Flying a Flag

[PhreeZone 20]

As Jim mentioned earlier in this thread that often times when jumping unusual thnigs your priorities under canopy change. For many things like flags you don't want to be in full flight when you are releasing them. For things like Birdman jumps it takes at least a good 10 -15 seconds to do housecleaning before you can pop your breaks and then that involves tossing your toggles to do more housekeeping before getting them again.

Sometimes the priorites under canopy change and you just need to know how to react to stay ahead of the curve to minimize the potential danger.

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[billvon 3,006]

Jumping a flag is an advanced demo technique that requires careful consideration and good instruction before attempting. I've jumped flags from small streamers to 1000 square foot, 60 pound american flags, and they all have unique challenges.

The size of the flag matters a great deal. Very small flags can be carried in a pouch and deployed by just pulling them out and dropping them. Usually a small weight is attached to the bottom. Flags must always have a release mechanism; with small flags, a fastex buckle is probably sufficient. Larger flags require a 3-ring or some other more reliable means of cutting it away. A hook knife can work, but they can be dropped, broken etc.

Also you have to take into account the freefall. A flag that 'gets free' in freefall can entangle with your main or reserve, and can make a stable deployment difficult. If a large flag is loosely packed in a pouch and worn in front, even if it stays in its pouch it can make you unstable due to the change in your CG.

The larger you get, the more issues you have to deal with. Large flags create drag, and that will affect how your canopy flies. Larger flags also need more weight to keep them 'vertical' and this weight will load down your canopy. It will perform radically differently with a large enough flag; an inexperienced jumper might conclude something is wrong with their canopy when it starts going (seemingly) straight down due to the extra drag and weight. Also, the weight means it is not safe to just drop the canopy; it could kill someone on its way down, especially if the flag is jumped over a crowd (as at a demo.)

There are a lot of ways to carry larger flags. Some strap them to their thigh. Some have special containers designed that allow easier deployment of flags. These containers often require packing the flag a certain way; you can't just roll it up or fold it like a bedsheet and have it deploy correctly.

There are also some unique deployment schemes. One such scheme uses a line that goes from the jumper's foot to his helmet, or riser, or even his canopy. This allows a flag to be flown behind the jumper without the extra weight. It's much more complex though and takes some thoughtful rigging to not compromise the normal functioning of the system.

The largest flag I jumped is a good example of how much work can go into this sort of thing. We designed a 'cargo container' that clipped onto the front of a tandem rig and held the flag. A cutaway system disconnected the container and allowed it to drop away. The flag was attached to the tandem harness and was packed very carefully. If we weren't careful we'd have flag malfunctions that both streamered the flag and made it even harder to fly.

Once the container was disconnected, it fell away, paying out the flag as it went. There was 50 lbs of lead in the bottom of the container to ensure the flag flew correctly. To prevent shockloading of the system when the weight hit the bottom of the line, we added a load limiter (stitched webbing that failed predictably.)

After the flag was deployed, the canopy (a Strong 520) pitched noticeably downwards. Landing it in no-wind without catchers was dangerous, since the weight would touch, stop, and pitch the canopy nose-down, making a flare almost impossible. We ended up using a team of catchers and a net both to make sure the flag didn't touch the ground and so the jumper could cut away the flag at 20 feet and land normally.

Anyway, there's a lot to flying a flag. It can be done safely, but there's a lot more to it than "jump out and pull the flag out of the bag."

[ladyskydiver 0]

Thanks for this post, Bill.

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[airtwardo 7]

there's a lot to flying a flag. It can be done safely, but there's a lot more to it than "jump out and pull the flag out of the bag."


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Here is a good illustration of how to 'turn' a large flag...

By 'walking the line' I can tell exactly where the flag is and what it's doing in relation to me and the canopy.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Ron 10]

Having flown a flag....I can tell you that if you don't HAVE to fly a flag...DON'T.

Everytime we add something to the skydive...we add problems. You have to be really on your game to handle some of these problems.

Leave it to the PRO's.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334