Landing out, another learning experience

[fudd 0]

Ok a coupple of weeks ago landed out. Had about 10 jumps at this dropzone, so I'm still not very familiar with the outs there.
I were under canopy and flying well above 2000', but it was windy (25-30 knot) up there. It looked like I might make it back, but I like to know I'm going to make it back, and the others hanging belowe me were flying in to land at a little go-car track, so I decided to land with them. (So far doing things right). Due to the wind, and not going to fast I position myself fairly close to the alternative landing area. At about 300' the wind pitches down, and I'm realizing I'm going to overshoot were I planned to land quite a bit. As i get closer to the ground I see a fence, I didn't see from altitude. Winds pick down further, and I realize I'm going to clear the fence. Now it looks like I'm going to land in an area covered with old car tires. I'm thinking PLF and it should be fine. Now it's no wind at all, and I'm going past the tires. and begining to reach the end of possible landing area. Finanlly see where I will land. At the very end of the area there is a "oposite of ditch" (don't know the english word). PLF on that, falling head first over, and behind it's a ditch. A couple of meters of freefall before I land in the bottom of the ditch. Mud on my jumpsuit. Mud on my new canopy. I'm ok, just a sore heel from the first impact with the ground.

What I did right:
- No stupid low turns in tight area.
- Planned where I was going to land. Landing together with the others. (Although due to the wind condition I would have made it back, but it was no way to be sure of that when I were under canopy.)
- PLF

What I learned:
- I still need more experience to land in difficut wind conditions.
- My new canopy brings me longer than my old beat up F111 canopy.
- Going to do better positioning/landing pattern next time.
- Still learning the characteristics of my new Hornet.

I could have hurt myself, but it went well, and next time I will be better prepared.
Well that's it for now....

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[lauril 0]

Sorry for the mud in your canopy, I feel you, mine is muddy too since the snow has just melted from our landing area...

Nice handeling there, but you might want to start learning double front risering on landing, so you could have dived where you originally intended, and didn't even have to worry about the fence and the tires and all that...(don't know about the landing area or the conditions, just my opinion/advice)

[fudd 0]

I don't have dive loops on my risers, and at 90 jumps I really need some more experience before performing those kind of landing maneuvers.
A low flat turn, landing downwind would might have been an option, but I had another jumper behind me and so I didn't want to try that.

I'll just pack my canopy slider down and take it to terminal, then the mud will bounce right off

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[lauril 0]

Quote

I don't have dive loops on my risers, and at 90 jumps I really need some more experience before performing those kind of landing maneuvers.

(After checking profile) Correct, 90 jumps is a little early, I personally started about 80-90, and it was no biggie, but I guess I learn a bit faster than the average, and everyone should definetly take their own time to learn stuff...

LOL Maybe I'll try that canopy cleaning method of yours, I'm a bit lazy when it comes to cleaning the canopy..


Please note that we are joking, never ever ever pack your canopy slider down !

[wmw999 2,447]

You walked away, right? You didn't damage anything that you landed on, or yourself particularly, and all you paid for this lesson was a sore heel and some mud.

With a sudden wind change at 300' a lot of people would either learn the same lesson, or go ahead and turn, very possibly learning a different lesson. You might have been able to make a flat turn to hit a different out, but there might not have been a different out.

You did great, and you came away knowing what the lessons were.

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)

[fudd 0]

I walked away ok. A flat turn could have put me into trees or on colision course with other jumpers.
What I really should have anticipated was the lower windspeed at the ground. Both due to the wind at takeoff, and the landscape were I landed.

There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[wmw999 2,447]

I still say it's a successful learning experience -- really. I have no idea what the terrain looked like, you do. But your bag of experience is fuller now. That's good.

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)

[RichM 0]

Quote

You walked away, right? You didn't damage anything that you landed on, or yourself particularly, and all you paid for this lesson was a sore heel and some mud.

With a sudden wind change at 300' a lot of people would either learn the same lesson, or go ahead and turn, very possibly learning a different lesson. You might have been able to make a flat turn to hit a different out, but there might not have been a different out.

You did great, and you came away knowing what the lessons were.

Wendy W.

Weel said Wendy. Fudd - a flat turn, or a short series of flat S-turns would have put you in your chosen landing area, but an off landing in a small area in difficult wind conditions is not the time to be learning to do flat turns - you made a survivable decision, well done. Now, learning from that, now practise flat turns in good conditions on a nice large safe landing area (hopefully this describes your normal dz ). Do them up high first checking the alti before and after the manouvre to see how much height is lost. At altitude do 180 flat turns until you know your canopy so well they are reall flat. Now you know how, practise different amounts of turn and see how much height is lost. Then when you have a sound understanding of the flight characteristics of your hornet in slow flat turns bring the start altitude down - be careful here, bring it down slowly. Slow flat turns can save you, theres no point injuring yourself to learn them

Talk to experienced parachutists at your dz and get their ideas, also search here for "flat turns" for a wealth of information, particularly search for posts by BillVon. And get coaching if you can.

Have fun, be careful

Rich M