AFF Student nervous about Emergency Procedures, 13 jumps

[_shelbomb 0]

I am 13 jumps into the AFF progression and feeling a little nervous. Now that I have some facebook friends who are skydivers and research more skydiving online it seems that it is a little more dangerous than I had thought. I've heard of/seen a few injuries. I understand skydiving is a risky sport and I love it so much that I am okay with that. If I go out skydiving so be it lol BUT I want to be prepared if something does go wrong.

I am more nervous about emergency procedures under canopy. I watch a lot of Youtube videos on safety procedures. It seems that there are quite a few different things that can happen that require different emergency procedures. I guess what I am curious about is how often have more experienced jumpers had to cut away, how do you know when it is necessary to cut away, and how familiar is everyone with the different issues that occur under canopy?

I am currently off radio for landings and my last jump my altimeter must have been bumped. When I went onto final approach I was way too high (was pretty much just going off of my altimeter and then realized it was not right) and passed over the drop zone into a field further down. Came a little too close to the road/electric wires for comfort. I know low turns on final approach are no no's so I knew that wasn't an option. Not having a good eye for altitude/an altimeter that was not accurate I was not sure when it was too low to restart my pattern or make a turn. I did a stand up landing and was okay but it was my first time feeling scared on a landing. Looking back my instructor said I would have had time to restart my pattern and would lose less altitude making braked turns. I think that this made me realize that things can go wrong and equipment can malfunction. Being a student so far I have kind of just figured everything would be okay always.

Looking for some tips! I look up videos, study my manual, and try to think about my procedures when I'm doing everyday things. I just want to feel a little more prepared I guess. Any tips on safety will be awesome

• Quote

[pchapman 261]

What the heck I'll kill some time.

The usual caveat is talk to your instructors about any issue; don't just use something you read about on the web that could be misinterpreted or not properly weighted in relation to other factors or not in line with the teaching system at your DZ.

Licenced jumpers might have a mal every 800 or 1000 jumps, either due to the fault of the canopy or sometimes themselves (packing), or some mix of the two. But that's just an average so will vary a lot.

Knowing when to cut away? Usually it is pretty obvious that you don't have any sort of flyable parachute. But there are also more subtle, grey area cases where opinions differ, where a student might cut away and a more experienced jumper might not - but both decisions might be right for the skills & experience of the jumper. It is a challenge for students to learn the subtleties beyond the basics told to them as students -- but usually the basics are enough for a newbie. Sounds like you could use a good review of the procedures. Sometimes students learn them early on but there isn't enough review throughout the student process.

While an altimeter helps one understand typical turn heights in a circuit pattern, where you are in the sky matters more than an arbitrary number on an alti. So you want to be at the right angle to the landing area when you turn on final, whatever that angle might be depending on the speed of your canopy vs. the wind speed.

While not turning low is a good rule, at some point you need to learn what 'too low' is. If you just need a 90 deg turn to avoid an obstacle, a moderate speed turn can work from 200 ft or whatever. So a small turn to avoid an obstacle can still be quite easily done when already on final. Over time students get a feel for how fast a turn can happen and how much extra altitude they lose in a tight vs shallow turn. But some of that needs to be done through experience with doing turns in the circuit, lower to the ground. (Although digital altimeters can help.)

Learning to be good at adjusting one's flight path under canopy and landing in the right area is one of the big challenges of being a student.

Tons more could be said on any of these topics...

[_shelbomb 0]

Thanks so much for the reply, I appreciate any advice I can get. My drop zone is in my home town and I'm currently going to school out of state so I'm jumping once a month, usually two jumps. I like my drop zone (Aerohio) so i want to do my whole progression there. It's definitely easy to forget to go over my emergency procedures. I get so caught up in each dive flow and trying to do it right that I don't think about if something goes wrong.

I'm glad to hear cutaway's aren't super common but I know it could happen at any time. I'll definitely talk with my instructors more about it when I jump this month. I've heard of a lot of injuries because of people making sharp turns too low. So I'm weary of turns on final in general being so new.

