Jay Honeck wrote:

That's no different than when I'm working the pattern in Iowa City
for
an hour. Familiarity with the pattern should allow for greater
situational awareness, if the pilot is on his/hers toes.

When you work in the pattern for hours a day, every day, for years,
then you can compare your situational awareness to that of a jump
pilot, especially at Deland or other large operations where they have
the best of them.


but their greater speed and ability
to stop on a dime using beta thrust made it all work out okay.

Of course it all worked out okay. The jump pilot never had any doubt
it would. They weren't taking a chance, they knew how much space they
had, what the typical GA aircraft is capable of, what their aircraft is
capable of, and how to maneuver around you.
I ran across effectively the same situation in the pattern when I was a
student in a C152 with a Bonanza sharing the pattern. Get this - I
felt unsafe FOLLOWING this plane at the distance my instructor told me.
It was TOO CLOSE to be safe. Yet guess what? He was probably on the
ground a good few minutes before I turned final. Just because I wasn't
experienced enough at the time to be comfortable, doesn't mean the
situation was unsafe.
In your case, you weren't experienced enough to be comfortable with it,
yet "it all worked out okay" because the jump pilot made sure it did.
It wasn't just coincidence.