safe landings

[sky58dive 0]

I am currently on a sabatical from skydiving, dealing with a back injury that is at least in part sky diving related. I never got the hang of making stand up landings and more often than not landed squarely on by butt. Although I now have three bulging discs and one herniated disc, I have not given up on the idea of someday returning to sky diving. I am a physical therapist and know about back injuries, so although I have moderate pain, I know that it is now a managable problem. However, I have to nail those landings to protect my back. I don't know why, after 120 jumps, I never learned to land accurately. Does anyone have any recommendations for learning landing techniques? If I butt crash again I risk extending my injury and know that will definitely be the end of skydiving. have considered going to a topnotch dropzone and working with a coach. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[trob500 0]

what are you jumping? what do you do when you land.....not flare or flare too early? try landing with a student helmet that has a radio on it, start to flare...halfway.....arms fully extended...etc.

you are making it way harder than it is

[2shay 0]

There are a lot of excellent canopy pilots at eugene from a few videos I have seen. You have to bug people to help you sometimes. If you ask, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't help you out.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[Ironmanjay 0]

Coaching and learning how to PLF will save ya

[jakee 1,566]

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I never got the hang of making stand up landings and more often than not landed squarely on by butt.

Even if you can't stand up the landing there is no reason to be landing on your arse! Were you taught how to PLF in your 1st jump course?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[sundevil777 102]

Those that land on their ass tend to put their feet way out in front of them on landing. No way can you support yourself if your feet aren't under you.

Perhaps practice landings, where you run off (running very fast) something 2 to 3 feet high and practice running it out would help.

On the rare landing I don't stand up, it always seems that I go down to my knees, which would be better for you than your ass.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[crewkeith 0]

go to a flight one course. it will help a ton.

bsbd
keith

.

The skies are no longer safe

I'm back

[wmw999 2,556]

You're a big guy; you might start by getting a bigger canopy (yes, I know it's not easy). But a wingloading of less than 1.0-1 might help.

Then, yes, learn to PLF. Do it on the ground until you're comfortable with the thought of nearly any landing. Make the PLF your default landing style, and only try to stand up if things are absolutely perfect.

And don't slide in on your butt. You've proven why it's not a good idea. That's a more advanced technique than standing up, because your back doesn't absorb nearly as much shock as your knees do.

Good luck. It's just a matter of stacking the deck in your favor. A bigger canopy and knowing how to fall down will both help with that.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[sky58dive 0]

thanks, Sundevil. I think that is the answer: I have feet together on landing, but legs are out in front of me instead of under me. How obvious! Amazing that none of my coaches or instructors didn't point that out

[sky58dive 0]

crewkeith:
What is a flight one course?

[sky58dive 0]

wmw999:
Thanks for the tips. I received another good pieceof advice: I have been holding my legs in front of me instead of under me, so I hit the ground and rebound on my butt. I think that keeping legs under me and doing a PLF should be the answer
Thanks!

[Ironmanjay 0]

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crewkeith:
What is a flight one course?

This is flight one's web site.
http://www.flight-1.com/school/index.html

Also heres Brians Germaines schedule. Ive heard good things about him and his flight coarse....
http://www.bigairsportz.com/schedule.php

[sundevil777 102]

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I think that keeping legs under me and doing a PLF should be the answer

Remember that a classic PLF was conceived for use under a round parachute with a lot of vertical speed, and not so much horizontal speed. If you try to do the same thing a lot of forward/horizontal and little vertical speed you might be body slammed to the ground. Also, having your feet and knees together is good for a PLF, but if you have to run out a landing (residual horiz speed/no vert speed at the end) you'll do better to have your feet separated fore-aft slightly, and 'sliding/surfing' at first is very common instead of trying to start your feet running immediately. Watch others land and see what you think.

All of that assumes that you are able to get your canopy to 'plane out' (no vertical speed) before you touch down. You should be able to do that given your canopy and loading, if not then coaching for flying the wing is in order. A nice stand up landing definitely makes the whole jump seem better, you'll get to where that is easy. Good luck.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[sky58dive 0]

Sundevil777:

thank you for the information. Very much appreciated.

[sky58dive 0]

Ironmanjay:
Thanks for the info. Flight one course looks like exactly what I need. Information appreciated.

