jumpjunkie2004 0 #1 September 24, 2005 On Thursday, I had an opportunity to get some coaching from Pete Allum. First off, Pete is super nice. He seemed to really enjoy coaching us even though I had very little experience. After our first RW jump, there was some concern about tracking distance. Instead of pressing forward, Pete addressed this and suggested we do a tracking jump. I had never been on one. OMG! It was so fun! I'm attaching a photo - captured from a video. It isn't a great photo, but i think it's really cool that the person shooting video was able to get this shot. Playing "follow the leader" in the sky! Awesome! How often do you do tracking jumps? What's the largest group you've been with?Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeNReN 0 #2 September 25, 2005 Cool I'm just learning to really track...had a blast today on a solo playing with it...should provide many fun jumps...cant wait to get on a tracking dive like that Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #3 September 25, 2005 Tracking, and doing it consistently well, is an absolutely crucial skill to master ASAP if you're going to be jumping with other people; your and everyone else's life depends on it. For this reason, I think tracking jumps should be an integral part of every novice's training. Plus, they're a hell of a lot of fun, aren't they? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #4 September 25, 2005 There are many things that I would like to see incorporated in the student training program - additional tracking is one of those things. And yes....it was incredibly fun! I can't wait to go again.Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #5 September 25, 2005 Let's see.... I see Jennifer, Michalak, possibly stacy... Is that bob on his back? Who was leading? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #6 September 25, 2005 The leader is Pete Allum - on his back. Jennifer's on the left, Nate's on the right (purple and black). I'm sort of in the center - green arms. Gigi is on the right in the red suit. On the left behind Jennifer is Dan, and way behind is Kevin. Fun fun fun!Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #7 September 25, 2005 tracking dives one of my favorite types of dives. I was on a 17 way one at couch freaks and its nuts to fly through a flock of trackers to get close to the leader. also its a great skill builder... tracking well will save your life. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #8 September 25, 2005 QuoteThe leader is Pete Allum - on his back. Jennifer's on the left, Nate's on the right (purple and black). I'm sort of in the center - green arms. Gigi is on the right in the red suit. On the left behind Jennifer is Dan, and way behind is Kevin. Fun fun fun! That sounds about right. I love me some tracking dives.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
i.c 0 #9 September 25, 2005 This may be because I haven't jumped for years and have so few jumps anyway, but stupid question time.... When I was taught to track away, I was told to put my arms down by my side? Is the photo before/after the track, or can you also track well with arms out like that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nickkk 0 #10 September 25, 2005 Yes tracking jumps are so much fun! I did one and i loved it so much! It was a blast having my coach chase ME! What do you do when someone throws a big planet at you? Throw your pilot chute in defense! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #11 September 25, 2005 We began our track with our legs out and our arms in the box man position. We were all just starting to accelerate in this photo. Here's Gigi in a full track. She's got her arms all the way back and she is booking!Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #12 September 25, 2005 17! I can't imagine trying to get closer and dodging my way through a big group. Wild!Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #13 September 25, 2005 Don't get me in trouble Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #14 September 25, 2005 QuoteThis may be because I haven't jumped for years and have so few jumps anyway, but stupid question time.... When I was taught to track away, I was told to put my arms down by my side? Is the photo before/after the track, or can you also track well with arms out like that? You move your arms depending on how fast you need to go. If I find that I am going to overshoot the leader, I may bring my arms out to adjust a bit. The track is created more by the legs and cupping your chest than the arms anyway.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JENNR8R 0 #15 September 25, 2005 QuoteWhen I was taught to track away, I was told to put my arms down by my side? Is the photo before/after the track, or can you also track well with arms out like that? Tracking away and a tracking dive are two different animals. The object of tracking away is to get away from others in order to safely open your canopy. Putting your arms down by your side makes you go faster away from the formation. A tracking dive has everyone playing 'follow the leader' trying to make a tight formation. You need to keep levels and not go so fast that you overshoot the leader. I only have a handfull of tracking dives under my belt, and everyone seems to have a different theory about how to use your arms. I've been told to have my arms down my side and only adjust by using the pitch of my body and legs. Others say to modify the angle of your arms. I'm just learning