Flaring

[Di0 1]

dmaline

I'm hoping that if i end up flaring too early, i can just hold it at half brakes until i am close enough to the ground ...

Yup.
Don't do like I did on my 2nd jump, when I realized I went there too soon, I "smartly" decided to let go the brakes, almost immediately visualized in my head my AFFI telling me not to do that for any reason at that stage during my FJP, went back to half brakes and flared the s*** out of it. It still wasn't enough to avoid me a PLF under a sinking canopy, but thankfully that was the only consequence of my stupid mistake. I was jumping a student 220, so that surely helps in forgiving you these mishaps when you learn.

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.

[sundevil777 93]

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even if you flared at 20 ft, you should be able to mush in and not get hurt as long as you have a good PLF.)

Quite right! I think it is so important for new jumpers to realize that their big student canopies are pretty good at doing a steady deep brake landing, but perhaps they should also be mentioned that just holding a full (all the way down) flare is usually not be the best way to do it. I understand that by saying "mush it in" you're conveying that, but I think newbies might not realize that it means that they still need to do more than just hold a deep flare. They need to know that they still need to fly it, and that might mean letting up just a little to keep the canopy from rocking back too much. Of course they must also know that letting up too much will make it surge forward/down. This is all obvious stuff to many, especially those that have had the opportunity to watch real competition type accuracy approaches/landings. It gets to skills that novices might really need to know, in case they flare way too early, or if they really need to put it down into a tight area when landing off the DZ for instance.

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At the same time, ideally everyone takes just a little bit of time during the flare to adjust it. Start the flare, take a split second to see how it is going as far as levelling you out, and then finish off faster or slower depending on whether the flare is going to slow you down nicely to a point just above the ground. One doesn't want to haul down on the toggles as fast as possible, even if that is one of the ways taught to students for simplicity. That takes away your ability to adjust for being even 1 foot high or 1 foot low when you hammer the toggles down.

Well said.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[wolfriverjoe 1,341]

frogerina

While talking about flaring...a rank newbie question. (2 jumps, 2 landings into AFF process). How quickly do you bring the toggles down for that flare? I feel like I've been "sneaking" them down slowly, and haven't yet managed to get into a full flare until I'm somewhat hurriedly practicing my PLF skills.

On my first jump course, my instructors just talked about a full flare; after second jump, a different instructor mentioned staging the flare -- thanks to those who have described it. As a scrawny girl on a ginormous canopy (nice to soften the landings, but a lot of umph to flare!) I think that I could have more success with this.

Looking forward to my next jump and spending more time working on the flare up high. But yeah...how fast do you perform that flare?

You need to pull the toggles down fast enough that they are all the way down before you hit the ground.

That is not a smartass answer. There's a post that mentions stopping a car. It's not too bad of an analogy.

If you start your flare a little early, you pull them down slower. If you start it a little late you pull down faster.

But if you flare too slowly, because you started too high, then you tend to "mush out" the flare, that's not what you want, If you flare too fast, then you can pop up, or not have the canopy react fast enough. Also, the faster you flare, the more you pendulum out in front of it. This can be used to your advantage, if you time it so that you touch down just as you start to swing back, you will have the smoothest, slowest landing.

But that takes practice.
All of this takes practice. And you've practiced it twice.

Make sure you have a good PLF, it's a good skill to have in your toolbox. And don't hesitate to use it, even after you've learned to land properly.
Far better to have to wash grassstains out than to get hurt.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Keithor 0]

Get an 8' ladder and stand on the sixth step up looking out over your yard. Pick a spot about 20 or so feet away and try to get that perspective.

I have worked in construction for a very long time and after my instructor told me to look out instead of down it changed everything. You might look a bit stupid staring at nothing while standing on a ladder in the yard but better than feeling shitty for breaking an ankle.

Hope this helps

[dmaline 0]

Somehow, on jump #24, something clicked and i had the softest landing i've ever had ... it was a beautifully timed 2-stage flare ... then on #25 and my first jump as a licensed skydiver #26, i had 2 hard landings. I know i ended up flaring too early on both of them. Back to square one and trying to figure out the perfect time to flare ...

On #24, i did some practice flares in the air, and i think what helped was i did a couple with my eyes closed. Just need to keep practicing!

[DocPop 1]

dmaline

Somehow, on jump #24, something clicked and i had the softest landing i've ever had ... it was a beautifully timed 2-stage flare ... then on #25 and my first jump as a licensed skydiver #26, i had 2 hard landings. I know i ended up flaring too early on both of them. Back to square one and trying to figure out the perfect time to flare ...

On #24, i did some practice flares in the air, and i think what helped was i did a couple with my eyes closed. Just need to keep practicing!

Thanks for the update - good to hear you have one reference point for how it should feel! There will be more good ones, but it's not realistic to think that you have nailed such a tricky and dynamic thing after one good experience; it's just not that easy!

You know what you have to do and, again, I wish you all the best!

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

dmaline

Somehow, on jump #24, something clicked and i had the softest landing i've ever had ... it was a beautifully timed 2-stage flare ... then on #25 and my first jump as a licensed skydiver #26, i had 2 hard landings. I know i ended up flaring too early on both of them. Back to square one and trying to figure out the perfect time to flare ...

On #24, i did some practice flares in the air, and i think what helped was i did a couple with my eyes closed. Just need to keep practicing!

Do you remember if you were looking out toward the horizon on the good landing? Once you get the sight picture locked in, you'll just "know" when to flare. If you're looking down it's easy to get freaked out by how fast it seems like you're going. I'm sure that led to a lot of my high flares early on. I still have to occasionally remind myself where I need to be looking in the last 30-40 feet.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[dmaline 0]

Im fairly certain i was looking out ... i kept reminding myself to look out and not down ... i know its not going to come perfectly for a while, but i just want to stop my rough landings ...

[NorrinRadd 0]

This is why I like the tandem progression that they teach at my DZ... two tandems with the instructor teaching you about these things, right there with you, ready to help if needed.

Why drive myself crazy trying to be normal, when I am already at crazy?

[dmaline 0]

At my DZ, you are on radio until you are comfortable with the landing pattern and landing on your own. The person on the ground has been doing this for so long he knew where 1000ft, 600ft and 300 ft was and could tell you when you needed to turn if you werent sure. Also, he knew just when to flare. Its similar - like having training wheels. Its annoying when you think you have it, then you PLF.