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destiny2829

Accuracy Landing

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Hello all, I need some help!! I am finishing up my A license and all I have left are my 5 accuracy landings. Per the USPA requirement card I have to land withing 20 meters of a preset target. I seem to always fly right by the target. Can I get some advise on how to land CLOSE to the target? Thanks in advance for you help! ;)

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Make a plan about the traffic pattarn and stick to it. In the final try to find a fixed point(not moving) on the ground, thats the point that you are going to arrive if you not doing anything special. If you see that you are a bit long, you may do some slite Ss beetween 100-50m. Do very light turns! One more inportant things: accuracy should be just the second things! Safety is the first.

Safe landings!

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although I'm sure that your instructors will help if you ask them to, here are a couple of suggestions that may help.
1: Practice looking down! Many novice (and some not so novice) skydivers tilt their heads down and think they are looking at the ground below them. Remember your trig. Even a 10 degree angle between your vertical body line and the direction of your gaze can mean a distance of a mile or more on the ground (depending on your altitude). Look down between your feet and find your exact location relative to the ground. It's a lot easier to get from here to there when you really know where here is.
2: It sounds like you're setting up for final a little high, so start to use your brakes more, sink your canopy, bleeding off altitude in the process.
3: As you set up for final, fix your gaze on your target area and keep your head still. Watch where your target goes (as you keep your head still) if it's perceptually traveling underneath you - then you're going to overshoot, go to your brakes and lose some altitude, or (if you have the space around you) do some "S" turn correction across the wind line.

Finally, check this and all aother advice with your instructors first and good luck.

www.sidsrigging.com
Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

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One more inportant things: accuracy should be just the second things! Safety is the first.



This is a very important statement. Safety first! Even if it takes many jumps to land at your target. The first priority is land safely...period!

Good luck.

Chris



_________________________________________
Chris






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Right on, just got my A . Now I'm working on my landings for my B.(10 landings within 5 meters)The way I do it is on any given light wind day, I start my pattern at a shade under 1000ft and I know it's going to put me in the ball park. I always fly the same pattern so after a little trial & err I know where I have to turn to be on final.
good luck
blue skies
jerry




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Hello all, I need some help!! I am finishing up my A license and all I have left are my 5 accuracy landings. Can I get some advise on how to land CLOSE to the target?



Are you aware of the accuracy trick? Basically while you're in the air and looking forward you will notice points on the ground that will be rising on the horizon. You will not make it to any of these points. Next you will notice points on the ground which will be going under your field of reference. If you do nothing and the winds don't change, you will fly over these points. Finally you should notice a point on the ground that doesn't move. If nothing changes (canopy control inputs and winds), this is where you will land. Now ideally you want to be on your intended target glideslope. But it's better to be a little high as altitude is your friend and it's much easier to lose altitude than to try and preserve it.

There are at least three different methods you can use to lose a little altitude to get on you intended glideslope. One method is to make gradual small s-turns. This method works if your airspace is not crowded, but be careful as there could be someone behind you who doesn't really know what you're doing. Another method to lose altitude on final (my favorite) is to use your front risers. But be careful here as you'll be adding to your ground speed and you may end up going faster than you're comfortable with (and based on your experience level you should probably hold off on front riser usage until you've played with them up high). Finally the preferred way by many to lose a small amount of altitude is to sink into your target using your breaks. Using your breaks to sink in can be a little deceiving until you understand the canopy flight path on this approach type. When you first start your 1/2 breaked toggle approach, it will appear that you're decreasing your vertical decent rate (which you are) and that you'll over fly your intended target. But at some point, your vertical decent rate will increase and you'll sink into your intended landing area (using the accuracy trick). But don't forget to raise your toggles to full flight as you approach the ground as you'll need to gain some canopy speed in order to convert this speed into lift come flare time.

There is another thing to be aware of when trying to land accurately and that is what speed are the surface winds doing? In light winds, you will want to extend your downwind leg before turning base and final. In moderate winds, your downwind base and final turns are nothing different than what your instructors may have had you do. But in high winds you need to shorten you downwind leg as you'll have a harder time penetrating into the winds once you're on final.

It's a little tricky at first, but do use the accuracy trick when you're on base turning final.

PS: When/if you start playing with your front risers, always keep your toggles in your hands. Never drop the toggle to reach for the front risers.


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

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Finally the preferred way by many to lose a small amount of altitude is to sink into your target using your breaks. Using your breaks to sink in can be a little deceiving until you understand the canopy flight path on this approach type. When you first start your 1/2 breaked toggle approach, it will appear that you're decreasing your vertical decent rate (which you are) and that you'll over fly your intended target. But at some point, your vertical decent rate will increase and you'll sink into your intended landing area (using the accuracy trick). But don't forget to raise your toggles to full flight as you approach the ground as you'll need to gain some canopy speed in order to convert this speed into lift come flare time.


Ive followed the recipe above. Ive misscounted the recovery time of my canopy by 1-2meters. It cost me a sourgery and 2+ month rehabilitation.

Front risers and breaked approach for A license???? Consider his level of experience.

Dont play with breaks under 50m. I payed the price for that, check my previous posting.

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I'm sorry about your injury and I'm not advocating that the skydiver in question who wishes to improve their accuracy make the same sort of breaked approach that an accuracy jumper would use. But I did want to inform them of the methods which do work so that when they are ready they have the knowledge to practice (and yes practice up high before you do things near the ground).

The best method for this jumper to get better in their accuracy is to refine the base to final turn time and using the accuracy trick is the way to do this. But once they're on final and they notice they are too high or too low, they need to try and take corrective measures (keeping safety as their #1 priority).

PS: Now how's that for a politically safe statement. ;) Awe heck, just have'm hook low and flare late. :P


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

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