elfanie 0 #1 December 23, 2003 In the neverending quest for knowledge... there have been terms which I've seen used which I have had a heck of a time figuring out... such as when talking about RW....talking about "Wackers". Now, looking up things...it appears to me that wackers are the sort of "threads" of people coming off the center...? That the "end wacker" would be the person at the tip of the star's points? And I've heard several times about freeflyers "corking". I've gathered that it is when a freeflier suddenly loses speed and ends up way above his/her fellow fliers... but why does this happen? What can be done about it? Mantis position....when belly flying, your arms are in front and benieth you like you're praying and your knees are more bent....right? Is that correct? there have been other RW terms that I've heard and not understood. I've tried looking these things up...but it's harder than you'd think. Even the "skydiving terms" sites I've found don't have a lot of these. Is there anyplace ya'll can point me to that will have some of these terms defined? Or can anyone post one comprehensive post with a bunch of terms and their definitions so I can use it as a reference? I just recently heard the term "close the accordian" from a guy I jumped with who said it means when you're flying an open accordian and you move forward and take leg grips... I just would love to have a list of some of the less-common yet commonly used skydiving terms..? Anyone care to help me with this? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #2 December 23, 2003 Good Luck. Then there's freeflying where something new gets invented every week. Maybe a website is in order..... ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
panzwami 0 #3 December 23, 2003 you're basically correct about the wackers. If you look at a picture of the record 300-way, the bands of people around the outside of the formation are the wackers. Corking is when a freeflier suddenly slows down and shoots up out of the freefly formation. It's caused by either a controlled or uncontrolled transition from a freefly body position (sit, headdown, stand, etc.), which falls very fast, to an RW body position, which falls much more slowly. Matt ----- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrongWay 0 #4 December 23, 2003 Well, you have the mantis thing right. Corking is when a freeflyer loses his/her stability in one of the faster freefly positions and returns to his/her belly. This causes a very sudden, very drastic decrease in vertical speed, presenting the danger that comes with freeflying. Here's why it is dangerous. Let's say you have one person on their head, and one person in a sit going 160 mph. They come together so the headflyer can spock the sitflyer. (A spock is when the headflyer places one hand on top of the sitflyers head. The headflyer is in front of and slightly above the sitflyer so their heads are level) The sitflyer corks, so now you have one person going 160 mph and another going 120 mph. They collide at 40 mph. What are the odds they both survive? Not much. The term "corking" is used because the person resembles a cork in the water shooting to the surface. That's how it looks in freefall. Wackers I've never heard. Ask a bellyflyer. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #5 December 23, 2003 QuoteWackers I've never heard. Ask a bellyflyer. Think of a weed-whacker. The base with the strings coming out from it. Example - 3-way donut base. A line coming off each person in the base. It has a pinwheel appearance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jverley 1 #6 December 23, 2003 QuoteIs there anyplace ya'll can point me to that will have some of these terms defined? All the amassed knowledge of man can be found right here at Dropzone.com. The Talk Back forum is particularly a good source of information. Seriously, I can help with some of the terms: Whacker -- A whacker is a line of skydivers attached to a base. The term come because they look like the string on a weed whacker. Related term: Line--Two or more skydivers flying side by side facing the same direction with wrist or arm grips. Corking -- When freeflying any change in body position that causes a sudden deceleration relative to the others in the group. At freefly speeds this is very dangerous. The cause, like all things in sky diving is body position. Mantis position -- Your description is accurate. The mantis position is a more advanced position that allows for faster turns and movement. RW Formations -- The best way to understand the terms used is to get a dive pool form USPA. The most common formations for belly flying are: Star-- 2 or more skydiver facing a common center with arm grips Cattepillar -- 2 or more skydivers in a line from head to knee with two leg grips. Donut -- Like a star but with all the skydivers presenting there side to a common center. Which side you present will determine the name Right Hand donut or left hand donut. Open accordian-- 2 or more skydivers facing opposite directions with arm grips Compressed accordian -- 2 or more skydivers side to side facing opposite directions with leg grips on each other. Sidebody -- 2 or more skydivers with one taking an arm grip and a leg grip on the side of another. Stairstep -- 2 or more skydivers facing the same direction with a single leg grip (Right hand on left leg for example)[/INDENT] There are a lot more, but that should give you a start.John Arizona Hiking Trails Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canopycandy 0 #7 December 23, 2003 When your legs are in a "daffy" ... where the heck did that term come from? Boyfriend told me it derived from some sort of ski move. But that still doesn't explain why it's called "daffy." