NicoNYC

I was just wondering if this had ever happened before. Now I know. Did everyone not watch the windsock? How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I wanted to use that method. However, Since I was the last solo jumper out aside from the cameraman and instructor and the fact that I pulled above 5000 everyone was already grounded after I did my canopy control check. I tried this too. Just as I was about to do a drift check a haze covered my ground view for a few seconds and cleared just in time to proceed downwind. And all I kept thinking was too steer away from the runway and stay within the perimeter of the landing area. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

hahahahahaha I'll use this concept in conjunction with: If I feel the wind blowing in my face while I'm canopy flying that must mean I'm facing into the wind. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Since they just added a swoop pond, I'll use that as a reference now. You're exactly right. Thanks! I shouldn't rush. The haze and not being able to see the windsock just kinda freaked me out. I should do what they always preach to you as a student, relax and breathe. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Well, I finally did it. I did my recertification dive this past saturday and landed on my feet like a bird on a perch would at 14mph winds. However, the surface winds were very shifty that day it was either blowing south or south west. Anyway, upon opening, although I didn't know it at first, I was downwind. After my routing canopy check, I was about 3500ft. I was trying to read the windsock for verification of the wind direction. I had trouble reading the windsock from that altitude because I couldn't distinguish the windsock from a canopy that just landed. My mistake was that I failed to take note exactly which position one of the windsocks were from the target and the hanger area. I think that would have helped me big time. Anyway, I was going to do a drift check but a freakin' haze came out of no where so that didn't help me at all. So all I kept thinking about was just stay within the perimeter of the landing area and keep away from the runway. At about 2500ft I proceeded with my planned downwind leg. At 1500ft I was finally able to see the windsock now but I was now 45degrees of both my final and base leg. I just kept thinking "eat the carrot! eat the carrot!" which is what my Skydive U instructors taught me, This refers to approaching the final leg from the tail end of the windsock for your landing. At about 600 feet I was a bit off the perimeter so I just turned into the wind for my long final. It was a good landing. At 15feet I just kept saying "eyes on horizon! don't look at the ground! I have to say this because I have a bad habit of staring at the ground sometimes. I flared 1/2 brakes at 15 feet. The canopy sank and I held the 1/2 brakes flare and proceeded to flare when I felt my leg straps tighten and then I touched down so very softly. Anyway, I could have approached a good square pattern but being that I couldn't read the windsock properly and my drift check went out the window I ended up doing a check mark instead of a square or rectangle. Any tips for me that I can use when i can read the windsock? How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Makes sense. This is the method that I thought everyone executes when doing flat turns. I guess everyone has their own technique depending on their canopy. You're absolutely right. I think it may be a while till I try low altitude flat turns in final. Unless, of course, if the need arises to execute such low turn. I'll definitely practice when I'm above 2000feet. I'm not offended at all. I'm saying that there are times when you're just not physically and mentally able to jump. If I am ever in such a state, I have to expect that something may go wrong and I may get hurt. I hear ya Luminous. I totally have a sense of humor. Thanks for your tips. Everyone's comments here have helped gain an awareness of obvious dangers and have eased my mind about doing flat turns now. You're all a bunch of great people. Thanks everyeone! Are you a JM (Jump Master not Jerk Meister) yet by any chance? You sound like you could be one. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

You're right, it may not take me a couple of hundred jumps. I meant that I want to have a considerable amount of experience before I get the nerve to do that. I'm just trying to keep it safe. This is an "Oh, Definitely!!!!". How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

My jumpmaster told me that you execute a flat turn by just pulling one toggle down 1/4 brakes and leave the other toggle in full flight. Is there a difference? My progression has nothing to do with my b@lls. I still wouldn't try this unless I have more jumps. Thanks a lot. If I were to be careless or even allow myself to have my guard down then, I don't belong in the sport and I deserve to get hurt. Hardy har har...it's I spoke with. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I'm still flying a student main and sometime a 240-260main. I'm still not up to trying flat turns yet below 300ft yet. I do them all the time above 2000feet but I'm not quite ballsy enough to try that below 300ft. However, if I have to steer away from an obstacle above 100ft, I will execute a flat turn to save my bones. Crystal clear Captain! Chuck How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

You said it right there. I'm not going to be doing any kind of flat turns below 300 feet until I have at least a couple of hundred jumps or at least until I get my own rig and know the characteristics of my main. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

