New Guy, Landings

[Parafoil27 0]

I need some help with my landings. I weigh 220# and i'm jumping a 262sq ft chute. What is the best way to flair this monster? It almost seems like it's not going fast enough to slow it's descent when i flair(i'm sure it's my lack of skill though).

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

The more speed you have the more lift you create. Make sure your hands are all the way up prior to flaring and the canopy is at full flight. Practice your flare up high and you should feel yourself swing under your canopy if you are flaring correctly.

Best bet.....Talk to your instructors.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[grannyinthesky 0]

I'm a lot lighter and i've been jumping a 260 sq ft. I haven't had any problems flaring, but I do make sure when I turn on to final that my arms are ALL the way up so I am going at full speed. You need the speed to convert to lift.

Make sure you talk to your instructors. They are watching you land so they should be your best source of help......

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[Programmer 0]

Video helps, too.

[Pulse 0]

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The more speed you have the more lift you create.

True, but you still should be touching down at a slow speed. Extra speed can make things easier but only because it buys one more time with a descent rate of zero.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

[airtwardo 7]

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I need some help with my landings. I weigh 220# and i'm jumping a 262sq ft chute. What is the best way to flair this monster? It almost seems like it's not going fast enough to slow it's descent when i flair(i'm sure it's my lack of skill though).

Question: What kind of canopy are you flying?

From the 262 sqft and you Parafoil screen name, would it be safe to assume that is what you are jumping?

If so, understand that it is an accuracy canopy and the flight characteristics are somewhat different than most of the other canopies you may be seeing at the DZ.

You're correct when you say it's not going very fast.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Parafoil27 0]

Nah the name is just a name. It's the student rig at my Dz. The only clue i have is R262 in my log book. I understand the theory behind flaring as i have a lot of experience with aviation. This is eating me though. I know freefall is the bigger thrill but i want to be the best canopy pilot i can be also. I have been keeping my toggles all the way up on final and my instructor says i'm not flaring too high. Should i try flaring in stages? I guess i'll practice on the way down a little more. Thanks in advance for any help!

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[JohanW 0]

No, you should probably not be flaring that thing in stages. Your problem might be not finishing your flare.

You should be talking more to your instructor. He can see you landing, we can't.

Maybe flaring more aggressively would help, too. That does make the timing more critical though, and is not something to be tried on authority of the first person to shoot off his mouth in Duh Innernet. Like me.

Edit: Oh, and freefall is not 'the bigger thrill.' (Try landing a wingsuit if you're in for thrills.) Canopy flight/landing, be it canopy freefly, relative work, accuracy or swooping, is several highly satisfying disciplines in itself. (And a static line is just a deployment system. I mean that.)

Johan.
I am. I think.

[millertime24 8]

I would say flare more aggressively (faster closer to the ground). Another thing that could help that an instructor told me is "dont start your flare any higher than you would be willing to jump without a parachute". Ever since Ive done it this way Ive stood up every landing. The key (for me at least) is to fly that thing by the seat of my pants all the way to the ground. I usually give it some front riser input @ about 300 feet just to speed up a little then plane out the canopy with the toggels when I get close to the ground (only a couple feet off). This isnt the reccomended way for students though. Just my 2 cents.

And talk to your instructors.

Muff #5048

[Parafoil27 0]

I would like to try a wing suit one day. Unfortunatly the biggest thrill i'm allowed as of yet is my training, so for what i'm given my tiny 10sec freefall is the greatest thrill i have experienced. I would love to explore canopy flight more but i'm limited by my instructor and my skill level. If i fly past my skill level i may be grounded or injured. Please forgive me if i don't include things i have not done when i speak of things that are exciting......
I don't understand the static line comment, please explain. I realize it's a deployment system. I'm no longer using static line though.

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[Parafoil27 0]

Great info. This is the type of stuff i was looking for. They may not let me use the front risers though.

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[pilotdave 0]

I don't understand how anybody can give advice without seeing what he is or isn't doing wrong. Maybe the canopy just sucks?

The original poster really needs to be getting advice from his instructors that actually see his landings. Anybody on here is just guessing, which is a pretty bad idea. Go ahead and guess what color helmet he should buy, but not on how to improve his landings.

Dave

[dragon2 2]

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Great info. This is the type of stuff i was looking for. They may not let me use the front risers though.