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrongWay 0 #8 December 23, 2003 Ski move, BOO!!!! Daffy is a leg position when flying head down that allows you to catch more air, making you slower, and it also has the effect of slightly more stability. One leg is out in front of you, the other is behind. Here's a pic of me flying in a slow daffy. http://www.skydivewrongway.com/22cb0200.jpg and another http://www.skydivewrongway.com/236b0200.jpg Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elfanie 0 #9 December 23, 2003 *makes notes* those definitions are extremely helpful...thank you!!! anyone have any other terms they'd like to share..? And there are a ton of skydiving books...but is there a skydiving DICTIONARY anywhere? Keep them coming..please!!! (oh...and I know what a Horney Gorilla is. no need to define that one. ) any other positions/terms you'd like to share? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #10 December 23, 2003 Make sure you got the real defination and a real Horny Gorilla. Lauch the belly round and on a cue have everyone try and swing under for the leg lock. Once the lock happens then release with the arms. Its a lot of fun to watch mis timed swing unders Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elfanie 0 #11 December 23, 2003 QuoteMake sure you got the real defination and a real Horny Gorilla. Ok...with a Horny Gorilla...do you have to start with the round? I did one with my JM...and on exit he had one foot between my two feet on the step. As we exited....we didn't actually do a round, he just sort of swung ME into position, locked legs, and we sat back and did thumbs up to each other (and I blew him a kiss). He was the one in control..and there was only the two of us. I don't beleive we ever really did a round...we just linked legs coming off the hill. does that count? or do you have to have a stable round, both arms docked, before the swing in? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #12 December 23, 2003 A good HG is a test of a lot of things with dose of humor. Usually, I tell people to bring one leg in, closely followed by the second to lock. Once you get your legs locked, you release your arms and lay back. I've never done one as a 2-way because I feel that part of the fun is the challenge of flying one. Transitioning from flat to a standup to back-flying. People can do it solo, but as a piece? Once everyone is comfortable on their backs, then you bring your hands in and beat your chest. Hence the "gorilla" reference. A good flying skills challenge and some humor. I like to do it with people that I trust though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elfanie 0 #13 December 24, 2003 Ok...what does it mean if you funnel an exit? -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawndiver 0 #14 December 24, 2003 Ok...what does it mean if you funnel an exit? _______________________________________________ It means you owe beer... Funnel means to take out or blow a manuever, "the formation funneled on exit", or " he\she docked too fast and funneled the formation". Shawn_________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #15 December 24, 2003 Funnel - the term that is used since looking from out side the formation it looks like everything poured into a funnel. Usually the formation folds in on its self and bodys start falling in burbles and it goes downhill from there.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdgregory 0 #16 December 24, 2003 Funneled - The act of pouring beer down a tube that narrows into the mouth of some pour shmuck who has to drink it fast or drown in the process. Whose turn is it now? edited to add: Oh yeah my 25th jump was my first four way and well I funneled that exit good! We looked like we were having an orgy in the sky stilled pull 7 points though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivexxl 0 #17 December 24, 2003 Then there's always the tricky "peckerhead" And the exit that I claimed to have named... the "flowercock" More to follow... Blog Clicky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 #18 December 24, 2003 In reply to: "Daffy is a leg position when flying head down that allows you to catch more air, making you slower, and it also has the effect of slightly more stability. One leg is out in front of you, the other is behind. " Also, the name Daffy has been used in freestyle skydiving, skating, etc. for ages, it's the same position, but head up. Essentially its your legs split apart, front to back. A daffy swivel is where you switch legs, usually combined with a cool, smooth twist/loop. