Can skydivers look down?
There has been certain correspondence in the last two months copies of "Pilot" magazine re parachute drop zones and DZ's.
They related to the rights or otherwise of freefallers to the sky over their drop zones.
I do not question the desirability of staying out of designated DZ's but there are some airfields where parachuting takes place at the same time as power flying and gliding and operations are largely "see and be seen".
There was a tragic collision the other month at Hinton between a parachutist and a glider in such circumstances.
I know that pilots can't see parachutists free falling at 120 mph, even if they were looking for danger vertically above.
Never having parachuted, I would imagine that a freefaller could see a wide area beneath him and take some action to avoid incoming aircraft, especially if it is doing about 40 knots.
So my question is:- Can skydivers look down or do they have to keep watching the horizon to maintain stability?