Sit flying?

[Tuna-Salad 0]

So this is probably a repost and I'm sure to look like a tard asking but.. here goes...

How does someone sit fly? I've tried it on numerous jumps.. can get myself up but usually flip over backwards.. I am trying to keep everything at 90 degree angles and press my heels down. On one exit I tried to go out in a sit facing the rear of the aircraft and looked up to find the plane right in front of me.. It felt like I was in a vertical position rather than flat to the ground but I did not stay that way very long. I am also wearing a pretty baggy swoop suit by tony which is probably not the best for free flying. Pretty much what I'm asking is.. what can I try doing with my body on next jump? Also I have tried flying on my back but cannot stay there as I instinctively roll out of bed. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I appreciate any answers.

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[virgin-burner 1]

sounds like you need to push those legs more down.. and get your arms back, havent talked much about that..

not that i know anything about it, really..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[SPAWNmaster 0]

when you're first learning to sit, always start out facing the rear...the relative wind on exit will help you get used to being head up, but eventually you will need to get used to flying vertical off the hill which is kind of a different feeling than right out the door.

something that helped me get off my back when i couldn't "sit up":

just get your shoulder blades back and pop out your chest like your "proud". you don't necessarily need to have your arms way back (and in fact you can develop some bad habits this way) so just concentrate on using your back to hold you up...shoulder blades back that should help.

once you're up you can concentrate on good leg position and leg awareness which will free up your arms for other things...GET SOME COACHING!

[virgin-burner 1]

not everyone can afford coaching mate, i'm saving my jumping from my stomach.. and having accomplished something pretty much on your own.. well, thats the better feeling.

cant really respect the kids that get all their shit paid by whoever, coaching included, and then go on becoming skygods. there are people that actually work hard for that kind of stuff..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[FreeFlyer2100 0]

Back flying is the best way to learn the sit. When you are learning to fly head up you are going to find that you will relax your legs often and start to cork. When this happens you always go back to back flying then put your legs back down. When you get better and start jumping with others that are learning you are going to do lots of back flying to slow down to keep level with them. Long story short, fly on your back, when you get stable start to put your legs down with that pressure you were talking about. Hope this helps

[Tuna-Salad 0]

nice thanks guys :) i will try this tomorrow

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[SPAWNmaster 0]

Quote

not everyone can afford coaching mate, i'm saving my jumping from my stomach.. and having accomplished something pretty much on your own.. well, thats the better feeling.

cant really respect the kids that get all their shit paid by whoever, coaching included, and then go on becoming skygods. there are people that actually work hard for that kind of stuff..

I'll have to disagree man! I will certainly give respect where it's deserved such as with people who have worked hard to become better in anything they do (if you cannot afford coaching, then props to you for trying hard on your own!)...however-

You've chosen an inherently expensive sport.

I see nothing wrong with paying for resources freely available (tunnel time, coaches, etc) to become better at what we do. Coaching can be a collaborative effort between extremely experienced people and newcomers to share a wealth of knowledge that might come over tens or hundreds of jumps under normal circumstances.

While coaching is no substitute for experience, it is hardly a fast track to skygodhood (which is how I'm reading your comment). With coaching during a summer boogie and subsequently thereafter, I have become a much better freeflier. I have a feeling were it not for the coaching I would have spent 10s of jumps having a friend fly base while I try and figure out my sliding and body position.

-my 2cts

If you'd like to discuss this further, I invite you to PM me so as to not further detract from the actual subject of this thread.

[BDashe 0]

Quote

Back flying is the best way to learn the sit.



Agreed- backflying REALLY helps get into a sit and helps learn the new control surfaces. It is a vital skill to learn when freeflying with others as well, corking on your belly can create lethal results!!!

Get with a decent freeflyer/coach, have them explain backflying techniques, get stable on your back, do turns and fall rate control, then start learning to pop into your sit. shouldnt take more than about 10 backflying jumps before you can start playing with your sit.