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites WrongWay 0 #19 December 24, 2003 QuoteFunnel - the term that is used since looking from out side the formation it looks like everything poured into a funnel. Usually the formation folds in on its self and bodys start falling in burbles and it goes downhill from there. Usually caused by a freeflyer attempting to bellyfly. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites happythoughts 0 #20 December 24, 2003 QuoteOk...what does it mean if you funnel an exit? To get the effect, float a bunch of matches in the toilet. Imagine that they are doing 12-way. Flush. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites vonSanta 0 #21 December 25, 2003 Elfanie, this clicky holds a list of skydiving related terminology. It is far from complete but covers the basics. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites judedre 0 #22 December 25, 2003 "AERIAL ANACONDA" is when you take a full roll of toilet paper up with you in your jumpsuit and a little twig or stick and as soon as you r under canopy you hold the stick out to one side put the roll of TP on it and start it spinning the next thing you know u look behind you and you have released the "aerial anaconda" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites elfanie 0 #23 December 25, 2003 QuoteElfanie, this clicky holds a list of skydiving related terminology. It is far from complete but covers the basics. *nods* I looked at that site before.. but there are a LOT of things not on that page...like Horny Gorilla, Wackers, Daffy... but you're right in that it's a very useful list. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ZoneRat 0 #24 December 26, 2003 Here's a couple that get used in two importantly different ways: Knee-turns and Chest-turns. Some people use those to describe what body part is initiating the turn. Coaches usually use those terms to describe where the centerpoint of the turn is. For example... if your chest and head are more or less staying in one spot in the air (like the center of a spoke on a wheel) and your legs are travelling around them, (like being the tire of the wheel), that might be called a "Chest Turn". Let's see... "FAZ": Final Approach Zone. When you want to dock onto a formation you want to approach it straight and on level. On an 8-way RW jump, this would mean that 1/8th of the sky (think pizza slice) is yours and you'd want to be on level, oh about 6'-10' before you go in for the dock. That 6-10' is your FAZ. "Noisy": A noisy skydiver is one that is constantly moving their arms and legs when they don't really need to. "Rabbit": The lead person on a tracking dive is sometimes called the rabbit. "T": When you fly in a basic box position, but then stick one leg down at the ground. "The O": Short for DZO. Drop Zone Operator. For example: "The O is an asshat". "Spiking": When you're launching a formation and you're inside the plane and, on the launch, you almost go over the top and have to arch really hard in the relative wind to avoid going over. "Chicken Wing": When light jumpers constantly fly with therir arms WAY back in order to avoid wearing weights. "Lawn Dart": Degrogoratory term for someone who flies head-down. "Meat Bomb": Derogoratory term for skydivers. Typically (I've been told) used by non-jump pilots, glider pilots, ultra-light pilots etc. "Meat Haulers": Tandem Masters (TM's) that are not taking an active personal interest in their tandem students. "Chowing": A PLF for a high performance canopy pilot. (i.e.) "Nice chow! Glad he didn't femur!" "Augering": Another landing error. Typically exhibiting multiple earth based barrell rolls. that's all I can think of off the top of my head....“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites PhreeZone 20 #25 December 26, 2003 Chow's specifically refers to crashing in a pond. Nice chow is the common insult to a swooper after they fail to make it all the way across a pond, or that their first point of contact with the water is the pond floor in the middle of the water. Lawndart is also a freefly formation that consisits of everyone putting their feet wide and pointing the entire thing at the earth head down. Speeds of 175+ are common in a good Lawndart. Ready to pop - Refers to a student that is ready to see their lunch again. Often times nerves kick in on the plane ride and TM's have to take extra care to not see what the student last ate. Geek - the act of or the person that seeks out the camera in freefall and makes effort to be noticed. This can often times be something as subtle as looking up at the cameraman or something as drastic as flying up and filling the entire frame of the camera. Bounce Bait - Someone that everyone on the DZ knows will bounce, but they can't convince that person of that.