bring with them. When you participate in large formation skydiving, bring everything it takes to make you successful. Bring a T shirt and a sweat shirt or sleeves for your jumpsuit to give you extra drag if needed. Invest in a weight belt and weights and bring them with you. If you don’t need them for your slot, someone else may need to borrow them. You must be prepared for any slot.

If you have to make adjustments in your fall rate and need to create more drag, a quick fix is to put on a long sleeve T shirt over your jumpsuit or for more drag you can use a sweat shirt. Some people also use zip up fleece jackets. Make sure the T shirt or sweat shirt is tucked in tightly under your leg straps and that your handles are easily accessible. Loose fabric might hide your cutaway or reserve handle and you may have difficulty finding them if you need them.

Adding drag to slow down your fall rate also has drawbacks. Where your slot is located in the formation will determine if you should add drag or not. If you have a slot close to the base, you will not want to do anything to slow your fall rate down. Once you take your grip, you will want to be able to fall as fast as the base is falling. If you have too much drag either because you added a shirt or just because your jumpsuit is too baggy, you will “float” in your slot and will not be able to match the fall rate. This will disrupt the entire formation.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 16 It is far better to learn to stay on the 45 degree angle and fly the natural body position than to use swoop cords or bulky fabric for drag to aid you in not going low on the formation. (45 degree angle covered in section 4).

WEARING WEIGHT

The majority of people who wear weights on a large formation skydive never have to do so when making fun jumps at their home DZ. Wearing weight is very common on large formation skydiving. For some people and for some slots, just a few pounds are all that is needed for that person to be more solid in their slot. For others and/or for slots closer to the base, they may need to add quite a few pounds.

You can determine for yourself on the first skydive if you are going to need to add weight. When you are in your slot, before you take a grip, ask yourself if you are able to match the fall rate without having to work at arching. If you have to really arch to stay with the fall rate, then you need to add weight on the next jump. After you dock, you should be able to extend your legs and drive to the center. If you “float” or pop up in your slot when you dock or when you extend your legs, there are two solutions. You can arch more or you can put on some weight. Arching more is very fatiguing and is also self-limiting. There is only so much your body can do and depending on age or previous injury, you may not be able to add much more to your arch. Adding a little weight allows you to maintain the fall rate of the formation without working so hard. The less you have to “work at” the formation, the more relaxed you will be and therefore, the better flying you will do.

The organizers know that the first few jumps will be used to sort out fall rate issues and to get orientated to your position in the skydive. During the debrief, you may get called out and told you need to add weight. DON’T ARGUE. Even if you are not told to add weight, be aware enough of your body position so you can make that determination for yourself.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 17 Start out by adding just a few pounds and then add more if needed. Adding weight will not cause you to go low. You go low because you fly yourself there. However if you fly yourself low, the extra weight will make recovery more difficult. It is important to stay on that proper 45 degree angle as you approach the formation to keep yourself from being low once you arrive in your slot. (45 degree angle covered in Section 4)

Revised 7/11/13 Page 18 Exits

A good exit is critical to a good skydive. It has been estimated that world champion teams who bobble an exit will diminish their performance by 25%. If world champions lose that much on an imperfect exit, imagine how much more performance will you lose when you do not present properly on exit and tumble.

A good skydive never starts with the story line “I totally blew the exit and had no idea where the base was for about 6 seconds”. Usually that story line leads to more confusion in the skydive and greatly diminished performance. Getting out of or off of the aircraft in a solid skydiving body position leads to your confidence and helps to maintain calmness throughout the rest of the skydive.

The first step of a great exit is the proper set up. Depending on whether you are floating or diving will determine how to set up your exit.

FLOATERS

The floaters are any of the people outside the aircraft on exit or any of the people who exit before the base. For a side door climb out, front - front float and video should climb out at the same time.

BIG TIP

A tip to help front-front float get into proper position is to first place your right foot with your toes pointed in the direction the plane is flying, next to the leading edge of the door. As you turn in the doorway, your foot will pivot around so that your toes are pointing into the plane. As you turn keep your body as close to the plane as possible and try to “hug” the plane with your body. If you swing out wide, the force of the slip-stream will prevent you from being able to push forward into your exit slot.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 19 The next people to climb out should be rear - rear float and front float. Depending on how many floaters there are will determine whether rear-rear floater has their left foot or right foot on the doorframe. If there are four or less floaters, rear-rear floater will have room to place their right foot in the doorway. If there are five or more floaters, very often there is not enough room for the rear-rear floater to put their right foot in the doorway and they must put their left foot in the doorway. If there is a camera step that rear- rear floater can reach, they may consult with the camera person and decide if they can rest their right foot on the camera step for added support. Often there are external handles that rear-rear floater can use to create more space in the doorway for the rest of the floaters. If you are rear-rear floater, you will want to check into this before the skydive and talk to the camera person so that everyone is clear on what to expect at exit.

Rear float and then the center person should climb out. For all floaters, as you make the turn in the doorway to climb out, position your body so that your rig turns to the CENTER of the door. This will prevent your rig scraping the door frame and possibly dislodging your pin or pilot chute. If the bar is located on the inside of the door, make sure you take an UNDERHAND grip to avoid damage to your hand. You should be balanced on the ball of your right foot with your left foot dangling and your hips square. By keeping your hips square, you reduce your exposure to the slip-stream and it is less fatiguing. You may have to angle your shoulders to make room for all the floaters but keep your hips square. All floaters may only have one foot on the doorframe and usually may only have one hand griping the bar. After climb out, make sure your body is balanced and you are ready to place your hips into the relative wind.