Welcome to the darkside...

So there I was...

Making friends and playing nice since 1983

[piahenzi 0]

..if I may interject here...
I went straight into freeflying right after my first 50 jumps as well... and didn't spend any time working on belly skills ( 2-way, 4-way, tracking etc.) got to 1000 jumps and found myself from time to time, trying to do few fun jumps on belly and was PATHETIC!! I have to admit that at that jump number I was terribly embarrassed not having any belly skills outside of making it into an 8 way star.. and last to the formation...or always in the base)
so, my advice is, before you start getting into free flying, spend 100 jumps or so working on your belly skills, do some tracking dives, have fun learning the basics. You'll want them as your career in skydiving progresses ( 4-way video, tandem video etc... )
it's just my $0.02 but I think you will thank me in another 500+ jumps...
and as far as tunnels are concerned, you will have to prove your proficiency on belly and some backflying before you get to sitfly in a tunnel.
Enjoy the journey... it is a long one...
and don't forget your canopy skills!! Make the most of every skydive.... I look at each skydive as 2 opportunities to learn different skills.. "upstairs = freefall and downstairs = canopy. Each discipline provides an opportunity to improve a skill set and you will get the most out of your jump $$'s...and who knows..maybe even swoop a pond someday

[SimonBones 1]

Thougheveryone is different, I've always disagreed with that philosophy. I started playing with the dark side before I even got my A license. It wasn't long before it's all I would do. I never did any kind of 4way team or any of that nonsense.

When I first stepped into a tunnel, I did 15 minutes on my belly. It was easy, but I stayed there and let them teach me a couple of tricks. But that's all I did.

I got my coach rating without any bell skills preps, and later on my AFF rating without any workups. I can catch a flailing AFF student no problem. Of my 1600 skydives, probably less than 40 have been spent on any kind of belly skills. Every now and then someone has their 100th jump and wants me on a belly way. I'm always in fast, never go low or take anyone out.

Being a freeflyer made me a better belly flyer without me ever being on my belly because I learned the theory behind air deflection and using it to move around. Again, not everyone is the same, but I'm not the only one out there.

108 way head down world record!!!
http://www.simonbones.com
Hit me up on Facebook

[piahenzi 0]

...absolutely!!! Everyone has to find their own way and do what they love.. I don't, however, think that 4-way is "nonsense" There I will have to respectfully disagree.

....all I can state is my experience which may or may not have any impact on another or make any difference in someones progression choices...and everyone has different learning curves and talent areas.

You may have had no problem with belly skills after the fact, but not everyone is that lucky/talented and I do think that SOME belly skills are basics that should be mastered - at one time or another...

[Chrisky 2]

Aside from all the advice given already, I might point you to the technically perfect learning environment of a vertical wind tunnel. I spent a lot of time learning a proper sit and when I started learning to sit in the tunnel, it finally all worked out. In fact, most of my sit time in the tunnel was spent breaking bad habits engraved by self-teaching. Yes, it's pricey, but you can get the best understanding of the position in there, for the sake of merciless reference. You wont notice a 10m sideslide/backslide in the sky, but you will in the tunnel.
Plus an hour of coaching in the tunnel equals about 120+ jumps and is waaaay cheaper than an equal amount of coach jumps.

Two general recommendations aside from that; Dont get your arms back, get them out to the sides. Maintain body tension (not stiffness!) and fly wide, like wide legs. Try to stay aware of where your lower legs are.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[Chrisky 2]

Quote

Being a freeflyer made me a better belly flyer without me ever being on my belly because I learned the theory behind air deflection and using it to move around. Again, not everyone is the same, but I'm not the only one out there.

While I second that and consider myself the like, I've also seen people w/ 600 freefly jumps spending 40 minutes of tunnel time before being allowed on their backs, cause they couldn't even fly a stable student arch.... Yikes!

I dont mind if people do freefly straight from the start, as long as they can fly stable on their belly and can track (away) solidly.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...