Tuukka 0 #1 May 29, 2012 This really might stir up a smile or two (I know ) but has anyone noticed a momentary speed increase in free fall? Last saturday I was around 3300ft and getting ready to pull in good box position and I swear I suddenly felt this increase in speed. I was alone so it wasn't anyones turbulence. Somebody had a theory that it could have been that I hit a border of ascending and descending air masses. Any similar experiences? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites format 1 #2 May 29, 2012 Quote Any similar experiences? Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it hereWhat goes around, comes later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #3 May 29, 2012 Quote Quote Any similar experiences? Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it here Phew! Thanks! I thought I was going Kind of suprised me and I really don't like suprises when I'm just about to pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chuckakers 426 #4 May 29, 2012 You're kidding, right?Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #5 May 29, 2012 QuoteYou're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DaVinciflies 0 #6 May 29, 2012 Quote Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it here I believe you are experiencing an unstable body position! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chuckakers 426 #7 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuoteYou're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? My guess is you felt something else. I doubt there could be enough difference in the air for the human body to increase or decrease in speed in any noticeable way. You may have actually gone through a temperature inversion, which are sometimes very noticeable. In my 27 years and thousands of jumps, I have never felt anything like you mentioned, and have also never had anyone I know say they have either.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #8 May 29, 2012 Quote Quote Quote You're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? My guess is you felt something else. I doubt there could be enough difference in the air for the human body to increase or decrease in speed in any noticeable way. You may have actually gone through a temperature inversion, which are sometimes very noticeable. In my 27 years and thousands of jumps, I have never felt anything like you mentioned, and have also never had anyone I know say they have either. Thank you for the sensible answer. I ran it trough my mind couple of times thinking that it would take really bad weather to feel it in freefall. I have to look up that temperature inversion better and why would I feel (or recognize) that as sudden "falling sensation" in mid freefall stable position. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites voilsb 1 #9 May 29, 2012 One can feel turbulence in freefall, but it seems to be a rare event. Usually it's accompanied with a drastic and noticeable temperature or humidity change. For instance, getting too close to a cloud or a thermocline. I would SWAG that 94% of the time it's body position / experience related, rather than atmospheric.Brian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites nitrochute 2 #10 May 29, 2012 GRAVITATIONAL MICROBURST! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Linas120 0 #11 May 29, 2012 Man, you need to go easy on coffee & beans for breakfast before the day of jumping I'm glad, it broke loose after you left the plane! On serious note, have never experienced anything like that over 14 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BMFin 0 #12 May 29, 2012 I have experienced something that felt like turbulence during a relatively fast track dive. I was the lowest backflier on this 4way and i could see the other 3 above me, so turbulence from another tracker wasnt possible. The effect however was very mild, and didnt really affect my speed/flight at all. However it IMO was noticable enough that I also begun wondering this question. Basically i dont see a reason why couldnt you experience turbulence in freefall, since we know turbulence isnt a rare phenominom in aviation. However i think that most likely one would be to experience any turbulence during tracking, because as far as I have understood most trubulence is caused by variance on horizontal windspeeds and not as much by vertical winds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnRich 4 #13 May 29, 2012 Quotehas anyone noticed a momentary (unexplained) speed increase in free fall? 33 years, 5,500 jumps - No. Any speed increases were caused by body position changes, or by entering someone else's burble. Were you coming out of a track when you were about to pull? That change in the direction of airflow might be perceived as a change in fall rate. For example, when doing head-down speed dives at 250 mph, at the maximum possible terminal velocity (for me), even the tiniest body position changes has a dramatic effect. There is usually a "wall" at about 200 mph where your acceleration stops, and you have to fine-tune your position and angle to punch through to pick up more speed. When that is achieved, you feel the momentary burst of acceleration as you hit that magic sweet spot in your aerodynamic streamlining. But that's all body position, not meteorological. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #14 May 29, 2012 Quote Man, you need to go easy on coffee & beans for breakfast before the day of jumping I'm glad, it broke loose after you left the plane! On serious note, have never experienced anything like that over 14 years. Gentlemen always break it loose after the exit let's leave the debate of whether such skydiver even exists to the bonfire Thank you everyone for the replies. The weather during the dive was very warm (by finnish standards ) but nearby lakes are still very cold. There was also a paved freeway underneath and some elevation changes close (100-150ft or so) . Summing things up from you experienced skydivers , it might have been "real" or also it could have been temporary loss of body awareness or false sensation. (the latter not being a good thing at opening altitude). I might have to wait a long time to experience that again since it is such a rare phenomenon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #15 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuotehas anyone noticed a momentary (unexplained) speed increase in free fall? 33 years, 5,500 jumps - No. Any speed increases were caused by body position changes, or by entering someone else's burble. Were you coming out of a track when you were about to pull? That change in the direction of airflow might be perceived as a change in fall rate. For example, when doing head-down speed dives at 250 mph, at the maximum possible terminal velocity (for me), even the tiniest body position changes has a dramatic effect. There is usually a "wall" at about 200 mph where your acceleration stops, and you have to fine-tune your position and angle to punch through to pick up more speed. When that is achieved, you feel the momentary burst of acceleration as you hit that magic sweet spot in your aerodynamic streamlining. But that's all body position, not meteorological. Hi, I did do track from around 5000ft to 4000ft but ended it before this since I was well clear from other jumpers. I tried to fly as stable as possible since I don't have many jumps and like to concentrate on my openings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BobMoore 0 #16 May 29, 2012 You probably hit a pocket of rarefied air molecules. It's pretty common, actually, but usually occurs very near the ground."For you see, an airplane is an airplane. A landing area is a landing area. But a dropzone... a dropzone is the people." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DaVinciflies 0 #17 May 29, 2012 How high can air-gremlins go? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jinlee 0 #18 May 29, 2012 It only happens when you are alone. Regardless of scale, between the “beginning” and the “end”, there is a moment in time when neither one has fully happened. That moment is where magic and miracles come from! In the instant of between, all possibilities exist, and none have been chosen. From this place, we’re given the power to heal our bodies, change our lives, and bring peace to the world. All events originate from this powerful, magical moment. Count yourself as one of the lucky ones! A very rare moment indeed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rwieder 0 #19 May 29, 2012 QuoteLast saturday I was around 3300ft and getting ready to pull in good box position and I swear I suddenly felt this increase in speed. IMHO you went head low for an instant when you got into your "Deploy Position" That's my theory. That doesn't mean it's so.You asked for theories, there's mine.-Richard- "You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites chuteless 1 #20 May 29, 2012 Have you never heard of a speed bump. Its obvious that one broke free from some road near the airport and gravitated upward. Don't let it bother you none. Bill Cole D-41 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #21 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuoteLast saturday I was around 3300ft and getting ready to pull in good box position and I swear I suddenly felt this increase in speed. IMHO you went head low for an instant when you got into your "Deploy Position" That's my theory. That doesn't mean it's so.You asked for theories, there's mine. I'm trying to remember the details by the second but I recall that I haven't had moved to reach the hackey by that time yet. But sure if I would have , little unstable opening position would dip me to dive and change the feeling. I have had shaky (hasty) openings in the past but I'm quite sure this wasn't one of them. This was just before the reach for the handle. I had a second to notice "whoa! What was that?" before I pulled Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #22 May 29, 2012 Quote Have you never heard of a speed bump. Its obvious that one broke free from some road near the airport and gravitated upward. Don't let it bother you none. Bill Cole D-41 I'll make sure to find the culprit whom installed those damn levitating speedbumps to the road and make me question my sanity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Tuukka 0 #23 May 29, 2012 QuoteYou probably hit a pocket of rarefied air molecules. It's pretty common, actually, but usually occurs very near the ground. Thanks! I'll look that up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DanG 1 #24 May 29, 2012 Was the canopy ride bumpy? I think it's pretty unlikely that there was turbulence you could feel in freefall, but not under canopy. - Dan G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Quagmirian 40 #25 May 29, 2012 Some experienced jumpers were talking about this the other day. One guy said he got a definite falling sensation mid-dive and it really freaked him out, but it has only ever happened the once. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 1 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. 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format 1 #2 May 29, 2012 Quote Any similar experiences? Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it hereWhat goes around, comes later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #3 May 29, 2012 Quote Quote Any similar experiences? Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it here Phew! Thanks! I thought I was going Kind of suprised me and I really don't like suprises when I'm just about to pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 426 #4 May 29, 2012 You're kidding, right?Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #5 May 29, 2012 QuoteYou're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinciflies 0 #6 May 29, 2012 Quote Yes, from time to time, I kinda enter some waves like in the windy sea! And it wobbles me around. I was afraid to ask about it here I believe you are experiencing an unstable body position! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 426 #7 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuoteYou're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? My guess is you felt something else. I doubt there could be enough difference in the air for the human body to increase or decrease in speed in any noticeable way. You may have actually gone through a temperature inversion, which are sometimes very noticeable. In my 27 years and thousands of jumps, I have never felt anything like you mentioned, and have also never had anyone I know say they have either.Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #8 May 29, 2012 Quote Quote Quote You're kidding, right? Nope. That's what it felt like at the time. With your jumps you never felt that? My guess is you felt something else. I doubt there could be enough difference in the air for the human body to increase or decrease in speed in any noticeable way. You may have actually gone through a temperature inversion, which are sometimes very noticeable. In my 27 years and thousands of jumps, I have never felt anything like you mentioned, and have also never had anyone I know say they have either. Thank you for the sensible answer. I ran it trough my mind couple of times thinking that it would take really bad weather to feel it in freefall. I have to look up that temperature inversion better and why would I feel (or recognize) that as sudden "falling sensation" in mid freefall stable position. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voilsb 1 #9 May 29, 2012 One can feel turbulence in freefall, but it seems to be a rare event. Usually it's accompanied with a drastic and noticeable temperature or humidity change. For instance, getting too close to a cloud or a thermocline. I would SWAG that 94% of the time it's body position / experience related, rather than atmospheric.Brian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nitrochute 2 #10 May 29, 2012 GRAVITATIONAL MICROBURST! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Linas120 0 #11 May 29, 2012 Man, you need to go easy on coffee & beans for breakfast before the day of jumping I'm glad, it broke loose after you left the plane! On serious note, have never experienced anything like that over 14 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMFin 0 #12 May 29, 2012 I have experienced something that felt like turbulence during a relatively fast track dive. I was the lowest backflier on this 4way and i could see the other 3 above me, so turbulence from another tracker wasnt possible. The effect however was very mild, and didnt really affect my speed/flight at all. However it IMO was noticable enough that I also begun wondering this question. Basically i dont see a reason why couldnt you experience turbulence in freefall, since we know turbulence isnt a rare phenominom in aviation. However i think that most likely one would be to experience any turbulence during tracking, because as far as I have understood most trubulence is caused by variance on horizontal windspeeds and not as much by vertical winds. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #13 May 29, 2012 Quotehas anyone noticed a momentary (unexplained) speed increase in free fall? 33 years, 5,500 jumps - No. Any speed increases were caused by body position changes, or by entering someone else's burble. Were you coming out of a track when you were about to pull? That change in the direction of airflow might be perceived as a change in fall rate. For example, when doing head-down speed dives at 250 mph, at the maximum possible terminal velocity (for me), even the tiniest body position changes has a dramatic effect. There is usually a "wall" at about 200 mph where your acceleration stops, and you have to fine-tune your position and angle to punch through to pick up more speed. When that is achieved, you feel the momentary burst of acceleration as you hit that magic sweet spot in your aerodynamic streamlining. But that's all body position, not meteorological. