Tracking troubles but passed AFF

[RB_Hammer 0]

I finally finished my AFF last Sunday. I was doing really great with levels A-E, I had spent time in the tunnel learning to fly on my belly and can do turns and get stable with no issues at all. Then came leve F, needed to do a good tracking. I really sucked. Had to repeat level F. I did get a barely passable tracking and moved on to level G. For passing level G and get to solo, I needed to do a backflip, frontflip, L and R 360 turns, then a 180 turn and track. Flips we easy and no problem, turns a piece of cake as well. Tracking really sucked again. I had a real problem with this and would track in a turn and potatoe chip like crazy. Ending the track, I could get stable in an arch right away, but each time I tried to track I would turn.
I had to do level G three times before I finally got passed.
I was getting really frustrated with this since everthing up to this point had been so easy.
We looked at one of the videos and we saw that I had my hands below my hips, so on my 2nd try at level G, I moved my hands back and this helped keep me from flying like a potatoe chip, but I was still turning. I would pick a point on the horizon and look to that point when I would start to turn and this did not keep me straight.
Before my 3rd attempt at level G, they had me lay down and show them my tracking body position. One of the instructors noticed I would have one foot lower than the other. He suggested I toe tap before I started the track.
We went up for the 3rd try and I poped out the turns, flips and such really fast and well. Tapped my toes and went into a track and it was STRAIGHT!!! Did a 180 and another track, another straight one. Yes!!! One more 180 and another straight one and a good wave off and pull.
Finally passed AFF and I can solo now.
I am sure the 25 minutes I have spent in a tunnel helped me get the stable belly position and the turns and forward/back movement down. No way to practice tracking in the tunnel though.
Hope someone else that is in AFF can get pass the tracking more easliy than I did, tap them toes.

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley

[AggieDave 6]

Tracking takes practice. Now that you're done with AFF hopefully your coaches during your coach jumps will help you along with tracking as well as the other skills that need to be completed to finish up your USPA A license.

Good luck, have fun and remember to smile.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[MagicGuy 0]

I had a slight problem with tracking in a circle when I first attempted it. My toes were fine, but my shoulders were uneven. Once I figured that out, my tracking improved greatly.

Congrats on passing AFF! Now go get your A License so you can start bumping into people and funneling exits.. aka, RW

[JoeG 0]

Quote

Now go get your A License so you can start bumping into people and funneling exits.. aka, RW

I need to upload a video of my first post AFF jumps this week. On one of them I smashed my coach in the mouth with my altimeter and knocked him for a backflip coming out of the plane! As we tumbled through the sky, I thought..."oh, so thats what a funnelled exit looks like" The only bad thing he wrote in my logbook was, be a little less agressive on exit. I still cringe every time I think about it

_________________________________________
"Knowledge is Power!"

[mangledspoon 0]

Haha, I love the way you describe RW

[jbanning 0]

I had a problem my first time tracking. Did you straighten your legs, and slowly bring your hands back? On my first try I brought my hands back quick and i started a motion like a dolphin jumping out of the water, it was fun but kinda freaky. Just Curious.......

[RB_Hammer 0]

Yes, I would straighten my legs then bring my arms back. I was having two different problems that I 'fixed' with two different corrections. One problem, rocking back and forth , left and right, was from having my hands too low, below my hips. The second, not having a straight track, was from my legs not being the at the same level. I 'fixed' the turning problem by clicking my heels together before I started the track to get my legs at the same level. I did not even consider this as a potential problem since I do not turn in an arch, but I guess I must have been countering this with my shoulders and/or arms.
I plan on doing a lot of tracking practice on my first few solo jumps to get this skill much better.

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley

[WILDBILLAQR 0]

Hay Rick! Congrates on graduating!!! We'll be working on your tracking during the coach jumps. You'll get it. Get W/ Freeek or myself, I'll be back in 2 weeks.(PM sent)

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"Thats not smoke, thats BUCKEYE!!"
AQR#3,CWR#49

[RB_Hammer 0]

Thanks WildBill. I did two jumps today and did 3 good tracks on each. I think I have figured out what my problem was. I still need to do more practice though, but that's what it's all about isn't it? Practice the skills that make jumping fun and keep us alive and unhurt.

"I'm not lost. I don't know where I'm going, but there's no sense in being late."
Mathew Quigley