dthames

I am sure most have heard “plan the dive and dive the plan”. A few days I was on a sunset tracking dive with several people that I didn’t know. Some of them were just off student status and I was the latecomer to join the jump. I thought I would just hang back and give everyone plenty of room. The jump run was to the south and tracking east and turning back to the north later in the jump was what I understood as the plan. We were last out and tracking southeast. The turn never came. I knew where we were when we got out and getting back to the DZ was going to be something that needed some attention. But now, every second looked more and more like a planned landing off exercise. About 6,000 I turned back toward the DZ, tracked hard to cover ground, and made sure I didn’t pull any higher than we had agreed. Only 4 of 7 made it back to the DZ and 3 of those 4 were too low to fly the normal pattern. It is sometimes hard to quickly know what to do if the plan needs to change. But I sure don’t ever want to be a be a Lemming. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am in my 50s and started in late 2011. I struggled some as a student, as many do. Learning can have it's ups and it's downs. But it is very rewarding to learn what you need to know and to be able to fly. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Some time ago I saw a video where a guy cut away and his reserve container failed to open even after the pin was pulled. When the AAD fired, the container opened. After landing the fellow was on his knees, face the the ground, panting, trying to collect himself. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Thanks for the seasoned insight. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have often heard is said that under canopy you need to keep your head on a swivel and keep an eye on all other canopy traffic. I cannot do like Regan from The Exorcist and actually spin my head around. But, an easy way to look right behind you is to grab you rear risers and twist yourself under them. You can spin around 150 degrees or so with very little effort. You can get a good look over your shoulder in just a second or two. Twisting like that under my Pilot does not cause any issues and it continues to fly straight. I don't know about any other canopy. While this might not be a new trick, it is new to me. Of course you would only want to do this when you were clear out in front. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Dan, THIS^^^ Me? I get a charge out of watching the deployment right out the door..."behind" you instead of "over" you. One of my mental visions is of a funny car drag chute. One time as I was watching, the bag spun and a line twist was getting started. I simply did a quick 360 turn while till on the hill and vertical...fixed it right up. Andy, yes I have thought about the dragchute concept as well. But I have not tried it. But speaking of turning during the deployment….A young man on one of those 3000 foot HnPs deployed right after exit. He thinks he twisted around with his back to the wind and I also think maybe his head a bit into the wind, like he was back-flying. He didn’t know what happened but his video showed the bag out in “front” of him, then his legs and feet going up between the lines, as he did a backflip through the risers. He landed it okay. Another example of why a good stable position is needed. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Don't confuse "relative wind" to your body position relative to earth. As you leave the airplane, the relative wind is coming from the speed of the aircraft. As you accelerate towards the ground, that relative wind increases (you start to fall faster) and the direction changes. I think your "snivel" might have been caused by a sub-terminal (slow) opening. This has nothing to do with, and should not be confused with, your relative position. Talk to your instructors about this... Maybe what I was trying to communicate was not clear. From a poised exit, belly into the relitive wind to belly to earth takes a view seconds and includes a 90 degree "pivot" as I would describe it, If you pull before that happens, you are very much sub-terminal. I was trying to say, I would rather get up a bit more speed from now on. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you are at a small DZ what you describe is not uncommon, from what I have seen. Not right, but not uncommon. If you have no other DZ options you might have a talk with them about doing SL or IAD training instead of AFF. If a C-182 goes up with one tandem, that leaves two slots open. A SL instructor and student can go on that load and you will get to jump. Of course if you have double tandems all day that might not work out either. A few tethered jumps and you are doing short solo freefalls. While not as exciting at AFF (maybe) it is a good way to get off the ground and into the sky. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Those farm fields with dark earth exposed and a hot sunny days, yes you can expect some thermals. Around the Dallas DZ are some really dark fields and I know they will give you a ride. San Marcos has some farm fields as well. I don't know if the soil is dark or what type of year crops will not cover the ground. Ask around the DZ when you get a chance. The locals should know. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

