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ciscobiz

Crash Landing: Trees

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Hi,

I'm AFF student who got to L5 but landed downwind and got dragged into some trees about 10m. It was a small DZ. I understand the basics of landing but could do with more theory. FF and CC are good, but I need more tuition on approach, base and final leg. I was at 250ft on final leg and thought it too late to turn though the instructors said this was ok afterward.

Could you please advise of books, articles or personal advice so I can improve for when the stitches come out?

Thanks,

Chris
Best, - Chris

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Your instructors are most likely going to be your best point of information for this - they know what gear you are using and how you fly. I would recommend having a sit-down with them and asking them your questions.
Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

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Are you planning on continuing training at a different DZ? If so, speak about the incident with your new instructors. Tell them what happened and that you are looking for more information on flying your canopy, or what they feel your options were at that point.

Doing a search on canopy control would probably give you quite a bit of information, but ANY information you receive from an outside source should be discussed with your instructors.
Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

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Hi,

Yes, I will continue at another DZ - probably Perris in February where no doubt I will have to do the whole lot again, but hopefully I will get more instructor time there. The DZ I've just come from were more interested in Tandems than instructing me in the early stages.

Chris
Best, - Chris

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as well as learning from your instructors ask if you could be under radio guidence until you get the hang of things.
One thing though that you might want to be taught about-ask instructors..........
when you are coming in for landing, while coming in for landing, if you point your foot to where you want to land.......if you keep your foot still and that landing spot moves under your foot, it means you are going to go past your landing spot, if it goes above your landing spot it means you are going to fall short of your landing spot. if it stays under your foot, that is where you should land.


Ask about this, do not think from what i have written means that you fully understand what i have tried to explain, i am not an instructor, but this did help me alot.


.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

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Something you might try is, do a tandem jump! When I was first getting started in the sport, I was having a similar problem. One of our tandem instructors suggested I take a ride with him. He told me also, as soon as we landed, get my gear on and make a jump. He said if I 'screwed-up', he'd throw rocks at me.:D I landed exactly where we had previously landed under tandem. It really helped me. After doing the tandem, I had a much better 'feel' for things. Just a suggestion.

Chuck

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Hi,

I'm AFF student who got to L5 but landed downwind and got dragged into some trees about 10m. I was at 250ft on final leg and thought it too late to turn though the instructors said this was ok afterward.



Hi Chris,
I'm a student, too. I had a similiar problem on one of my jumps where I landed in the corn. I, too, felt like I shouldn't make a turn. I think it might be because we get drilled so much on NO LOW TURNS that we think we shouldn't turn at all. But my instructor told me that I still need to steer. So I should make small corrections, never past the green zone, when I am on final.
What helped me was to hear their corrections on the radio. I would be thinking of turning, and then I'd hear them tell me to, so that would reinforce what I thought. My approach still needs lots of work, but I do have a better feeling about when/how to turn to put myself where I want to be instead of in the corn. ;)

Just my experience... :)
"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

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Hi,

Yes, I will continue at another DZ - probably Perris in February where no doubt I will have to do the whole lot again, but hopefully I will get more instructor time there. The DZ I've just come from were more interested in Tandems than instructing me in the early stages.

Chris



Perris has a *lot* of space, the student landing circle alone is massive and it sits in the middle of an even bigger flat triangle. Much less for you to worry about flying your pattern.

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but I need more tuition on approach, base and final leg. I was at 250ft on final leg and thought it too late to turn though the instructors said this was ok afterward.



I would alway advise student jumpers to speak to their instructor rather than taking advise from others (not that others are not qualified to give advise, just that instructors are responsible for your training).

That said, if you have placed yourself to close to a hazzard for comfort then there are maneuvers that can help (one is following a 'S' pattern. Your instructor will explain this and others if you ask him).

A number of jumpers are hurt by flying into hazzards due to 'target fixation' or just thinking 'I MUST stay into wind below XXX ft because the instructor told me not to turn below that height'.

TALK TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR, PLEASE.


Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

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as well as learning from your instructors ask if you could be under radio guidence until you get the hang of things.



I, personally, would not advise this option as I believe that with radio available you MAY have a tendency to rely on it rather than learning to do it yourself but this is MY opinion based on MY presonal experiences. We are not all the same so it MAY work for some.

I know of a S/L student who was worried (as most are) about being able to control the canopy correctly on his first jump even with radio. He lost his helmet & radio on exit (impact with step) and HAD to rely on his retained knowledge. His was the best canopy control of the students on the lift & the others did (more or less) what they were told over the radio.

I had radio on my first 3 jumps only.

1: Full talkdown + flare assistance.
2: Limited talkdown + flare assistance.
3: No talkdown (although if I appeared to having problems then some guidance would have been given) + flare assistance.

This was normal procedure for every student.

On occasions radios were offered to the more nervious student up to jump 5 but this consisted of flare assistance and comments such as 'I'm not talking to you', 'Does my voice sound sexy over the radio' & 'He He, I bet it's cold up there!'

Talk to your instructor.


Get out, Land on a green bit. If you get the pull somewhere in between it would help.

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i totally agree with you mate, it is not for everyone. I do however think it can assist the ones who have great trouble. Rather that than leaving it to someone who does not know how to help themselves. I personally used radio for about 5 jumps, just for landing on the last three, i probably did not need the guidence but felt safer. When i realised i knew what i was doing i stopped with the radio. we all need to build confidence, weather it be fast or slow.
Each to their own.
I just think the option should be there for the person.


.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

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Hi,

Thanks everyone for their thoughts. No radios on the course but we did have a big arrow which I followed to guide me in. I have to say that I agree with the poster who said that radios wil be similar - I didn't learn anything about what I was doing because I was too busy following the arrow. This was my first unaided jump and i so nearly got it right, then went for the downwind landing because i wasn't sure what would happened if i turned and it turned out to be too low. I only remembered the "NO LOW TURNS" rule. In any event I did learn a lot because i had to gauge every thing for myself this time around.

I'll do better next time - esp if the dropzone at Perris is bigger than the one I've just come from.

Cheers,

Chris
Best, - Chris

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I`m not sure if its about the size of the place. I was told what patter to fly and what are my turning points.

Ask your instructor about those points. don`t worry so much. I`ve f***ed up my landing pattern and I`ve almost landed on trees on jump nr 50+.

Get or make a good plan(about your landing) and stick to it.

Edit: spelling

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I am still currently under radio at Jump 19...Ready to finally pull myself off...I keep the radio for so long to build my confidence. I flared at
30 feet when they were about to pull the radio from me. (that landing I actually could have stood up thanks to the wind and light wingloading) But scared the hell out of me because I know what could have happened.

All they have been doing since is telling jokes over the radio and singing to me, giving me minor corrections when needed.

My last jump I did a brake turn into my final, I was scared they were going to yell at me. It was the lowest I had ever turned into my final. I got down and said I was sorry. They basically said what for? You did the right thing, and that my landing was beautiful. Stood it up without even needing to take a step.

After that I decided to pull myself.

I guess what I would say is stick with what will work for you and what makes you comfrotable and what makes you feel safe.

Just my 2 cents.
*******
Punky Monkey
You may never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them how to fly in formation

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