No Wind Landings Re-Revisitted

[BrianSGermain 1]

The following is a discussion between Brian Germain and Boel Stier, a top skydiver and writer for the Swedish parachutist magazine. Boel is in the process of writing and article on no-wind landings, attempting to tie together the two articles recently on DZ.com on the subject, the first by Brian and the second by Scott Miller. Here are a few excerpts from the most recent discussions.

Boel:
I skipped the analysis of the stall and of the banking angle and load factor in my translation and summary, since we couldn't use more than three pages in the magazine for the text.

Brian:
I think Scott and I are reading different texts on this issue. Either way, we all know that landing with bank is not a good thing. Even if the canopy doesn't stall, it will sink into the ground prematurely, so I think the stall issue is a moot point, really.

Boel:
For me personally, leaning forward in the harness gives me a lot better
landings, but there doesn't seem to be any explanation for why that is,
apart from the fact that most people change their mental status to a more
positive and active mood when they lean a bit forward in the landing.
So I very much agree with you there. But I guess Scott Miller means that
there isn't just one way to do something right.

Brian:
I just notice that I am more able to run with my feet underneath me, a possibility that is reduced by having and extreme pitch angle to my body as a result of hanging back in the harness. This also significantly reduces the chances of a butt strike. Based on the Swedish study on landing injuries, this is an important issue for sure. If we urged instructors to teach students to loosen their chest straps after determining that the parachute was viable, and lean forward during the landing, they would better be able to PLF, especially in the "over-flare" situation cautioned about in Anton's work.

Boel:
Generally, when reading these two articles, it seems like you dare being
somewhat advanced in your article while he thinks it more important for
everyone to be able to follow and use the tips and ideas presented.

Brian:
I have always taken the more respectful perspective on these things, aiming to teach folks the way more experienced jumpers do things, assuming that this generally tends to be the "right" way. If I wouldn't do it, why should I teach someone to do so? So far, this "not dumbing it down" method of teaching has been well-received world-wide, and has met with quite positive results in the end.

Boel:
Regarding the length of the steering lines I guess they shouldn't be either
too short or too long. But I could easier relate to Scott Miller's view
there, since it is my experience that many people (especially swoopers) feel
the need to lengthen them after the canopy arrives from the factory. But I
guess my experience is limited to mostly PD canopies.

Brian:
My angle on this was that the jumpers that tend to struggle with no-wind landings are generally not swoopers. They suffer from accommodations on the part of the manufacturers to make the experienced folks happy, myself included. This is moreso the case with shorter jumpers that switch to 18" risers, as they do not take the necessary step of shortening their brake lines accordingly. This puts them closer to the canopy, but further from the stall point. Often this results in late/low flares, a condition far more dangerous than bucking in front risers or a bit of tail deflection in full flight.

Boel:
By the way, both of you agreed on the flare being most efficient when the steering lines are pulled straight down instead of pulled to the sides. What is the reason? Isn't the length I can pull, from the steering lines to the full stretch of my arms and hands, the same in each direction? Do you mean that gravity helps when pulling straight down?

Brian:
This is to maximize the effect of the flare. If the brakes are pulled out to the sides, they cannot be pulled down quite as far. That last little "nugget" of flare is missed.

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