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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!uw-june!pablo
From: pablo@uw-june (David Cohn)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive
Subject: Re: Way off
Message-ID: <324@uw-june>
Date: Fri, 31-Jan-86 11:31:33 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-june.324
Posted: Fri Jan 31 11:31:33 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Feb-86 05:57:36 EST
References: <69@valid.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 18
Summary: Landing wayyyyy off mark


On my first jump I had a similar experience:
They hadn't dropped a WDI in a while and the winds had shifted so that
jump run was going *downwind*, which makes the plane passs the spot more
quickly. Additionally, I was slow to get out of the plane. Beyond even
that, I had line twists, so while my 'chute was flying straight away
from the drop zone, I was busy spinning around underneath it trying to
get myself straightened out forward. Urgh. 
Orientation from the air is something humans aren't hardwired with. It
*does* take practice. It helps if you havee a major landmark to look for
regardless of orientation. Once you know appx. where, it's easier to figure
out which direction.
Incidentally, that first jump was at Otay Lake in CA, 2 miles north of the
Mexican border. I got alot of cute comments as I returned from my long
walk from the south.

skies call,
-pablo