Flaring

[adventurechick 0]

Is it hard for you to flare your canopy? I can flare my canopy... takes a bit of strength... but when I flew at a different dropzone with a different rig, I had some tough time flaring the canopy. I practiced my flares way up high, but it took all of my strength to do it... are some canopies just hard to flare... or am I just weak and need to lift some weights?

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[Amazon 7]

Different canopies have differing amounts of force needed. Some are harder than others depending on how the brakes are set up and also the speed of the canopy at the timing of your flare.
AS far as strength... lifting is not the answer but think about the direction of pull... IF you have access to machines when you can build the strength of pulling down that would be better. As you get more experience you may try doing riser turns and it takes some strength more like a pullup to do. You may want to do some pullups on your front risers when you are up above 3000 ft.. play with the canopy.. have fun but be sure to ask your Instructors about aquireing those skills safely.

[adventurechick 0]

I tried to do the pull up with the front risers... but just couldn't do it... they had to waive it on my A license card due to insufficient strenth....

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[GravityGirl 0]

Did the harness fit you well? The one that was hard to flare? Were the toggles hard to reach? What type of canopy?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[adventurechick 0]

It was a navigator 200... but the one at lake wales flares nicely... but the navigator 200 that i jumped in deland I could barely pull them down! The harness in deland didn't fit me all that well though and it was a student rig.. but it also stalled really easily. Something about the brake lines being too short or something?

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[GravityGirl 0]

If a Navigator stalls easily, then I would say with some certainty that the brake lines are too short.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[damion75 0]

I am surprised that you found the toggles difficult to work with - that surely should not be the case. Perhaps a lack of upper body strength? If that is the case then I would also be concerned about your ability to deploy your reserve manually.

In the UK students have to prove themselves capable of a 30lb pull force in the direction of pull required for manual reserve deployment - this may well be worth checking for you? For your own safety!

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[Andy9o8 2]

If strength (or lack thereof) is preventing you from inputting basic flying controls into your canopy, then you really need to work on your upper body strength, in particular your ability to pull weight down, if you’re going to be an adequately competent canopy pilot to prevent you from injuring yourself or other canopy pilots in the sky with you.

Doing pull-ups (similar to chin-ups, but with a forward grip) are good to build up this type of strength, but many people don’t have the strength to be able to pull-up (or even chin-up) their body’s full dead weight. So, I'd strongly urge you get yourself to a gym and work out on the “lat pulldown” machine. Just ask the trainer to point you in the right direction and give you a few pointers. It’s a machine that simulates the same muscle action as pull-ups, except it gives you the ability to do a full range-of-motion exercise at less than your body’s dead weight, and then work your way up to greater weight as the training slowly builds up your strength.

Edit: I also echo the sentiment that this type of strength is necessary for EPs. If you have a hard pull on your cutaway cables or your reserve, it could make all the difference...in the world.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I have no advice but it might be helpful if they knew your size... if I guess right you are what 5'10'' and about 120 lbs?

Until I got to a .9ish to 1 wingloading I too had a hard time playing with the risers and flaring. While loaded very light (below the .9 to 1), I did not do excessive flares after my control check, saved my strength for landing once I knew the canopy was flying right.

Good luck

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[AFFI 0]

  Quote

It was a navigator 200... but the one at lake wales flares nicely... but the navigator 200 that i jumped in deland I could barely pull them down! The harness in deland didn't fit me all that well though and it was a student rig.. but it also stalled really easily. Something about the brake lines being too short or something?

Were there any solar flares that day?