blazingcannon 0 #1 August 27, 2002 Might want to try this - it really helped me to quickly get stable headdown- Because the time up there is so short, practise on the ground. How? Take out a full body mirror so you can see the side profile of your body. Try to imagine yourself "getting into your headdown position", and then do it how you regularly do it. Hold your position and and take a look at the side profile of your body. Is your body straight up and down? Try to get your body straight. is your neck sticking out forward? - tuck your chin in a bit. (this might be your backflying problem) Are your shoulders muscles engaged, causing you to arch or cup forward? Relax your shoulders. You should be able to see your hands in your peripheral vision. Get those legs out. Now is your body straight? Once you see a straight body in the mirror, that's pretty much it. It's all simple aerodynamics , baybeh. Remember what that position feels like. Go from where your position was, to your new, straighter position. Feel the difference. Physically imagine exiting your chosen aircraft, then "ready, set ..go " and assume the position, again in front of the mirror. Straight? If not, fix it so you're straight. Treat it like a workout or something. Put on some music. Practise again and again until you can go from a scrunched up exit position to your straight position with your eyes closed- check the mirror... Still straight! Yeah! Note that this explanation is just a quick one and there's lots of details missing and that this may not work for everyone, but it did wonders for my flying. Lemme know what you think of my idea : )G."Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpkid 0 #2 August 28, 2002 Thanks, Ill try this on the weekend, (practice at work)Say Hi to Rara for me..... When are you coming back to STI? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #3 August 28, 2002 hey jeffie! wazzup! I will say hi to sarah for ya... and sti will be in the ranks as soon as we're finished with the frankenotter at gan this weekend : ) Cheers!"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kirils 1 #4 August 28, 2002 Great advise! Between you and Pat Works, I hope to eventually develop some consistancy with my HD!"Slow down! You are too young to be moving that fast!" Old Man Crawfish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyhy 0 #5 August 28, 2002 QuoteTry to imagine yourself "getting into your headdown position", and then do it how you regularly do it. How can you do that standing on the ground? Are you standing up in front of that mirror and imagining to fly upside down? How can you relax then like you would up there? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #6 August 28, 2002 -----------"How can you do that standing on the ground? Are you standing up in front of that mirror and imagining to fly upside down? How can you relax then like you would up there? "---------------Yup, just stand there in front of the mirror, breathe deep and imagine. You certainly can't duplicate the feeling of being headdown in freefall- jeez, otherwise I'd have my stoopid freefall grin goin on all the time! The idea is to get instant and free feedback on upper body posture again and again right away, so you can lock it in and start thinking about other things like what your legs are doing. (it's like tuning the leading edge of your wing which is your body in HD) The more expensive (but way more fun) way to do all this would be to simply go out with a coach with video and make the jumps! Cheers,"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #7 August 28, 2002 Here are some other things you can do- , though they're not as comfortable or as safe, but they're free and increase sensitivity to how upper body position affects wind deflection as well as simply what it feels and sounds like to go straight down: Get someone to drive you around fast in a bowrider boat- get up front and see if you can get your whole torso and head straight into that relative wind. Try arching and see what the wind does. Do you feel some turbulent air on your back? What about with your head forward? Hmm..turbulence on your chest? Now try getting straight with that position you learned in the mirror. Hmm...air feels smooth across my face and the back of my neck, as well as chest and back. That's "going straight down". It also sounds smoother. Oh, and try not to fall out of the boat! Another option is to do this on a bicycle. Go real fast and then stand up in the pedals and bend at the waist with a straight upper body into the relative wind so it's parallel to the ground. Not very safe, and for some probably scary, but it's the same deal. Or you can climb on top of a moving car and do the same. (not recommended) : ) It's all about playing with the element. Air is free- skydives aren't! Cheers!"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
judedre 0 #8 August 30, 2002 thanks now the wife thinks im nuts!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #9 August 30, 2002 Ya, I've been thinking about putting together a "headdown-body-position workout tape" of my technique... I'm gonna call the technique "Skye-Bo" . (tae bo) Ha ha! Ya, and then I'll put together a Real-TV-like blooper tape of people falling down in front of mirrors, falling out of boats, off bicycles and out of car windows as people attempt to "feel the relative wind for free" ha ha... Cheers mon!"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyswc 0 #10 September 9, 2002 you can car surf down a bumpy road at 120 mph and try to simulate flying in peoples burbles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #11 September 9, 2002 haha... ya, or instead of a windtunnel you could pay 7 bucks to run through one of those automatic car washes with the jet-blast dryers at the end of it and stand there *snooty brit accent*: "tuning the efficiency quotient of the leading edge of your body wing" (as the quick spray-wax dries on your gear, making it waterproof...) muah ah ah"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobsoutar 0 #12 September 27, 2002 Why not just do the same thing upside down in a head-stand? (Safety tip - put a cushion or rolled up towel on the floor first). Works pretty good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blazingcannon 0 #13 September 27, 2002 Yup, I agree. This works great. kind of uncomfortable and distracting cause of the blood rushing to your head, but very good at teaching you your centre of balance while giving you the inverted visuals that may be part of the source of people's off-balancedness when they start. Things to practice doing this: Get yer legs out. Spreaddem! Find your balance. Make it so you're pretty much just balancing on your head, with just little corrections from your arms and legs. (this kinda equates to going down the tube in headdown) Test your balance. Wave yer legs back and forth in the straddle position. With practise you should be able to wag your legs in front and behind you without losing your balance. (this would equate to moving around in headdown once you've "found the tube") Cheers,"Spread your legs and fly" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
