Swooping... friend or foe?

[Omar Alhegelan]

Everyone seems to have an opinion about high performance canopies.
What's yours?

[Mike Evans]

Surely,high performance canopy flight can be managed as effectivly as any other discipline by a DZ?

[Michael James]

Education is always a key factor in any sport. But it doesn't guarantee that people won't have a lapse in judgement.
Skydive Elsinore came up with the right idea after a mid air canopy collision between a swooper and a non swooper.
They created a landing area for swoopers only (next to the swoop pond) and limited turns to 90º in the main landing area.
That was 8 years ago or so.
To my the best of my knowledge, no more accidents have taken place between swoopers and non swoopers.
Also to the best of my knowledge, the swoopers have never had a an accident involving two canopy pilots in their area.
Slower flyers in the landing pattern are no longer bothered by being cut off from faster canopies and skydivers on fast canopies no longer have slower canopies to contend with when setting up for a landing.
This is an example of a small to mid size drop zone that spent the money needed to implement a big idea and made the sport safer for all at their DZ.

[Omar Alhegelan]

I am sure that they can as well. The question is:
How to do it in a way that is safe for ALL & still permits the swoopers to do their 360, 540, 720 & more?

But if turns greater than 180 degrees are taken away... then a swoop is no longer a swoop; but, simply a landing!

Don't get me wrong; as much as I love radical turns, 1080 in to final & fast landings; there is one thing that I FAR PREFER; SAFE LANDINGS!!!

[Jeff Provenzano]

Briefly, a few things that can really help this situation is:

1. Education.The problem is not only swooping but everyone in the sky. We are all canopy pilots.
2. Patterns.... of course!
3. Segregated landing areas. No brainer.. this could solve alot.
4. Load organizers have a job to organize the load for groups and separation, they should also organize the landings.
5. The Blind Spot. Learn to check yours and how to stay out of others.
6. Remember who has the Right of Way. Repect who is below.

[MIke Sanes]

Very well said!

Mike

[Julio Ruiz]

To begging, I think there are to many people out there flying small and fast parachutes and dont even know what makes a parachute fly. For me all modern parachutes, meaning manueverable parachutes are all high performance cause you can do many cool things flying them, even land them in a quarter. BUT..... Extreme high performance parachutes, those tiny underwear that Myself and many other peolpe fly are the ones that kill and injure many.

I dont compete and dont know all about them but shurely know enough on how to survive. YES sometime we all go a bit low, but we learn from that. Thank God ive never been injured landing and I fly a X-VX 78 and im 180lbs out of the door. this is a preety decent wing loading and I like the way my parachute performs on high winds, no winds and cross winds.

A good recommendation for anyone interested in the art of canopy flying is education. Starting by knowing your parachute and why and how it flies. Dont show off. Get coaching by a profesional. Learn how to land your current parachute in all directions before downzising, Please try it on clear and smooth landing areas. This might save your life when an of DZ crowded landing. (Also include what Jeffro says above, he is live proof of an exelent canopy pilot)

For me, after a good jump there is always time left for a good canopy ride and good swoop. Dont pull low, open at a decent altitude, leave extra altitude for emergencies. Enjoy your canopy and get as much green covered as you can.

No beter feeling like a bad ass swoop

[Prashant Kapoor]

Well I am just a beginner in the sport but avery fast learner.
I feel that like every sport the max mistakes are made when people become overconfident about themselves and that is what I find in all parachutist editions also that I have gone through mention the same.

the accidents normally take place with either total beginers who cant reat correctly in time or very experienced skydivers

I am a slight risk taker and so may be I am biased towards the other side.
But if we remember to keep our minds on what we are doing then and not on what i have to do next then chances are that things might just work out smooth and safety of both self and others is okay.

[John Skinner]

Common sense ,knowing when not to go big due to traffic.Progressive training.NOT BY LIMITS SKYDIVING IS ABOUT PUSHING LIMITS.SWOOPERS HAVE TRAINED THEIR ASSES OFF FOR A LONG TIME .NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO LIMIT WHERE WE CAN TAKE THAT ASPECT OF OUR SPORT. PEACE AND BAD ASS 540'S AND SO ON,JOHNNY

[Prashant Kapoor]

I fully agree with John Skinner .

[-HeNRIK-]

Remember: just because You can see me, it's not sure I can see You!

[KFC]

I support all disciplines of skydiving including swooping. I think swooping is really good for gaining mass public awareness of skydiving in general and I totally support that. I do, however, have issue with DZs mixing the swooping areas with regular landing areas.
My chosen discipline is freeflying and not swooping. I'd like to be able to do my thing and not get in the swoop mix at all. Unfortunately, when I jump at most DZs, I by default end up in the middle of swoop-space as that's "the landing area" for all of us. I'd like to see recognition of our multiple disciplines and separation in the landing areas accordingly.
In my perfect world... experienced freefall sports athletes who do not care to swoop should be provided safe landing space.
My two cents...
KFC :-)

[Chris K.]

I totally second the separation of high performance and "standard" landing areas as well. There is no need for any more regulation than "you land here, you land there." That's all folks! :P