downwind landings

[Antidote 0]

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My message is this: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don't get into a bad situation by planning and thinking early.

Wise words.

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If you are an experienced jumper, perhaps. There are a lot of people who can't land a canopy into a 5mph wind. Those are the people that I am trying to keep out of this situation.

Keeping put of the situation is best. However, people will keep on putting themselves in bad situations. While most inexperienced people can't land safely in strong downwind (i.e safely as in minimal risk of injury/death), it's much better than doing a full toggle turn low and impacting at the same time as your canopy.

Flat turns would make it a crosswind landing. For some, the option of downwind/crosswind do not enter their thoughts. So we need to teach better, but there will always be some who slip past or who simply forget.

*IF* a person finds himself/herself very low and haven't practised flat turns, I hope said person does a crosswind/downwind landing, instead of a hard toggle turn. I'm tired of having friends die like that.

Downwind landing may be shitty, but impacting at the same time as your canopy is worse.

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I would like jumpers to think first, not panic later.

I agree with you completely. I'm just questioning whether we can teach everyone (including ourselves) to always think first. There will be people who 'slip through the cracks' so to speak. What to do? I don't know.

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In the last couple of years, there was a jumper sliding in on their stomach whose body came up over their head and fatally snapped their neck.

In the last four months, I've witnessed two people do downwind landings and break or injure stuff. In the same period, I've had an acquaintance die from a low turn and witnessed a friends departure from this earth, also due to a low turn.

I hope I do not come across as arguing with your points. I could not agree with them more. The addition I have to make is: what to do when conditions A, B C are in place and the jumper have tools Z, X at their disposal? Low non flat turn vs downwind landing, I'd want anyone to choose the latter.

Of course, as you point out, it'd be much better if that situation was avoided alltogether by looking for outs, taking canopy control classes and thinking at least 1000 feet ahead. Not sure that's always going to be the case though.

[happythoughts 0]

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I'm just questioning whether we can teach everyone (including ourselves) to always think first. There will be people who 'slip through the cracks' so to speak. What to do? I don't know.

I agree. I can't think of a way to talk to everyone. Talking about it at the dz, or online, is the best way I can think of.

I believe that it is better to discuss with 10% of everyone rather than do nothing for 100% of them. This is just my best method.

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In the last four months, I've witnessed two people do downwind landings and break or injure stuff. In the same period, I've had an acquaintance die from a low turn and witnessed a friends departure from this earth, also due to a low turn.

Me too. In person, I have now seen enough injuries from low turns that I cannot give an accurate count.

Low turns are another problem. I thought that if I try to address one issue at a time, the discussion stands a better chance of an outcome with value.

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I hope I do not come across as arguing with your points. I could not agree with them more. The addition I have to make is: what to do when conditions A, B C are in place and the jumper have tools Z, X at their disposal? Low non flat turn vs downwind landing, I'd want anyone to choose the latter.

Alternatives to a bad situation are another verrrryyy lengthy thread.

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Of course, as you point out, it'd be much better if that situation was avoided alltogether by looking for outs, taking canopy control classes and thinking at least 1000 feet ahead. Not sure that's always going to be the case though.

You (and maybe a few other readers) are thinking of proactive solutions. That is my measure of success.