No you're not. That was downright dangerous advice to give you.

There is really only one answer to your problem, that is get someone good to watch your landings, preferably video them, and have that person debrief you.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[pilotdave 0]

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I would say flare more aggressively (faster closer to the ground).

Great info. This is the type of stuff i was looking for.

No offense to millertime, but it's really not great info. He doesn't know if you are flaring too slowly or too high, so he really can't know that flaring faster or closer to the ground will help. Please listen to your instructors and nobody else. Advice like pulling front risers could seriously get you hurt.

Dave

[millertime24 8]

I would like to point out that I said "what I do is..." I wasnt reccomending that HE do the same thing or even advising it for that matter. And if you read my whole post you will also see where I wrote "And talk to your instructors". The point of my post was to say what works for ME. If that works for him too then great if not then oh well.

Muff #5048

[airtwardo 7]

No offense to millertime, but it's really not great info. He doesn't know if you are flaring too slowly or too high, so he really can't know that flaring faster or closer to the ground will help. Please listen to your instructors and nobody else. Advice like pulling front risers could seriously get you hurt.

Dave

Parafoil...that is about the best advise you will and should get here, at this time in your jumping career.

You 'could' be doing any one of a number of things that are resulting in you not getting the landings you want...only someone watching and giving you on site coaching will be able to help and not hurt your performance.

Ask your instructor about the things offered here, as far as staging the flare, the timing, are you bringing your arms to full extension down...take your time and get it right.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[pilotdave 0]

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I would like to point out that I said "what I do is..." I wasnt reccomending that HE do the same thing or even advising it for that matter.

No, you said "I would say flare more aggressively (faster closer to the ground)." That's advice. Maybe it's good advice, maybe it's horrible advice. No way of knowing because it's a random guess at what's causing his landing trouble. And yes, I saw that you suggested talking to his instructors. Probably because you knew you shouldn't be giving advice?

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If that works for him too then great if not then oh well.

"Oh well" for you, maybe a hospital visit for him? That's why giving advice to students is a bad idea... they might listen.

Dave

[millertime24 8]

I was refering to this comment.

"Advice like pulling front risers could seriously get you hurt."

Sorry about the confusion.

Muff #5048

[Parafoil27 0]

Ok , People no need to start a war here. I understand all the points that have been made. I was looking for some ideas to be discussed with an instructor first. The thing that made me seek outside help is that one of the licensed guys at the Dz could't land it either. The only advice i have been given so far at the dz is "you have to find the sweet spot". Don't worry i don't follow advice blindly. Thanks for all of your concern for my safety. I did however see good logic in "don't flare higher then you would be willing to jump without a chute"

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[JohnDeere 0]

Im glad you dont follow blind advise. The only reason for the "war" is becuase alot of students will and have followed dlind advise. Not good to give advise to a student that you have never even seen land. Not as big of an issue to give someone with more expierence advise. About the other person at your DZ that cant land that canopy, i have seen many licensed skydivers that cant land their own canopy that they have had for hundreds of jump much less rented gear. Best of luck

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[Parafoil27 0]

"i have seen many licensed skydivers that cant land their own canopy that they have had for hundreds of jumps much less rented gear. "
Thats good to hear. I have only been able to get one stand up landing in eight jumps. I don't feel like i'm behind anymore.

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[Liemberg 0]

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"i have seen many licensed skydivers that cant land their own canopy that they have had for hundreds of jumps much less rented gear. "

Thats good to hear. I have only been able to get one stand up landing in eight jumps. I don't feel like i'm behind anymore.

It actually has a NAME...

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

[stanlholmes 0]

I'm a little lighter than you, but jump the same size canopy. I found out that my brake lines are a little longer than they have to be. Someone told me this isn't unusual on student gear, but I'm not sure. I wrap a handfull of brakeline before I flare. That helped.

[Parafoil27 0]

I'll definitely ask about that. I know when i practice my flare at altitude it takes ALOT of brake to feel any difference.

EARTH! Short bus of the universe,
since the year T+10.3 billion!

REV. DUDEMIESTER D.S.#120

[johnboy 0]

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It actually has a NAME...

I just bookmarked that link. Thanks for that brilliant tidbit. Now I'm going to email a whole bunch of politicians....

And to not hijack this any further, talk to your instructors! Get video!