Tracking Problem

[phonics1981 0]

When I start a track, it starts off ok then I quickly do a 180! As far as i'm aware, i'm not shifting body position (obviously i am but I dont know where!)

Any suggestions?

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[lazyfrog 0]

180 flat or vertical ???

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Fumer tue, péter pue
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ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579

[Luv2Fall 0]

Are you picking a point on the horizon and focusing on that?

[SCR10480 0]

Stop bending at the waist. Roll your shoulders forward, but keep your head back (looking up) and point your toes to straighten out your legs. DO NOT put your feet together! Keep your feet just less than shoulder width apart, and fly your arms (palm down, hands cupped) 6 to 8 inches out to your side...and Haul Ass!

[Hooknswoop 19]

Try not bringing your arms back so much and make sure you extend you legs completely before sweeping your arms back.

Flat Tracking:

Tracking is a maneuver by which a skydiver can add significant horizontal movement to the vertical descent of free fall. It is used to gain separation from other skydivers making it safe to deploy their canopies without risk of collision. Flat tracking is the further refinement of tracking, gaining more horizontal distance for the same amount of altitude lost/used.

The more horizontal distance skydivers can achieve by tracking between the break off and pull altitudes, the safer they are. With the proliferation of very small, highly loaded, ultra high performance canopies, horizontal separation has become more critical. Canopy performance has out-paced tracking skills, especially as the median experience level of pilots flying their first high performance canopy declines. Instead of a skydiver piloting their first small, fully elliptical canopy after refining their tracking abilities over five hundred or more skydives, some skydivers are flying these canopies with less than one hundred skydives. In some cases, their tracking skills may not be up to the task. Body position and stability at opening are more important on high performance canopies, with even a slight turn or unevenness capable of creating line twists. This is sometimes not completely understood by lower experienced skydivers. The higher potential for line twists on opening combined with less than adequate tracking skills and high performance canopies creates a potentially dangerous combination.

Ensuring sufficient separation at pull time starts with setting a break off altitude high enough above pull altitude to give everyone enough altitude to track. Plan your break off altitude for the worst case scenario by starting at the highest pull altitude in the group and working backwards. Add enough altitude to that altitude for tracking, based on the size of the group. The larger the group, the more altitude that is necessary to be set-aside for tracking. Then add in enough altitude to allow enough time for the two highest performance canopies in the group to kick out line twists, while flying directly at each other, and turn away without a collision.

On the flip side of the coin, a very experienced skydiver, due to complacency from an adequate track and separation for the larger, lower performance canopies they have flown for years, over thousands of skydives, is no longer sufficient for the new, high performance canopy they recently purchased. This is not to say their canopy control skills are not up to the task, but the ability to flat track is a critical component to safely flying high performance canopies. Also, it can be difficult for a highly experienced skydiver to admit that their tracking skills need improving to keep the same safety margin they had with their previous, larger canopy.

Flat tracking achieves more horizontal separation by slowing the skydivers fall rate and by creating a low-pressure area near where he reserve pilot chute sits on the back. This low pressure acts as lift, the same way lift is created over the upper surface of an aircraft's wing. Slowing the fall rate and producing lift both decrease the steep-ness of the track, increasing the distance covered for the same amount of altitude used.

Creating the low-pressure area is done by mimicking the shape of an aircraft's wing. In a flat track, as seen from the side, the upper surface of your body should be shaped similar to the upper surface of a wing. To get a good experience of this body position, get permission from the owner and/or pilot of a twin otter first. Explain to them what it is you want to do and have them show you how to climb up on top of the wing without damaging the aircraft. Then lay on the wing facing forward with your chin even with the leading edge of the wing. Matching the curve of the wing in free fall generates lift, producing a flatter tack. If a twin otter is not available, find someone to coach you and stand next to the wing tip of your DZ's jump ship and assume the flat tracking position. Have your coach use the curve of the wing as a guide to adjust your body position to resemble the curve of the wing.

Slowing the fall rate is achieved by presenting as much surface area towards the ground as possible, "cupping" air. De-arch slightly, tighten the abdomen muscles, point your toes, completely straighten the legs, and shrug the shoulders as far up towards the ears and down towards the ground as possible. Tightening the leg straps on the harness too much will restrict the shrugging of the shoulders, decreasing/limiting flat tracking performance. Of course, do not wear your leg straps so loose as to compromise safety.

Booties on your jump suit improves the initial acceleration of tracking by providing heading control and increases the maximum horizontal distance of a track.

A diving track gains horizontal distance and gives the tracker a sense of security and correct performance from the increase in speed he/she can readily feel. This feeling of security is false, as the tracker could gain more distance using a flat track, and therefore more separation, while feeling less speed.


Jumper "A" and "B" both track for 2000 feet, but because jumper "B" can flat track, he moves farther horizontally than jumper "A" does in a diving track.

Turning away from the formation and diving at break off to generate speed and then into a flat track is not the best technique to gain the maximum separation.

Again jumper "B" will out distance jumper "A" with a flat track. Jumper "A" will arrive at pull altitude before jumper "B".

On every skydive you are presented with an opportunity to practice, experiment and refine your tracking. Never be satisfied with your track, always strive to improve it. If you are going to spend an entire (or good percentage of a skydive tracking, let manifest, the pilot, and everyone else on the aircraft know your intentions. Generally trackers exit last, tracking perpendicular to the jump run for 9 seconds and then turning back in the direction of the drop zone, paralleling the jump run. This should leave plenty of separation from other jumpers. Exiting after a large group may require a longer track perpendicular to jump run before turning to parallel. Make sure, regardless of your position in the exit order, that you do not track over the top of any skydivers exiting before you, or track up under any skydivers that exited after you.

