Landing Direction Defined
by Tom Buchanan, S&TA

Enough is Enough!
I wish that some day I could step out of The Great Hall and see a red faced guy with horns and a pitch fork recklessly flying his parachute directly at a serene and contemplative jumper in a long flowing white robe.  That would be an easy conflict to solve, I think.  Unfortunately I haven't spotted those characters at The Ranch yet, nor have I been able to clearly identify any good guys or bad guys above our landing area.   Perhaps there aren't any.  Yet, like many Ranch Hands I've become frustrated by the disorder of our landing pattern.  I can't offer a guaranteed one-size-fits-all solution, but it has become critical for everybody to stop for a moment and think about how and where we land our parachutes.

The Ranch isn't all that different from other drop zones, except that our landing area is relatively small and narrow, and we have a ton of traffic from multiple Twin Otters.   As is the case at many other drop zones around the country, we seem to have two levels of trouble with landing direction.  Some parachute pilots have problems deciding on a landing direction for final approach (that's a tactical issue), and others have trouble defining flight from opening to the approach (that's a strategic issue).   We also have a very mixed group of jumpers, with some folks comfortably flying the most radical parachutes on the market, and less experienced jumpers flying much slower parachutes.  Solutions that work elsewhere should generally work at The Ranch.   We all need to respect each other and fly both conservatively, and respectfully.   We should think about the landing as a strategic operation and command our parachutes from the moment of opening.  We should also think of the landing as a tactical operation and defensively manage our own flight in close proximity to other canopy pilots.

Landing Direction
We need to understand how to select and agree on a landing direction, and how to get our parachutes in a position to actually land that way.  We also need to develop individual skills so we can adjust to changes in the pattern caused by long spots and wind shifts, as well as wayward parachute pilots who fail to see us, or those who fail to follow established standards.

Landing "rules" can be easily summed up as "land safely."   That's the goal.  The actual landing direction isn't as important as the reasonableness of the various approaches, given wind and traffic, and the way they mesh into near simultaneous landings.

Perhaps our biggest problem has been on days with light and variable winds when just about any landing direction will work, and when the wind socks don't give us a clearly obvious direction.  One of the most challenging elements of light and variable wind conditions is that our jump run will extend over a several mile track on both ends of the drop zone.  Thus, when winds are light we will have traffic converging into final approach from all different directions, and it is often impossible for everybody to fly a standard pattern.  In fact, with light winds and long spots it is sometimes difficult for the canopy pilots coming from afar to adjust their direction of travel at all prior to landing.

Options
Some folks have suggested that we establish a mandatory landing direction before take off, and then stick to it NO MATTER WHAT.  I like the concept, but the NO MATTER WHAT part bothers me.  Unfortunately, winds change.  The spot sometimes makes it difficult to get back to the drop zone with enough altitude to safely make a final turn that will comply with the intended landing direction.  Occasionally we find ourselves in a congested group of dissimilar parachutes all approaching the same downwind leg from different positions, making it impossible for everybody to join the same final approach without an ugly convergence.  Sometimes one person simply misjudges his initial pattern and creates havoc for everybody else, fracturing an orderly approach into a scary free-for-all.

Some folks have suggested that we follow the first person down NO MATTER WHAT.   Once again, I like that as a general idea, but the NO MATTER WHAT part is equally troublesome.  Following one person works as long as the first person to land is an experienced and trustworthy canopy pilot.  The first person down must also set up a perfect approach well enough in advance for everybody else to anticipate the direction, enter a recognizable pattern, and establish their own stabilized approaches.  That's rare.  There must also be a willingness to trust the first person down, and an assumption that everybody is watching and able to see that first landing.  We also need to allow for long splits between groups and passes, and the addition of other Otter loads joining our group in the pattern.  From high overhead it may be difficult to determine who the first person down was.  If the first landing isn't pretty, other pilots will be reluctant to follow in the same direction.  And once again, we need to consider other people who left the airplane on the opposite side of the airport and may not have time to turn at all.

Some people have suggested that we follow the wind sock NO MATTER WHAT.  That's also a great idea, and also has a freaky NO MATTER WHAT thrown in for discomforting comfort.  Following the wind sock works as long as the wind isn't changing, or isn't so light that the sock is hanging limply or shifting gently.  It also requires that people follow just one wind sock, and with multiple wind drift indicators on the field, we will often have several wind directions indicated at the different placements of socks and streamers.

Rules (sort of)
There really isn't a single solution that works in every case, nor can a drop zone such as The Ranch with "no rules" establish a blanket rule for every landing situation.   We can, however, try to establish some standards.  With that in mind, the following are the non-rule standards for landing direction at The Ranch:

6.

Fly a left hand pattern if possible… that means make all your pattern turns left turns.  For example, if your parachute opening was on the other side of Sand Hill Road and you are planning to land toward the mountains, make your downwind leg over the trees near the Ranch driveway.  Make a 90 degree LEFT turn to your base leg, then another 90 degree LEFT turn to final.  If your position in flight won't allow you to fly a left hand pattern, then fly a right hand pattern and yield to those flying the standard left hand pattern. (See Figure 1)

11.

If the jump run has put parachutes on both ends of the airport, then the folks coming from the direction of the pond should probably shift a bit to the right and land near the runway.  The folks coming from Sand Hill Road should probably shift a bit and land near the schoolyard.  In this sort of situation there may be nobody in the terrifying "middle ground."  In most cases the landing direction will be to the mountains (see #4), so the folks flying from Sand Hill Road will be flying a standard left pattern, but the folks flying from the pond area will probably be flying a long straight in final approach.  If there is an apparent conflict, then the canopy pilots on the long straight in approach should pretend they are from South Carolina and smile, then yield to the opposing traffic. (See Figure 2)

12.	If two parachutes are approaching head on, each should make a gentle RIGHT turn. (See Figure 3)

13.

If two parachutes are converging, each should turn to the outside. (See Figure 4)  If the parachute you are converging with has no place to turn, either because of terrain or other parachutes, then be nice and turn a bit more yourself to give the other pilot more open space for landing. (See Figure 5)

14.

If you are on your downwind leg making left traffic and another parachute pilot is on downwind making right traffic, both parachutes will probably meet in the middle.  You should shorten your base leg to land left of center, and the other pilot should shorten his base and land to the right of center.  That leaves the actual center of the landing area as vacant space.  There can be no collision in vacant space. (See Figure 6)