Conditions for skydiving may seem ideal when days are mild and winds are light, but when those gentle winds vary in direction, a seemingly perfect day can turn deadly. Common hazards of light-and-variable-wind days include canopy collisions due to jumpers chasing an ever-shifting wind indicator and hard landings due to jumpers making low turns to land into the wind. The good news is that it’s possible to solve both of these issues with a little planning and communication.
It’s not uncommon for winds to shift directions frequently on low-wind days. A rapidly shifting 2-mph breeze will blow a wind indicator this way and that, but it will make very little difference in the speed of a canopy no matter which way it is landing. Two jumpers who are landing at the same time can easily find themselves in a jousting match if they choose their landing directions after glancing at the wind indicator just seconds apart. Jumpers can avoid this hazard by communicating with everyone on the load before the jump and choosing a landing direction for everyone aboard. Everyone must agree to stick to this landing direction no matter what the wind indicator says. If all the jumpers are already in the air when the wind starts shifting, remember: In most cases, the first jumper down sets the landing direction.
A hazard as equally dangerous to a collision is an unplanned low turn near the ground. On light-and variable wind days, the windsock may be dancing around ... don’t chase it! Last-minute decisions to turn to face into the wind have caused quite a few fatalities over the years. Skydiver’s Information Manual Chapter 1, Category C lists a jumper’s landing priorities as:
1| land with a level wing
2| land in a clear and open area
3| flare and PLF
Notice that landing into the wind is not a priority! It is simply safer to land downwind than make a low turn, and this holds whether you’re a student or have 10,000 jumps.
Light-and-variable winds can create all sorts of havoc at a drop zone, but they don’t need to. The key is for everyone to make a plan, communicate that plan to and remember to stick to the landing priorities.
Ron Bell D-26863
USPA Director of Safety and Training