Nontrivial tips and tricks?

[yuri_base 1]

Got any tips and tricks - on jumping, packing, canopy control, anything - that are not obvious, that you discovered by (no pun intended ) accident or smart thinking? Share!

Here's one, "negotiating the shear layer". The tailwind at the exit point was ~10mph, but I knew from the previous jumps off the same object that in the dawn hour the wind on the ground is nil. I used to do 180 into the wind, as usual. The landing area is a long alley of trees which traps the still air, while the air above treetops can be moving at substantial speed. What happens if you cross this shear layer going upwind? If your canopy's airspeed is 20mph and wind is 10mph, you'll enter the still air at 10mph, suddenly loosing 3/4 of the lift. The canopy will dive, the flare will be weak. If you cross the shear layer going downwind, you'll enter the still air at 30mph, giving you a swoopy landing with tons of flare.

The "experiment" proved the theory. If your groundcrew reports that the wind on the ground is zero, go downwind (landing area permitting), this way the shear turbulence will work for you, not against you.

Android+Wear/iOS/Windows apps:
L/D Vario, Smart Altimeter, Rockdrop Pro, Wingsuit FAP
iOS only: L/D Magic
Windows only: WS Studio

[pope 0]

Quote

If your groundcrew reports that the wind on the ground is zero, go downwind

What if the Ground winds are below zero?

[Borat 0]

you say: "what if the ground winds are belo zero?"

I say: then you are land into the wind. that is good

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