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From: wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive
Subject: Re: Way off
Message-ID: <552@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 12:58:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.552
Posted: Mon Feb 10 12:58:39 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 21:17:51 EST
References: <69@valid.UUCP> <14700002@ti-csl>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 21

> This past weekend, on the occasion of my 4th static line, I had the
> wonderful experience of landing about half a mile from the DZ.  Seemed
> to arise from a combination of the winds being in the opposite direction
> at 4000' as they were on the ground, a slow exit, and my complete
> inability to spot the DZ from the air (although I had a radio).  Anyway,
> I'm still really confused as to how I had so much difficulty orienting--
> after all, it WAS a pretty panoramic view and it isn't THAT hard to spot
> an airport!  Does anybody have some perspective into why this happens?
> (I hope experience improves :-) )  Any anecdotes regarding major quality
> misses would be appreciated.

Cheeeze, you folks should learn to jump in North Dakota.  At the place I
took my first jump (and only jump... I was taking aerobatic instruction at
the time, and wanted a choice if I didn't learn right), the terrain was
typical East ND:  wide open prarie, nearest line of trees (shelter belt)
two miles away.  SOP was to drop first-timers well in the middle of the
square-mile section... a half-mile walk from *anywhere*.

					Ron Wanttaja
					(ssc-vax!wanttaja)
					Just visiting from net.aviation