[AFFI 0]

Quote

Quote

I think that keeping legs under me and doing a PLF should be the answer

Remember that a classic PLF was conceived for use under a round parachute with a lot of vertical speed, and not so much horizontal speed. If you try to do the same thing a lot of forward/horizontal and little vertical speed you might be body slammed to the ground. Also, having your feet and knees together is good for a PLF, but if you have to run out a landing (residual horiz speed/no vert speed at the end) you'll do better to have your feet separated fore-aft slightly, and 'sliding/surfing' at first is very common instead of trying to start your feet running immediately. Watch others land and see what you think.

All of that assumes that you are able to get your canopy to 'plane out' (no vertical speed) before you touch down. You should be able to do that given your canopy and loading, if not then coaching for flying the wing is in order. A nice stand up landing definitely makes the whole jump seem better, you'll get to where that is easy. Good luck.

Not certain if I understand or agree with all of this (some), but the one important thing mentioned was that your feet should be the first point of contact.
Certainly, the PLF was invented for rounds, the ram-air simply broadened the definition of the PLF, but the fundamentals are the same. Forward, straight down, side to side or backing up, the PLF works if properly utilized…

Just yesterday, I was landing off at an unfamiliar DZ, no wind and I was coming HOT (which means I had a lot of forward momentum, maybe 20+mph). There was grass in the field and I could not judge exactly how high it was - so I put my feet and knees together, kept my hands and arms tight and close to my body (as I flared) - the first point of contact was my feet, slightly shifted forward due to the forward momentum (slid a bit), then my side as I rolled it out (PLF).

Was not the prettiest landing, the grass was about 2 feet high and I am certain that if I exposed my butt first I would have been injured, keeping my feet and knees together kept my knees from knocking one another and arms tight to my body protected them as well (ever break a pencil? Easy – now put 4 pencils together, much harder to break).

I did not have to be carried out of or limp out of the field; I was able to get up and walk out uninjured with nothing more than some grass stains.

Utilizing the proper PLF (on many many occasions) during my skydiving career is most certainly why I have not had a serious landing injury, yet.
-

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[skyninja 0]

I hope your orthopedic surgeon has a high tolerance for noncompliance.

Why don't you just play 'chicken' on the railroad tracks? It would be a cheaper way to toy with death, I'm sure.

CWR #2 - "You SAID collision!"

[ChrisL 2]

Quote

I am currently on a sabatical from skydiving, dealing with a back injury that is at least in part sky diving related. I never got the hang of making stand up landings and more often than not landed squarely on by butt. Although I now have three bulging discs and one herniated disc, I have not given up on the idea of someday returning to sky diving. I am a physical therapist and know about back injuries, so although I have moderate pain, I know that it is now a managable problem. However, I have to nail those landings to protect my back. I don't know why, after 120 jumps, I never learned to land accurately. Does anyone have any recommendations for learning landing techniques? If I butt crash again I risk extending my injury and know that will definitely be the end of skydiving. have considered going to a topnotch dropzone and working with a coach. Any thoughts or recommendations?

I have more than a few biffs, but I've never landed squarely on my ass.

How does that happen by accident?

I can only see that happening if you do it on purpose.

If you cant stand it up, you should be doing PLF's

__

My mighty steed

[billvon 3,085]

> If you try to do the same thing a lot of forward/horizontal and
> little vertical speed you might be body slammed to the ground.

You should be prepared to PLF on ANY jump that involves more than usual speed, whether it is horizontal or vertical speed. The trick is getting your legs in front of your course. If you are coming straight down, that means right under you. If you are coming in at a 45 (i.e. you've stalled your canopy and are now descending fast) it means putting them out there in front of you at about the same angle, which is the position most people naturally sit in the harness, so it's pretty easy. And when you are coming in completely horizontally, it means getting your feet and knees together in front of you, hips twisted sideways, and hitting with your feet, calves, thighs and butt - and then sliding. This is the safest/strongest position to land hard in no matter what your angle of approach.

If you can get your vertical speed to zero as your feet touch, and are faced into the wind on a moderate loading, then it doesn't much matter what you are doing, because you're at a fast walking speed and will see little to no impact. At most you will trip and fall on your face, which generally doesn't lead to much in the way of broken backs/necks. However, most jumpers who injure themselves do so because they arrive without getting their vertical speed to zero and have to absorb some of that impact with their bodies - and a PLF is almost always the best way to do that.