With anything I know I will learn more the more I jump. I really enjoy it and just want to be as informed as I can be. Thanks again! I could ask you a billion more questions lol skydiving is a whole new world for me! I have mad respect for you all!!

[tred 0]

***so I'm jumping once a month, usually two jumps. ***

some will disagree, but in my opinion this is too little, especially in the beginning. doing 2-3 jumps in one day as a student a few weekends in a row will help you dial things in better.

back to back days would help even more

[husslr187 24]

I'm still a student myself so take this for what it's worth.

when I'm not working or jumping, I'm thinking of different malfunctions and what I would do in each situation. I'm talking the entire diveflow from aircraft exit to landing. Reasons for thinking of the entire diveflow and not just when the parachute opens up is that some malfunctions could happen before you go to pull. I think of every detail I can like palms out while grabbing riser in line twist so I can read my altimeter at the same time. Once I visualized the malfunction, I fix it (usually while standing in my bedroom) or going through emergency procedures.(people at work looked at me funny once)

When I'm going through the diveflow before I jump, I end it with a canopy check. In the event I have a malfunction previous EP reviews pick up from there. My thought is that it shouldn't just be muscle memory. Being mentally prepared can make you safer. I may not always be at the dropzone but I'm still training however I can.

I hope this makes sense. I did just get out from a 12 hr shift, so be understanding. Again this is what helped me, and I'm an over thinker type of person. At least when It comes to learning things I'm interested in.

[_shelbomb 0]

I wish I could jump more often. I agree with you completely. However, I am an athlete in college playing a very time demanding sport (wrestling). So most weekends I am out of state for tournaments and of course money is an issue. I only have time for an on campus job which pretty much pays shit. Next summer I will finish up my license at the beginning of summer and will be jumping every week. Maybe that will help with the confidence.

[tred 0]

it can be done the way you are doing it, but imagine how good of a wrestler you would be if you only did it twice a month. when I first got into the sport I quit for about 5 months to save every dollar I could, then I was able to knock out all my training and get gear. something to consider, but your hooked now you will figure it out

[Lawndarter 3]

If you're going to watch anything on YouTube, watch the Australian "Cutaway" videos. They're excellent. They actually show deliberately packed mals so you can see what they look like, how they unfold, and you will likely feel more confident, that worked for me, as a student.

Talk to people at the DZ who've experienced it as well, and remember to review all of the EPs as you do handle checks. I found I learn as much from chatter in the hangar as anywhere else. And as for EPs it's part of the visualization I go through on every jump so it doesn't really worry me. It probably helps that I opened with some nasty line twists on my first AFF jump but kicked out before getting to the decision point of chopping.

Just keep going over the EPs in your head and thinking through them. You might be overthinking them at this point, too the number of different types of mals to deal with. The math I was taught was simple - never apologize for chopping - better to cutaway something you might have been able to solve and pay the rigger for the repack and the save than spent too long trying to fight something you're not capable of solving. It doesn't matter whether it's a lineover, a horseshoe, whatever - you're a terminal velocity, you need to fix that.

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

Lawndarter

If you're going to watch anything on YouTube, watch the Australian "Cutaway" videos. They're excellent. They actually show deliberately packed mals so you can see what they look like, how they unfold, and you will likely feel more confident, that worked for me, as a student.

Talk to people at the DZ who've experienced it as well, and remember to review all of the EPs as you do handle checks. I found I learn as much from chatter in the hangar as anywhere else. And as for EPs it's part of the visualization I go through on every jump so it doesn't really worry me. It probably helps that I opened with some nasty line twists on my first AFF jump but kicked out before getting to the decision point of chopping.

Just keep going over the EPs in your head and thinking through them. You might be overthinking them at this point, too the number of different types of mals to deal with. The math I was taught was simple - never apologize for chopping - better to cutaway something you might have been able to solve and pay the rigger for the repack and the save than spent too long trying to fight something you're not capable of solving. It doesn't matter whether it's a lineover, a horseshoe, whatever - you're a terminal velocity, you need to fix that.

I watched those videos before my first jump course and they were really reassuring--I don't know if it was the accent (ha) or just the fact that malfunctions happen and you have options.

