Tracking In the Tunnel, Experiences?

[DrDom 0]

Hey guys,
I saw in our mag that there IS a way to track in the tunnel. Tracking seems to be my weakest student skill right now and I'm wondering if anyone has tried this before or has experience with it. I'm going to be using the guys from the local camp to help me out but wanted to know... IS it worth it?

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[Trafficdiver 8]

I've seen videos of two instructors in the tunnel, one holding the students legs while he tracked, and the other instructor holding the legs of the fist instructor...he may have been half out of the tunnel....I don't remember.

I was a terrible tracker at first. Before I ever got my license I did three solo jumps that I just focused on tracking. I went over it with my coach first then got out and just worked on it till I got the feeling of tracking, which is a fucking awesome feeling!

I think that those solos helped more than any tunnel time could. You know you've got it right in the air when it sounds right.

Now I track like a guided missile.

You'll soon see what I mean. Just get out there and try it once you're on solo status.

[ianyapxw 0]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4597258#4597258

http://www.dropzone.com/safety/Disciplines/Freeflying/The_History_of_Atmonauti_Fly_559.html Control + F "tunnel"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHTAQypFgk

Enjoy!

edit: I think it may be possible to adopt a tracking position and spin around your head; I may have done this before but not 100% sure.

[BigBUG 0]

there IS a way to track in the tunnel.
actually more that one.
some (incoroprated by japanese flyers :) ) even include some strong rope.

but.
there is no way to LEARN it there.
at least, from my POV.

but, if you take some time and learn a PROPER, FULL-SCALE use of your legs and arms in a belly position, not a regular 'boxman-arch-relaxed' posture, you should have no problems with track, maybe just couple of jumps with good tracker to correct angle etc.

tracking is just a way to use your 'wings'. the difference is that this is a really agressive and 'strong' position, which is kinda hard for novice flyers who was taught to be relaxed.

so my advice is - use a good belly flyers instead.
ask them to teach you how to be agressive, fast and precise in the same time.
and then just do some jumps - and you'll find that you become better tracker AND better RW/formation jumper.

never underestimate belly flying.

[danielcroft 2]

I've seen it done 2 ways, one is to hook your feet on the door like people are saying, the other is to put your head on the top of the door. I don't think either are going to really teach you how to track. It's amusing to play with (I've done the door hook method a few times) but the best way to learn how to track is by tracking. That's why it's part of the student progression in the US, that's why we tell people to do smaller jumps. That's why we have coach jumps where your tracking is evaluated. The tunnel is a wonderful tool for learning (and a sport unto itself IMO) but some things, that are absolutely critical to skydiving and skydiving safely cannot be learnt there. Tracking is worth your time to learn in the sky, it's a life saving skill.

[grantunderland 0]

When I started skydiving, I had "lazy legs" and my tracking was almost non existant. Then I spent 10 minutes in the tunnel working on leg awarness and tracking.
The tunnel instructor crouched with his back against the wall and put his hands on my shoulders. When he nodded, I went into a track position for ~5-10 seconds until he nodded to me again.
It didn't make me track like a pro, but my tracking WAS immediately better that day.

[ricardo.quail 0]

Learning to inface and outface carve at different wind speeds will help to improve your tracking skills.

Ultimately more tracking jumps will make the biggest difference.

[adamUK 3]

ricardo.quail

Learning to inface and outface carve at different wind speeds will help to improve your tracking skills.

Even better if your name's Jim and you try it with 10 of your friends in the middle of a huck jam...

[BigBUG 0]

if you could carve in the tunnel you really do not need to learn tracking. You already past this point usually.

Carving is a much harder technique and required a lot of body awarness.

[adamUK 3]

You've not seen Ricardo track...

[Badabing 0]

Inface and outface carving in head down and head up are actually the same as tracking only that you are turning while tracking. If you can carve at any speed and in all orientations you will able to fly your slot in any track o angle dive.

[adamUK 3]

Badabing

Inface and outface carving in head down and head up are actually the same as tracking only that you are turning while tracking. If you can carve at any speed and in all orientations you will able to fly your slot in any track o angle dive.

I was only poking fun at Ricardo. We do a lot of flying together

[Trafficdiver 8]

Badabing

Inface and outface carving in head down and head up are actually the same as tracking only that you are turning while tracking. If you can carve at any speed and in all orientations you will able to fly your slot in any track o angle dive.

The OP has 7 jumps. I think inface and outface carving should come a little later in his journey.

[NWPoul 1]

Trafficdiver

The OP has 7 jumps. I think inface and outface carving should come a little later in his journey.

One can have 0 jumps at all and be a good in inface and outface carving;)

Why drink and drive, if you can smoke and fly?

[bilt2ride 0]

This.

BigBUG

if you could carve in the tunnel you really do not need to learn tracking. You already past this point usually.

Carving is a much harder technique and required a lot of body awarness.

And I would love to see the vid of the guy pulling that in the middle of a 10-person huck jam. lol

-E

If this is your first night, you have to fight.

[Trafficdiver 8]

NWPoul

***
The OP has 7 jumps. I think inface and outface carving should come a little later in his journey.

One can have 0 jumps at all and be a good in inface and outface carving;)

Good point. I know a few people like that.

I still think tracking in the sky is the best way to learn.

[adamUK 3]

I might have the vid somewhere... it was one of those 'oh sh!t' moments.

Edited to add : the driver wouldn't put the tunnel up more than 75% afterwards....

[DrDom 0]

Trafficdiver

***Inface and outface carving in head down and head up are actually the same as tracking only that you are turning while tracking. If you can carve at any speed and in all orientations you will able to fly your slot in any track o angle dive.

The OP has 7 jumps. I think inface and outface carving should come a little later in his journey.

and by a "little" you mean "a lot" ;)

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[sammielu 3]

Here's how I did it:
Talk to your tunnel instructor!
Do some fwd/back drills so they are comfortable with your control in the tunnel.

Then the plan is:
-Instructor stands at the wall and gives you a hand signal to come forward.
-You move forward (using legs only) until the instructor's hands are on your shoulders.
-Slowly transition into track position.
-Instructor shakes a foot to tell you to stop tracking and go back into neutral arch position (so you can have your face down just like in a track).

The instructors would let me track for about 15 seconds, and signal to stop if they felt too much forward drive from me.

These drills taught smooth transitions with stability, and I could gauge my body position (speed if I was in the sky) by the pressure I was putting on my instructors hands.

Being a flexible female with only male skydive instructors, no one was able to tell me in the sky that my boobs were in the way and for me, tracking means 'fly your boobs'.