Flat tracking is a survival skill. The sport has recognized the need for more advanced canopy piloting training to curb the growing number injuries and fatalities associated with high performance canopies. Flat tracking training must keep pace with canopy development. The ability to flat track is important even for skydivers that don't fly high performance canopies. Awesome canopy piloting skills are worthless if you in a canopy collision on opening.

Derek

[phonics1981 0]

Flat. I start off going straight then do a 180 (left) almost on the spot!

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[phonics1981 0]

Yeah, I pick a heading and keep looking at it. I think I may be bending my waist slightly, hence I always turn to the left.

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[lazyfrog 0]

maybe you are not symmetrical ??? or increase the movement to do a 360 and continue...

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Fumer tue, péter pue
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ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579

[phonics1981 0]

I had a problem a while back where I had an slight left turn when falling. I found that the problem was with my legs as they werent level. Could this be the same with tracking?

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"Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!"
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[lazyfrog 0]

can be... will keep you turning...

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Fumer tue, péter pue
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ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579

[skydivejersey 0]

yes. or often one shoulder dropped. You steer with your shoulders in a track try dropping the right shoulder and see what happens. It will come...!

[tbrown 26]

Watch some film footage of Olympic ski jumpers too. Those guys are excellent trackers, though they probably have a different name for it. Only you don't have to worry about keeping a pair of skis straight!

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Scrumpot 1]

I'm surprised no one has suggested this to you yet. ...Watch a video of a ski jumper? ...

How about video of YOURSELF!
Get someone who you KNOW is a proficient tracker or tracker/tracking dive organizer to jump with you & provide VIDEO. Then debrief that & go back up & DO IT AGAIN!

That's the best way to ACCURATELY determine your deficiencies/potential corrections to those. ...Not on HERE where we can't see you 1st hand.

Hooknswoop gives you a pretty comprehensive write-up on most of the facets of tracking, however WITHOUT SEEING YOU anything really, is just "guesswork" in it's applicability.

Good luck, and Blue Skies!
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Zenister 0]

wow! very very nice Hook!

I believe i have a good natural track being 6'4 i think i also get lazy sometimes because of it...simply reading thru that, and visualizing it as a checklist as you transition really helps the process.....i highly recommend smaller scale dedicated tracking dives where you can really push each others to be "flatter than thou"


track, track track......

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[mjosparky 3]

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Yeah, I pick a heading and keep looking at it. I think I may be bending my waist slightly, hence I always turn to the left.

Try doing a relaxed delta first. Body flat, legs a little wider then you shoulders and your arms angled out from you body. As you get comfortable with the delta start trimming it up. First, arms and legs coming in then rolling and cupping the shoulders and last put your butt in the air your chin on your chest and rock.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[SpeedRacer 1]

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your chin on your chest and rock.

chin on your chest??
This is something I'm confused about: how do you hold your head when flat tracking. I know you're supposed to shrug your shoulders up, but shouldn't you be looking forward? or should you tilt your chin down onto your chest (which means you'd be looking down)?

Speed Racer
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[Mad47 0]

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Jumper "A" and "B" both track for 2000 feet, but because jumper "B" can flat track, he moves farther horizontally than jumper "A" does in a diving track.

Turning away from the formation and diving at break off to generate speed and then into a flat track is not the best technique to gain the maximum separation.

Again jumper "B" will out distance jumper "A" with a flat track. Jumper "A" will arrive at pull altitude before jumper "B".

I wonder, if two jumpers appear to be on big formation load, and on break off jumper A leaves on first wave whereas jumper B leaves on second wave. Despite the delay between two waves there is still a theoretical possibility for jumper B (good tracker) to end up right above the jumper A (bad tracker) on pull time. Besides scanning the airspace, what would be the best strategy for jumper B to avoid this situation?

[Hooknswoop 19]

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I wonder, if two jumpers appear to be on big formation load, and on break off jumper A leaves on first wave whereas jumper B leaves on second wave. Despite the delay between two waves there is still a theoretical possibility for jumper B (good tracker) to end up right above the jumper A (bad tracker) on pull time. Besides scanning the airspace, what would be the best strategy for jumper B to avoid this situation?

I have run into this problem, catching the outer wave. I am almost never in towards the center, but we were doing the same big-way and moving groups of 3-4 around the formation. I turned to leave, started to track, and had to hit the brakes. I had no where to go, but down. I pulled low in order to get clear air. Now I refuse to be anywhere but the outer ring on bigger-ways.

You are forced to accept what the outer ring gives you for separation. If it isn't enough, then either ask the organizer for a slot farther out or don't go on the jump.

Derek

[jumpgod 0]

try spreading your arms and legs out and then use them to control your heading by selecting a ground reference point. also, go up with a coach and track beside him and learn from him....JUST DON'T TRACK UNDER HIM AND PULL....(had this happen while i was coaching) so be aware.

also, try diving slightly into your track, then flatten out your body and you'll feel the track. listen to your body and adjust ever so slightly until you know what's best for your abilities. you should feel tension in your back and leg and arm muscles almost to the point where it hurts. but once you find that "sweet spot", you'll cruise the skies like a mad dog!

Peace!

"dude, where's my main?"