SkyDiveDoc22 0 #1 September 16, 2008 Well I did my 7th skydive sunday, and it was great. Thing is with me, I always perform great free fall technique, but when I pull my chute, Thats when I start to have trouble. I really have trouble making it to the DZ. I always have to go for my plan B which is a little embarrassing. I always have a good landing at least, just a long walk back. When I get a smaller canopy, you think I will do better in getting to the place everyone else lands? Will I eventually just get better with experience? (I hope) Any advice or personal experiences will help and give me motivation. Thanks!"Id rather shoot for the stars and miss, than aim for the gutter and make it." ~Danny Trejo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
towerrat 0 #2 September 17, 2008 a smaller canopy will NOT help your accuracyPlay stupid games, win stupid prizes! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanflite 0 #3 September 17, 2008 Quote Well I did my 7th skydive sunday, and it was great. Thing is with me, I always perform great free fall technique, but when I pull my chute, Thats when I start to have trouble. I really have trouble making it to the DZ. I always have to go for my plan B which is a little embarrassing. I always have a good landing at least, just a long walk back. When I get a smaller canopy, you think I will do better in getting to the place everyone else lands? Will I eventually just get better with experience? (I hope) Any advice or personal experiences will help and give me motivation. Thanks! Aside from speaking to your instructors which should always be your first and most important port of call...... I found the book 'a parachute and its pilot' by Brian Germain to be a superbly useful piece of reading material..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,297 #4 September 17, 2008 QuoteI always have to go for my plan B which is a little embarrassing. I always have a good landing at least, just a long walk back. Have you heard the phrase, "It's better to walk a long way, than to crawl a short way." Get over the embarrassment and concern of what others may think. It's your skydive (and landing).Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbiceps 0 #5 September 17, 2008 The things that helped me out were. Making sure you look down between your feet to work out exactly where u are in relation to the dz. Dont look out in front of you. On the ground before the jump speak to the instructor and tell him what u think and where u think you should be at 1000 feet so u can start your landing pattern. I normally have that in mind and if the winds havnt changed then i head for that exact spot that i had planned to be at at 1000 feet. I would normally arrive there at more than 1000 feet so i would do a few spirals on that spot until i was at about 1000 then start my landing pattern. being a beginner myself i would sometimes be unsure where exactly i should be at the 750 and 500 mark to make my turns but i eventually worked it out. hope this helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #6 September 17, 2008 You are right that a smaller canopy has a greater forward speed, however it also descends a lot faster and therefroe will not help you making it back to the landing area. But landing dead centre in the peas should never be you top priority on a jump - that should be landing safely. Ask your instructors about flying the pattern, maybe you misunderstood something. I know I did when I just started out... Another idea might be to dedicate a number of jumps to canopy control once you got your clear & pull signed off. No freefall on that jump, but opening high and focussing on learning how to fly the canopy. Your instructors can provide you with some great drills to work on, helping you to really get to know the canopy you're flying. If possible have someone (and by this I obviously don't mean your 25-jump friend) observe you once you feel you've mastered a drill and have them debrief the jump with you. Anyway, it worked for me. Oh yeah; blah blah not an instructor, low jump numbers, few years in sport and all that drivel..."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #7 September 17, 2008 QuoteWhen I get a smaller canopy, you think I will do better in getting to the place everyone else lands? Accuracy is not a wing load of size issue. I can hit the same spot with a Triathlon 160 WL 1.4 or a CobaltCompeteion 105 WL 2.2. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aykay 0 #8 September 17, 2008 Quote Cant hit the spot! Try a cross post in the womens forum for any tips or tricks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #9 September 17, 2008 Quote Quote Cant hit the spot! Try a cross post in the womens forum for any tips or tricks. i had very similar thoughts.. “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,297 #10 September 17, 2008 QuoteThe things that helped me out were. Making sure you look down between your feet to work out exactly where u are in relation to the dz. Dont look out in front of you. On the ground before the jump speak to the instructor and tell him what u think and where u think you should be at 1000 feet so u can start your landing pattern. I normally have that in mind and if the winds havnt changed then i head for that exact spot that i had planned to be at at 1000 feet. I would normally arrive there at more than 1000 feet so i would do a few spirals on that spot until i was at about 1000 then start my landing pattern. being a beginner myself i would sometimes be unsure where exactly i should be at the 750 and 500 mark to make my turns but i eventually worked it out. hope this helps. Tremendously, thanks for the input. Perhaps I'll do better in the future.