robinheid 0 #1 January 20, 2010 QuoteQuoteEven if decedent turned at appropriate altitude in low winds, you need to turn higher in high winds because as soon as you turn back to the wind line, the nose of your canopy is down so the wind hits the top of the canopy and drives it downward even faster. I have not seen this myth repeated in a while and thought perhaps it had been dispelled. The airspeed of your canopy does not change, no matter what the ground winds are doing. The wind doesn't "hit the top of your canopy" because your canopy is not attached to the ground. It's attached to you, and the whole system (you + canopy) are moving with the air, relative to the ground. Imagine a normal, no wind day, and you are coming it to land. At 500 ft the ground turns into a massive conveyor belt moving at 20mph. Everybody standing on the ground is now moving in the direction of the conveyor belt and feeling 20mph wind in their face. None of that will have any effect on how fast your canopy flies, but it will affect how fast you have to run when you land. Same with high (steady) winds. The ground and air can be moving relative to each other at any speed possible... but your canopy still moves through the air exactly the same. Sigh... you're right. my bad. when you're inside the airflow, nothing changes regardless of windspeed/groundspeed. my bad. d5533 base44SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.) "The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #2 January 20, 2010 QuoteThis "myth" is something most of us learned as children: hold your hand outside the car window fingers forward, palm against the ground, and your hand "flies" through the airflow pretty much in line with the direction of travel. You car is anchored to the ground by its tires. Your canopy is not. You are thinking in terms of a ground dweller and not somebody in flight. If you hold your hand out the window of an airplane flying on a day with no winds.... vs a day with high winds... you will feel the same force. Because the airspeed it the same.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robinheid 0 #3 January 21, 2010 Quote Quote This "myth" is something most of us learned as children: hold your hand outside the car window fingers forward, palm against the ground, and your hand "flies" through the airflow pretty much in line with the direction of travel. You car is anchored to the ground by its tires. Your canopy is not. You are thinking in terms of a ground dweller and not somebody in flight. If you hold your hand out the window of an airplane flying on a day with no winds.... vs a day with high winds... you will feel the same force. Because the airspeed it the same. you're right on all counts. brain fade by me... and the funny thing is, i have for years been the guy saying what you are saying! BTW, thanks for being kind in the face of my D'OH! moment. SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.) "The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