If you are on the lead plane, front and rear float should try to leave just slightly before the base to help the base get a clean launch. If you are on the trail plane, leave on the agreed upon signal. It might be a super floater coming off the lead plane right before the base or it might be the camera person who launches right before the base. When you see any movement off the lead plane, leave.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 20 On exit, front –front float should focus on getting as far away from the plane as possible in the direction of the wing tip. Rear -rear float should try to stay as close to the fuselage as possible in order that the other floaters might have clean air in which to launch.

Floaters in the trail plane will usually go into a delta track body position on exit. Arms will be dropped down to the sides of the body and hands will be about a foot away from the body. Head will be up, legs will be extended with toes pointed and there will be a slight de-arch. This is commonly referred to as “tracking up the line of flight”. The term is misleading as it is physically impossible to “track up”, but the term gets used a lot anyway. A variation of this body position which works well for some people is to put your hands, palms down one on top of the other and place them in front of your face as you come off the plane, with your palms down. Keep your head up and use your hands to push against the relative wind. As you practice floating, you will find the best position for your body.

Often the floaters will side - slide across the relative wind for 3 to 5 seconds because the base may be off to the side, almost level with the floaters. As you transition from the relative wind that is coming from the forward movement of the airplane, to the relative wind that is created by the downward free fall, keep your eyes on the base and concentrate on maintaining that 45 degree angle as you get onto your radial.

Floaters in the trail plane will very often “pancake” upon each other on exit. As each person’s reaction time to the movement off of the lead plane is slightly different, there may be some traffic issues. Should you find yourself on someone else’s back, just gently slide them to the side and you will move away from and off of them. The floater body position variation mentioned above has an advantage in this situation as the hands are already in place to make this maneuver.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 21 SHORT DIVER

Short divers are defined as those divers that are lined up in the rows in the door, before the line of jumpers turns and starts to go down the body of the aircraft. In a tail gate aircraft, it is any divers that are forward of the red line on exit.

Look at the formation diagram on page 5. You can see the picture shows 3 rows of divers in the Otters. Typically, there will only be 5 to 7 divers in that area, not 9. The number of divers will depend on body size and also on body flexibility. As we age, our knees don’t work as well as they did when we were younger. Difficulty in bending the knees makes each person take up a little more room in that area in front of the door. Practice lining up in the mock up with gear on so you will get a realistic sense of space available.

For a side door exit, the first row divers should have their left foot on the edge of the doorframe. Place your right foot underneath you with your back straight and knees bent enough that you can get out of the door. Have your weight distributed with about 40% on your left foot and 60% on your right foot. Place your left hand on the hip of the floater in front of you. Try to keep your right arm bent with your elbow up.

If you are next to the leading edge of the doorframe, try to get your right arm out of the plane, keeping the elbow up. If you are next to the trailing edge of the doorframe, try to get your left arm out of the plane and keep your right arm up with your elbow bent. This position helps you to “guard” your space to keep from getting pushed into the doorframe and also helps you to get your hips and chest into the relative wind when you exit the airplane. When the floaters leave, your goal is to not lose contact with them. Keep a slight pressure on the floaters so you can feel when they move, but DO NOT push. As they leave, lift your left foot up and set it out the door.

Those short divers who are not in the front row must set up like the front row divers. Right arm up with elbow bent. Feet placed so that however many steps you need to take to get to the edge, you will be setting your left foot

Revised 7/11/13 Page 22 out of the door. Knees bent and back straight to allow everyone to get as close to the door as possible.

For all divers, short, middle or long, on the exit, it is critical that you go straight out the door. If you do not go out straight, you will hit the doorframe and can cause great injury to yourself.

BIG TIP

A tip to help you exit squarely is to keep your eyes focused on where you want to go which is straight out. If you look to the trailing edge of the doorway where you think the base will be or follow with your eyes those jumpers leaving before you, you will not go straight out. You will cut the angle through the doorway, head towards the trailing edge of the doorframe and may end up hitting the edge of the doorframe with your body.

On the exit, place your hips into the relative wind and keep your eyes looking toward the wing tip as if you were trying to reach the wing tip. Hold that position for 3 to 5 seconds. As you are holding that position, turn your head without turning your body and look for the base. Often for the short divers on the trail plane, the base will be directly across from you. Visually locate the base, get on your 45 degree angle, find your radial and make your approach.

MID DIVERS AND LONG DIVERS

Mid divers are those who are forward of the doorframe and are lined up down the body of the airplane. They will usually be about numbers 11 or 12 through 16 or 17. Long divers are those who are behind the mid divers. In a tail gate aircraft, mid divers are those lined up past the red line for the first couple of rows and long divers will be behind them.

For the exit, the divers will want to line up as close to each other as possible to minimize the distance to the door. This requires bent knees and straight up

Revised 7/11/13 Page 23 and down backs. If everyone bends over with straight legs, large gaps are created in the exit line. This creates more time in the exit. The more time it takes you to exit creates huge distances to make up to reach the formation.

BIG TIP

For side door aircraft there is a technique that helps divers exit the aircraft very efficiently. All divers line up with their left foot forward. Rather than taking left and right steps, as the line begins to move you will shuffle forward with your left foot and slide your right foot behind you. As you reach the leading edge of the door frame, plant your right foot and pivot so that you can leave through the door with your left foot. You are attempting to lead your body through the doorframe with your left hip.

As you come down the body of the airplane, do NOT try to “cheat” the corner. You must pivot and exit square through the door frame aiming for the wing tip. If you “cheat” that angle, thinking that will get you closer to the base, you will reduce the space you have to get through the doorframe and you will injure yourself. Eventually you will hit the doorframe with your shoulder or your foot and it will hurt. Come down the plane, pivot on your right foot and go through the door square. Keep your eyes on the leading edge of the doorframe to help you get through square. If you focus on the trailing edge of the doorframe, or dive where you think the base is located, you will eventually hit the doorframe on exit. As a diver you will also have a slight pressure from those who are behind you. If you angle yourself toward the rear of the doorframe, the momentum of those behind you may actually carry you into the doorframe. Protect yourself by coming out of the door square. This exit will also allow you to take best advantage of the initial relative wind.