One thing I would like to add is ignore the peanut gallery. There are two types of skydivers--those who have had a mal, and those who will. So anytime something happens, you'll hear a half dozen opinions on what you should have done. I've had two mals that I considered chopping, and didn't, so no cutaways for me yet, but I know a lot of young jumpers who have, including on AFF and on the 8th jump after AFF. There's always someone who said "you had plenty of time, why not try to fix it?" DO NOT LISTEN. Those people were not in the sky with you and have no idea what your mal was. You're up there alone and it's on you to handle what you've got over your head. If something happens and you cutaway or fix it, and you're not sure about your decision, ask someone you trust--your instructor, a rigger, or someone whose opinion you can rely on. Ignore the static, because if they're not under canopy with you, they don't get to make the decisions that will get you to the ground safely.

Blue skies!

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[dthames 0]

It is pretty common for a student's concerns and worries to increase as your knowledge of what can go wrong increases. At 13 jumps you are right in the middle of that process. As you build confidence that worry should go back down....some.

With about 250 jumps I had some bad line twists while in a wingsuit. I had problems getting them to untwist because I was in a slow turn. There was no excitement but at 2000 feet, as trained, I said, Okay, do what you were taught and get a functioning canopy over your head. No excitement, no rush, just did what I was taught.

My second was a year or two later. The canopy was not fully inflated on one side. It was jerking me around and was something I wanted to be rid of right away. One look up and it was gone in less than 2 seconds.

Landing patterns take practice. One thing that helped me early on was that while I was on my base leg, I would look at my target and think, "If I turn now, would I hit it?" Think, act, evaluate, and take notes. For example if you said, "I thought I should turn, I turned, and still went a little long", then the next time when you think it is right, do a two count and then turn. Record your results and see what it takes zero in on your judgmental eye.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[obelixtim 100]

_shelbomb

I wish I could jump more often. I agree with you completely. However, I am an athlete in college playing a very time demanding sport (wrestling). So most weekends I am out of state for tournaments and of course money is an issue. I only have time for an on campus job which pretty much pays shit. Next summer I will finish up my license at the beginning of summer and will be jumping every week. Maybe that will help with the confidence.

Right then. My 2 cents worth.

You've covered a whole pile of different issues, so I'll try and address them in some sort of order.

First of all, as has been said, take your concerns to your instructors...they will not stop being your instructors, for ever. Don't ever be afraid or embarrassed to ask them. They would rather help you learn, than take you to the hospital. Believe me.

Cutaway drills.

I'm concerned that you say you forget to do them. They will save your life. I practise them whenever I train students, must have done them tens of thousands of times, yet I still go through the drills on the way to altitude before every jump.

Never neglect them.

You know the drills, you can practise them inside your head at any time....at home, driving to the DZ, at the DZ, and driving away from the DZ. Practise touching where your handles are located, and visualise yourself going through the motions.

At the DZ, when there is downtime, ask for a training harness, put it on and practise the actions. Even better if you can get in the hanging harness, but on the ground is just as good. I can't imagine any instructor ever objecting to that if they are not in use.....

Then go over them again in the plane. Only needs to take a few seconds. Muscle memory. The actions become automatic.

Malfunctions.

They are pretty rare (I've had 2 for real), but can happen anytime. For me, jump #6 and jump 500 and something. None after that. (Apart from a few deliberate cutaways from tests or demos, they don't count as real because they were planned)

I had a mate who had 6 in his first 100 jumps and has over 30 reserve rides by now, so there are no rules. He sticks to his original training, making a decision, and then acting immediately. Hasn't let him down yet. (We told him to apply for an "A" licence for reserve rides )

Trust your reserve.

With 13 jumps, you already know what a good canopy looks and FEELS like. Square and stable, and not going anywhere. A few line twists, brake release or collapsed end cells are easily dealt with, and are just minor hassles.

If you open, and anything is seriously different, the canopy will tell you. And you will know!!!

It won't look right, and it won't likely feel right....turning, or spinning, or all bunched up, and giving you no support. That's when your EPs kick in. Its not even scary, you just do what you have to do to live.....pull the handles.

Determining altitude.

