How wingloading works!

[Skyhighbird 0]

Hey everyone,

This might seem like a really stupid question but how does wingloading work?

I have done a search on wingloading 101 but haven't seen anything, just wondering if anyone could help?

Thanks

-Jimmy

Wanna Hug It Out, Lets Hug It Out..Bitch!

[deadbug 0]

Do you mean how do I determine my wing loading? If thats your question, take your exit weight (that's your weight + the weight of anything you might be wearing when you leave the plane ie. rig, skid lid, jumpsuit and shoes, you get the picture), devided by the square footage of your canopy. 200lb exit weight 135 square foot main = wing loading of 1.48.
Doug

[dragon2 0]

You calculate wingload by dividing your exit weight (=you, clothes, rig, helmet, lead if you wear it, etc) in lbs by the square footage of your canopy.

The result is a number like WL 1.0 which is generally recommended for newer jumpers, it tells you something about how fast the canopy will react, however the WL by itself isn't the whole story. The smaller the canopy the faster it will be and the faster it will react to inputs so if you're a very light jumper and a WL of 1.0 would put you under a 135 or 120 that's not a good idea for a first canopy, any canopy 150 or smaller is considered high performance, so for heavier jumpers generally higher wingloads are acceptable than for lighter jumpers. Also of course the type of canopy makes a difference in how it reacts. Also the altitude at which your landing area is makes a difference.

There are a few charts with recommended (or in some countries mandatory) rules about canopy size and sometimes currency, canopy type etc, try searching for Brian Germain's canopy chart here that should give you a good idea.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Skyhighbird 0]

Great thanks to both of you & sorry if the question wasn't said the right way!
I have found the chart!!!

Thanks a bunch!!

Wanna Hug It Out, Lets Hug It Out..Bitch!