From: artb@eskimo.com (Art Bori)
Subject: Re: Thoughts concerning clouds
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 16:25:39 GMT

Jim Beutel (beutel@chdasic.sps.mot.com) wrote:

[Stuff deleted regarding jumping through a cloud]

: I quess my question would be..: What do the big guys (and gals) say..?
: Would you have exited? Should it be avoided? Do it with a good spot?

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the story about 
the load that exited over what they thought was the DZ and ended 
up drowning in Lake Michigan.  There was an article in _Parachutist_
not to long ago about that incident.

Living in the Pacific Northwest there are more than a few days when 
clouds are a concern.  According to the FARs, skydivers have to observe
VFR visibility rules (eg. for altitude >10,000': visibility 5 statute 
miles, 1,000' below, 1,000' above, and 1 mile horizontally from any 
clouds).  In reality most places "bend" the rules. 

To hopefully divert any flamage: I do not in any way encourage or
advocate jumping through clouds.

I have three main concerns about exiting around clouds: spotting, 
what's in or below the clouds, and where's the actual bottom of the
clouds.

If you're spotting and there are scattered clouds usually you can 
find enough references to spot adequately.  On days when it's mostly
clouds and you're spotting by peeking through what few holes there 
are, you better have supreme confidence in your spotter.  At one
DZ that I've jumped at, a not so good spot (much less a really bad one)
would put you out over solid forest.

Once in freefall, you've got to worry about what you'll find if you
enter a cloud.  Aircraft flying IFR could definitely be flying through
the cloud you just got out over.  Guess who wins if you meet in freefall? 
Nobody!  Of greater concern would be the other people you jump with.
A good RW load would be flying close and have eye contact.  But what if 
it's not so good a load or the dive just funnels?  Is anybody below you
or above you or tracking at you?  Or what if the cloud is just so thick
that you can't see your hand in front of your face much less another jumper?

Finally, do you *REALLY* know where the bottoms are?  I've made jumps
over clear air only to find myself in heavy duty "industrial haze."
The exit might have been away from any clouds but a combination of fast 
moving clouds and freefall drift can put you where you don't want to be.
Once you're there, do you *think* you know where the bottoms are?  
Did the ceiling drop?  Did another layer move in below?

Do you really want to trust your altimeter and/or Dytter?  Do you wait 
until you can see the ground and possibly too low?  Or do you dump
in a cloud and not be able to see or be seen?

Given all of the above concerns, it certainly doesn't seem very smart
to jump around clouds but jumpers stil do.  "You've already paid for the
altitude, you might as well use it...everyone else wants to go...
there aren't any other planes in the area...the pilot used the LORAN
and knows where we are..."

"Cloud rush" certainly is a wild experience and I've had some memorable
jumps in thick air but it still is (and probably always will be) 
something that scares the hell out of me.

I guess my main piece of advise is don't be afraid to stay in the 
plane.  No skydive is worth killing yourself over.  If your "friends"
give you a lot of grief about it, maybe they're not really friends.

Blue skies (or big holes)
Art Bori
D-11402
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving