Your First Swoop...

[Widgeon 0]

I was just wondering, when you first began swooping, what was your wing loading and how many jumps did you have?

[garywainwright 0]

I started with about 250 jumps on a Sabre 150 loaded at 1.3
At this point i started coming in on both front risers in a straight line and did this for a long time before i started turning.
My progression has been very slow by some peoples standards. I started doing 180s at about 1100 jumps and before this i had done about 400 90 degree turns.
I'm glad i took so much time on the smaller turns as i believe this is where you 'get your eye in' and this helps when you really blow it later on!
Also do lots of jumps on each canopy - i have 3200 jumps and have only owned 4 canopies
Don't rush, be safe and have fun!

http://www.garywainwright.co.uk

Instagram gary_wainwright_uk

[D22369 0]

started swooping around 250 jumps, on a glide path arial 170, WL was around 1-1 didnt swoop very far, but learned a lot on it.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

My first "swoop" (turf surf back then) had to be under a Bogy 150 I was testing for Dave Davenport; that was late 1984 or early 1985. At the time I (and nearly everybody else in the sport) was jumping a 200 square foot main, but he needed someone small enough to "live through" the landing on the 150 for testing purposes. I volunteered. Turf Surfing evolved when we found we had residual speed left over after planing our canopy out when we flared. It wasn't much, but we thought it was stylish. The original "swoops" were simply straight in landings where we put our feet down and slid these then-"tiny" mains to a stop. We were lucky to slide maybe 20 feet. eventually, we began introducing speed-inducing turns close to the ground to make us to farther across the ground. Back in the day, once we figured these turns out a bit, people were toggle-whipping the piss out of their Raider 220's and were daring enough to jump as small as a 150 (VERY small back then). I recogn I could go around 100 feet downwind under a Bogy on a good day, but most folks back then would be very happy with dragging their toes 30 feet. The PD Excallibur (I owned a 150), the ParaFlite Evolution, and a couple of foreign designs (Blue Track, Pintail, Reflex) made it such that people got away with jumping stuff as small as 120 safely (in experienced hands). Some people like Jack Jeffries and Rickster Powell then began throwing some crazy turns and doing stuff like flying down the ditch at DeLand and then popping back up right before piling into the crossing bridge.

Chuck Blue
D-12501

[skygod7777 0]

my first swoop was under a 190 conquest at a .9 to 1 wing loading. a no wind day and i did a little toggle turn to get into the landing pattern a little low and got a little surf. i thought it was way cool, so i started trying to do more.

that was like 5 years ago.

later

[superstu 0]

2 years ago i started playing around with a stiletto 150 @ roughly 1.2 160 jumps. that canopy and the impulse 120 i owned after that were the two canopies i learned the most on besides the VX i own now.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[JohanW 0]

Swooping as in inducing speed by frontrisering to final: Silhouette 170, W/L 1.25, approx. 150 jumps (yes, I did some toggle whips. yes, I knew better soon.)

Surfing with the speed I had: probably the Balance 230 or the Navigator 220 I jumped before I had 100 jumps. W/L - you do the math.

These days, I could probably get some mild surf out of a Manta 280, but I didn't have the technique then.

(Edit: see my avatar for above mentioned Silhouette )

Johan.
I am. I think.

[raymod2 1]

200 jumps, Sabre 150, WL 1.33

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

Swooping... 80 jumps, Stiletto 150 loaded at 1:1.

Swooping smart ... 100+ jumps after some guidance from the best.

Swooping well, accurately, more consistantly... i'm just starting that, about 200 jumps from when I started "swooping" and a good amt of canopy training later.

Angela.

[Jskydiver22 0]

I started on my Sabre2 135 loaded at around 1.1:1. I think i had around 120 jumps or so. I just started pulling down on both fron risers until i got that down, then went to 90's, which i am still dialing in.

--I don't even know enough to know that I dont know--

[AggieDave 6]

I think I had about 220 jumps or so when I started pulling on double fronts for some speed for some swoopy swoop. That was on my Heatwave 170 loaded at about 1.7:1.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[diver123 0]

You had a semi-eliptical canopy loaded at 1.7 at 220 jumps??? !!! That's balls!

"pull high! It's lower than you think..."

[AggieDave 6]

  Quote

You had a semi-eliptical canopy loaded at 1.7 at 220 jumps??? !!! That's balls!

It was stupid.

Plain and simple I wish I would have taken things a little slower and learned things on more forgiving canopies. I think I would have progressed faster and safer. My S&TA knew I'd be ok, since I was an ok canopy pilot and I wasn't stupid with canopy control, BUT, I still regret that progression. On the flip side, I put just a bit under 500 jumps on that canopy and had it pretty rung out when I bought a new canopy.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[diver123 0]

Yeah, I think I still remember you announcing when you first got it a while back... We all do unintelligent things from time to time... Glad you made it out the other side...

"pull high! It's lower than you think..."

[pajarito 0]

My first was around 1989 trying to keep up with Chuck Blue, no less, and not killing myself. He is truly a man barely alive. I owned a red, white, and blue Bogy 150 back then and was doing good to slide 20ft across the ground kicking up dust and gravel. That was right before I bought my spiffy lime green and purple Excalibur 150. Back when Chuck Blue, Ray Porterfield, Israel Harris, Bent Kluge, John Hurtado, and I used to jump together. Skydive with the GB Club from helicopters till you get kicked off the DZ then head to Raeford to jump the Twin Bo! Caw!!! Caw!!!

[brits17 0]

So no shit there I was, 18 jumps, ready to test out a Sabre 150. No wind, and I executed a killer lil lazy boy (girl)... straight into a slide at home base. I think that was my first 'turf surf,' but I actually ate dirt more/less.

I started learning the basics of 'swooping' under my Safire 109 loaded 1.2:1, round about 250-300 jumps. I put 400 jumps on that thing and learned a TON, even at that wingloading. I bought it at 100 jumps, and began testing the waters (in regards to learning high perfomance landings) 100 jumps later. I'm still learning (not under the same canopy though).

_______________________
aerialkinetics.com

[bobsled92 0]

1st swoop was modest *and will stay modest in future as well. distance 150ft turn 180 in 0 wind across sand at the World Cup Speed Skydiving, final round at Jumptown.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

[Unutsch 0]

some 6 years back with me having some 180 jumps, on my 3rd or 4th hand Raider DOM 1986, i decided to do a 90° right hand turn into the accuracy circle... i realised i was to low some 30° into the turn, but i did it anyway... the outcome? hehehe, a perfect lazy-boy, with just my head sticking out of the gravel... needless to say i nearly swallowed some of it!

Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation:
http://www.padliangeli.org

[bobsled92 0]

I was fortunate to bring it in and just run like hell at the end. (I'm guessing people slide in on thier backs and butt=lazy boy) I've done the lazy boy/dirt slide when landing rear riser/no brake line=no fun
I'm WAY to new on my canopy to truely tempt fate.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

[GQ_jumper 4]

started at around 65 jumps on a pilot 210 loaded at 1.1, but trust me i talked to my instructors and local skygods about whether or not i was ready to start and how to go about starting to learn, and i still talk with them anytime i think i'm ready to take it up a step.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Zep 0]

  Quote

I think I had about 220 jumps or so when I started pulling on double fronts for some speed for some swoopy swoop. That was on my Heatwave 170 loaded at about 1.7:1.

Jesus, I knew thing were big in Texas but that puts you at 270lbs. I aint gonna argue with you

Gone fishing

[AggieDave 6]

250-ish, actually. So I guess that means my wingloading was really 1.68:1, sorry for the lost .02 wingloading.

I've said before and I'll say again, being an avid weight lifter and an avid beer drinker turns you into a large fast falling brick.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."