Aim for the wing tip with your hips into the relative wind. Hold that position for 3 to 5 seconds. The relative wind from the slip-stream will move you closer to the base. If you exit properly, you can actually feel yourself being “blasted” back towards the base. As you lose that relative wind and the

Revised 7/11/13 Page 24 relative wind from your free fall speed increases, visually locate the base and go into your dive.

BIG TIP

A tip to help you time how long to hold your dive is to count the number of seconds it takes you to exit after the floaters leave and then dive for that same number of seconds. You will refine this time on your subsequent skydives as you learn exactly how far below you the base will be relative to your exit.

When diving, keep your head up and your shoulders rolled forward. Your power is coming from your extended legs. Some people place their hands behind their backs on the bottom of their rigs. Others roll their hands so the palms are facing back. Each person has their own style of diving based on body type and you will develop your own style also. What is critical, however, is that your head stays up and you do not do the old style “no-lift” dive. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is you can’t see any other skydivers and run a serious danger of a free fall collision. Another reason is you can’t see the base so you have no idea of where it is or how the free fall speed is changing as it is building, and you will not be able to determine if you are on a 45 degree angle from the base.

When it is time for you to come out of your dive, you must do so aggressively. There are two dimensions of speed that are occurring in a dive. One is the horizontal speed that occurs when you are closing the horizontal distance to the formation. The other is the vertical speed created when you are diving to close the vertical distance to the formation.

To stop the momentum in both directions, drop your knees, lift your head and vigorously sweep your hands and arms forward pushing against the air as much as possible to incline your body to about a 45 degree angle. Hold for one thousand, two thousand, and then come out of that body position into the natural body position. To help you visualize this, place your hand in front

Revised 7/11/13 Page 25 of you with your fingers angled down at a 45 degree angle. This will illustrate your body position as you are diving. Now rotate your hand so your fingers are angled up at a 45 degree angle and slightly cup your hand as if you were holding a large softball. This concave position of your hand is what you are trying to create with your body. You are attempting to present as much body surface as possible to the relative wind.

This is an aggressive move and can be likened to slamming on the car brakes. You want that speed to stop NOW. If you don’t stop the excess speed you will find yourself sailing past the formation wondering how you got there. This action must be taken before you enter the red zone. (Red Zone covered in Section 5)

Revised 7/11/13 Page 26 Quadrant – Stadium - Radial

QUADRANT

Quadrant is a word that is used very commonly in big way formations. When you look at the formation picture that is posted, imagine two lines drawn through the center of the formation, one horizontal and one vertical, with the center point of the lines being in the center of the formation. These two lines now divide the formation into 4 wedges or quadrants. When you exit the aircraft, your responsibility is to fly yourself into your proper quadrant. While watching for other skydivers, this is the time to use maximum momentum to get into your proper quadrant. Using the picture of the large formation, find the quadrant in which your slot is located. Compare your quadrant to your aircraft. Decide how you are going to get to your quadrant most efficiently from your aircraft. Also while looking at the picture of the large formation, look for possible traffic coming from other aircraft. Very often, skydivers from more than one plane will be entering a specific quadrant. You will want to look for those people in free fall.

Sector is another term used in big ways. A sector will be designated by the organizer. The number and size of the sectors will depend on the size and shape of the formation. A sector will often be a “wedge” coming off the base. The important thing to look for in your sector is skydivers coming from other airplanes. This is important information that will help you avoid free fall collisions. These terms, quadrant and sector, are used to help give you a reference point so that you might be able to locate where you are to go in the formation.

STADIUM

Stadium is a word with which you will want to be familiar. When describing how to approach the formation, the example of walking down into a stadium is used. In a real stadium your descent will be slower due to the steepness of the stairs you have to negotiate and also you will be slowed down due to the other people

Revised 7/11/13 Page 27 on the stairs. Also in a real stadium, there are often landings where your descent is “paused”. In a stadium you are forced to maintain a straight line of descent. You cannot wander around unless you get off the stair case. Using the analogy of descending into a stadium can help you to keep the proper angle and the proper sight picture.

In skydiving as we move forward, we lose altitude. It is very important to maintain a 45 degree angle on the formation as you move forward to join it. By maintaining that 45 degree angle, you will ensure that you have enough altitude above the formation that you don’t go below it before you are able to dock. Being on your 45 degree angle as you approach the formation is called “being in the stadium”.

In order to stay on that 45 degree angle and maintain the right sight picture you will want to be above the formation about the same distance as you are away from it. In other words, if you are 100 feet away from the formation, you need to be 100 feet above the formation. Maintaining the 45 degree angle also helps to avoid mid-air collisions. If everyone is approaching on the same 45 degree angle, then it is easy for you to spot those who will be docking around you. If someone is approaching the formation on a smaller angle than 45 degrees (what would be called approaching the formation too flat), it is easy for skydivers to go under or over another jumper and possibly take each other out. These types of collisions are very dangerous and have led to severe injury. Also, it is nearly impossible for the skydivers to recover the altitude they lose when they have a collision.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 28 The photo above illustrates the videographer being at a 45 degree angle above the formation. You can see that the angle is quite steep. This is the sight picture that you want to maintain as you approach the formation.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 29

These two photos also illustrate the 45 degree angle approach. Notice as the individuals/groups are farther from the base they are maintaining a higher altitude above the base.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 30 When you get about 100 feet away from the formation and are about 100 feet higher than the formation, you need to slow down your downward momentum and assess the free fall speed of the formation. Maintain the 45 degree angle as you move in closer to the formation. Watch to your left and right and make sure you know where are those skydivers are who will be docking near you. As the formation builds, the free fall speed will change. Pause occasionally and make sure you are still on the 45 degree angle. If you find yourself too “flat”, use your slow fall body position to get back on the right angle. Learning how to gauge the approach to a formation is an acquired skill. It takes practice to learn to see the proper sight picture. It is better to go slow and be cautious while learning than to get in a hurry and fly yourself past the formation.