Get used to looking at the ground below, and the horizon, at different altitudes....you can do that in the plane on the way up, as well as under canopy on the way down. Watch other canopies both from the ground and in the air, check out windsocks, use all that information to help you figure out when and where to turn.

You will train you brain on the "picture" of the ground from various altitudes....but like anything, repetition gets that picture embedded. After a while you will not need to look at your altimeter at all. The mark 1 eyeball will work every time.

Landing off is not a big deal...landing safely is. Just be conservative and smooth on the toggles.

And while it is better to do as many jumps as you can, at this point, just do what you can... its not ideal, but as others have said, do as many back to back as you can, but if not, bide your time and hammer it later. (It took me 7 months to do my first 11 jumps, but that was 40 years ago when we didn't have access to aircraft, and starting in the fall) It will happen.

The sky isn't going anywhere.

And don't stress about dive flows...you will get there. An extra jump or two doesn't make a difference in the big scheme of things.

Just enjoy the jumps. That is important.

Good luck.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[_shelbomb 0]

This totally makes sense. I am an over thinker as well. I want to do everything the exact right way which at times I think might be to a fault. We do sprints a lot at practice. 10 minute go's back and forth and I have started to think about my procedures during that haha really gets my mind off of how tired I am too so that's a plus! This is great advice, I appreciate it.

[_shelbomb 0]

I understand where you're coming from completely. I'll be able to save enough this winter to knock out the rest of my jumps by the first month of summer. Right now it is just such a nice thing to do to get away from school and sports for a little. Makes me very happy!

[sammielu 3]

I'll add: stop watching Internet videos to try and learn skydive skills (aside from specific ones recommended by your instructor). The time you spend doing that is better spent doing physical practice - practice your emergency procedures, practice your dive flows, practice your arch. Spend one minute on each every day and you'll be ahead of the curve (and it's easier to pass jumps and handle emergencies if your body is prepared).

Take your nerves as a sign: you think you need to be better prepared for emergencies to be comfortable. You're right, you do. Now get off the internet and go practice what you would do for the following:
Line twists
Slider stuck up
Collapsed end cells
One toggle untstowed during opening
Broken line
Parachute looks like a bow tie
Parachute open but ou're spinning really fast on your back and can't see exactly what your parachute is doing
Hard pull
Unable to pull handle
Handle pulled but nothing happened
Left arm broken upon leaving the plane
Right arm broken upon leaving the plane
Bridle around your arm during deployment
Bridle around your neck during deployment

And then do the same practice for your landing patterns.

[maximsc 0]

Preface/disclaimer - I started jumping in September 2015 and have 85 jumps right now with no cutaways.

Something that no one has mentioned so far is that most of the malfunction videos you see are probably with Velocities and Valkyries loaded at 2+ lbs/ft^2, which are vastly more likely to malfunction than what you jump - so the videos might make you much more nervous than you need to be. Some people would discourage watching a lot of videos, but I see nothing wrong with it - clearly, they aren't dissuading you from jumping, and a bit of nervousness that makes you pay more attention to the possibility of a mal and your plan for dealing with it will only make you a safer jumper.

As others have said, it's good to learn to determine your altitude by eye. Both in freefall and in your pattern, try to estimate your altitude before checking it, and adjust your subsequent estimates accordingly. (On my 50-somethingth jump, I forgot my altimeter on the ground (don't try at home) and was first out the door on a solo - by that time, I was confident that I could jump safely without it, and was pleased after estimating my 3.5k' opening to see everyone else open around me at the same altitude a few seconds later. I flew a clear pattern and landed within 10m of target.) (Also on the subject of distance estimation - one unexpected benefit I got from skydiving is that now, when I drive in an area with dense streets and my phone says to 'turn right in .4 mi' or 'in 600 ft', I know exactly how far the turn is; before, those two would have meant almost the same thing to me. Same with an exit from a highway that's behind a curve or otherwise invisible - I can now tell much better looking at the remaining distance whether or not I'll be able to pass those four slow cars in the right lane and not have to cut between them to make the exit.) (Sorry for the long tangents.)

