Other Fun Stuff

In addition to the various "disciplines", for which people actually train and purchase specialised equipment and get coaching, the recreational skydiver finds ways to just have fun.

Pond Swooping

Pond swooping is a form of competitive parachuting wherein parachuters attempt to touch down at a glide across a small body of water, and onto the shore. Events provide provide lighthearted competition rating accuracy, duration spent skimming the surface of the water, and style. Points and peer approval are reduced when a participant "chows", or fails to reach shore and sinks into the water.

Cross-Country

Some days, the winds at ground level might be acceptable (barely) for safe landings, but the winds aloft are blowing strongly, such that parachutists must fly some distance upwind in order to arrive back at the intended landing area.

That is, if they opened their parachutes directly over the dropzone, the forward speed of the wings would be insufficient to counter the wind, and they'd find themselves backing up, until the wind abated near the ground. In those conditions, somebody may suggest a "cross-country" jump, where the parachutists exit the plane from some distance away at relatively high altitude, open their parachutes immediately, and see if they can glide all the way back.

Participants dress comfortably and pack a lunch, a mobile phone, and a two-way radio if available. The group examines local maps if needed and, considering the wind conditions at various altitudes, determines a distant exit point from which they think they can fly all the way back to the dropzone. The idea is to choose an exit point such that everybody should get back, but those who find themselves unable to get back will be able to find a safe area in which to land.

Those who are most skilled at getting the maximum horizontal glide from their parachutes can arrive back at the dropzone with just a little altitude to spare - if the exit point was properly chosen. Those with less skill, or those who have misjudged the glide-ratio of their equipment get to walk at least part of the distance, or beg a ride. Two-way radios can allow the participants to chat with each other (or heckle each other when somebody begins to fall behind). The radios or mobile phones aid in the recovery effort when friends finally relent and drive out to retrieve those who overestimated their abilities.

A wise choice of off-site landing, combined with an ingratiating manner has netted some "cross-country" participants a nice free lunch from a friendly family. A poor choice has netted some participants an encounter with a bull, a tree, a swamp, or a freshly-manured field. Either way, a cross-country jump usually yields a few stories to tell.

Tracking Jump

Tracking is assuming a body position that maximises horizontal speed while minimising vertical speed. It is most commonly used at the end of freefall to gain enough separation from other skydivers for a safe parachute deployment. The tracking body position is generally assumed by tilting the body with the head slightly downwards toward the earth, holding the arms closely to the body, and curving the body slightly in the shape of an airfoil. Because of its head-downwards position, many novice skydivers often confuse the Track with a Delta Dive position; at first glance, the inexperienced skydiver would expect such a position to increase the fall rate.

If two skydivers begin with the same fall rate, one will appear to float at the same place relative to the other--neither appearing to drop below nor float above the other. If one skydiver assumed a very good Track position, the other skydiver would see the Tracking skydiver not only accelerate quickly away but quickly upwards (relative to one another) as well.

A tracking dive is a skydive where the intention is to track for the entire duration of freefall. One person, usually the most experienced tracker, is designated the leader (or "rabbit"). The rabbit directs the direction of the group and maintains the groups tracking speed. Other participants chase the rabbit and try to maintain a relative position.

Because a good Track body position can lead to significant horizontal speed and because the body's curved and slightly head-down position can cause less-experienced skydivers to be aware of a reduced area around them, novice jumpers should train themselves to be aware of what is going on around them in all directions for a greater distance while tracking. Mid-air collisions during tracking that could have been avoided have caused amputations and deaths.

Camera Flying

In camera flying, a cameraman jumps with a group and films them. The cameraman often wears specialised equipment, such as a winged jumpsuit to increase manoeuvrability and helmet-mounted video and still cameras. Some skydivers specialise in camera flying and can earn significant fees for filming students on coached jumps, first-time jumpers, and professional skydivers.

Night Jumps

Skydiving is not always restricted to daytime hours. Experienced skydivers sometimes perform night jumps. For obvious safety reasons, this requires more equipment than a usual daytime jump and in most jurisdictions requires both an advanced skydiving licence and specialised training (night rating). A lighted altimeter (preferably accompanied with an audible altimeter) is a must.

Skydivers performing night jumps often take torches up with them so that they can check their canopies once they deploy, so they can be assured that the canopy has opened correctly and is safe to fly and land.

Visibility to other skydivers and other aircraft is also a consideration; FAA regulations require skydivers jumping at night to be wearing a light visible for three miles in every direction, and to turn it on once they are under canopy.

Hit and Rock

One example is "Hit and Rock", which is a variant of Accuracy parachuting devised to let people of varying skill-levels "compete" for fun, while spoofing the age and abilities of some participants. It is a good way to have fun on days when the cloud-cover is high enough to be legally jumpable, but too low for meaningful freefall.

In classic accuracy, the parachutist exits at 800 metres, flies a big, boxy, purpose-built parachute toward a dinner-plate sized target with a 3-centimetre dot in the middle. Near the ground, the parachutist aligns above the target and then sinks elevator-style until the target can be poked with a heel. The target has electronic sensors that show the precise distance of that heel-strike from target centre.

In swoop accuracy, the parachutist exits at any altitude, flies a zippy, high-aspect-ratio wing to the vicinity of the target, then executes a diving turn that levels out into a long, high-speed swoop close over the ground. At some point in that swoop, the parachutist passes over the target and attempts to stab it with a foot on the way past.

Both of those styles involve considerable skill, such that junior parachutists would have little hope against people with years of experience. So, to add some fun and frivolity, the target is replaced by a rocking chair.

The object now becomes: to land as close as possible to the chair, doff the parachute harness, sprint to the chair, sit fully in the chair and rock back and forth at least one time. The contestant is timed from the moment that feet touch the ground until that first rock is completed.