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #14 May 29, 2012 Quote Man, you need to go easy on coffee & beans for breakfast before the day of jumping I'm glad, it broke loose after you left the plane! On serious note, have never experienced anything like that over 14 years. Gentlemen always break it loose after the exit let's leave the debate of whether such skydiver even exists to the bonfire Thank you everyone for the replies. The weather during the dive was very warm (by finnish standards ) but nearby lakes are still very cold. There was also a paved freeway underneath and some elevation changes close (100-150ft or so) . Summing things up from you experienced skydivers , it might have been "real" or also it could have been temporary loss of body awareness or false sensation. (the latter not being a good thing at opening altitude). I might have to wait a long time to experience that again since it is such a rare phenomenon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #15 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuotehas anyone noticed a momentary (unexplained) speed increase in free fall? 33 years, 5,500 jumps - No. Any speed increases were caused by body position changes, or by entering someone else's burble. Were you coming out of a track when you were about to pull? That change in the direction of airflow might be perceived as a change in fall rate. For example, when doing head-down speed dives at 250 mph, at the maximum possible terminal velocity (for me), even the tiniest body position changes has a dramatic effect. There is usually a "wall" at about 200 mph where your acceleration stops, and you have to fine-tune your position and angle to punch through to pick up more speed. When that is achieved, you feel the momentary burst of acceleration as you hit that magic sweet spot in your aerodynamic streamlining. But that's all body position, not meteorological. Hi, I did do track from around 5000ft to 4000ft but ended it before this since I was well clear from other jumpers. I tried to fly as stable as possible since I don't have many jumps and like to concentrate on my openings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BobMoore 0 #16 May 29, 2012 You probably hit a pocket of rarefied air molecules. It's pretty common, actually, but usually occurs very near the ground."For you see, an airplane is an airplane. A landing area is a landing area. But a dropzone... a dropzone is the people." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinciflies 0 #17 May 29, 2012 How high can air-gremlins go? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jinlee 0 #18 May 29, 2012 It only happens when you are alone. Regardless of scale, between the “beginning” and the “end”, there is a moment in time when neither one has fully happened. That moment is where magic and miracles come from! In the instant of between, all possibilities exist, and none have been chosen. From this place, we’re given the power to heal our bodies, change our lives, and bring peace to the world. All events originate from this powerful, magical moment. Count yourself as one of the lucky ones! A very rare moment indeed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rwieder 0 #19 May 29, 2012 QuoteLast saturday I was around 3300ft and getting ready to pull in good box position and I swear I suddenly felt this increase in speed. IMHO you went head low for an instant when you got into your "Deploy Position" That's my theory. That doesn't mean it's so.You asked for theories, there's mine.-Richard- "You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuteless 1 #20 May 29, 2012 Have you never heard of a speed bump. Its obvious that one broke free from some road near the airport and gravitated upward. Don't let it bother you none. Bill Cole D-41 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #21 May 29, 2012 QuoteQuoteLast saturday I was around 3300ft and getting ready to pull in good box position and I swear I suddenly felt this increase in speed. IMHO you went head low for an instant when you got into your "Deploy Position" That's my theory. That doesn't mean it's so.You asked for theories, there's mine. I'm trying to remember the details by the second but I recall that I haven't had moved to reach the hackey by that time yet. But sure if I would have , little unstable opening position would dip me to dive and change the feeling. I have had shaky (hasty) openings in the past but I'm quite sure this wasn't one of them. This was just before the reach for the handle. I had a second to notice "whoa! What was that?" before I pulled Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #22 May 29, 2012 Quote Have you never heard of a speed bump. Its obvious that one broke free from some road near the airport and gravitated upward. Don't let it bother you none. Bill Cole D-41 I'll make sure to find the culprit whom installed those damn levitating speedbumps to the road and make me question my sanity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuukka 0 #23 May 29, 2012 QuoteYou probably hit a pocket of rarefied air molecules. It's pretty common, actually, but usually occurs very near the ground. Thanks! I'll look that up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanG 1 #24 May 29, 2012 Was the canopy ride bumpy? I think it's pretty unlikely that there was turbulence you could feel in freefall, but not under canopy. - Dan G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quagmirian 40 #25 May 29, 2012 Some experienced jumpers were talking about this the other day. One guy said he got a definite falling sensation mid-dive and it really freaked him out, but it has only ever happened the once. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