Regarding when to cut away, there are differing opinions and only you - with the help of your instructors and other jumpers who know you and whom you trust - can decide what exactly you will chop and what you will commit to landing. How confident are you in your ability to identify a good flare at altitude? In other words, if you have a few broken lines or a small tear but the canopy is perfectly controllable and seems to flare well during your canopy check, are you confident that the flare will feel equally good when you're landing? Are you confident in your ability to land safely, if not gracefully, on rear risers if you have a broken steering line? These questions, among others, you should consider and maybe discuss with people familiar with your skills and experience, and come up with definite answers to before you have to answer them in the air. As others have said, obviously err on the side of caution; no good instructor/rigger/DZM will criticize a decision to cutaway if you say you weren't 100% comfortable with landing your parachute, though they may offer suggestions on how you might try to fix the situation before chopping if the same thing happens again.

Finally, regarding low turns - try making flat (braked) turns from base to final while watching your altitude (by eye and/or with a digital altimeter) and see how little altitude you can lose in a 90-degree turn. If I should find myself flying toward power lines, I know I can safely make a 90-degree flat turn at 40 ft and then flare from half-brakes without returning to full flight, and would much rather do that than land in the power lines. Turning into the ground has lately been one of the leading causes of fatalities (which wasn't always the case), so some people may take the extreme position of "categorically no turns on final", especially with students. But landing in high-voltage power lines can be just as deadly as diving into the ground, and landing in trees or into building walls is best avoided too, so the safest way is to get as good an idea as possible of how much you can safely turn at what altitude, and be prepared to apply this knowledge.

Also, a great way to improve your confidence under canopy would be to take a canopy course like Flight-1's 101 and 102, which is required for the B license but which you can do as soon as you're cleared to self-supervise. Among other things, in the course you'll discuss and practice the best technique for flaring directly out of a steep turn or dive if you should ever find yourself needing to do that, you'll practice harness turns, which can also be helpful for making small heading corrections near the ground while remaining in full flight and ready to make a full flare at any point, you'll practice full stalls with toggles and with rears, which is critical to being able to land safely on rears alone, and you'll get a much better understanding of the subtleties of how your canopy responds to various inputs and also to turbulence and other atmospheric conditions.

Sorry for the length, hopefully there is something useful there...

[Deimian 43]

maximsc

Something that no one has mentioned so far is that most of the malfunction videos you see are probably with Velocities and Valkyries loaded at 2+ lbs/ft^2, which are vastly more likely to malfunction than what you jump -

I'd argue that this is only true for spinning mals (which are the most common, but still). I don't think that hard pulls, pilot chute in tow, line overs, snapped lines, tension knots, etc are more likely in tiny canopies than in larger ones. Bottom line, be always prepared. The odds are on your favour if you have a large student canopy, but any jump can be the one when you have to cut away. I friend of mine got a line over at 30-40 jumps and chopped it. Another one is close to 800, he is jumping a CF2 109, loaded at around 1.7, and never had a cutaway. Be always ready, don't think your canopy won't malfunction.

maximsc

I forgot my altimeter on the ground (don't try at home) and was first out the door on a solo - by that time, I was confident that I could jump safely without it

That looks like pretty bad judgement from my point of view. I assume you didn't have an audible. Feeling confident about stuff where you shouldn't be is the number 1 cause of injury and death in this sport. What if you got it wrong? What if something distracted you and you are no longer sure? What if you have a partial mal and you aren't sure if you should cut away or simply get more nylon out? I have 520 jumps, 2 audibles and an altimeter, and I'd seriously hesitate to jump without my alti. Maybe I am pussy, maybe I have common sense.

maximsc

Finally, regarding low turns - try making flat (braked) turns

Flat turns are probably the most overlooked and underrated skill you can have in your bag. Practice them, they might save your legs or your live one day.

Note: Some people might classify differently flat turns and braked turns. The terminology sometimes is not clear cut.

maximsc

Also, a great way to improve your confidence under canopy would be to take a canopy course like Flight-1's 101 and 102

Great advice.

[_shelbomb 0]

I watched the Australian videos. They were awesome. It's nice to actually see a cutaway in action. I know that I will cut away if I am not 100 percent sure I can land safely. But obviously I want to be sure I'm confident enough to know if a malfunction is something I can easily fix. Thank you so much for the advice. I feel better about it already.

