Offset help.

[AndyMan 7]

Last weekend we had some fun building a wedge.

I was the third person to dock. My slot was the right wing. I was approaching in brakes, the top guy took the dock, and I was trying to figure out how to transition from brakes to outside front riser.

Almost immediately, well - see the attached image. I had a great view, I somehow managed to avoid everything and stayed clear of the mess. That's me in the bottom of the picture.

I don't recall my canopy folding in as I would have expected if the cause of the mess was the lack of outside front riser. Instead, to the best of my memory, the top guy seemed to be sliding sideways (to the left) away from me, and pulling the left wing away from me.

The wrap happened in an instant. It seemed like it literally went from normal to mess in a blink of an eye. None of us have a good explanation for why it happened.

So, my question is: What's the "for dummies" book on building wedges? I know getting on the outside front riser is important, but what else?

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[selbbub78 0]

Me personally, I usually don't use my brakes for coming into a formation. I usually try to come in on risers. It just takes practice and time.
That's what i've come to help me anyway!

CReW SKies,
bubbles

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[faulknerwn 38]

The pilot is key too. It can be difficult to learn to catch 3rd - if you're not just doing a leg catch - then their hands are coming off their toggles which can have unforeseen effects. The pilot also has to keep their body perfectly even because varying weight changes between the two sides can also cause interesting situations.

Add in the worse-case scenario of the pilot reaching down to catch the grip which can cause a turn...

[relyon 0]

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The wrap happened in an instant. It seemed like it literally went from normal to mess in a blink of an eye. None of us have a good explanation for why it happened.

Assuming that the pilot was flying more or less straight with minimal inputs, there are a number of things that can cause a whirlie/wrap in that situation. From the person docking's perspective: coming up too fast, coming inboard (toward the pilot) too fast, and coming forward too fast. From the pilot's perspective: hardpointing the grip, putting more than minimal brake inputs, or twisting in the harness if hands are being used to take the grip. It's often one or more of the above in combination that produces the result you saw.

Quote

So, my question is: What's the "for dummies" book on building wedges? I know getting on the outside front riser is important, but what else?

There are several schools of thought, but most nowadays involve approaching largely in front risers with minimal use of brakes (usually in a "stabbing fashion"), most often from an approach point that is on the same or slightly higher level than the docked position. I prefer using both front risers, or a combination of inside front riser countered by outside rear riser as necessary. Brakes only in small, stabbing motions and as little as possible.

One of the best drills you can do for offsets is no contact CRW. Fly the wedge or stairstep in as tight a formation a you can without actually picking up grips. Six inches to a foot from an A line attachment point to the target foot that takes the grip is ideal. The canopy should never make contact at any point; the pilot's job is to fly straight with a little input as possible.

Bob

[chuckbrown 0]

This sounds like the pilot turned into the opposite wing & the wing failed to counter with increased outside riser input. The difficulty of piloting is that the pilot has to fly the formation while taking a dock. Try flying a formation after someone puts your head in a cell.

Also, if you're serious about offset CRW, think about a Lightning. They are much more stable platforms than the hybrid Tri. Trust me, the difference is noticeable immediately.