From: shibuya@mailhost.bl.cad.slb.com (Hiroto Shibuya)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Dumpster accident
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:05:15 GMT
	<1992Aug28.122604.15742@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>
Reply-To: shibuya@mailhost.bl.cad.slb.com
Organization: Schlumberger Technologies CAD/CAM Division

bonitz@ebony.eecs.ucdavis.edu (Bob Bonitz) writes:

> }There was a good example of a hook turn at Quincy.  A cameraman did a
> }hook turn into a dumpster, shattered his right leg, lost a knee cap,
> }a couple compound fractures.  My wife and i did a tandom jump that day
> }and decided to continue on in the sport and learn to skydive.  However
> }we will not be doing any hook turns.
>
> Now here is a case of an experienced jumping setting a excellent example for 
> the novice jumper by aptly demonstrating the dangers of low hook turns!

ks@acn.purdue.edu (Kirk Smith) writes:

> From what I could tell, it wasn't a low hook turn into a dumpster.  It
> looked more like straight and level flight towards a dumpster,
> followed by a last second effort to turn away, which actually swung
> his legs towards the dumpster.

I see tendency of people jumping to conclusion concerning low hook
turn.  In this case, bad landing was simply translated as low hook
turn.  Parachutist magazine is running continuous negative campaigning
against hook turn.

Square parachute landing is complicated procedure with lots of
variables.  Wind direction, turbulance, size/shape of landing area,
obstacles, canopy performance/characteristics, wing load, canopy
traffics, etc...  I find it very challenging to have confidence in
achieving consistent result in these ever changing conditions.  If one
fail to properly adjust to the landing condition or push one's
envelope too far, it will result in bad landing, or worse, endangering
other jumpers and spectators.  This kind of misjudgement happens in
all the aspect of landing and not necessarily related to hook turning.
I wonder how many of the landing accident publicized such as
"hookturned demo canopy" is really attempted hookturn, and not
mismaneuver of canopy at low altitude, which got amplified by a high
performance canopy.

Less experienced people try to do what higher experience people do.
That's what they want to be some day, bigger formation, more points
and cool canopy maneuver.  If you don't try something new, you never
learn anything new.  In case of landing, common thing people try to do
is to land closer and closer to the loading area, spectator area, or
wherever people are hanging around.  It is not cool to land way out in
the field and walk all the way.  It is very easy to misjudge one's
ability or level of awareness by concentrating too much on accuracy.
It is good thing to work on your accuracy, but it have to be balanced
with your overall ability to make it safe.  It is individual
judgements on each single jump, assuming they are given good
guidelines upon getting off student status.  Failure to do so deserves
warning or penalty from others, if they were lucky enough to get away
from the physical consequence of their misjudgement.

Hook turning adds several variables and complexity to landing
procedure.  Because of that, it requires higher level of skill,
judgement and awareness.  One must progress very carefully to conduct
well controlled hookturn.  One biggest facter is the difference of
landing pattern.  Because of difference of direction at the final
approach, it takes extra skill and awareness to setup for hook turning
with safe separation from other jumpers and people on the ground.

I agree on the aspect of hookturn the way it appeal to lower
experienced people.  It is tempting.  It's same for me that after
watching Traveling II video, I must hold down myself not to run out
and start digging a pond at nearby DZ.  If a jumper choose to do 180
degree front riser hookturn because he just saw somebody doing it and
throught it was cool, it is bad judgement.  In most cases, they simply
don't have any information what it take to do safe hookturn and risks
associated with it.  Skydiver Information Manual doesn't describe
hookturn progression and Parachutist just keep on saying no.  They
publicize the bad examples and says that someday it'll get you for
sure.  But some of the examples I've seen in Parachutist and Skydiving
Magazine were result of several major misjudgement.  Off my head I
remember a couple of them.  Factors were something like,

	o Non current (first jump after a few months) + alcohol
	o 200 lb on Sabre 97 + visiting 5000 ASL DZ

Gee, what do you expect? 

So whatever dangerous landing you see, please take a close look and
find out what was dangerous about that landing.  If somebody
hookturned right into spectator area, it is not the hookturn which
caused it, but bad judgement on where to land, which could have caused
by bad approach setup.  Labeling that simply as dangerous hookturn
might miss the point.  If a jumper is doing consistent hookturn
landing, always with sufficient separation from others, I don't see
any problem.  Bad example for novice jumper?  I think jumper like that
should considered as an excellent example.  I happend to have a jumper
like that around.

With only 400 or so hookturn landings, I can hardly claim to be an
expert.  But I think I've been successful to sufficiently stay within
my limitation and expand it gradually.  I just hope I can say the same
thing after a few thousands jumps, and if shit happens, I hope I would
be deciplined enough to keep it only to myself and not to anybody
else.

Why do I hook turn?  I don't deny the factor of showing off.  But the
reason I started to front riser hook turn my Raven II at 100 jumps or
so was to get nice soft landing at no wind day.  Now with Sabre 135, I
enjoy the long relaxing glide along the turf, which is really easy to
time a touch of flare at the end, lift up and touch down.  It makes me
feel very good as finale of a dive.








--
				Hiroto Shibuya
			
				Schlumberger Technologies 
				CAD/CAM Division