USPA Skydiving B License Practice test

What is the primary purpose of maintaining adequate horizontal separation from clouds when jumping?

1. To avoid disorientation

2. To ensure enough altitude for deployment

3. To comply with regulations

4. To prevent entering a cloud

The correct answer is: To prevent entering a cloud

Maintaining adequate horizontal separation from clouds is crucial primarily to prevent entering a cloud. Clouds can severely impair visibility, making it challenging for a skydiver to assess their altitude, orientation, or surrounding environment. Being in a cloud can lead to disorientation, as the lack of visual references can make it difficult to determine if you're descending, heading in the right direction, or where the ground is located. This disorientation can increase the risk of an unsafe landing or encountering other aircraft. While avoiding disorientation, ensuring altitude for deployment, and complying with regulations are all important factors, they are secondary to the immediate danger posed by entering a cloud. Regulations typically exist to enhance safety by preventing skydivers from flying into clouds. Nonetheless, the standout reason in this context is the need to avoid entering a cloud to ensure safety and maintain situational awareness during the jump.