Bill Von saved my life....

[skymedic 0]

Well not really...I saved my self.

just to prove that I could do all the things he has in his "before you downsize list". I hadn't flat turned to final at low heights.

well I found my self out last(sucks being a freeflyer sometimes) on a loooonnnggg spot with some decent winds. I knew I could make it back but I'd be well below pattern height. well when I made it back I was sub 250ft...I know not very smart. downwinding the thing would of been pretty painfull at the windspeeds of 18-20mph. so I did a nice flat turn to final. ended up on final at about 50feet or maybe a tad less. just enough time to set up to flare...well what was left of my flare. since my toggles were down half way as it was I didn't have much punch in my flare but I didn't hurt my self which is good. it is nice to know that instead of freaking out...the fact that I practice flare turns, stalling my canopy and such on every single jump helped me to do what was right not what was instinct. training pays off...once again.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[billvon 3,006]

Cool! I'm glad people can put the stuff posted on here to use.

I'll never forget a post on here a few months back where a jumper had to turn at ~100 feet or so to avoid an obstacle under a moderately loaded canopy. They flat turned, then sprained their ankle when they tried to flare. They were wondering what they had done wrong. Considering a toggle turn at that height could well have been fatal, I thought they had done a really good job.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Awesome. Great job on doing the right thing in the circumstances you placed yourself in.

Now...next time evaluate your landing spot continously. I find it much better when I'm on a long spot and not sure if I'm gonna make it back so set "waypoints" along the way. I set my way points in such a manner than I can turn back to the previous one if I'm not going to make it. You did a great job, now next time try not to need to
Blue skies!
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[flyangel2 2]

Great job.

I find the more I listen to Bill, the more I learn. You can never stop learning.

Bill does know his stuff. In fact, I've been thinking of doing a Wing Suit dive. I'm a tad worried about it, but I've got Bill teaching me when I'm in Calif. next month, so I'm not as worried. Now if I can only talk him into going up with me on that first flight

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[firstime 0]

It's so ironic you said that way point theory. My last
out that is exactly what I did. I guaged my distance
while looking at my alti and new if I was not a certain
point @ 500' I could make it back to the alternate
that I had choosed @ 1500'.

[VectorBoy 0]

Nice job,
If the downwind speeds are too much don't disregard a crosswind landing if there is space for it. A couple of us were "out" last weekend both of us did a flat turn. I chose a cross wind the other guy took the flat turn very low but all the way into a headwind.
He landed it but it looked ugly. When we got back friends and staff asked me if I had done that low turn. Nope I landed crosswind.... that was the end of it for me. He took a ton of grief over his still low and ugly flat turn.

[Chrisky 0]

Happened to experience a very similar thing end last year...

(Excerpt from my post to "How fast did you downsize"-thread)
I have been playing around (flat turns, riser inputs etc.) with it (my 120) a lot, and recently found me at pretty low altitude (on final) being cut off by another jumper. I initiated a flat turn and thought, ok, well, crosswind landing (been there, done that). Turned out that the turn was so flat i came in upwind all fine and i had a fine, no-special landing. I was pretty amazed at how flat my canopy could turn if need be (noticing it for the first time with the ground so close as very precise reference). I could even have kept up the turn and landed like 30 degrees crosswind to the other side, but i preferred a nice upwind flare...

Added here: That all happened between ~200 and 60 ft... A toggle turn would have smashed me.

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[skymedic 0]

Quote

That all happened between ~200 and 60 ft... A toggle turn would have smashed me.

same as me...would of been pretty damn ugly...but I had faith in my skills and training.

Cross wind would have been kind of out of the question due to other traffic and obsticles in the area...but it was in my thought process. I just knew I'd be able to do it anyway. faith in training!!!

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....