{"id":18015,"date":"2018-05-01T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=18015"},"modified":"2021-09-15T10:02:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-15T10:02:52","slug":"2018-05-02-canopy-traffic-find-your-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2018-05-02-canopy-traffic-find-your-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Canopy TRAFFIC \u2013 Find your Place"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reduce your risk of a canopy collision by planning your flight to avoid converging paths or high closing speeds…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There are two major reasons why cars and canopies collide: closing speeds and converging paths
Photo by Dennis Sattler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traffic is a bad word…. and while we think we can get away from it when we\u2019re flying, the reality is that at some dropzones the traffic can resemble downtown rush hour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The difference is that if we don\u2019t like what\u2019s ahead of us, we can\u2019t just stop and let things sort themselves out. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parachutes can\u2019t stop until they land, so we skydivers have to manage our position in traffic from deployment through landing to avoid collisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re driving down the highway in a pack of cars going 85mph, we are very, very close to each other, but it works because we\u2019re all going the same direction and at the same speed. Parachute traffic doesn\u2019t have such rigid guidelines for paths and minimum\/maximum speed; add the third dimension of altitude and it\u2019s no wonder the canopy pattern can look like a total mess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parachute landing is a team sport whether you train with your teammates or not<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Maintain hyper-awareness of where everyone is
Photo by Dennis Sattler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reasons for Collisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two major reasons why cars and canopies collide: closing speeds and converging paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Closing Speed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First let\u2019s look at closing speeds<\/strong>: Just like on the highway, a Ferrari going 40 mph faster than everyone else has a higher risk of catastrophically running into slower vehicles; what would be a bump at similar speeds becomes a crash. With high closing speeds, there is very little time to react if the traffic in front of you doesn\u2019t behave as expected. Flip that on its head and look at it from the other perspective; a slower car in front of a pack of speed demons can cause impressive chaos, especially if it behaves erratically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Converging Paths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This leads us to the next aspect of collisions: Converging paths<\/strong>. We don\u2019t have problems on the road when everyone\u2019s going the same way and staying in their lanes, even if some cars are going much faster. The problems occur when people going the same or different speeds turn towards each other, change lanes, or otherwise get in each other\u2019s way. The problem can be significantly more complex with canopy traffic that can be going in any direction at any time (although hopefully we\u2019re all on a similar page in the landing pattern under 1,000 feet). There is a lot more to watch in the sky than there is even on the busiest highway, because other people could be coming from anywhere \u2013 even from below if you\u2019re descending faster or turning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other aspect of converging paths is that essentially, we are all converging on every skydive. We\u2019re spreading ourselves out as we leave the plane, but then flying back towards a landing area that\u2019s nowhere near as big as our jump run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more and more canopies filling the skies above dropzones, we need to reduce our chances of canopy collisions by being aware of our ideal place in the canopy pattern and flying to maintain that place. For canopies approaching the same landing area, your place in the pattern is where the jumpers above\/behind you are flying at the same speed or slower, and jumpers below you are flying at your speed or faster. Some might call it an \u201corder of go,\u201d and this reduces our chances of a closing speed issue. It\u2019s a loose order given that we are not all aiming for the same pinpoint on the ground such that we are forced to take turns (we do have quite a few acres to land in!) but it is a good guideline to minimize converging canopy paths and closing speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are all converging on every skydive<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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We are all driving Ferraris, but some are in second gear and some are in sixth gear
Photo by Paul Dorwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There can be a couple of challenges in getting to that place:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Exit order<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Exit order is selected to maximize horizontal separation between groups at pull time, may result in faster canopies being placed behind you. For example, freeflyers will exit behind belly flyers, and some of those freeflyers may have more highly loaded, faster wings than the belly flyers (and vice versa!). Also, AFF instructors and tandem videographers who often jump highly loaded canopies will be behind both of these groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Canopy flight choices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Choices of canopy are very individual; any one of us can go from being a slow right-lane flyer to a passing demon with a simple turn. We are all flying high-performance canopies that turn and dive easily; one of our instructor likes to say we are all driving Ferraris, but some are in second gear and some are in sixth gear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with any problem, there are multiple solutions. Every single skydiver (whether you\u2019re on a fast or slow canopy) should use these strategies on EVERY skydive! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering if this is about you\u2026 it is \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Take
