pas de deux

[Kirils 1]

My wife has embraced sit flying as opposed to flying like a snake on her belly! Saints be praised!!!
We just started jumping out of a Beech Westwind with a door like an Otter. What would be the best 2 way exit for a newbie?
I tried a train type exit today but she felt uncomfortable with my knees under her arm pits. I'm flying base trying to encourage her to learn to adjust her fall rate but she orbits around me, not holding a heading. She is really sensitive about criticism (what woman isn't). What would be the best way to get her flying right??
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[AggieDave 6]

Max Cohn had a good exit for some of the people doing coached jumps with him. He would go out float on the camera step, although, that may not be necissary, the person being coach would get out like a front float, all the way to the front of the door, haning out, holding on with one arm, one foot in the door, the other in the wind. This was done facing the back of the plane. The first thing done was to breath together. A very big, deep breath that was obvious to each other even though we were a few feet apart and in the wind. That was to start the dive right, relaxed. The "student" would give the count with his/her right arm, Max would leave just a heartbeat before the student did.
That would probably work great if you're a good enough flier to get proximity, etc to someone coming off the plane.
One of the other, more experienced guys probably have a better way for you then the one I described, but this might work for you, too. Good luck! "Homer Simpson, smiling politely."

[PhreeZone 20]

Please DON'T do this on the Westwind. I've jumped that plane enough to know what you can and can't do while learning to do camera/freefly and if you are on the front float, you will be fine, but don't slide all the way back to the camera float then do any motion upwards. With that plane you have to drop off from the rear float and not hop or jump out. (There is still a large space between the tail and the jumpers, but it gets closer the higher you jump up or out.) Falling off is fine, if you are able to hold a sit facing up the hill and you can focus your camera on your jump partner. With that type of setup its hard to get the control and timing down right. If you leave a bit late you and your jump partner will hit as she falls past you. If you are a bit fast then its not really good either. You might want to reverse the sit train positions. Or my favorite for taking RW'ers out is to do a leg locked exit. Wrap both your right legs together with one facing the front and one facing the rear of the plane. Use the inner grips with your side that is in the plane and count with the arm that is outside the plane. The front person can use the front float bar if they have LONG arms other wise stay low in the door and just hop it out of the door (Or roll it) you will be facing each other the entire time for great video, and when you release there is no flying around each other to get to see them.
(BTW... Tell Ryan the Pilot that he better take care of that plane.... .we love it I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend... ~3EB

[AggieDave 6]

Thats why I said you had to be a good flier to do it right. I know I couldn't do it from the back float or camera step just because of the execution of a sit going the "wrong" way into the wind.I just thought it was a neat way to go out with someone and still have good visual contact.
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely."

[FreeflyGoat 0]

I love doing that camera step sit exit. It took me a couple weekends to get down though cuz it's a very weird exit and you have to have very positive legs at the right time or you will get flipped one way or the other. I was ending up on my belly or back until I found the balance.
Goat aka Dereck aka SuperFreak
AD A#292

[skybytch 273]

Quote

She is really sensitive about criticism (what woman isn't). What would be the best way to get her flying right??

If you just gotta jump with her, keep it fun - NO CRITICISM OR COACHING ALLOWED. Smile at her. Tell her how much fun you had when you land. And encourage her to get coaching from someone other than you. Whatever it costs will be well worth it in the long run... pull & flare,
lisa