On this and similar threads it has been mentioned that you have plenty of time even on a low exit to be stable and deploy as you normally would. I agree and want to share a bit from yesterday. Clouds came in and shut down high loads. 3000 foot HnP was available. I had done SL training and had never really done a low HnP. 3800 feet was the lowest previous jump and that was because clouds prevented us from getting higher. I wanted to have a bit lower exit to increase my experience range. I fell for a good 5 seconds, or a bit more before deployment. All was well but I decided not to go as long the next time. The second HnP I only waited about 2 or 3 seconds and then pulled. I was very stable but not really belly to earth yet. As the lines were extending I knew the opening would be a bit different because I was sort of stood up already. I got to the snivel point and just paused wiith the slider all the way up. I shook and pulled on the rear risers a bit and it came on down. Another jumper on the load said he sort of rushed it and he flipped through his risers on deployment. In my case I felt that pulling sooner to be just a bit higher under canopy was actually counter productive, or very close to being counter productive as the snivel was so long. I think I will make it a point to wait until I pivot over onto my belly(to earth) before deployment for all future HnPs. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

It does not require a gun to do crazy (deadly) things. The gun is just a visable extension of the person's desire to do harm, in the cases that you mention. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Set for 5 datapoints per second a 72 second file is 36k. Follow the directions about letting it get a fix for 15 minutes at the start of the day, and also the pre-jump time on. No issues for me if I follow the instructions. With the free viewer you can see where you were over the ground. This nice for tracking or if you want to look at your canopy flight. I have ambient sound blocking earphones/plugs and listen to the tones while in flight. In the vertical mode, you can quickly learn about how to fall faster or slower without a partner. This was good for me filling slots on C-182 tandem loads when it came to not jumping or going solo. Glide ratio mode is fun if you like to track. Here are some graphs and ground track images from the free viewer. http://pyrodan.privatedata.com/skydive/tracking/tracking-data-sept-1-3.pdf Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I did SL training this year. I was "relaxed" when I knew I could do a poised exit off the C-182 step and go belly to earth, while feeling I was in control. Previous freefalls had been more like, "You are not out of control, so don't mess that up...wait....wait, pull". While better than tumbling, I was not in full control. I was just sort of riding it out until pull time. For AFFers, others have previously stated on several threads, "Exit at altitude and pull, until you are comfortable with doing it right. Then do your HnP". For me I was ready (never actually had to do a HnP) when I knew on exit I would be in control. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Wow, it sounds like you can track pretty far in those. 1.7 miles with about a 45 degree tailwind. Maybe turning back after about a half mile would have helped, but well, lesson learned. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

No jumpsuit? I've taken off my jumpsuit and stuffed the rig in there, then zipped it up and tied the arms and legs together. It made a pretty good gear bag.

I made a couple of mistakes and a couple of good choices. I think the spot was good but because I tracked (solo tracking dive) with a bit of a tailwind instead of the other way with a bit if a headwind, I totally blew the spot offered for the strong uppers. I made the mistake of thinking that if I was not open above 3,000 that I would largely be out of the uppers. The wind on the ground was about 90 degrees different (on the compass) than the uppers, so my opening point and where I wanted to be for a landing pattern was not just a straight line upwind of the DZ. While open at a perfect spot to fly to a pattern entry point on a normal day, I was in no position to deal with strong winds for 2000 vertical feet of canopy flight. I hate to spiral down but if I had done that, I would have been a lot close to the DZ when I got out of the strong uppers. I did land right on the edge of a large plowed field, by choice, but I was a long way from the nearest road. I was able to walk just a few steps off of the crops and down the side of the field to the road, but it was a big field. Somewhere behind me, downwind, was another road, but also some of those steel towered 1 million volt transmission lines. So I stayed with the field even though I couldn’t crab over to the road. Yes, I should have had my cell phone with me. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If your goal is to get your license, be sure to let some of the instructors know that and ask for guidance. What worked for me was to get some advice on the next tasks, do a practice jump, then a coached jump to get some of those things signed off. It is nice to be on solo status at first. But you will not be able to do fun jumps with others until you get that license. Don’t forget those canopy tasks either. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Someone did that to me, invited me to a SCR jump when they overheard me say I had just got my A. I laughed and told them, "Later...maybe much later". I have wondered if they were testing me to see if I was too eagar or not. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