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielcroft 2 #11 September 17, 2008 Quote Tremendously, thanks for the input. Perhaps I'll do better in the future. Well, you know, we didn't want to say anything but you could use some help with your accuracy... KIDDING OF COURSE! To OP: Obviously your instructors should be your first point of contact regarding advice. WARNING: Noob advice! For me, I make it a priority after opening to first, check for traffic and then check for the DZ. If your canopy is stable, take a second to check where you are before you play around. I also usually check where I am relative to the DZ when I'm tracking (on X-ways) or when waving off on solos. Once I'm open & have found the DZ (checking altitude as well) I'll do my canopy checks and deal with any other house keeping. I'm not saying this way is necessarily perfect or the right way but if you're having trouble with getting back to the DZ you should definitely discuss your under canopy priorities with your instructor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladydyver 0 #12 September 17, 2008 Quote Quote Quote Cant hit the spot! Try a cross post in the womens forum for any tips or tricks. i had very similar thoughts.. oh...you are soooooo going to hell for that one DPH # 2 "I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~ I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDiveDoc22 0 #13 September 18, 2008 HAHA thanks for all the input everyone. Ya I figure my title post would get some weird looks. lol. Thanks again, I should be getting better in the next few jumps."Id rather shoot for the stars and miss, than aim for the gutter and make it." ~Danny Trejo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
magnio 0 #14 September 28, 2008 Talk to your instructors about canopy control and patterns. You may have misunderstood something from your FJC, or your mind may be able to grasp the facts and details better now. Do a few jumps, then ask another instructor if you still have trouble - sometime you just have to hear it told in another way. But most important: remember that YOU are flying the canopy. The canopy is not flying you. It took me almost 200 jumps to actually realize this, then my landings improved a lot over just a few jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #15 September 29, 2008 Here is some ideas. In sequence: 1) before boarding the aircraft you should always know where is the spot, what is the wind line and which direction to have to face for landing 2) supposing you have a good spot, the wind line is the line passing by two points: the spot and the target for landing. You should stay centered on that wind line and staying within the cone of manoeuverability which is centered on the wind line, wide at altitude and getting smaller as you descent (ask your instructor) and stay in that cone. In other words, you can go on both sides of the wind line but not too far on one side only. The cone of manoeuverability is tha space in which you can fly and still land at the landing target. 3) Midway between the spot and the target at 2000-1500 feet or so, face the wind on the wind line to check your penetration thru the wind. That will tell you how far you have to go past the target for your final leg. 4) At about 1200 feet you should do your downwind leg (wind in your back) normally going on the right side (wind in your back) of the manoeuverability cone in order to only do left turns (if asked that way). 5) At 800-500 feet you should do a left turn for your base leg and at 500-300 feet turn for the final leg then go straight and make sure to have plenty of clean space ahead of you and prepare for landing hopefully on the target. You konw, a landing has to be planified just like a pilot preparing for landing. After a while, things will go semi automatically but always have discipline in order to land at the place you want. Landing at the place you want is a matter of safety because days will come when the spot will be missed and you will have to struggle for landing at a safe place.Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDiveDoc22 0 #16 December 7, 2008 Thanks again guys. Yesterday I hit the peas. I got props from everyone at the DZ. It was a big confidence booster."Id rather shoot for the stars and miss, than aim for the gutter and make it." ~Danny Trejo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #17 December 8, 2008 QuoteWhen I get a smaller canopy, you think I will do better in getting to the place everyone else lands? My advice: Don't be so eager to go play in traffic.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #18 December 8, 2008 Congrats for your new achievement but never let go. Later on with big, medium or small canoppies beware when being in the traffic, problem of collisions can happen. How to avoid that: *Follow the circuit pattern *When too crowded apply brakes and maintain to let other go down and land, resume flying normally when you are alone or almost *Beware of other canopies landing almost parallel to you but actually converging toward you. Keep an eye around and in traffic NO SPIRAL AT ALL.Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
