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cjsgrlsx3

My landings suck!

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They could certainly use a lot of work. Canopy control scares the crap out of me and I screwed up yesterday. I'm pretty stable in freefall so I ony have half of it to work on. As soon as the canopy opens that is when the "oh shit" mode sets in. Honestly I am up there thinking now what am I suppose to do! But I had two good jumps yesterday and two hard landings. I found my way back, turned into another jumper (thought I had enough room) and did not land where I was suppost to but I'm still here and ready to jump again! Now on to Cat D.

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Mine are stilll a bit ropy. Every time I seem to be making an improvement I have a few weeks off jumping then when I return it takes a while to catch up again. Getting there though, its nicer when you got a canopy you can fly to land rather than just brake before you touchdown like a student canopy :)

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I could have written that same post 2 years ago ;) Be patient with yourself, at some point, something will just 'click' in your head and it will be infinitely easier and you'll look back and laugh at your first few jumps (It took me 35 or so jumps before I was standing up consistently and probably 100 jumps before I was standing up 99.9999%)

Sounds like a canopy control course would help you quite a bit on the confidence end of things.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

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It really does get easier.... Don't fret!

Think about the vast difference between a 16 year old kid who just got their drivers license and a NASCAR Nextel Cup driver.

It all comes with practice.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

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Get your instructor to help you.

My first landing was in a tree, so you're not the only one.

I can't give you any good tips, as I haven't seen you fly or land, but I can say: get to landing area, fly landing pattern and remember to flare. And concentrate on every part. That's what works for me. But get someone who's seen you to help.
Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

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Oh, I know what my problem is. I have a terrible flare. Obviously I am not a strong as I thought I was!

Might be a strength issue, might be a technique issue. Poor technique can make it much harder to flare your canopy. Student canopies tend to have higher toggle pressure than the more advanced canopies of the instructors. How you see experienced jumpers flaring may not work on your gear.

Too many beginners flare with their arms stiff, elbows locked, and hands way out to the sides. This is the hardest, weakest way to flare, and rarely gives a decent landing. Few people even get the full range of flare this way.

When you flare your canopy, you should pull straight down, bending your elbows, bringing you hands down past the sides of your face, down to the chest strap, palms forward. Once your hands are at chest height, bring your elbows up and push your hands down, palms down, towards your hips, until your elbows are straight again. Keep your hands close to your body the whole time. That's where you have the most strength. It's the same motions used to do a pull up on a bar.

Without observing your landings, I don't know what exact problems you're having, but your "strength" comment makes me feel this might be useful to you. It is a common problem for students.

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It scares the crap out of me that you (and most everyone else) has been turned lose after AFF with pathetically basic instruction on how to fly your canopy.

You are not uncoordinated or dumb, you need to be taught canopy flight just like you would learn to fly an airplane. Canopy flying is actually more dynamic and non-inherent than fixed wing, furthering the need for training. You will never figure out rear/front risers, flat turns or anything else on your own.

My advice to you is to not make another skydive until you have completed a comprehensive canopy course. I have a VERY good reason for this advice.

10 jumps after training, I had a brake line tension knot, locking me in half brakes on 1 side. I screwed around with it WAY too long and was really iffy for a reserve ride. I wrapped the other side around my hand to half brakes and the training took over. I landed on rear risers and stood it up even. I would have never thought of or learned rear risers on my own. I have no idea what I would have done without the training but I would have probably cut away pretty low.

DO NOT use these forums or Joe Bob Random observing your landings in leiu of formal instruction.

I was lucky to have Jim Slaton and crew teach me, but this is not experimental or ground breaking stuff, and there are plenty of people that are qualified to teach a basic course. (make sure they are) The classroom instruction was by far the most educational and vitally important training I have ever recieved in any discipline. I walked out in disbelief about how much I did not know about canopy flight. The classroom part was 3-4 hours if I recall, and every minute of it was vital. There was an exam at the end also. We did some jumps where they observed me, but the classroom was by far the most important.

I have several other examples of how Jims training got me out of a jam, and I have done 800 jumps since the class and I have stood up all of them. I am not going to go so far as to say the training saved my life, I will say that the fact that I never got a scratch skydiving is 100% attributable to the class.

I know you are on the East Coast and I have no idea who or where qualified classed are taught.

Does anyone know of a comprehensive course on the East Coast?

Even if you bought a plane ticket to get to one, it will be money well spent.

If you take the class and dont think it was VITAL, Ill send a case of beer your way.

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Does anyone know of a comprehensive course on the East Coast?