50 MPH uppers that went down to about 1000 feet drove me way off the field Saturday morning. It was a bit wet and muddy. I had no place to do much arranging of my canopy to make the hike back easier. So I picked it up the best I could and started walking. I was getting hot and right after I took my long sleeved shirt off, I thought, "If I only had a bag", as something was always trying to slip away and drag on me. I shoved the main into my shirt, looped the sleeves around my chest strap and tied them. I came in with this big poofy shirt on my chest but both hands free. I just wish I had thought of that right the beginning. I am sure there are other tips that some could post about making things easier if you are hiking with a rig and jumpsuit. Anyone care to share? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, if you are stressing you don't have the confidence that you would be much better off to have. What Squeak said about watching the plane helped my poised exits from a C-182. I would just get real big and watch the plane, stable as you could hope for. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

While not an expert at all, I am pretty sure I have reason to believe that the swoop pond is home to the Amblema neislerii. Which is listed as endangered. Any construction within 400 meters should be carefully considered. Just a thought. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was visiting Virginia Beach VA in July 1982. In the local paper there was a story about a local man that had been a B-24 maritime patrol pilot in WWII. It was very rare for a plane to catch a sub. But this sub had a first officer that had already been reprimanded for being sloppy on deck watch. The B-24 saw through a gap in the clouds, the sub on the surface at a long distance. They cut their engines to reduce the sound and started a gliding attack. The sub submerged but not in time. It was damaged and sunk in 200 feet of water. About 15 men (as I recall) managed to get out via the torpedo tubes and made it to the surface. The bomber circled and dropped all of their survival gear out to the German crew. The bomber returned to base calling for a rescue effort. Since no planes actually ever hit any subs, no one believed them. Night fell. After everyone was debriefed the commanders decided maybe they needed to send out a rescue after all. By the time they found them the following day, about half of them had survived. The sub commander and the bomber commander were able to have a reunion, which was part of the newspaper story. Sad that many very personal stories from WWII will be lost with those that were actually there. Much thanks to all of our combat veterans. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Slotperfect, Would the success of the "deep brakes" being better depend on how strong the tailwind is? I mean if your tail wind was pretty weak, wouldn't you be better off keeping the canopy's flying speed up? (rear risers) Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Not an expert but I think the answer would be yes. Your arms help you a lot. There may be a difference in what you do with your arms as they catch a lot of wind….very helpful. I knew a young women skydiving student that was also a gymnast growing up. She was a natural in flips in the air. Many will be quick to point out that in training jumps the flips are not what you are being challenged to do. The challenge is to recover from being unstable. My friend did perfect flips but never was really unstable. Maybe they should tell you to flop rather than to flip. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

The USPA Canopy Control Proficiency Card has a jump where you “return from a long spot”. I was instructed to take the spot about 1 mile beyond what was normal, to open at normal altitude (inflated about 3,000), and then work with the brakes and the risers to figure out the best way to make it back. I tried hanging on the brakes for a while and determined how much good that did me. Then I got on the rear risers and tried to see how they would work. I stayed with the rear risers until I got back to the edge of the field, just under 1000 feet. I learned a lot and it was a great challenge. I got a chuckle out of it because I was told that some of the jumpers that didn’t know what I was up to saw me low and far away. Someone remarked about the bad spot……and then I made it back thanks to my poofy Pilot and a bit of a tail wind. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”