BIG TIP

A tip to help you get the proper sight picture of a 45 degree angle is something you can do at home. Set up an 8 foot step ladder. From the front legs of the ladder, mark off 10 feet and place your rig on the ground. Now, subtract your height from 10 feet. Mark that distance on the ladder so you know how many steps you will need to climb up for your eyes to be 10 feet up. When you are on the proper step, the distance from your eyes to your rig will be about 10 vertical feet. Since you placed your rig 10 feet away from the ladder you now have a sight picture of what is a 45 degree angle. Most people approach formations on a 25 to 30 degree angle. Practice getting the sight picture for the 45 degree angle.

RADIAL

A radial is one of 360 lines emanating from the center of the formation. In order to fly into your slot and dock efficiently, you will need to fly to your radial and then stay lined up on it all the way into the formation. If you wander off your radial, you will encroach into other jumper’s radial. This could lead to a collision or at the very least hinder the approach of the other jumper. You should be lined up on your radial as you enter the red zone.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 31 You will obtain the information as to where your radial is located from studying the large picture of the formation. As you look at the picture of the formation, observe where your radial comes off the center. Your radial might be through a grip, or it might be directly through the center of someone ahead of you. Find out where that line runs and pick up landmarks so that you can ensure you stay on your radial.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 32 Red Zone and the Red Hot Zone

DEFINITION

The red zone is an arbitrary area that has several definitions of its boundaries. The size of the red zone will often depend on the size of the formation. The larger the formation, the larger the red zone will be around the base. Some have said the red zone is 100 feet away from the formation and 100 feet above the formation. Others have said anywhere in the camera view is the red zone. No matter the definition, there is an area around the base of the formation that is considered “hot”. From this boundary on into your slot, you will be doing very careful flying. You will have dissipated your speed used in your dive and will be flying very conservatively. Mistakes in this area can lead to serious injuries. Mistakes in this area are offenses that can get you cut from the skydive, otherwise known as an “ax-able” offense. From this boundary on into your slot in the formation, you will want to be invisible and predictable.

The first thing you want to do when you arrive at the red zone is to STOP. Stop your downward dive and stop your forward progress. From 100 feet up and 100 feet away, try to match the fall rate of the formation. Make sure you are on that 45 degree angle. Now is the time to make corrections when you have plenty of altitude to make those adjustments. Look to the left and right and try to pick up those skydivers approaching the formation who will be docking next to you. If everyone is on the 45 degree angle, it will be easy to spot each other.

FLYING IN THE RED ZONE

Before flying any further into the formation, you MUST be on your radial. Look for your landmarks in the base and across the base. Line up precisely on your radial before you move in any closer. If you are not on your radial, then you are in the wrong position and you will create a problem for yourself or for someone else. As you move closer and descend upon the formation, keep that 45 degree angle. You will not get there faster by flying a shallower angle (getting flatter). You will just find yourself out of position and low on the formation.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 33 BIG TIP

A good check on whether or not you are on the 45 degree angle is if you can see bottoms of shoes. If you can see the entire bottoms of people’s shoes, you are on the 45 degree angle. Look at the photo taken by the videographer on page 23. Observe how you can see the entire bottoms of the skydivers’ shoes.

Build in some “stops” as you move in and descend. Make sure you are aware of the fall rate of the formation. As the formation builds, it will slow down. Anticipate that happening and “guard” your altitude. It is easier now to make corrections than to wait until you are too close to the formation and realize you are low and then have to regain altitude.

As you get closer to the formation, traffic will increase. Keep looking to the left and right while always keeping track of the fall rate of the formation. It will change as more people dock and you want to be aware of those changes immediately when they happen.

BIG TIP

You have done your best to stay on the 45 degree angle but much to your chagrin, you find yourself too flat on the formation. What to do? The “bootie hook” works for many people. Cross your ankles, spread your knees and push down with your feet. As you push down, extend your arms slightly so that you do not drive forward. This is a technique that will allow you to expose more of your booties to the relative wind creating drag. You can also press down with your arms and “bow” at the waist for more drag.

Obviously, you will want to practice this before you are on a big way formation skydive. Grab a friend and do a 2 way. Take turns practicing the bootie hook and

Revised 7/11/13 Page 34 you will be amazed how quickly you “pop up” on your friend. Or practice in the wind tunnel.

Keep track of those docking ahead of you in the formation. Do not pass them as it might prevent them from getting to their slot. Practice “sheep dogging” the jumpers in front of you in the formation. Sheep dogging is a technique in which after you exit the plane, you locate the jumpers who are ahead of you in the formation and follow them into the formation. Stay as close as possible so that after they dock you are right there ready to take your grip. As you are sheep dogging, remember to stay on your radial and to stay on your 45 degree angle. Keep track of those docking beside you. Try to stay on the same level with them so one jumper doesn’t fly over or under another jumper.

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

As you are approaching the formation, you may find a jumper who should be behind you in the formation has arrived at the formation before you. This is one reason why it is critical to know who is behind you as well as who is in front of you and beside you. If you don’t know who is behind you and they arrive at the formation before you, you may get confused because you will not recognize their colors.

