shortblondemark

I started learning a year ago when i was already a BKA - so have nothing prior to compare it to. That said, as I am getting into more advanced group jumps its harder to get the input i need to perform the jumps. I am doing a few things to attempt to improve maneuverability and tracking a. I ordered a suit with vented booties b. I am going to talk to my prosthetist about getting a swim foot attached to one of my prosthetic sockets so I can extend to :"flipper" mode for the exist, and click back to flat under canopy As far as if you end up being an above knee, the only thing I can think of is to have some sort of knee locking mechanism. I also wonder if some of the newer CPU based knees could be configured to lock on command. I also wonder if they could stand up to the rigors of 120mph of air resistance :)

Great advice from Andy. I'm an LBKA myself, and started AFF in June of this year. Because you have the knee mobility, you should be okay. A few things I noticed. First, I lucked into really good instructors. Even though they'd never taught an amputee before, they asked lots of questions, and really helped working around some of the things that are different. On that note, I've yet to figure out how to run out a canopy landing when jumping with what happens to be my main walking leg. If I don't think I will make a standup landing, I'll just slide it in Second, the knee doesn't flex the same way, and so to make sure the legs give even input, I need to apply a little more mental focus to the left side, and the right follows. You'll know what I mean when you get to it. The airflow over the limb is definitely different. A decent suit makes a difference. I started jumping a shorty without modifying the limb, just to get good at dealing with the asymmetry. It's not easy, and I'll likely ditch that soon and go with the limb cover approach that Andy suggested. For me, the force isn't an issue, but I know for some it might be. Not being able to flex the ankle also means you'll need to figure out the adjustments you need for nuanced inputs. The last thing I noticed is for me skin care is more critical. Those hot sunny days at the DZ can cause you to sweat in the liner, and the skin to get irritated. Good luck! Mark