How do skydivers hit their marks?

[Richard_Pearse]

@Driver8

On the negative side, these planes (along with passengers, crew, and airport infrastructure) will be ripped into shreds before even getting off the ground.

Actually, I’m guessing human beings wouldn’t exist in the first place

It would also impact the design of umbrellas.

[Bumbershoot]

@wolfpup

My experience was from around the mid-70s, so no surprise that a lot has changed, thanks for the info. Newbies like me were all static-line until at least (IIRC) ten jumps. I actually don’t remember if the WDI was always used, or just on initial jumps, but I do recall it being used a lot. The drop zone was basically in open country so in general there was no huge problem in being off target, other than obstacles like the ones I mentioned that you might have to steer around. There were also rumors about irate farmers when an errant jumper landed on his crops, but I never did that or encountered any farmers bearing pitchforks!

I made my first jump in 1982; my student training was static line. I eventually got a jump master rating and took a lot of people up for their first jump. Threw a few WDIs in the process! I’ve had some off-airport landings also. More than once I’ve caught rides from nice people who saw me coming down. Never ran into an irate farmer but I’ve been to drop zones that warned me “Whatever you do, do not land in this field!” while showing me an aerial photo of the DZ.