Ski jumpers would make fantastic trackers....

[dynamicedge 0]

I'm just watching the Olympic ski jumping right now I can't help but picture them tracking a trail of fire through the sky every time they jump. Anybody know any ski jumping skydivers?

[jtnesbitt 0]

There are a decent amount of ski base jumpers.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[dynamicedge 0]

Ya I mean the skiers that specialize in the looooooooong jump, not the aerials, freestyle moguls, race etc. It looks like so much fun.

[skyrider 0]

Tracking was perfected by studying what skiers do!

[NickDG 23]

I saw one of the past Olympic ski-jump venues in Innsbruck. I wouldn't have the cods to make it down the ramp, never mind the other part . . .

Always been my favorite event though.

NickD

[pbwing 0]

I don't know about that...

I would think that the skis would cause some serious drag...

[jtnesbitt 0]

Drag (applied correctly) is what allows them to do what they do. Otherwise it wouldnt be much of a contest would it?

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I have felt for some time now that ski jumping and swooping have a few things in common: in both sports the athletes fly across the ground at similar speeds, fly a similar distance above the deck (swoopers are closer to the deck), fly a similar distance and in both sports eventually the airspeed bleeds off where they lose their lift and touch down.

Having never tried to ski jump I could be wrong, but I would be willing to bet than an athletic swooper could pick up ski jumping fairly fast. They are already used to flying fast across the deck at speed.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[ryoder 1,381]

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I'm just watching the Olympic ski jumping right now I can't help but picture them tracking a trail of fire through the sky every time they jump.

Like this?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2006/12/Top-Gear-Ski-Jump-Car-192058.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Skydave103 0]

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Having never tried to ski jump I could be wrong, but I would be willing to bet than an athletic swooper could pick up ski jumping fairly fast. They are already used to flying fast across the deck at speed.

I'll stick with swooping..have you ever looked down a ski jump ramp?

"Starting Point
The total height of the jumping hill from the bottom of the slope to the top starting point is 133-m(500+ft). The famous Television Tower in Odori Park is 147-m(573ft) tall, thus it is virtually like flying off on one's skis from a similar altitude. It is quite obvious that one must have considerable amount of courage to accomplish what the ski jumpers experience.

Approach
The length from the starting point to the take-off ramp is a 101-m(394ft) slope with a maximum inclination of 35 degrees which is called the approach. The jumper slides down this slope at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour and reaches the take-off point. At the moment of take-off, many jumpers say they experience a moment of unconsciousness that lasts for about two to three seconds, which is likely a result of the factor of fear."

ummmmmm unconscious at take off?!?! WTF

I'm sure its a rush like no other but i'm going to pass.

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[pbwing 0]

True...when they are ski jumping.

But it would be a bitch to track with giant posts attached to your feet!!

[NickDG 23]

I don't know if the skis are holding them back at all. I'd bet when the jumper places them correctly into the relative wind they do generate a lot of lift. I'm not sure what the drag co-efficient is but I'll guess if somehow the skis dropped off right at take-of the jumpers wouldn't fly as far. Or be able to make another jump . . .

NickD

[JohnMitchell 14]

Maybe Jeb Corliss could try that as a prelude to landing the suit.

For years I've used ski jumpers as good examples when teaching tracking. Most can relate to that.

Mmmmm, I love a good track.

[Olaf_Norski 0]

This is a little strech but i used to ski jump when in my teens. Switched to downhill and grand slalom.
However all my ski jumping helped me a lot when I had to do my tracking around jump 20 or so during my 50 jump progression program they used in Norway at the time for my B -license. ( B-216). Even now when back in the sky I find tracking to be "easy".

POPS # 10971

Man Small, Why Fall?
Skies Call. Thats All.

[SethInMI 145]

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Maybe Jeb Corliss could try that as a prelude to landing the suit.[

I watched my first live ski jump event a few weeks ago in Wisconsin. And my first thought was "a perfect landing area for Jeb".

Then I found out about this super hill at Pine Mountain in northern MI. 459 ft is the record there. The slope is 39 degees, which is a glide ratio of only 1.23, but it is nice and long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Mountain_ski_jump

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Then I found out about this super hill at Pine Mountain in northern MI. 459 ft is the record there. The slope is 39 degees, which is a glide ratio of only 1.23, but it is nice and long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Mountain_ski_jump

Interesting. I knew that it was possible to overfly the hill, with possibly fatal results. Now I have a new vocabulary word, the "K-Point", which is the critical distance to not exceed.

Now I gotta figure out how to use that in casual conversation today.

[Squeak 17]

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I'm just watching the Olympic ski jumping right now I can't help but picture them tracking a trail of fire through the sky every time they jump.

Like this?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2006/12/Top-Gear-Ski-Jump-Car-192058.html

Those guys get to do some awesome shit

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Doperope 0]

Another example of Olympic Tracking Events. The Skeleton!
Ho-lee-crap!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9f7U0njN-0

Bad decisions make good stories!!

[yuri_base 1]

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Ski jumpers would make fantastic trackers....

Not necessarily. What they're trained for for hundreds and thousands of jumps is maximizing the distance in very particular configuration - subterminal track with high horizontal speed and quite specific range of body pitch angles (i.e. their body is never head low). That would not necessarily translate into a great track in BASE or skydive. Their pitch habits may scream "nooooo!!!" to going headlow but that's exactly what they need. And then there are skis which also produce lift and drag, for them it'll probably feel weird to feel their feet are free...

So I think they'll suck and any AFF student can outfly them on their first tracking jump.

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

[VideoFly 0]

I've always referred to ski jumpers when teaching students to track. Also, some ski jumpers train and test equipment in wind tunnels.

[dynamicedge 0]

Alrighty, I'm not retarded. I fully understand that the skis have tons to do with their ability to generate horizontal separation but if they ditched the skis and learned to adapt without them I think they could be good trackers!!! I'm not suggesting they jump from planes with 3m long boards strapped to their feet. I just think they would have a big advantage.

[Squeak 17]

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Alrighty, I'm not retarded. I fully understand that the skis have tons to do with their ability to generate horizontal separation but if they ditched the skis and learned to adapt without them I think they could be good trackers!!! I'm not suggesting they jump from planes with 3m long boards strapped to their feet. I just think they would have a big advantage.

you seemed to neglect all the other consideration from Yuri, like body attitude etc... not all similar disciplines will directly translate,
I have no doubt that it would help them in their understanding of skydive tracking or even BASE tracking, but it does not necessarily mean that they would automatically be good at either.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[yuri_base 1]

It'll be funny to see them pointing their toes towards their heads on their first skydive, because that reflex is engraved in their muscles to control what their life depends on: skis.

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

[dynamicedge 0]

None of you are getting a Christmas card from me this year!

[yuri_base 1]

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None of you are getting a Christmas card from me this year!

Uh-oh... Ok, ok, ski jumpers WOULD make fantastic trackers....

It's just they'll still point their toes to their heads like geese on landing.

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