First AFF Jump - Curious About Piloting

[l_ek0 0]

I have 3 tandems and am considering doing my first AFF jump. I'm curious to experiences of how challenging canopy piloting was as a student. By that I mean just landing at the dropzone and avoiding hazards. How quickly did you notice improvement?

[aeio540 0]

They'll set you up on a pretty big canopy that is decently slow and not twitchy or very difficult to control. They will also take you out and go over possible obstacles at the DZ and how to execute a proper landing pattern. As long as you pay attention during your first jump course, you'll be okay. You will also probably be allowed to jump only on a calm-ish day.

On my first jump course we talked and retalked, and then talked s'more about entering the pattern, what to do, what not to do, emergency procedures and practice PLFs until I could do them in my sleep. (Literally, if you find me napping and startle me, I'll get up, PLF, and fall back asleep).

[chuckakers 370]

l_ek0

I have 3 tandems and am considering doing my first AFF jump. I'm curious to experiences of how challenging canopy piloting was as a student. By that I mean just landing at the dropzone and avoiding hazards. How quickly did you notice improvement?

Think less, fly more. That's the advice I give for freefall and canopy control. Don't worry so much about the minutia.

The key in the early stages is to put yourself at the assigned places over the ground at the assigned altitudes.

To do that think backwards. If you want to be at a specific spot at a specific altitude, that will be easiest if you are at the position you are supposed to be at the checkpoint above that one.

Let's begin...

If you are downwind of your target facing into the wind at your assigned altitude to begin final approach, you will land where you are supposed to.

If you are where you are supposed to be at the assigned altitude to begin flying your pattern, you will be able to be downwind of your target facing into the wind at your assigned altitude to begin final approach.

If you are where you are supposed to be at altitudes between the start of your pattern and your deployment position you will be able to be where you are supposed to be when it's time to start flying your pattern.

That just leaves one thing - being where you are supposed to be when you exit the plane. Leave that to your instructor for now.

Remember that good canopy control is a lot like staying within the boundaries of an invisible funnel. Up high the margins are big. If you are a bit out of position it's not a big deal. You have the time and altitude to make corrections. As you get lower, the "funnel" of success gets smaller. If you are too far from the correct place, you will be outside the boundaries of the funnel without sufficient gliding capability to end up where you want to.

The closer (lower) you get the more critical being in the correct place becomes.

Using constant checkpoints of altitude vs position will keep you inside the funnel and make being "downwind of your target facing into the wind at your assigned altitude to begin final approach" a piece of cake.

An then of course there's the flare.....

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[PixieUK 0]

l_ek0

I'm curious to experiences of how challenging canopy piloting was as a student. By that I mean just landing at the dropzone and avoiding hazards. How quickly did you notice improvement?

I've done 1 tandem and have just started AFF but haven't had light enough winds to actually jump yet. Hopefully tomorrow!!

From what I can gather, a student canopy is a bit like an automatic car on cruise control. If we don't touch the handles, it will happily keep flying in a straight line - all we have to do is learn to steer. We can turn left or right or by pulling both at the same time, put on the brakes. So if we line it up correctly (using the wind sock on the landing area as a guide), and make gentle corrections as necessary to stay on that course, it should be relatively straightforward. The complicated bit comes in landing under stronger winds, at different angles off the wind, or in squirrelly winds that change at the last minte etc etc and we don't do that stuff as students because we are only allowed to jump in very light winds.
And hopefully you will have a working radio so your instructors will be telling you what to do at each point anyway

Nice theory, I'll let you know tomorrow if it works out that simple

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

[davelepka 4]

Quote

how challenging canopy piloting was as a student

As mentioned, you will be given a very large and forgiving student canopy on your first dozen (or so) jumps.

You will also be limited to jumping in favorable (or better) weather conditions, and your instructors will carefully control where you are allowed to jump out of the plane in relation to the DZ (they'll put you in an 'ideal' spot).

Canopy flight and obstacle identification and avoidance will be taught during your first jump course.

You will be shown how to 'flight plan' your canopy ride for the given winds on jump day, and your instructors will go over that plan with you before you board the plane.

Finally, as a back up, most DZs will provide you with a one-way radio so an instructor on the ground can give your assistance/direction while you are under canopy.

Given the above, you can see that your odds of making a safe landing are better than average. Keep in mind that landing on the DZ is far less important than landing in a clear, open area.

[obelixtim 100]

Quote

From what I can gather, a student canopy is a bit like an automatic car on cruise control. If we don't touch the handles, it will happily keep flying in a straight line -

Not true, you can induce a turn by adjusting your weight in the harness. A deflated end cell will cause the canopy to turn.