so I "dance with the boy that I'm with." I was doing pretty well staying with the leader though. I'm on the leader's left with the white grips in the tracking dive picture.What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy ones? -- Monday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 1 #16 September 25, 2005 QuoteHow often do you do tracking jumps? What's the largest group you've been with? I don't do them all that often, as I'm concentrating pretty hard on 4-way for the rest of this year. They are fun though. I've done a couple of 21-ways, including one at sunset, which was absolutely spectacular, even if it was hard to keep track of everyone at breakoff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #17 September 25, 2005 QuoteWe began our track with our legs out and our arms in the box man position. We were all just starting to accelerate in this photo. Here's Gigi in a full track. She's got her arms all the way back and she is booking! She'd "book" a bit better if she dearched some more and rolled her shoulders forward and down.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #18 September 25, 2005 She blew past me. I was apprehensive about going to fast. I didn't want to run into anyone. Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #19 September 26, 2005 QuoteShe blew past me. I was apprehensive about going to fast. I didn't want to run into anyone. That's cool, nice pics! I would love to try a tracking dive, but I, too, would be worried about crashing into anyone. I'm also wondering if I could keep my heading for that long. Hopefully I'll get to try it one of these days and find out! "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thesaint 0 #20 September 26, 2005 That was a WAYYYYYYYYYY Cool jump. I want to do more of them cause I wanna get much better at it. "If a thousand people agree on a dumb ideal, it's STILL a dumb ideal." Skully Bro #1 - POPS# 10440 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MB38 0 #21 September 26, 2005 Quote She'd "book" a bit better if she dearched some more and rolled her shoulders forward and down. I was fiddling around with my tracking on a solo today and tried this to see what it felt like. I dearched my hips a little and brought my shoulders down as if I were trying to cup some air beneath me while tracking. I didn't have a point of reference to tell whether I sped up forwards or down, but something happened. I did it twice in the dive and both times my lips and cheeks started flapping around like a dog with his head out the window of a car. So I guess I sped up... just don't know whether it was forwards or down. I really don't know what I'm talking about. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #22 September 26, 2005 QuoteThat was a WAYYYYYYYYYY Cool jump. I want to do more of them cause I wanna get much better at it. Awesome. I have been trying to organize sunday sunset tracking dives the past few weekends I have been out. Elmo has been kind enough to leave them and they have been getting better. I've been seeing people trying to float on the dives by sticking their arms out in front of them, but this pretty much craps out your forward movement. Adjust your fallrate with arch/dearch as well as angle of your arms (behind you for more of a dive, close to your body and pushing more below to float and drive), and if you find yourself pulling ahead of the dive when you start tracking harder, ease up on your legs a bit. Tracking dives are amzingly fun. I plan to continue organizing at least one a weekend whenever I am out. Maybe I'll even try to start leading a few. Small ones of course. See you all in a few weeks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #23 September 26, 2005 QuoteShe blew past me. I was apprehensive about going to fast. I didn't want to run into anyone. It's good that you don't want to run into anybody. Kallend is right, though. She was going fast, but not the most efficient, flat, fast track. When one tracks well, you actually will generate lift, like an airplane wing, and fall slower than regular belly flyers. This is a huge advantage to have in the air. It takes some practice. Most people just never push on the air hard enough or flatten their bodies enough to achieve it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #24 September 26, 2005 QuoteI would love to try a tracking dive, but I, too, would be worried about crashing into anyone. I'm also wondering if I could keep my heading for that long. Just start off slowly, with 2 and 3-ways, and build up as you gain control and comfort. If you wish, do a few solo tracking dives just to get used to it. But for practice/training, it does help to have at least 1 other person for that point of reference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goose491 0 #25 September 26, 2005 Congrats on the tracking dive! They can be SO much fun! At my DZ, we tend to end the busier days with a Sunset Tracking Dive. It`s great because you can get a good number of people of varying experience levels together for a good safe jump and keep things interesting for everyone. So long as everyone remembers to track 90 degrees to your flight path when breakoff comes, a plan to keep a lower speed and gradualy pick up the pace will spread you out nicely over the sky. As you get better and better, you will become more aggresive and get up there to the front. Just don`t ever sacrifice safety for glory. lol. My Karma ran over my Dogma!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