As far as the east coast canopy control course....adventurechick informed me of Scott Miller's canopy control course which is offered out of Skydive Deland. Im told that he is the best on the planet for canopy control. The website is http://www.freedomofflight.tv. I fully plan on attending the course after i complete AFF within the next couple of weeks. I hope this helps! B|
"Age has absolutely nothing to do with knowledge, learning, respect, attitude, or personality." -yardhippie
"Fight the air, and the air will kick your ass!!! "-Specialkaye

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Yes - this is the one you need to go to. This takes all day, and it should. This should be mandatory immediately after Jump 8.

It states on their website that this is for experienced jumpers too. I couldnt agree more. A few Weekend Warrior 'experienced' jumpers put on a demonstration on how not to fly your canopy every weekend.

If your jumpsuit is soiled more than a couple times a year, you need this course.

Im glad to see a DZ regulary scheduling these.

What impressed me most about Jim Slaton is the emphasis he put on the level commitment and training that learning High Performance Landings required and tried to talk us out of it if there were any doubts.

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They could certainly use a lot of work. Canopy control scares the crap out of me and I screwed up yesterday. I'm pretty stable in freefall so I ony have half of it to work on. As soon as the canopy opens that is when the "oh shit" mode sets in. Honestly I am up there thinking now what am I suppose to do! But I had two good jumps yesterday and two hard landings. I found my way back, turned into another jumper (thought I had enough room) and did not land where I was suppost to but I'm still here and ready to jump again! Now on to Cat D.



I had a bit of a landing problem after i changed from a student canopy to my own and i didnt go that small either its a 170. Stay with it it does get better. Look ahead when you flare NOT at the ground get people to watch, video if it helps take a two way up with you and get them to land you in, its better than landing on your head trust me on that one.
Stick with it and try not to think about it just do it itll fall into place :-)
```````````````````````````````````
" Cant keep a good woman down "
Angels have wings, but devils can fly !

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dude,

go do a canopy course, how much is a broken leg worth ? I had the same problem years ago. There wasn't a part of zhills that I hadn't smacked into, that and ending up in hospital in deland.

If you're having trouble landing safely you need to do a canopy control course, otherwise you're a statistic waiting for a date and a grid reference ...crutches for free.

there isin't a single person on this forum that didn't have the same problem, go do the course, dump high, practise flaring above 3 grand, get to know your canopy & get instruction

g'luck !

rgds

klr

'I came into this world kicking and screaming and covered in somebody elses blood, I plan to leave it the same way.'

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Hence "plowdirt"

smile quit looking down, work that flare all the way through.

I got jinxed, sometime and my landings didn't go good for a long time, but they were fun to say the least.

Keep your head on a swivle. And be somewhere close to where your supposed to start your pattern, it varies from place to place.

When my shoot used to open I would be like WWWWOOOOO WWWWHHHOOOOO, now for some more fun.

It gets better.

You got 9 FN jumps what do you except, to be on radio forever.

Have fun.
Don't die.

E

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If you get the time, go to Scott Millers Canopy course! It is worth every penny. He's a GREAT instructor and you learn so much about yourself and your canopy. Your confidence and skills will grow with time, as people are mentioning, but why keep dreading the landings?

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Dread the landings.........um........it's the whole canopy control. I'm probrably beating myself up too much.B|



I don't think you're beating yourself up too much.... you have respect for a very important part of the skydive. But, knowledge and skill takes practice and confidence. You've only had 3 solo landings. No-one should be expecting you to be perfect. Not even yourself. But... if the fear gets too overwhelming, it will ruin the whole fun of it.

Get some good and reliable help, and try to enjoy it.

Also... don't worry about the number of tandems - lots of people have many more and some of my best friends have only done (and only want to do) tandems. Each person progresses at his/her own rate. It's not a contest. It's a hobby, enjoy it.

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You are beating yourself up too much. No one is a "born skydiver" even the pro's sucked at one point as someone else already emtioned above. It takes time and prolly a bunch of screw ups. Im on level 4 aff and i have yet to stick a landing. I came close last jump if i had taken one step...but oh well...ya learn. Its not worth getting worked up though. Thats why they have PLF's B|
"Age has absolutely nothing to do with knowledge, learning, respect, attitude, or personality." -yardhippie
"Fight the air, and the air will kick your ass!!! "-Specialkaye

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Ooh dear, can I identify with you. The entire school at Eloy remembers my horrible landings last November during AFF. I actually still have marks and sore spots on my body from the horrible bruises I sustained.

I went back last month to finish my A. I made them put me back on the radio for two more jumps, during which time I really focused on what the ground looked like at flare time. Then I took myself off radio and stood up the rest of my landings. NOT ONE NEW BRUISE!!!!!

Pull higher (let them know) so you have more time under canopy to think about what you need to do. And everyone will tell you, and it is SO true, that it's 99% mental. Plus getting the upperbody strength to finish that damn flare!! :)
You'll get it, please don't get discouraged. Skydiving is sooo much more fun once you've stopped hurting yourself during the landings. :)

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