Take responsibility for getting in the best place in the pattern<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solution 1: Take responsibility for getting in the best place in the pattern order on every skydive, and staying there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That place will vary depending on what you\u2019re doing and who\u2019s getting out in front of and behind you, and what canopies they are flying. Your job is to get into the place in the order where faster canopies are below\/in front of you, and slower ones are above\/behind you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know the canopies on the load<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Know the canopies that will be in the air around you. This is yet another reason to get to the loading area a good five minutes before your load! Remember that we pick our exit order to maximize horizontal separation between groups at deployment; once that order is set, ask about canopy sizes\/wingloadings of the jumpers in the groups before and after you so you can plan the canopy part of your skydive as well as the freefall part. We spend more time under canopy than in freefall, but we tend to plan the canopy part of our jumps much less than the freefall part. For our safety, this needs to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Make the necessary passes happen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Slower canopies or lighter wing-loadings behind you aren\u2019t likely to be big traffic problems, but a much faster canopy is likely to pass you at some point. If you have a pocket rocket behind you, find out what color it is so you can prepare to look for that canopy in the sky. If it\u2019s near you, let it go by, flying predictably straight and possibly in some brakes to make the pass easier. Don\u2019t forget that kicking your feet (and kicking back to acknowledge) lets the other jumper know you see them, which is great to know when you\u2019re passing or being passed! (Kick your legs just once or twice while watching the traffic all around you \u2013 don\u2019t fixate on the other jumper and forget about everyone else.) It\u2019s better to get that pass out of the way up high than to dive and play so the pocket rocket is forced to pass you at a much lower altitude, leaving you less altitude to recover in the event of a collision. Remember that we are converging on a single property to land, so passing each other closer to the ground generally means all of the canopies from that load are also closer together laterally, with less margin for error. Spiraling and playing with your canopy inputs should be reserved for times when no other canopies are nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let faster traffic pass, when safe to do so<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jumpers in front of you with slower canopies or lighter wingloadings may pose a traffic problem as well; find out what color their canopies are so you can be aware of those you will most likely pass. Talk to those jumpers and make sure you are both aware of your canopies and colors so you can get yourselves into the right place in the pattern relative to each other. Don\u2019t just swoop past someone close by without warning; people do unpredictable things when they get scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fly the pattern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019re settled into the appropriate spot in the pattern, especially under 1,000 feet, stay there! Don\u2019t dive and play and crowd the person in front of you, or float in deep brakes so that you crowd the person behind. Don\u2019t be that guy! This requires you to follow the next solution as well…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lower
Lower canopy has right of way but must still be aware of the big picture
Image shows Brianne Thompson by Niklas Daniel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solution 2: Maintain hyper-awareness of where everyone is under canopy throughout your descent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This can\u2019t be over-emphasized! Keep checking the airspace around you every few seconds, because the traffic pattern will fluctuate with people\u2019s wingloadings and canopy flight choices all the way to the ground. The last thing you want is to lose track of someone close to you! Also, we have blind spots behind and below us due to our rigs, so keep checking! \u2028<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you approach the ground, don\u2019t fixate on the ground or on traffic near you. Maintain awareness of both by using your peripheral vision and scanning fore, middle, and far ground ahead of you, and left and right of your line of flight. Big head movements aren\u2019t necessarily required; but we want to avoid target and traffic fixation, and tunnel vision, to see any traffic problems developing while there\u2019s still time and altitude to fix them. Remember, it takes two to collide but only one to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, remember that once your feet touch down, it isn\u2019t over! Look up and around for other traffic landing after you, and collapse your canopy quickly to keep it out of the way of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, it takes two to collide but only one to avoid<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"Put
Put safe landings for you AND everyone else in the air as top priority
Image courtesy of Skydive Spaceland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solution 3: Put safe landings for you AND everyone else in the air at the very top of your priority list on every skydive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you working on accuracy, but someone\u2019s too close? Land somewhere else and work on accuracy on another jump. Or do a hop ‘n’ pop to work on that with fewer or no other people in the air with you. Or perhaps you\u2019re swooping, and traffic reduces the space you have to do the big turn where and when you want. Remember Rule #1, \u201cLand safe, not close?\u201d Everyone\u2019s safety is more important than your swoop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo courtesy of Skydive Spaceland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On multiple occasions, skydivers considered to be some of the top canopy pilots in the world have collided with others, sometimes with fatal results. No one is perfect all the time, and if we fly very close to others, our margin for error is very small. Let\u2019s increase that margin by knowing when conditions are good for our landing goals and when to bail to Plan B. (You do have one, right?!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve heard it said a few times that parachute landing is a team sport whether you train with your teammates or not. This is so true; we are all in this together, and we need to watch out for our teammates on every jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue skies and fly smart!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Landing
Landing alone is your goal
Image courtesy of Skydive Spaceland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Article kindly reproduced from the<\/em> Skydive Spaceland<\/em><\/a> website. Written by Christy West, with thanks to Ken Stone, Jason Hyder, Raul Quinones, Jay Veenendaal, Rabbitt Staib, Ben Nelson, Henry Prewitt & DJ Marvin for contributing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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