If a jumper has arrived before you, stay calm and continue to move into your slot. Look left and right. If you have clear space, you can move around them and then get back on your radial. If they are on your radial and you don’t have any room to maneuver, move up beside them (on level), and just tap them on the side of their leg. This lets them know you are approaching from behind and that you need a little more space to get into your slot.

Another scenario you may encounter is the person you should be docking on is not there. If you have seen that person go low and fall out of the formation, just park where your slot should be and fly quietly. DO NOT take their slot. That serves no purpose as a record formation must be slot specific and you will only confuse those behind you.

If you don’t know where that person is you should back off enough from your slot to allow room for them to get in their slot. They might have had issues that made them slower getting into the formation. Give them space to get into their

Revised 7/11/13 Page 35 slot but be ready to move up as soon as they arrive. Stay calm, stay on your radial, and stay on your 45 degree angle.

If the people in front of you are not picking up their grips, remain calm and parked on your radial. There may be problems ahead of them that you can’t see. But always be close enough so that if they do pick up their grips, you can be right there to get your grip also.

THE RED HOT ZONE

Before you can enter the red hot zone, you have to chill out.

The red hot zone begins when you are about 10 feet out and 10 feet up. Now is the time to chill out. Stop and take a breath. Do not rush through this last 10 feet. It is very common at this point to get totally focused on the GRIP. Ignore your grip, fly to your slot. As the formation builds, very often there will be waves and the formation will move in and out as people make careless docks. If your slot has shifted, fly to your slot and wait for it to shift back. If you chase your slot, you will add to the problem. When you are about 2 feet out, you should be just about on level with the formation. Match the fall rate. Fly your slot, not your grip. If the formation is washing around, be patient. Let things settle down before you take a grip.

If the base does not get a good launch or if they funnel right off the airplane, continue with the skydive. Fly to your quadrant, get on your radial and let the base get things sorted out. The base will attempt to put themselves back on the proper heading but they cannot do that if people start docking on them.

If the formation gets torn apart after it starts building, (careless docks, someone going under the formation) now it gets scary. There will be people on different

Revised 7/11/13 Page 36 levels and people out of position and there is no logical way to sort things out. Remain with the skydive until breakoff but there is no point in trying to rebuild the formation. At breakoff, you will need to be extra vigilant. The orderly tracking groups will probably have been destroyed. People will be doing their best to track away from the center, but there might be converging angles. Be prepared to take evasive action.

If you are low on the formation, break off with the first wave and track, track, track. If you are high on the formation and outside the formation, break off with the first wave and keep a close watch for people below you. If you are in the middle of the mess, it might be advisable to let the first wave track off and then join the second wave.

This is when many people find themselves low at deployment time. Traffic problems or getting distracted looking for a safe place to deploy may cause you to be lower than you should. An audible altimeter can be a very useful tool to help you keep track of your altitude as you may get too busy to check your altimeter. Opening low does not solve a problem. Opening low is usually the first step in another bad situation as now you don’t have enough altitude to safely deal with a malfunction and deploy your reserve should the need arise.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 37 Get a grip

WHEN TO TAKE A GRIP

You have made it through the red zone and survived the red hot zone. Now you think it might be the right time to take your grip. Before you touch anything, you must go through the following mental check list.

First, you must be parked. That means you have absolutely no forward momentum and your free fall speed is matching the formation. You are flying calmly and quietly. Your eyes are focused on the center of the formation, not on your grip.

Second, make sure you have the right sight picture. You must be on level and in your slot. If you see backpacks, you are high and are not on level with the formation. You should be looking at the butt of the person in front of you.

Third, you must be into your slot deep enough so that when you put out your hand for the grip, you are not reaching. You should be able to take your grip without extending your arm. Extending your arm to reach your grip means you are not in your slot and you are going to create problems for the formation. Extending your arm and reaching for the grip takes you out of your natural skydiving body position and makes it impossible to arch and match the fall rate.

BIG TIP A self-check that you can use to make sure you are in your slot properly is to observe your hand when you start to take your grip. If your hand is forward of your head, you need to extend your legs and drive deeper into your slot. If your hand is going below your body to get the grip, you are too high in your slot. Come back to neutral, take a breath, relax and you will settle into the proper level for your slot.

Fourth, examine the formation. The formation must be flying stable or you must not touch it. When you take your grip, you must be able to make an

Revised 7/11/13 Page 38 improvement in the formation. If you are trying to salvage your poor flying by taking a grip to stay in the formation, then you are wrong and you will cause problems for the formation. You will not be invisible and it will show up on the video.

After all these criteria are met, before you take the grip, BREATHE. Take a breath in and let it out. Feel the tension in your body relax. Glance quickly at your grip and then take your grip. Immediately bring your eyes back to the center of the formation and keep flying.

AFTER YOU TAKE A GRIP

Once you have taken your grip, your job is not over. Use positive pressure with your legs to ensure there is no tension in the grip. If you relax your body position, you will start pulling back on the grip and you can tear the formation apart. You should be solid enough in your slot to fly with your legs extended to avoid any tension. If you start floating when you put your legs out, add more weight. Your touch should be so light that the person you are docked on cannot even feel you. It is a great compliment if, when back on the ground, that person has to ask “Where you there?”

You should be looking just slightly under the formation when you are docked. Imagine a dome with the base being the top of the dome and the rings around the base being just slightly lower. Each ring will be slightly lower than the previous ring. That is the sight picture of a stable formation.