Don't let the toggles go until after you've landed. You have to be in control of the canopy at all times.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[PixieUK 0]

l_ek0

I'm curious to experiences of how challenging canopy piloting was as a student. By that I mean just landing at the dropzone and avoiding hazards.

I did my first AFF jump yesterday and was given a HUGE canopy (280 sq ft). I weigh about 140 lbs and it's supposed to be ok for up to 266 lbs so it took a long time to get down, lol.

Turning it was very easy, as was flaring. I found it easy to make little adjustments which was just as well as my radio wasn't working until I was at about 1800' and I was already planning my landing unassisted. In the event, my instructor was able to talk me down and I landed very gently on my feet - until a gust of wind caught my chute and pulled me over backwards . It was more difficult to try and collapse my canopy than to fly it

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

[nadominhoca 0]

Nice!!!! First of all, congrats for the jump!!! Bet you had a lot of fun, and it was an intensive learning process for you!!!

You are right a 280 canopy is HUUUGE for you!!! I have about the same weight as you, and I started jumping with a 240, which was also very big for me!!

Never relly on your radio and your instructor! You should allways have your plan to land, according with you were taught by your instructors during your briefing. Of course, weather conditions may chenge during your flight, so allways pay attention to the arrow and wind socks, and specially to other jumpers!! Allways keep monitoring the traffic..

I'm jumping with a 190 lately and sometimes I still have problems to take all of that air from the canopy after I land!! hehehe!!! A big canopy definitely can pull you to the ground if you take too much time to colapse it.. just try to be quicker next time!!

Keep jumping! Be safe and have fun!!

[wicodefly 0]

I am a newb, so grain of salt.

My first AFF jump was awesome! I actually had a triple line twist when I deployed, didn't panic or anything. After trying to kick myself out of it twice and not being successful, I actually put my hand on my cutaway handle and found the reserve one. I checked my altitude and was falling slowly and was well above my decision altitude. I mustered up some more strength and was able to kick out of it the third time. Did all my checks and I was good to go.

The flight down was beautiful. My instructor talked me through a nice landing. I landed in the secondary field and did my PLF. Flared a little high probably because I was looking down and not at about 45 degrees.

The next two of three landings I learned a lot more and am getting better at it. The last few have been awesome! I was able to get a video of me landing that really helped me out.

Best of luck! There is nothing like skydiving!

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[dthames 0]

l_ek0

I have 3 tandems and am considering doing my first AFF jump. I'm curious to experiences of how challenging canopy piloting was as a student. By that I mean just landing at the dropzone and avoiding hazards. How quickly did you notice improvement?

I think a student's knowledge of flight will come into play a great deal when you focus on the question, "How quickly did you notice improvement?"

Imagine 2 students.

#1 knows nothing about a pattern, nothing about how the wing works, nothing about now to stay under the wing, and nothing about the energy that is in the system can be used to flare for a landing. With zero knowledge they might really suck and "improvement" come rapidly.

#2 knows some about what was mentioned above but has no experience. However, he/she does pretty well the first time and the next few times after that. As experience builds, the jumper improves.

Even jumper 1, if they do what was taught in the class will do pretty well.

You might find it interesting to visit the DZ on a day where several student do their first jump. Often you will see a wide range of skills from the first jump students. A friend of mine took his 3 kids and a family friend for the 5 of them to do a first jump SL jump. 2 PLFs, 2 stand ups, 1 twisted ankle from not flaring.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[Di0 1]

PixieUK

It was more difficult to try and collapse my canopy than to fly it

Again, never take up advices from a guy on the internet, even less since I'm a newbie, but the correct technique in these cases should be, once you're solidly on the ground, to let go one toggle and pull hard on the other one: the canopy will beautifully collapse itself on the ground without problems.

Make sure you're no longer "flying" when you try that... if your weight is still even partially supported by the canopy, it might hurt. And ask your instructors, but this is pretty much what everybody else told on how to collapse the canopy at the end (especially tandem instructors who fly huge canopies).

It might also simply be that a 280sqft is just humongous, I weight about ~150lbs and I started on a Navigator 220 (it's a canopy designed specifically for students, so you can go a little smaller because it has very forgiving flying characteristics), which I always found to be a very good balance for a beginner like me.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[PixieUK 0]

Di0

*** It was more difficult to try and collapse my canopy than to fly it

the correct technique in these cases should be, once you're solidly on the ground, to let go one toggle and pull hard on the other one: the canopy will beautifully collapse itself on the ground without problems.

. My instructor said I could try a 240 for my next jump...

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr