Glide Control

[cpwaters 0]

Could someone go over some of the basics on controlling the glide ratio of your canopy. I know winds make this a little more complicated, so lets stick with calm winds. Does you glide ratio increase the more brakes/ rear risers you use? Does it decrease the more front risers you use? Thanks for the help.
CP

[PhillyKev 0]

Glide ratio will vary from canopy to canopy and it will change with conditions. I check my glide ratio on each jump to make sure I can get back before playing around. There's a simple way to check it.
First, get in the wind line for your target. Then face the target with toggles all the way up. Look out in the distance at the point which is not moving either up or down. Then pull down to 1/4 brakes...that spot will change. If the new stationary spot is further away then the last, then you increased your glide because you're now heading toward a more distant target. If it is closer then your last spot, then you decreased your glide angle and our now headed toward a closer spot.
Pull down a few more inches and check again. Keep doing this until the stable spot stops getting further away. That's your best glide ratio.
While you're doing this, make sure that the stable spot you are finding is further away than your landing target, otherwise you won't be making it back and should start looking for a new place to land.
By the way, this is just one of the exercises in Module 2 of Basic Canopy Flight from Skydive U. I highly recommend it, it's taught me a lot so far and I'm not even half way through it.
cielos azules y cerveza fría
-Kevin