Once docked, DO NOT look around for the people who are docking around you. If you pick your head up to look around, that will expose more of your chest and cause you to slide backwards out of the formation. Looking around also takes your focus off the center of the formation and you will not be able to adjust should anything happen. Just a split second of lack of concentration can cause you to be out of place. Many large formation skydives ban the use of Go-Pros or any other personal cameras as most people cannot resist the temptation to look around and get a good picture. Keep skydiving, keep focused on the center of the formation, keep positive pressure with your legs. Relaxing at this point will be a disaster.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 39 If while docked in your slot, you feel yourself being pulled out of the slot use your legs to drive back into position. If you use your arms to pull yourself back into the slot, you will create tension in the grips of the people on which you are docked.

BIG TIP

When participating on a big way skydive, there does come a time when although things are not perfect, if you don’t take a grip there will not be a record. Several records have been lost because one person just did not take the grip. Sometimes the conditions are not perfect but you might have to take the grip anyway. If you should find yourself in that situation, make sure first, you are flying your body properly. Next, when you do take the grip, you must “box” out your body position and use every trick you have to fly that slot and make the skydive solid. This is a tricky situation and is only being included to give you something to think about. Of course, we all want the perfect smooth dock but sometimes you just have to get in there and get a grip.

In most big way formation skydiving, the base chunk does not get the opportunity to practice launching their exit before the entire group gathers to begin the skydives. Unfortunately, there is not a “professional” base that can float around offering their services to all big way skydives. And unfortunately, this lack of practice can lead to a funneled exit. If the base should funnel and if they are able to quickly recover, the skydive might be able to proceed as it should. Focus on doing your job, let the base get together and put themselves on heading. Know where your quadrant is and stay in your quadrant. As the base fixes itself, your radial will become apparent. DO NOT chase your slot off the funneled base. Wait until the base settles down, gets back on heading and then get on your radial to move into the formation. Chasing your slot will only put you out of position and will dramatically increase your chances of a free fall collision.

The funnel may be so severe that the base is not able to get back together. The released tension caused by the broken grips can create an energy that will fling the base apart; some may go hopelessly low and be unable to recover. If the

Revised 7/11/13 Page 40 base is flung all over the sky, the building of the formation is over. Your job is to put yourself into the best position possible for break off. When the formation is in shambles, break off becomes very messy and scary. Stay in your quadrant and try to move in so that you are on level with the majority of the jumpers. If you are on level, you are better able to keep track of where everyone else is located. Stay with the formation until break off. If you are on the outer edges of the formation, leave with the first break off group and pull at their assigned altitude. Track flat and track hard. Keep looking left and right and watch below you. Again, a funneled formation leads to a very messy break off. People will be doing their best to break off and track as they should but everyone will be confused as to where their tracking radials are located. Depending on where you find yourself in the formation, you may need to leave with the first wave and then just keep tracking until you can deploy at just under 2,500 AGL. There are no hard and fast rules in this situation. Take care of yourself and try not to be a hazard for anyone else.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 41 Break off

BREAK OFF

In large formation skydiving, there will be “waves” or groups of people breaking off, tracking and pulling at assigned altitudes. You will be assigned a specific break off altitude and a specific canopy opening altitude. There will be a specific signal given for break off. It may be that the base will start kicking their legs. It may be that a specific person will deploy in the formation which is called a pull out. It is very important that you adhere to your assignment.

You also need to know the break off and opening altitude of the first wave. If you happen to go low, you will stay with the formation off to one side and at break off you will become part of the first wave of trackers. Stay with the formation until it is time to break off. Since you are now lower than anyone else, it is extremely important that you track with maximum efficiency all the way to the first break off group’s assigned canopy opening altitude.

Keep skydiving in the formation until you get the signal for breakoff. Do not anticipate break off and leave early. Being the first person to leave the skydive while the last person is docking and possibly destroying a record is not something you will want to see played over and over during the video debrief. Stay with the skydive until breakoff is signaled.

For break off, you may be assigned to a tracking group. If you are assigned to a tracking group, each group will have a leader and the rest of the group will form a wedge shape following their leader. Depending on which side of the leader you are on will determine whether you will turn to the right or to the left at break off. At your break off altitude, turn to the center of your tracking group. While tracking, try to stay on level with the group. At first, you won’t want to out track anyone else in your group. You will stay in your group for about 5 or 6 seconds and then the group will start to fan out away from each other. Now is the time to pick up speed, keep tracking flat, and looking to the left, to the right, over your

Revised 7/11/13 Page 42 shoulders and also below you. If you are in the second or later group look for traffic in front of you. Track with maximum efficiency, but do not pass anyone that is in the wave in front of you. Track until you are at your canopy opening altitude.

BIG TIP

A tip to help you to keep track of altitude while breaking off is to use an audible altimeter. Those with multiple settings and/or those with flashing lights that attach to your helmet are also very helpful. You can set one setting to go off at break off, another setting to go off at your pull altitude and then the final setting can be set at your hard deck. Just as in any other skydive, maintaining altitude awareness is very important.

TRACKING

This is going to be very basic. Tracking involves slightly de-arching to create a body position that is flat. Tracking is not diving to get to your pull altitude faster. The goal in tracking is to decrease your downward free fall speed and maximize your horizontal speed. When skydiving in large formations, you need to have excellent flat tracking skills. A good way to develop these skills is to participate in tracking dives. Tracking dives will allow you to gauge your flat tracking skills in relation to others and will also help you develop skills to keep sight of others while you are tracking.

Poor tracking skills are an ax-able offense. Track flat, track hard, and don’t stop tracking until it is time for you to deploy your parachute. If you are just lying in free fall with your hand on your pilot chute waiting until you reach the pull altitude, you are wrong. Track, track, track.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 43 Staying alive under canopy

CANOPY OPENING

You have just had the best skydive of your life followed by a phenomenal track. You have deployed your pilot chute and your canopy is just starting to open. As the canopy begins to inflate, get ready. The skydive is not over yet and you still have several more opportunities to be injured or killed.

As the canopy begins to inflate, reach up and prepare to grab your rear risers. You might have an off-head opening and need to steer your canopy back on heading so you are not flying towards everyone else. Or someone else may have canopy issues and you need to steer out of their way.

Before you do anything regarding preparing your parachute for flight, make sure you are flying into clear airspace. Once you are headed into clear airspace, you can stow your slider and release your brakes. Many large formation skydives prohibit you from taking your booties off under canopy as that task will distract you from flying your canopy. As you are readying your canopy for flight, keep looking around to make sure there is no one else having canopy problems that might bring them into your path.

LANDING PATTERN

On a large formation skydive, you may be assigned a specific landing area. Head towards that landing area while looking around to avoid other canopies. On large formation skydives, you may have a pre-determined landing DIRECTION which is decided upon before takeoff. Or it may be decided that the first person down will set the landing direction. Take the responsibility to know exactly what will be expected of you when landing your parachute. Violations of canopy landing policies can be ax-able offenses.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 44 In some large formation skydives, due to the number of people involved, you may not be given the option to decide if you like the pre-set landing direction or not. You will land in the set direction no matter what.

On other big way skydives, you may have the option to decide that the chosen direction or the first person down has now set the landing pattern to land downwind and you do not want to land downwind. If you are allowed to make that decision and choose to make that decision, fly yourself far away and land in the direction you determine to be safest for your landing. You must be very far away from other jumpers if you make this decision so as not to be a hazard to other people landing. It is important that you fly a predictable downwind, base and final landing pattern as there may be others who have also decided to land out there with you.

On a large formation skydive it is imperative that you fly a predictable landing pattern. Spiraling your canopy is very dangerous as it does not allow you to keep track of other canopies and it makes you unpredictable to those who are flying their canopies near you. You should avoid any turns greater than 90 degrees even if you have not yet entered the landing pattern. Making turns greater than 90 degrees prevents you from keeping track of the canopies that are around you and below you.

Once you enter the landing pattern, you must NOT make any turns greater than 90 degrees. “S” turns in the landing pattern are strictly forbidden as it will create confusion on the part of those who are behind you. You need to fly as predictably as you possibly can so that everyone has the greatest chance of a safe landing. Accuracy approaches or flying the pattern in brakes is also forbidden. Both methods of flying will create traffic jams behind you and increase the chances of collisions. Keep in mind a long walk is much preferred over a short ambulance ride.

Carefully look left and right before you make any turns. Look below you and see where you might have possible traffic issues. Remember, the person below you cannot see you and you must be the one to take evasive action if needed. On final, take a radial and stay on it. If you stay on a radial, the people behind you can pick up radials off to one side or the other from you and be able to have a greater chance of a safe landing.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 45 After you land, turn and face the oncoming traffic while you are picking up your gear. When you start to walk off the landing area, look for incoming landing parachutes so that you don’t walk in front of them.

CHECK IN

Most big way formations will have a check-in procedure that you must follow after you land. Do not be “that guy” whom everyone is looking for because you forgot to check in. Invisible and predictable is still your mantra. There will be a designated spot for you to go where the check in people are located. Usually check in will be done by your slot number, e.g. B7 or A16. This allows the check in person to find you much quicker than if by checking in using last name.

As you are carrying your gear to where it is to be packed, keep track of the time frame you are under. Soon it will be time to go to the debrief. Don’t get distracted “re-living” the skydive so that you are the last one to the debrief.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 46 High Altitude Skydives and Hypoxia

HIGH ALTITUDE SKYDIVES

High altitude skydives inherently add more complications and risks than are present on normal skydives. Communication on the ride to altitude is more difficult because your helmet will be on and you want to reduce talking to conserve oxygen. You have to be prepared for longer sitting times and reduced temperatures inside the aircraft. Your face shield may fog over inside the aircraft and may freeze over on exit. You may be wearing bulkier clothing than you would normally wear skydiving as temperatures at higher altitudes are much colder than on a normal skydive. It is important that before boarding the aircraft that you practice finding and grasping your handles with the bulkier clothing (including gloves). Make sure the bulkier clothing does not impede your ability to use either your cutaway or reserve handle or the ability to deploy your pilot chute.

Aborted jump runs are more complicated. The process of climbing back in the aircraft, finding your oxygen hose, taking your seat and trying to remain calm burns a lot of oxygen. (Refer to page 10 for the proper climb in procedure if the floaters are already out).

A premature canopy opening may have a significantly greater opening shock which may cause injury to yourself and/or damage to the canopy; the longer canopy ride will be uncomfortable and may reduce the mobility of your legs on landing due to decreased blood circulation; the longer canopy ride will be cold; and you may run the risk of hypoxia depending on how high the canopy opened. Proper gear checks and proper maintenance of your gear before you board the aircraft is critical to reducing the possibility of a premature canopy opening. Don’t take chances with frayed or loose closing loops or loose pilot chute pockets. Double check that all handles are secure and the pilot chute is properly placed in its pocket.

The increased work load of managing your O2 hose/cannula, controlling your breathing and trying to keep your face shield from fogging can lead to increased stress on an already stressful skydive which will increase your oxygen consumption.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 47 HYPOXIA

One of the greatest dangers a skydiver can face on high altitude skydives is hypoxia. The definition of hypoxia is a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. While there are many reasons, medical and non- medical, for hypoxia to occur, we are only discussing hypoxia as it relates to high altitude skydives.

