{"id":48418,"date":"2024-03-13T09:16:32","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T09:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=48418"},"modified":"2024-03-14T12:54:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T12:54:31","slug":"your-jump-plan-to-avoid-a-collision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/your-jump-plan-to-avoid-a-collision\/","title":{"rendered":"Collision Avoidance Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dan BC shares his personal plan to prevent canopy contact\u2026 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I think I have over 500 jumps with more than 100 people. That\u2019s a lot of big-ways. But I\u2019ve made over 30,000 jumps and only ever had one canopy collision. <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That wasn\u2019t on a large formation, it was a jump out of a Cessna 182 with only four jumpers in the sky. Four canopies total and two of us ran head on into each other. How is that even possible?! The only reason we both walked away was pure luck. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I remember saying, \u201cI didn\u2019t even see him coming.\u201d<\/em> Has anyone in a canopy collision ever said, \u201cI saw that coming.\u201d<\/em> I don\u2019t think so. If I\u2019d have seen him coming we wouldn\u2019t have hit. I thought I was looking. I meant to be looking. I could swear I was looking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, I wasn\u2019t looking anywhere near as much as I needed to be. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are any of us as aware under canopy as we need to be? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At that time, I had several thousand jumps, was a Nationals Medalist, Pilot, Rigger, DZO, S&TA, AFFI, TI, SLI and fancied myself a pretty squared-away skydiver who was always safety conscious and heads-up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head up my ass apparently!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many other close calls had I escaped and not even seen? Nothing like this ever happened on a 100-way. What was I doing different on those big jumps? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In crowded skies we pay attention. We need to bring that same mentality to every jump. Photo by Gustavo Cabana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I realized that on a 100-way from break-off to walking in from the landing area, I\u2019m in constant canopy collision avoidance mode. It\u2019s priority number 1, more important than anything else. We know the sky is crowded. We know there are canopies everywhere. We know we have to pay attention every second. We can\u2019t just intend<\/em> to be looking, we NEED <\/em><\/strong>to be looking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, we need to be looking on every jump, not just on large formations. Collision avoidance should be priority number 1 on every jump we make, no matter how small. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collision avoidance should be priority number 1 on every jump we make, no matter how small<\/p>Dan BC<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Look for traffic immediately your canopy is open
Photo by Bill Von Novak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Personal Collision Avoidance Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I thought about what it was I did on large formations to avoid a collision. I turned the same process into a plan I do on every jump I make, no matter if it\u2019s a solo or a 300-way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n