Slow approach question

[murps2000 86]

I'm just getting more confused by the minute here. Exposing top skin to the relative wind? You'd need a negative angle of attack to do that. I'm assuming you'd end up with zero tension in your lines if you managed that. I don't jump a highly loaded cross braced canopy, but I'm pretty sure my top skin doesn't see any relative wind (directly) when I let up on my brakes quickly.

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It doesn't, but it's closer to being able to see it. Add in a little down draft, and it just might. And it's farther from seeing it at a higher angle of attack.

Anyway, I get the concept, I'm just having trouble believing that there's more of a danger in letting your brakes up quickly than holding deep brakes while flying in turbulence. And, if I'm reading everyone's comments correctly here, we are talking about turbulence or gusts, not just high wind, right? ***


Take the maneuver to the extreme once, if you don't believe me. Hold in deep brakes and then drop your toggles, but do it up way high, and bring a few hook knives. (Actually don't do it, I've seen someone go in from taking this to the very extreme)I never meant to suggest that holding brakes was a good idea in turbulence. Airspeed and line tension are your best bet in turbulence. If you feel the lines lose tension, which is indicated by feeling lower G's in the harness, increase your angle of attack. How do you do this? By applying brakes, but it's only effective during the application. Once you are in braked flight, you're back to one G, and now you've got less airspeed. To increase it, you have to let up on your toggles, but do it slowly because this is when you will decrease angle of attack, and consequently line tension. Hopefully you've cleared the bit of turbulence by then. If you haven't, then I think it likely that questionable judgement was rendered in deciding to jump at all in those conditions.

As I undertand it, paraglider pilots are way more familiar with these concepts (or should be).

[Tonto 1]

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"On a fairly well-winded day, get above the spot you want to land at about a thousand feet, go into 3/4's brakes and hold it so that you drop straight down on the target until you're about to land and finish your flare"

This is a fairly basic description of a "Classic" accuracy approach. Bear in mind that these canopies are specifically designed for these approaches, and that the landing is on a "Tuffet" or well padded area around the disk allowing one to land on their butt without injury. In competition, score is more important than dignity.

Today's 9 cell, highly (Even 1.2 ppsqft) loaded ZP canopies rely heavily on speed to create lift for landing. "Parafoils" or accuracy canopies, while in very deep brakes are still working weight vs surface area to soften the landing as some of the more extreme designs are easily capable of "reverse" flight.

I wouldn't be comfortable making an aproach like this on a "regular" skydiving canopy.

Most of us will never need to stomp a 1cm disk. Practical accuracy has 2 major components.

1. Miss an obstical without injury
2. Make it to a safe landing spot.

Landing consistantly, safely, with dignity in a 5 - 10 yard circle should be your start goal. If you can't do this from a good spot 100% of the time, you're either jumping in conditions beyond your skill level, or you have more homework to do. (We all have more homework to do.)

t

It's the year of the Pig.