The signs and symptoms of hypoxia are often difficult to detect as the symptoms are insidious and often difficult to recognize. Mental symptoms can include loss of judgment, loss of short-term memory, a feeling of euphoria, confusion, poor decision making skills, increase in reaction time and a kind of mental “tunnel vision” where you can become fixated on one particular thing and not be aware that you are dangerously hypoxic. Physical effects can be headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, muscular incoordination, impairment of color and peripheral vision, loss of hearing and nausea. Severe hypoxia can induce a blue discoloration of the skin called cyanosis. Because hypoxia impairs judgment, you may not even be aware that your physical condition has deteriorated.

Hypoxia is dangerous and can be life threatening. Simple tasks become extremely difficult and performance fails. Hypoxia can occur in healthy individuals when they ascend to high altitude. Hypoxia can also reduce the ability to make proper decisions in a timely manner which could lead to fatal mistakes.

TIME OF USEFUL CONSCIOUSNESS

Time of useful consciousness (TUC) is defined as the amount of time an individual is able to perform flying duties efficiently in an environment of inadequate oxygen supply. It is not the time to total unconsciousness. It is the time from when you start having lower oxygen levels to when your ability to take proper corrective and protective action is diminished to the point where you have become a danger to yourself or to others.

Hypoxia and time of useful consciousness varies amongst individuals. Aging tends to reduce the efficiency of the pulmonary system and symptoms can occur at lower altitudes. Smokers can see a reduction of tolerance to lower oxygen levels by as much as 3,000 to 6,000 feet. Poor general health, fatigue, dehydration, stress and lack of physical fitness can reduce tolerance levels so that signs of reduced function may occur at lower altitudes.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 48 It is generally accepted that without the use of supplemental oxygen at an altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (4,572 meters) an individual at rest will have 30 min or more of useful consciousness. At an altitude of 18,000 feet MSL (5,486 meters) an individual at rest will have 20 to 30 min of useful consciousness. Once you reach 22,000 feet MSL (6,705 meters) the time of useful consciousness is reduced to 5 to 10 minutes. The time of useful consciousness decreases rapidly as you ascend further in altitude.

However, skydivers preparing to exit an aircraft are not individuals at rest. There is a required amount of work that takes place when preparing to exit - the bench has to come up, floaters have to climb out, divers must line up, etc. The body’s natural response to getting ready to skydive causes an increase in heart rate which uses more oxygen. It is extremely important to stay on oxygen as long as possible and to eliminate any unnecessary movement, including talking, to conserve the benefits of being on oxygen and to prolong our time of useful consciousness.

HOW TO AVOID HYPOXIA

There are positive steps you can take to avoid hypoxia. From a practical point of view, if you are hypoxic your performance on the skydive will be diminished. This diminishment in skill level may lead to the failure of the skydive which will impact everyone else on that skydive. As there are so many counting on you to be 100% it is important to do all you can to remain at 100%.

Your physical condition will have a great impact on how reduced oxygen levels will affect you. If you have any questions about your physical ability to work under reduced oxygen levels, consult your physician before attempting the high altitude skydives. You can undergo testing in a barometric chamber to find out what is your tolerance to reduced oxygen levels.

One step to reducing the effects of hypoxia is to go on oxygen when the proper altitude is reached even if you feel it is unnecessary. This altitude will be covered in your briefing.

Another step is to limit all unnecessary movement and talking while on oxygen. Be fully geared up (leg straps tightened, helmet on, gloves on, etc.) before the altitude is reached when the oxygen is turned on so that you may sit quietly, keep calm and control your breathing and heart rate.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 49 Stay on oxygen until the last possible moment before exit. Floaters will have to disconnect before they climb out but until that moment, they should stay on oxygen and stay calm. Divers can determine when they must disconnect but stay on oxygen until that moment.

KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE

There will be an oxygen monitor and/or plane captain whose job it will be to watch for signs of hypoxia in those on board. Without making a lot of excess movement, take the responsibility to observe those around you. Blue lips, difficulty breathing, sleepiness or an appearance of confusion can be signs of hypoxia and should be brought to the plane captain’s attention. Monitor yourself also. If you are having signs of hypoxia, let someone know. Remember one of the first symptoms of hypoxia is poor decision making.

Should a skydiver be experiencing hypoxia, first make sure they are receiving oxygen. Check that their tube is unobstructed and getting a good flow. If the problem is severe, ask for the oxygen flow to be increased and it may be advisable to descend immediately to below 10,000 feet MSL.

Revised 7/11/13 Page 50 OTHER ASSORTED TIPS

1. Stay hydrated. The use of oxygen and going to high altitude is dehydrating. You will need to drink plenty of water.

2. Eat smaller snacks throughout the day rather than having a large lunch. You are attempting to keep the blood sugar level steady rather than consuming a large amount of calories and then falling asleep. The use of bananas, apples, grapes and carrot sticks help to provide energy without overloading your system.

3. If the weather is unusually hot, watch for signs of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in yourself and in others. The use of Gatorade or other sports drinks can help offset the electrolytes we lose when perspiring.

4. If you are on a record attempt, try to get a good night’s sleep and avoid overusing alcohol. Alcohol is dehydrating and will often interrupt your normal sleep patterns. You have a lot of people counting on you to be 100%.

5. Before you arrive at the drop zone, go over all your gear. You can use the gear inspection check list located in the Skydivers Information Manual published by USPA to thoroughly inspect your gear and take care of any gear maintenance that might be needed.

6. Make sure your batteries in your audible altimeter are fresh enough to last through the event. It is a good idea to travel with a spare set.

7. Check the face shield on your helmet. If it is scratched and worn, you should consider replacing it. You do not want any visibility issues either in free fall or under canopy.

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