Just Graduated AFF and I'm still retarded

[erasmus 0]

Woohooo I graduated today!

Boohoooo I'm still a skydiving retard. I'm having difficulty with landing accuracy. I've been off radio since level 4 and have good flaring skillz, I just can't freaking get within a hundred feet of the target.

I suck!

[vamp 0]

You may suck, but you graduated! Good job!

[skymama 35]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Peej 0]

Hi there

Don't worry, i have 300 jumps and compared to what others know, i still suck! Hehe. good judgemnt and experience coms with time man, stick with it,.

Cheers
PJ

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[mdrejhon 8]

Don't feel too bad! The offzone farmland loved me for quite a while.
(And may still yet. Knock on wood.)

After studying up on angle control in Germain's excellent book (Parachute and Its Pilot), I rear riser angle-controlled myself into three consecutive peas landings under my earlier rental Sabre 190. You really do dial into accuracy after you memorize a few tricks.

However, my new rig with the Sabre 170 with its tendancy to turf surf, has given me a real tendancy to overshoot, so I'm back to square 1. It will just take a couple dozen jumps to "dial into" its tendancies. Fortunately, I'm at least landing inside the dropzone

For now, I am focussing on proper flare technique ("finish the flare") and avoiding getting too fixated on the peas and leg-reaching out for it. Eventually, I'll compensate for this by severely undershooting the target, turfsurf my way over the peas, and then tiptoe land onto the peas.

As for all newbies, myself included, "It'll come in time"

[AggieDave 6]

Heres a simple but effective way to improve your accuracy.

First of all, plan your landing pattern before you even gear up! Look at the windsock and go to an areal photo and draw out your pattern. Get the S&TA or a bored instructor to help you. Then fly the pattern you drew, no playing, really do it (safety considered of course). If you land 50ft past the peas, then slide your entire pattern 50ft back and try again, get it?
Secondly, do you know how to identify the "accuracy mark?" Its the point that's not moving. Look down between your feet, see how the earth goes by? Look out, see how the earth rises? Between those two things you'll find a point that doesn't move. That's where you will land if you don't change your flight some how. You can use that to help determine your landing spot, that will help you adjust your pattern for the next jump.


Scott Miller teaches that stuff, but its more more indepth, you may want to look into taking one of his courses, I promise you its money much well spent.

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

[erasmus 0]

Here's my deal, I'm entering the landing pattern early (too high) because the tandems behind me are in the general vicinity and I'm hesitant to do spirals to lose altitude. And they are flying around me (one flew fairly close in front of me).

I sit in brakes to sink in and I fly my pattern wide to compensate, but I can't fly it too wide due otherwise I'll be flying over obstacles I would rather not deal with if I screw up. (barbed wire fences, roads, land mines, Iraqi insurgents, etc)

I'm being a bit paranoid I imagine. I know as long as I'm not in the pattern, I should be able to do some safe maneuvers and directional change even though I'm feeling slightly crowded from behind. I don't want to piss off the Tandem masters because they bitch and moan about everything else anyway ;)

I'm definitely getting the canopy course as soon as I'm able! And those books everyone mentioned above. Anyone have any used ones they want to sell me?

[AggieDave 6]

Sounds to me like you need to talk to your S&TA and/or the head instructor about this. At the end of the day bring them a beer and get them to discuss this at length with you. An answer of "don't worry about it" probably won't help you much, so get them to help you come to a proper answer that satisfies your need.

I'm saying this since I know what I would tell you what should be done at my DZ, but I'm not going to state as such for other DZs. Those people I said to talk to are *the* people to chat about this with for your DZ.

Good luck!

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

[erasmus 0]

This is all so much fun, but I just don't want to do anything dumb to put anyone in jeopardy, because this is also deathly serious.

It's sobering to graduate AFF. It puts into perspective how much there is to learn and how little I know.

Yeah, I'm absolutely going to chat with the head instructor next time I'm at the DZ. Although I have to admit I'm wildly curious what you would tell a student at your DZ.