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. 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WrongWay 0 #19 December 24, 2003 QuoteFunnel - the term that is used since looking from out side the formation it looks like everything poured into a funnel. Usually the formation folds in on its self and bodys start falling in burbles and it goes downhill from there. Usually caused by a freeflyer attempting to bellyfly. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #20 December 24, 2003 QuoteOk...what does it mean if you funnel an exit? To get the effect, float a bunch of matches in the toilet. Imagine that they are doing 12-way. Flush. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vonSanta 0 #21 December 25, 2003 Elfanie, this clicky holds a list of skydiving related terminology. It is far from complete but covers the basics. Santa Von GrossenArsch I only come in one flavour ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
judedre 0 #22 December 25, 2003 "AERIAL ANACONDA" is when you take a full roll of toilet paper up with you in your jumpsuit and a little twig or stick and as soon as you r under canopy you hold the stick out to one side put the roll of TP on it and start it spinning the next thing you know u look behind you and you have released the "aerial anaconda" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elfanie 0 #23 December 25, 2003 QuoteElfanie, this clicky holds a list of skydiving related terminology. It is far from complete but covers the basics. *nods* I looked at that site before.. but there are a LOT of things not on that page...like Horny Gorilla, Wackers, Daffy... but you're right in that it's a very useful list. -------------------------------------------- Elfanie My Skydiving Page Fly Safe - Soft Landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZoneRat 0 #24 December 26, 2003 Here's a couple that get used in two importantly different ways: Knee-turns and Chest-turns. Some people use those to describe what body part is initiating the turn. Coaches usually use those terms to describe where the centerpoint of the turn is. For example... if your chest and head are more or less staying in one spot in the air (like the center of a spoke on a wheel) and your legs are travelling around them, (like being the tire of the wheel), that might be called a "Chest Turn". Let's see... "FAZ": Final Approach Zone. When you want to dock onto a formation you want to approach it straight and on level. On an 8-way RW jump, this would mean that 1/8th of the sky (think pizza slice) is yours and you'd want to be on level, oh about 6'-10' before you go in for the dock. That 6-10' is your FAZ. "Noisy": A noisy skydiver is one that is constantly moving their arms and legs when they don't really need to. "Rabbit": The lead person on a tracking dive is sometimes called the rabbit. "T": When you fly in a basic box position, but then stick one leg down at the ground. "The O": Short for DZO. Drop Zone Operator. For example: "The O is an asshat". "Spiking": When you're launching a formation and you're inside the plane and, on the launch, you almost go over the top and have to arch really hard in the relative wind to avoid going over. "Chicken Wing": When light jumpers constantly fly with therir arms WAY back in order to avoid wearing weights. "Lawn Dart": Degrogoratory term for someone who flies head-down. "Meat Bomb": Derogoratory term for skydivers. Typically (I've been told) used by non-jump pilots, glider pilots, ultra-light pilots etc. "Meat Haulers": Tandem Masters (TM's) that are not taking an active personal interest in their tandem students. "Chowing": A PLF for a high performance canopy pilot. (i.e.) "Nice chow! Glad he didn't femur!" "Augering": Another landing error. Typically exhibiting multiple earth based barrell rolls. that's all I can think of off the top of my head....“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophies.” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #25 December 26, 2003 Chow's specifically refers to crashing in a pond. Nice chow is the common insult to a swooper after they fail to make it all the way across a pond, or that their first point of contact with the water is the pond floor in the middle of the water. Lawndart is also a freefly formation that consisits of everyone putting their feet wide and pointing the entire thing at the earth head down. Speeds of 175+ are common in a good Lawndart. Ready to pop - Refers to a student that is ready to see their lunch again. Often times nerves kick in on the plane ride and TM's have to take extra care to not see what the student last ate. Geek - the act of or the person that seeks out the camera in freefall and makes effort to be noticed. This can often times be something as subtle as looking up at the cameraman or something as drastic as flying up and filling the entire frame of the camera. Bounce Bait - Someone that everyone on the DZ knows will bounce, but they can't convince that person of that.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
