We’re all adults here, and we all know that showing up late for a date can make you miss out on… well, whatever you had planned! 😳 Your date with the airplane for a skydive is no different, and few of us ever miss that!
However, there are a LOT of skydivers who can be really, really bad about being late to our date with the loading area on the 5-minute call before that airplane pulls up. There are a lot of potential reasons why, one of which is better than others. About the only really good reason to miss that mark is if you’re doing back-to-back jumps with a training team or student and you literally aren’t even on the ground yet; in this case, the rest of the load will know who’s missing and what they’re doing so they can be included in the loading order in absentia. If you’re doing a back-to-back, you probably already know you need to run and get to the loading area just as soon as you can for all the reasons to follow…
For the rest of us, there is no good reason to miss that 5-minute call and a whole lot of reasons why you shouldn’t. Here are 11 reasons why you SHOULD be in the loading area, fully geared up and ready to get on an airplane, on the 5-minute call.
- The entire load is present to help decide the exit order before the plane shows up and you can’t hear each other talk. Discussion may be required, especially if movement groups are present and have differences of opinion! (Nah, that’ll never happen… 😉 )
- You’ll be geared up ready to jump with time left over to check each others’ gear and recheck your own. (How many gear issues have you caught in the loading area or worse, on the airplane?)
- You’ll be ready if the plane shows up early–sometimes it really does happen, I’ve seen it! Rushing to the airplane when you’re late is a really great way to have a really bad skydive…
- The loader can see who’s on the load and have time to sort it out if anyone is missing/overmanifested without slowing down aircraft operations (more jumps in a day for you)!
- Instead of hunting for late jumpers, loaders/ground crew can spend more time on the essential task of watching canopies and landings in case they need to respond to cutaways, off landings, and/or injuries. (How terrible would you feel if ground crew didn’t see someone hurt themselves on landing and respond immediately because they were hunting for you while you were being lazy to the loading area?)
- You’ll have a few relaxed minutes to review your jump and get in that last dirt dive/mockup (hint: MORE SUCCESSFUL JUMPS when you are more mentally prepared!).
- Movement groups will have time to review the dropzone aerial with all movement groups on the load to make sure flight plans don’t endanger anyone (much more easily done without airplane noise and boarding urgency!). Let the straight-down groups know where movement groups plan to open.
- You’ll have time to flirt with meet the new guys/girls on the load.
- You can ensure your whole group is there and ready to go on time.
- You’ll have time to make friends with the loader/ground crew (they’ll be the ones finding your gear if you chop!).
- You’ll get to weigh in on where the party will be later!
A few lucky dropzones, such as Spaceland Houston, Dallas, and Florida, have air-conditioned packing/hangout areas that often tempt us to linger inside where it’s cooler on hot days, rather than heading to the outdoor loading area. I think one would be hard pressed to find a jumper at such a dropzone who hasn’t done it–we are ALL guilty! That said, we all should recognize the many reasons why being in the loading area by the 5-minute call truly improves safety, and strive to be a better example of safety. The life you save may be mine–or your own!
Summary
The bottom line is, rushing or being late is the first in a series of events that can cause a poor skydive, misunderstanding or serious incident. Being on time or even early is an important part of preparing for a great skydive, and positive safety culture for the whole dropzone.
By Bruce Chartier and Christy West