eyeinthesky 0 #1 April 14, 2003 jump number 13, of all the numbers, and i finally have to repeat the jump. this jump was my first 45 second freefall with nothing to accomplish but backflips. it had been over 2 months since i was last able to jump, and i was surprised that i remembered everything so well....getting stable and everything came naturally, i expected to have to fight it with it haveing been so long. anyway, ,im hoping you guys can give me some advice. i did two flips, or at least tried twice. on viewing video, i started the first flip pretty well, but halfway through, i stopped the flip and ended up on my back. it felt successful to me though, so i think thats why i stopped the flip midway. but the second attempt, i ended up on my back, then in a corkscrew feeling flip, then on my back again when trying to get stable again. stuck my arm out and flipped back and got stable again. how is the best way to try backflips. the way they told me was to get stable in the boxman position, thenn quickly pull my knees to my chest and pull my head back. i am not sure what to do with my arms, ,if anything. several people told me different ways, most seemed conflicting. i dont want to repeat jumps at $45 each, so hlep me please. thanks! doughey, i was stupid before stupid was cool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,439 #2 April 14, 2003 The way I always used to teach back loops was to bring your knees up, then your arms down in front of you. Don't think so much about your head, because you'll be using it to find when you're all the way over kind of naturally. And if you don't, well, look at the horizon and use your eyes to figure out when you're ending. End in an arch when you're well over 1/2 way done, and it'll probably be a pretty decent back loop. Edit -- this doesn't have to be incredibly fast, nor should it be incredibly slow. You can practice under water -- you'd be surprised at how well it works for starting back loops. Of course, in the air you have a lot more momentum, and the air helping you, rather than the water hindering you. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #3 April 14, 2003 I had some trouble with backflips for a while. I think the easiest way to think about it is to leave your upper body right where it is, and just bring your legs down under you. It's not like doing a flip off a diving board or something... it's all about aerodynamics, not momentum. You don't really have to whip around. A front flip is basically the same... leave your legs alone and just bend the top half of your body down, then just bring your legs in. Either way, you'll pretty much keep flipping till you stretch back out. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lukepinion 0 #4 April 14, 2003 What works really well for me is to put my arms straight out in front of me then flip my legs in and complete the backloop! Good luck! Luke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #5 April 14, 2003 Flips. Those nasty lil yucky things. At least, the first few times I tried them. Now they're fun...here's what I do: 1. Stable Box/Mantis. 2. Knees together. 3. Knees to chest, straighten hands to knees; drop head back and look for the ground. Don't stop looking until you see it. 4. Once you actually see the ground, spread out again into an arch. If you tilt sideways, make sure your knees are together, and that your hands are touching your kneecaps. If you end up looking at the sky, you've done it half way! Next time, just don't unfold until you've spotted the ground. It goes quickly, at least for me. Good luck! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #6 April 14, 2003 I couldn't get the backflip my first time either... Seems that theres some good tips already here, but I figured I would add my two cents: While in boxman, kick your legs under your body, while at the same time lifting your head all the way back. Also, kinda push down with your hands. Make sure to do it symmetrically to prevent spinning or twisting. As soon as you see the horizon upside down, go back into boxman and you should keep from overrotating. Practice makes perfect. Good luck MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dropdeded 0 #7 April 14, 2003 Low jump numbers and a lot of recurrency jumps here,which means I generally have to show I can do the back loop and get stable every time I get back in the air. The easiest one has been when a different instructer than usual grabbed me just before climbing in the plane and said, "New plan,watch me do a back loop ,then you do one"That just made the whole jump cool. dropdeded------------------------------------------ The Dude Abides. - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cornholio 0 #8 April 14, 2003 Why did they make you repeat it ? Unless the jump was different than an AFF jump, I thought the purpose of the backflip was to get unstable and then RECOVER from the unstable body position. It sounds like you did a lot of recovering and did just fine. Hmmmm... Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast! Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool! bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #9 April 14, 2003 Some dropzones just want you to prove you can regain stability, others want to see a perfect flip. I've heard of people failing AFF levels because they didn't flip properly even though they regained stability and pulled. I know when I did it, they just wanted me on my back to prove I could get back on my belly. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eyeinthesky 0 #10 April 15, 2003 he told me i'd have to repeat it because he wanted to see a series of successful backflips and recovery before we move on to other things. i'm not upset by it or anything; i'm pretty lucky i made it all the way to 45 sec delays without ever having to repeat anything. i think i now know what i did wrong, so next time i'll get it. i'm pretty calm about the whole jump, so as long as i know what to do, i usually do it perfectly, except for that hilarious first freefall when it freaked me out! hilarious for the instructor, trauma for me, then hilarity when i landed. anyway, thanks guys! doughey, i was stupid before stupid was cool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #11 April 15, 2003 Doug, Are you in AFF? Well, regardless, I believe that you may want to consider getting video. It is an invaluable tool, and might even save you money. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreamsville 0 #12 April 15, 2003 Video tells all, not only for mistakes, but for a recorded example of a good job when you did it right. It will help you focus your visualization and connect it to your muscle memory, especially if de-briefed right after the jump. |I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eyeinthesky 0 #13 April 18, 2003 nope, not AFF, i went static line training course. im a real do-it-yourselfer, so thats the way i wnated to go, and the incrememental phases of it are nice doughey, i was stupid before stupid was cool! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
