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Groundbound

Tandem exit analysis

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I have been looking at the video of my first (tandem) jump (I am the student). It seems like we do an awful lot of oscillations and I want to learn more about it.
I have uploaded the file to skydivingmovies.com but it takes a while to get approved I guess.

Here is what I see. Maybe I am microanalysing it and the answer is, "you'll only learn to fly when you go solo" or "you just need to learn a stable exit" but I am still interested in what can be done to avoid the extremes in motions.

Here is what I saw:
It seems like the motion was similar to an airplane, about the three axes of pitch(nose up and down), roll(turning about the head to toe axis), and yaw (turning about the axis from your back to your belly).

As we left, we exited facing rearward to the airplane's direction of flight. We fell to a horizontal position. Then we started a yaw to the left that did not stop until 1&1/2 turns, ie we started north, then westsoutheast and north again, keep going around to west and finally south when we stabilized.
In pitch, we did this:
70degrees down, then 70 up, then 90 down, then 90 up then level, then 50 up and finally stabilized at level.
In roll, we started face down, then rolled right to almost on our backs, about 150 degrees, back to the left almost to 90 degrees, 90right then 90left then back to level.

Things really got better after the drogue comes out, but even then it was not stable right away. When the vid comes up it may become clearer from our limb movement what was going on.

The main thing is I want to go again tandem without causing the amusement park ride that we had in this one... I want to improve!
Thanks

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Yup, what EFS said. Your legs are all over the place and it would appear that the TM was working on nulling out the turn you were inducing.:)
Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

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Yup, what EFS said. Your legs are all over the place and it would appear that the TM was working on nulling out the turn you were inducing.:)



Thanks Kris.
I didn't see my legs move but once, near the end of the clip when I remembered, "hey, fold the legs like he said!" and I bent them up and back. Otherwise I don't see them moving much.
Still think the legs caused the rolling and pitching?

I am working on getting the video where everyone can view it, I still can't.

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Hi Dave!

First of all I want to say that your exit really wasn't that bad, and that it's not worth picking apart frame by frame.

Of course, your attitude about wanting to improve is excellent, especially if you harness it and keep the elements from each skydive you want to improve on in perspective.

If I had been your Tandem Instructor, I would have had these recommendations for your next tandem:

-Relax. You look a bit stiff. Smile, breathe, and relax.

-Look up, not at the ground. Looking up encourages a natural arch.

-Learn your "positive legs" position. Your legs were out a little too far on exit. Work with your Instructor on the creeper to find what your ideal leg position feels like, and re-create that once you leave the aircraft.

You are correct in your analysis of the movements being on three axes like an aircraft. The ability to understand and apply those concepts will come in handy later on in your skydive. For now, you should concentrate on your hips being the only low point in your arch, and body symmetry.

Spend some time talking it over with the Instructor that will take you on your next skydive. They are your best skydiving information resource at this stage in your skydiving career.

Be safe and have fun! B|
Arrive Safely

John

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Hey thanks for the great input... 'I looked a bit tense' Are you kidding, I was a wired tight like sprung steel! Yes maybe I will learn to relax a bit. And hold the legs better. Glad someone could see the video.
It just seemed that compared to an airplane, with all the up and down, rolling gyrations that someone was putting a lot of inputs into the control surfaces but when I look at the tape I see very little.


Quote

Hi Dave!
First of all I want to say that your exit really wasn't that bad, and that it's not worth picking apart frame by frame.
Of course, your attitude about wanting to improve is excellent, especially if you harness it and keep the elements from each skydive you want to improve on in perspective.
If I had been your Tandem Instructor, I would have had these recommendations for your next tandem:
-Relax. You look a bit stiff. Smile, breathe, and relax.
-Look up, not at the ground. Looking up encourages a natural arch.
-Learn your "positive legs" position. Your legs were out a little too far on exit. Work with your Instructor on the creeper to find what your ideal leg position feels like, and re-create that once you leave the aircraft.
You are correct in your analysis of the movements being on three axes like an aircraft. The ability to understand and apply those concepts will come in handy later on in your skydive. For now, you should concentrate on your hips being the only low point in your arch, and body symmetry.
Spend some time talking it over with the Instructor that will take you on your next skydive. They are your best skydiving information resource at this stage in your skydiving career.
Be safe and have fun! B|

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