Surviving the WFFC

[billvon 3,120]

Summer is upon us, and soon the hordes will descend upon Rantoul for this year's World Freefall Convention. Lots of people will jump. Unfortunately, some will get hurt, and some may die. How can you make sure it's not you? Presented below are some tips to help keep you alive at the biggest skydiving boogie in the world.

1. Do only one new thing at a time! Many jumpers show up and are awed by the array of canopy demos, big ways, new planes (with new exits) and new styles of flying. Indeed, the WFFC is a great place to try new stuff and jump new planes. But showing up, grabbing a demo rig with a tiny main, getting on a new type of airplane, and trying head down for the first time is not such a good idea. Want to try a new rig? Great! But first make a few jumps with your old rig. See if the canopy traffic near the landing area is OK with you. If it gets a little too intense, you're still in good shape, because you are familiar with your canopy, and are in a better position to handle lots of traffic. After your first few jumps on the new canopy, you can make a better decision whether a smaller canopy is a good idea, or if you want to land that smaller canopy in an alternate (i.e. larger, lower traffic) area.

2. Make small changes. If you do decide to jump that demo rig, talk to the folks at the canopy tent and get a canopy they recommend. I would hesitate to downsize more than one size at a time at the WFFC, no matter how good you think you are.

3. Know who you're jumping with. You're generally not going to know everyone on the dive, but at least make an attempt to not to jump with all unknowns. Skydiving is still small enough so that your friends probably know their friends, so ask around to determine their skill level. Ask them how many jumps they have, but be aware that this isn't always indicative of skills, and people sometimes lie about their number of jumps (which is really stupid.) The WFFC organizers are a good option here, since they have a lot of experience matching people and planning safe dives. Even if you don't want to jump with them, you can ask them for recommendations on other people. Chances are one of the LO's knows them or has jumped with them at some point. Also, avoid jumping with people who seem to have taken an excessive amount of drugs recently. All too often I've noticed drunk or drugged up skydivers do stupid things and get hurt. Which leads to:

4. Jump with a clear head. The WFFC has some excellent parties. But if you were up all night, maybe it would be a good idea to get a little sleep before jumping. Adrenalin can't always make up for a hangover.

5. Plan your outs. The main landing area by manifest is popular, but a lot of people have gotten hurt trying to land there. If dense canopy traffic worries you, land somewhere else. Also, if you open and you're far out, pick your outs at 2000 feet, not at 50 feet. You don't have too many options left at that altitude.

6. Learn to flat turn and flare turn! This is really important. You will be in big crowds of jumpers flying back. At some point, someone will cut you off. If it happens at 50 feet you have three choices: make a hard toggle turn (and plow into the ground) run into them or flat turn away. Two examples: Four years back I watched them life flight someone out after he had turned way too low. The story was the same - he never did hook turns, yet here he was turning hard at 50 feet because someone cut him off. Honestly, i think he would have been better off colliding with the other jumper at 30 feet and falling the rest of the way. At least his canopy would have had a better chance at slowing him down. On the same day, one of the load organizers was landing in a bean field when a pickup truck pulled right in front of her. She flat turned away and flared immediately afterwards. Total damage - muddy knees on her jumpsuit. (The people in the truck laughed and drove away, without even offering her a ride. Ah, Quincy locals.) So be sure you can both flat turn (turn with minimal loss of altitude) and flare turn (turn right and left in the flare) before you get to the WFFC - it can be a lifesaver.

The WFFC can be a dangerous place. But with a little planning and some common sense, you can spend your time at Rantoul jumping and partying rather than taking the "other" helicopter ride.

[bbarnhouse 0]

Sir Bill~
Thank you for all of the sound advice for those of us traveling to WFFC. Your wisdom will undoubtedly save some from injury or worse. I for one shall heed your words and use great caution. I am after all.......THE BASE!!!!

[Spy38W 0]

Cool stuff, Billvon
I would have really liked to be able to WFFC this year, but because of my low jump numbers I decided to back out because of the fear of canopy traffic, and me being born and raised in a Cessna DZ. I WILL make it next year though.

--
Hook high, flare on time

[jtval 0]

Hey Bill,
I love reading these types of threads, even though goegraphically I am about as far from the WFFC that trhis planet will allow.
It helps me remember and review all the safety things about the life!
one thing I always tell myself though is:
"you may be comfortable with your skills but someone above you may not be"....KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS! AT ALL TIMES!
on my first few jumps I noticed I wasnt looking around to find everyone else. if a newer jumper hasnt learned to do that they could kill you... even though you did everything correctly you could still get hurt. plan your actions and be prepared tio use them!

(not just in skydiving)I act as though everyone else is trying to kill me and it is my job to out smart them!

have fun but most importantly STAY SAFE!! I want to hear the stories from you...not about you

My photos

My Videos

[freeflir29 0]

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I act as though everyone else is trying to kill me and it is my job to out smart them!

Act?? I thought that's the way it really was?

Billvon.......you left out a couple of important things.
1) Always wear a helmet while drinking and make sure you hide your face from the video camera. Otherwise law enforcement officials may be able to identify you.
2) Tie a string from your belt loop to your ankle. That way you won't lose your pants......

[AndyMan 7]

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I am after all.......THE BASE!!!!

Some people never learn.

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[bbarnhouse 0]

Ummmmm and some of us know just how good a BASE can be

[AndyMan 7]

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Ummmmm and some of us know just how good a BASE can be

Um... Betsy? All your bases belong to us.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[jdfreefly 1]

Bill,

You forgot to mention the number one catalyst for injuries at the WFFC.

GOLF CARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my three years at the WFFC I have had more friends hurt on golf carts then while skydiving.

Also, look out for the guy with 75 jumps who tells you he is great head down but kind of shaky in a sit. He is there every year. Although he may look different than the year before, he still flies the same.

Methane Freefly - got stink?

[skymama 37]

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So be sure you can both flat turn (turn with minimal loss of altitude) and flare turn (turn right and left in the flare)

Bill, I know about flat turns, and I practice them in the air. But, I never hear anyone talking about flare turns. Can you expand on that?

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[AndyMan 7]

Sure, you'll see swoopers do it all the time. Quite literally it means turning in the middle of your flare.

The turn itself is pretty easy to do, the dificulty lies in knowing at what part of the flare you can do it and still stand up your landing. On a HP canopy you'll fly out to the side of the canopy during the turn. You need sufficient speed to get back underneath the canopy to land properly.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[freeflir29 0]

For a pic of WHAT NOT TO DO...check out page 35 of the July Parachutist. Upper right corner.....Nice one Hans....

[skymama 37]

Ah, so as a non-swooper, then I wouldn't need to know how to do them?

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Jessica 0]

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Ah, so as a non-swooper, then I wouldn't need to know how to do them?

I think the safety nazi wisdom is that everyone needs to know how to do them...

Here's an old post by billvon with the technique described.

Skydiving is for cool people only

[skymama 37]

Thanks, Jessica. I guess I was just thinking that since I neither swoop nor fly a high performance canopy, that it wouldn't pertain to me. But, after reading it, I can see it would be another good skill to have.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[PhreeZone 20]

You fly a Sabre2 right? Thats a HP canopy by standerds of only 3 years ago. What suddenly made a HP canopy then become not a HP canopy today?

The same goes for a lot of the demos that you can play with at WFFC and all boogies. What is considered to be intermediate today was HP less then 3 years ago.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[skymama 37]

Phree, if my canopy is considered HP, then it certainly isn't getting flown like one by me. My wing loading is 1:1, and I fly like an old grandma! In my mind, if I can fly a canopy and have it land where I want it to, AND land on my feet, then it can't be HP. I understand what you're saying though.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[freeflir29 0]

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My wing loading is 1:1, and I fly like an old grandma!

Yep....my rigger sounds just like you. She is on a Stilletto at about 1:1 and usually flies very conservatively. Has a couple hundred jumps and is very safe. Well....last Thursday she got into a high wind situation that kicked up while they were on the plane. 25-30 MPH was the guesstimate. The Cessna load landed out and she landed while in a turn dodging a fence and trees. She got lucky....rode away in an ambulance with only a broken nose and she put her bottom teeth through about 6 inches worth of her lip down near her chin. Very bruised up legs but not broken and ate about a half pound of dirt. My first reaction upon seeing her was "What the FUCK happened to you???" I was thinking car accident....... So you see, IT IS A HP CANOPY and don't you forget it.

[billvon 3,120]

>But, I never hear anyone talking about flare turns. Can you
>expand on that?

Flare turns are what they sound like - a turn during the flare. Swoopers do them a lot. They can be used for fun, or for collision avoidance. For example, they are a good way to dodge the 5 year old that ran out to see his father who just landed from his AFF jump (yes, this happened to me.)

There is another reason to learn them. Once you do learn how to turn your canopy in the flare, you will then know how to keep it going straight in the flare. Above a loading of about 1.2 to 1, it is no longer sufficient to just bring both toggles down and hope you get a good landing - you have to fly the canopy all the way to the ground. If you flare and the wind turns you left, you have to turn back. If it picks you up a bit, you have to deal with that (let up a tiny bit.) Learning flare turns will go a long way towards being able to do all that.

