Moving sideways in free fall

[Alex92 0]

Hello,

When you are in free fall, can you move from left to right without out turning and then tracking? It would be like side stepping on the ground like a crab.

[kallend 2,106]

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Hello,

When you are in free fall, can you move from left to right without out turning and then tracking? It would be like side stepping on the ground like a crab.

yes.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Alex92 0]

How??

[yeyo 1]

also from right to left.

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[mdrejhon 8]

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Hello,

When you are in free fall, can you move from left to right without out turning and then tracking? It would be like side stepping on the ground like a crab.

This is often an interesting discussions with whuffos I talk to. They often wonder how we can move around so effortlessly in freefall.

I tell them we can turn left, right, slide left and right, forward, and back, and even fall slower and faster.

I explain to the whuffos we can use arms, legs, body, like rudders to deflect wind, guesturing how an angled hand deflects air and pushes it around. It may be a dumbed-down explanation, but it's whuffo-friendly.

Heavens! Change your falling speed, that's against Physics 101 some whuffos may think. How? We just distort our bodies to change the amount of air resistance, imagine spreading out versus crunching up, falling flat and slowly like a leaf, versus freeflying upsidedown like a fast-falling dart. Eureka, they realize we are lucky with flexible bodies that can allow us to brake and speed our fall...

I even explain to the whuffo we can fall at a 45 degree angle by distorting our bodies into a glider-like shape sorta (but not quite) like a ski jumper, in a manoever called "tracking"... And tell them that's how we get the hell away from everybody else to give everybody room to pull! I get asked that too.

Recover from a tumble? I simply explain that we humans can arch like a leaf, and leaves always recover to fall belly down even after tossed about randomly.

Many simple explanations I give to whuffos when they see the RW videos....

Now, if you're a new skydiver, ask your instructor.

[Remster 30]

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also from right to left.

Heresy! When ever you see that on video, its actuallyu a flipped image, or a video shot in the southern hemisphere. Corriolis' force makes it impossible in the northern hemisphere.

Remster

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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How??

The same way you move forwards or backwards. You rotate about the relevant axis (roll) and thrust moves you.

In a belly to earth position, you reach out with the arm and leg opposite of your intended movement direction.

Sitting you angle your legs sideways and balance the turning torque with your upper body.

[BillyVance 34]

The way I do it, and it works: going to the left - left arm slightly in and right arm slightly out. going to the right - left arm slightly out and right arm slightly in.

It's easier to show you in person though than explain it on here. Talk to a coach or instructor.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[labrys 0]

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In a belly to earth position, you reach out with the arm and leg opposite of your intended movement direction.

Or drop your elbow and knee a little bit on the side you want to "slide" to. At least that's how I do it. Your opposite side reach might be more effective.

To the OP, ask your instructors to show you how to side-slide.

Owned by Remi #?

[moto89 0]

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In a belly to earth position, you reach out with the arm and leg opposite of your intended movement direction.

Or drop your elbow and knee a little bit on the side you want to "slide" to. At least that's how I do it. Your opposite side reach might be more effective.

To the OP, ask your instructors to show you how to side-slide.

That's how I learned in the tunnel. If you want to side slide left, you make a left turn with your upper body, and the motion of a right knee turn. This makes both the upper and lower body both go left.

Less talking, more flying.

[Alex92 0]

I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

[DougH 270]

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I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

Your point being?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[BillyVance 34]

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I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

Your point being?

I wondered about that. Made no sense at all.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[michalm21 2]

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I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

Your point being?

I wondered about that. Made no sense at all.

It does make sense. After all he is 16

[fastphil 0]

hmmm... It's usually explaining "going up" that creates the real controversy

[DougH 270]

"We flipped we flipped that was awesome" often heard after a text book exit that was as smooth as glass.

"How did you like that flip" "Uhhhh what flip* Often heard from the tandem student with the glazed over eyes.

I love it.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[BillyVance 34]

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I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

Your point being?

I wondered about that. Made no sense at all.

It does make sense. After all he is 16

Mark is in his mid 20's, I believe.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Orange1 0]

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I bet you weren't even skydiving when you were 16!!!!

I'm assuming you're 16... Are you trying to imply that you are somehow "special" because of this? (I know someone who did her first jump on her 16th birthday, but maybe because she'd grown up around skydivers she has never exhibited this type of attitude.)

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[Alex92 0]

My point point being is most people who are 16 don't even skydive. So mdrejhon can stop calling me a whuffo.

[DougH 270]

I hope for your sake, that with age, will also come reading comprehension.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Alex92 0]

Stop calling me a whuffo. Obviously I'm crap, I'm only 16. I just interested in how you "Sky Gods" do stuff!!!

[Stuntbabex 0]

If I were you, I would read this thread again before accusing people of calling you a whuffo. Because clearly nobody in this thread has done that. Stop acting like youre 16

[brettski74 0]

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Stop calling me a whuffo.

That should be easy, since nobody has.

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Obviously I'm crap, I'm only 16. I just interested in how you "Sky Gods" do stuff!!!

I think the point that you're missing is that this is not an appropriate place to be trying to learn the basics of skydiving. I'm sure that you have instructors and coaches available to you to teach you this stuff at your dropzone. I'm sure that there is also standard BPA manuals that provide information on the concepts of bodyflight. These are your sources of information for the things you're asking about in this and at least one other recent post I've seen from you. If their answer when you ask these questions is that you're not ready for that yet, then trust them because you probably aren't. We all had to crawl before we could walk.

You may want to check that attitude, too. It's great that you're 16 and learning to skydive, but that doesn't make you special. Age doesn't have a whole lot of meaning in here - well... mostly.

Also, just in case you didn't know, the term "Sky God" is generally not used as a compliment, but is generally more of an insult and/or joke. If you already knew this, then please refer back to the comment about attitude, above.

[AnKaLi 0]

this thread reminds me of when we were in the tunnel back in January, I nailed my 360 turns, and the coach told me to side-slide...I said I didn't know how! He just pointed right, I thought about it, and bam moved right, moved left. I was so proud of myself.

I know deep story that you all wanted to hear.

[rehmwa 2]

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I explain to the whuffos we can use arms, legs, body, like rudders to deflect wind, guesturing how an angled hand deflects air and pushes it around. It may be a dumbed-down explanation, but it's whuffo-friendly.

Nope, that's pretty much it. I don't see any "dumbing down" in that explanation.

Sometimes things really are that simple.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants