Carving Question!

[crawford 0]

Since the cold weather has grounded my wingsuit for the time being, I have been attempting to work on my carving swoop! My question is: What is the key to being "consistant" on the carves? I have done about 10 or so and only have pulled off maybe 4 or 5. So, I am not sure if I am waiting too long to shift body wieght or not shifting soon enough. the 4-5 that i DID pull off were incredible. Just not sure how in the hell I did it?!?!?!?

I am flying a Stiletto 97 loaded at about 2:1 and I can't seem to time it right to initiate the carve. Exactly at what point do you shift wieght or toggle or whatever the hell you are supposed to do. I wish like hell I could figure out what I did on the "successful" carves. Any pointers would be highly appreciated! Thanks.

"Sure, those Golf Carts may look all warm and fuzzy, but they WILL take a chunk out of your ass!"

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

I do it several different ways, each dependant on what I wish to accomplish. For really dramatic, tight "circle surfs", I generally nail one toggle just as I am coming down to swoop height. After I am sideways, I nail the other toggle a bit to get me penduluming around in a circle. Once I am around as far as I think I can get without my main going away, I nail the opposite toggle to get the canopy back over my head.

For carves through long courses, I generally just steer through the course with my harness, gently assisting the turn with a bit of rear riser on that side (both hands on rears). I get the canopy clean over my head at the end of the course by adjusting with a bit more opposite brake.

[Samurai136 0]

Although I have not explored much carving, Scott Miller explained carving as 'making a braked/ flat turn' during your surf.

Ken

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

That is a good way to explain it, only very dynamic.

[frankiebrina 0]

Ok. Been trying to get this right also. But I didn't explore this to much while I was trainig with Scott Miller last month. So he breifly explained how carving is a good way for you to escape from a low turn. So in one of the jumps we train up high of course doing a 180 front riser turn where after 90 degrees you let go front riser, flare and continue the remaining 90 degrees of the originally planned 180 using the toggles on a flat turn right after the flare.

My question is, I dont think I should do a low turn to have train myself on this, right.
So how to proceed to simply do it not because you need to but because you plan to.

thanks

[skygod7777 0]

what scott miller was talking about isn't the same as what he wants to do.

what that does is gets you out of the pendulume effect by putting yourself sideways, and then comming back under the canopy.

what he is wanting to do is carve accross the ground, and it sound like that is what your wanting to do also.

i'm not really to sure how to explain it, other than what has been posted already, but i can offer some advice. to take it slow, don't try to carve 90 degess on your first attempt, take it easy, 45 may even be a bit too much for you first few tries.

later

[crawford 0]

  Quote

don't try to carve 90 degess on your first attempt,

later

Well, that just dumbfounded me for the 5 attempts that were successful, I managed to do a 90 degree??? The last one was actually about 120 degrees and I was laid over on my side with my canopy about 2 feet from the ground. I somehow managed to stand that one up as well. I guess that is what is really burning me up due to that being the most kick ass feeling ever. Sure wish I could do that again.

Thanks to everyone that has posted advise, will attempt again this weekend.

"Sure, those Golf Carts may look all warm and fuzzy, but they WILL take a chunk out of your ass!"

[skygod7777 0]

  Quote

Well, that just dumbfounded me for the 5 attempts that were successful, I managed to do a 90 degree??? The last one was actually about 120 degrees and I was laid over on my side with my canopy about 2 feet from the ground. I somehow managed to stand that one up as well. I guess that is what is really burning me up due to that being the most kick ass feeling ever. Sure wish I could do that again.

Thanks to everyone that has posted advise, will attempt again this weekend.

but you also said you didn't get like 5 of em . it's just a matter of taking it slow, some people catch on quick, some don't.

and it's all about if you are ready to crash, if you start slow, then you can stand them all up, and work on to being able to do more than 90's and still look good. if you go big at first, then you are putting yourself in a lot more shit.


later

[crawford 0]

I agree with you completely, and I did biff in a couple. Nothing major, just kinda did a little roll, got up and shook the dust off. It just seems the less I think about doing the carve, the better I get them, if I really think hard about it, I don't even turn 10 degrees. I just thought that there was a definite method that people were using. Thanks for the input!

"Sure, those Golf Carts may look all warm and fuzzy, but they WILL take a chunk out of your ass!"

[NeedToJump 0]

If you want to learn about carving or want to get clarification on anything Scott said just come out to the dz and ask him or any of the other incredible canopy pilots around (Jimmy T, Kaz Sheeky, Rickster, the PD Team...) You're bound to find at least one of them at the dz any day you go there.

Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com

[garyharbird 0]

With carving I start the carve just before i plane out, because you tend to loss a little altitude. I use a combination of harness and toggle.
The most I have ever carved is about 140 degrees, and i just managed to stand it up, but thought i was going down at the time.
Attached is a pic of me carving, Haven't quite figured out how to get the end cell on the ground like heath does, but i'm still trying
Later
Gary

[freakydiver 0]

Have you worked on double fronts?

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[BrianSGermain 1]

Airspeed, Airspeed Airspeed.

It is important to understand that your wing's stall speed increases dramatically with roll angle. This is due to the increased "load factor". Since your wing is required to fly at a higher angle of attack to prevent descent, the "G" loading increases. This results in the tendecy for the wing to stall out prematurely in a banked configuration.

If you wait too long to begin your bank, you will run out of airspeed and eat it.
Go fast into the entry.
Really fast.

Another consideration is the recovery technique. Someone previously mentioned that he recovers the wing to it's overhead position by simply pulling the opposite toggle. If you are close to the ground, this will result in a descent into the ground at high speed. It is essential that you LIFT yourself out of the carve with both toggles before recovering the roll axis. This provides the necessarry altitude to reduce your bank angle to zero for the landing.

Lastly, I just want to point out that you do not want to "Nail" anything. A good carve is a smooth manuever. If the crowd is cringing and looking away, you are not doing it correctly. It should be a graceful transition in and out of the bank.

I suggest practicing the process up high as much as you can. Anticipation of the feeling is important to relieving your stress level, which is of course the most significant inhibitor of performance.

If you are freaked out, you will not be graceful. Not to mention, you no longer have access to the data stored in your longterm memory, nor the functioning the neocortex, which is what separates us from the animals.

Adrenalin is inversely proportional to intelligence.
.
.

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[HCnorway 0]

Always good to hear your thoughts and meanings Brian. Well spoken!