[billvon 3,120]

>Phree, if my canopy is considered HP, then it certainly isn't getting
> flown like one by me. My wing loading is 1:1, and I fly like an old
> grandma!

Eek! I worry when I hear that. I know two friends of mine (both women) who had the same loading and same philosophy - they were really conservative under canopy, and figured they were being safe. Then they had to manuever low one day, to avoid a fence in one case. (We never understood the other low turn.) They toggle turned, and the canopy obediently turned and dove them into the ground. They both broke their pelvises; one had brain damage and the other almost lost her leg.

Their failure was not in being too radical; they were both very conservative. If anything, their failure was not being radical _enough_ under good conditions. If you try to turn at 50 feet with a flat turn, and you successfully do it, then you're in good shape if you ever have to turn low. If you make a few high performance approaches (even double fronts) you'll be able to manage the flare a lot better. If the first time you ever turn below 100 feet is to avoid a fence, your chances of pulling it off without injury are pretty low.

Jumping a high performance, but reasonably large canopy like a 1:1 sabre 2 is relatively safe. However, I think the safest possible jumper is one who learns how to really fly the thing (does high performance landings, flare turns etc at a canopy control course) and _then_ decides to be conservative. That way they have all the odds in their favor.

[PhillyKev 0]

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Above a loading of about 1.2 to 1, it is no longer sufficient to just bring both toggles down and hope you get a good landing - you have to fly the canopy all the way to the ground.

Preach on, brother. At the beginning of the season on my new Saber2 190 loaded at 1.15 I was consistently landing pretty much on my side. Leg out in front of the other, not looking at the horizon, or a cross breeze and I'd come down on my side about half way through the flare. Not until I learned to really feel the flare in my leg straps and fly it all the way down was I standing them up consistently. Now I can tell when my legs are uneven or I'm leaning in my harness by the way the canopy turns during my flare.

[Jimbo 0]

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What suddenly made a HP canopy then become not a HP canopy today?

Training.

As the general skydiving population becomes more aware of the flight characteristics of any canopy we are better able to provide quality training on how to fly the modern canopy.

At one point people thought square F111 canopies were 'high performance'. Are they still? What changed?

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[PhreeZone 20]

>As the general skydiving population becomes more aware of the flight characteristics of any canopy

Can you walk up to 5 recent AFF grads at every DZ and have them tell you exactly how to find the stall point of a canopy, how to brake turn, how to flare turn and what recover arc means? These are all factors that are needed to fly HP canopies safely and for a long time. Some places do an excellent job of teaching this to all their students. Unfortunatly they are in the minority.

And yes, an F-111 canopy can be high proformance if put into the wrong hands. If some one was jumping rounds for years, then took a 15 year brake, came back and took the AFF class and gave the large square the same input they could give their round, then its just as high proformance to them as a Stiletto is to a jumper that has only jumped squares. Its all about frame of reference.

If someone has never been exposed to F111 then they know no different then ZP. If they only know Semi Elliptical then putting them on a square can be a challenge and they will hate the canopy. The thing with f-111 is at some point almost every jumper will find themselves under a f111 canopy (reserve) at some point and if they only know how to land a fully elliptical ZP canopy loaded at 1.7:1, they have a much higher chance of injury then someone that has jumped that type of canopy (square or f111) before.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[AndyMan 7]

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Ah, so as a non-swooper, then I wouldn't need to know how to do them?

Swoopers do them cause there fun to do real fast, you get jinged out to the side and crank some g's. http://www.performancedesigns.com/pdzone/images/fotosgallery/26.jpg - a rather extreme example.

You want to know how to do it for a very different reason, so that you can turn in the middle of your flare on a no-wind day to avoid that kid that just ran out, or the pot-hole you didn't see.

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[billvon 3,120]

>As the general skydiving population becomes more aware of the
>flight characteristics of any canopy we are better able to provide
> quality training on how to fly the modern canopy.

We are able to, but unfortunately we don't.

>At one point people thought square F111 canopies were 'high
> performance'. Are they still?

Depending on size, yes.

>What changed?

Not much. People jump canopies that are ever higher performance and die in ever higher numbers. The old farts who used to say "You're gonna kill yourselves!" have, unfortunately, been proven right. It need not be this way, since we now have the knowledge to be able to teach high performance canopy flight, but skydivers have to make the effort to go out and get the education.