No matter what, I always ask questions. I try to never think that I'm good enough to not ask questions. Sounds like you've got a good head to become an instructor yourself one day. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I hear ya bro. I was always so cool, calm, collective and quick on the reflexes. I've had my major line twists, one of my leg straps come undone, running on crosswind landings, PLFing on downwind landings, etc. However, when I took a month off, had 3 hours sleep the night before and witnessed two non-fatal accidents I was a bit overwhelmed. I saw that ground coming in fast and I kept looking at the ground instead. What a mistake that was. I've learned a great deal from my stupidity. Well, it really isn't. I just overshot my target on final and hit the taxiway. If you really love something or dream about doing something all your life, you should stick to it no matter what. I have learned so much from my accident. It's made me more aware and educated me of obvious dangers both fatal and non fatal. Thanks. I need more than luck to be safe. I have to be in the right state of mind and act more quickly to react. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Thanks Chief. I'll try it out and I'll let you know if my readings come out the same. I'm going to strap on both my analog and digital altis. I'm going to benchmark the digital to my alti2. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Ummm....yeah Thanks Quade. You just did a major swoop over my head man. Dude, you sound like you designed the damm contraption. I guess I'm just going to have to wear the digitude as a backup until I can determine how much off the readings are from one another. Thanks again Quade. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I s/w my AFF instructor. He was giving me the skinny on doing flat turns in altitudes below 300feet and above 100feet. He was telling me that you can do flat turns down until 100ft. As soon, as you hit 100ft, you have to go back into full glide. I believed him, it all makes sense and what not. However, I keep reading and hearing about turns in low altitude resulting in death. What's more, In ground school they taught us to never execute any turns below 250 ft. So my questions are: Was my instructor correct when he said you can execute flat turns above 100ft. Then, when you reach a hundred ft. you have to go back into full glide. Why is this not mentioned in ground school if it holds true? Can someone please shed some light on this dilemma. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I have the enhanced digitude that reads altitude down to 10 ft. increments. Does anyone know why if I zero out my digitude then power it off and power it back on, it's not totally zero. It will either read 0.01 or -0.02. It never remains on 0.00, which is what I reset it at. If it reads -0.00 would you assume that the minus would indicate that it's a tenth of a digit below 0.00 or would you say that it really doesn't matter? How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Thanks for the tip. I just s/w my old AFF Jumpmaster earlier today, he said you can do those minor adjustments and even fly at 1/4 brakes on final up until 100ft. Then, you have to resume in full flight. Dude, that doesn't mean a thing. Experience and sharing knowledge among eachother has nothing to do with how much FF time you have. Every bit of new information that you discover on you own and that you share with others is valuable. I'm not saying that it's applicable for everyone but at least it can give others ideas or a place to start from. Thanks again for the tips. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Wouldn't you need a long stretch and a fairly large landing area to do this? This sounds good. However, the problem with this is that if I extend the final approach greater than 300 feet, I may or may not be above the runway. Being below turning props would definitely not ease my nerves. What I will do is check out the distance and ask an instructor about this. Thanks for the tip. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Mrs. Kirils, you are indeed an inspiration. 7 cell main, hmmm...I'm not too keen on wing loading and aspect ratios but I would assume that your coming pretty fast with that main. My hats off to you! How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Grabbing the ground and not PLFing was my problem. I was coming in so fast and top heavy I was afraid my head was going to hit the asphalt. So, as a natural human reaction, I put my hand out in front of my face. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Very Zen of you. I will definitely do this. I will take this cool and calm approach and always picture and stage my dives and landings in my head while I'm up on the airplaine. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Most definitely. It will be quite a few more "on my feet" landings before I trust using my own judgement again. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

I think that's what I was doing when I first got injured. I was coming in so fast downwind I kept my eyes on the ground. Instead of reacting I was thinking "Holy Sh*t, that's fast!" That's totally it dude! I read about too many fatalities from low altitude turns. It's embedded in my mind to never do a turn in low altitude. Can I execute these turns agressively and abruptly? Or should these flat turns be done slowly and carefully? Also, do I fly both toggles in half brakes first then release a toggle? I've done this in high altitude but I've never executed this in altitudes below 2000ft. This definitely helps dude. I just need to know how to execute this without losing my nerve the next time I'm in this predicament. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

Great tips. Thanks and I will definitely keep these tips in mind. However, I was really unsure how to PLF when I was top heavy as I was in final. I felt as if my head were leaning forward and my feet were behind me. Any tips? How many hits of adrenaline can you take?

If not, you might try talking to any of the CreW pilots on the DZ—ask one of them to watch (or maybe even video, if possible) your landing(s) and offer some advice. Thanks. I'm definitely going to ask a videographer to capture my landing not just the freefall. How many hits of adrenaline can you take?