[_shelbomb 0]

I enjoy the videos because I am a very visual learner. I could read my emergency procedures in my handbook a hundred times and not be able to picture it in my head because I have never actually seen it. I am working on thinking about my gear checks and procedures when I have down time. Running through them in my head. Thank you for listing the malfunctions! That is very helpful. I definitely need to work on my landing pattern. All of my previous patterns were great but having my altimeter malfunction scared me and threw me off. Does it just take some time to be able to estimate altitude? I'll be thinking I am going to land in one spot and end up going way further than I expected.

[_shelbomb 0]

lol I think the accent is calming!! I really liked the Australian videos. Seeing an actual cutaway happen helps. That is great advice though. And I agree! I will take some shit for cutting away over risking getting hurt or worse. I am a very detailed person. I think there is a perfect way to do everything and I sometimes over think it to where I make it harder than it is or has to be. I hope to God if I was ever in a cutaway situation I would be able to deal with it! Seeing some injuries recently mixed with my altimeter situation freaked me out. That's why I posted this. It's nice to hear from experienced skydivers. I figure that's the best way to learn.

[_shelbomb 0]

My instructor talked to me about flat turns. Definitely something to work on. I will definitely do canopy courses in the future. What exactly do you do during a canopy course? Just curious.

[_shelbomb 0]

Thanks so much for the advice! I am like a sponge lol I appreciate any advice you have to offer. My instructor talked to me about flat turns and said I could have restarted my pattern. I had the thought go through my head and thought I was high enough but being so new I didn't want to risk it. Here is a question for you! What if I am on my final going towards power lines and make a 90 degree flat turn. We are taught to land against the wind. I know that avoiding an obstacle is number one priority, but what happens when you land with the wind at your side instead of with the wind or against it? Say if I didn't have enough time or altitude to do my full pattern. Also, I'm a little curious about what it's like to land with the wind.

[Di0 1]

_shelbomb

What exactly do you do during a canopy course? Just curious.

Personally, but that's just me, some of the best money you can spend in skydiving.
It really depends on who you do the course with, but very generally speaking: they are all day things, plan for 5+ hop and pops. The way they work, they have theory classes and ground school with slides, video etc. where the instructor explains you the theory of how a parachute flies, why you do certain things, how your input affect the canopy flight etc. etc.. After each theory session, you perform a practice jump where you try certain maneuvers at altitude and then landing trying certain discussed techniques. The instructor usually films all the landing and debriefs you on specific points.
Then wash-rinse-repeat.
They are very very very helpful, I probably took tenths of them in my 3 years in the sport.
I can't get enough of them.

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.

[Deimian 43]

_shelbomb

My instructor talked to me about flat turns. Definitely something to work on. I will definitely do canopy courses in the future. What exactly do you do during a canopy course? Just curious.

Depends on the course itself. But normally beginner courses guide you to being aware of how much altitude you loose in different kind of turns, where is your stall point on toggles and rears and how to recover from them, they teach you coordinated turns, flat turns, rear riser turns, front riser turns, accuracy tips and tricks, flare timing, dynamic flare, flight cycle and how the canopy reacts in different situations (like how much flare power you have after leaving your canopy surge forward from a previous flare or a turn), how to follow a proper pattern, how to "crab" with your canopy, etc. Besides other related things like gripping techniques to hold your toggles and risers, proper presentation for hop'n'pops, how much brake slack you are supposed to have, proper body position under canopy, slider collapsing and stowing behind your head, loosening your chest strap to allow the canopy to open up a bit more, etc. They normally film your landing and debrief it with you, which is quite useful.

_shelbomb

Here is a question for you! What if I am on my final going towards power lines and make a 90 degree flat turn. We are taught to land against the wind. I know that avoiding an obstacle is number one priority, but what happens when you land with the wind at your side instead of with the wind or against it? Say if I didn't have enough time or altitude to do my full pattern. Also, I'm a little curious about what it's like to land with the wind.

I'll chip in even though the question wasn't for me: "land with the wind" is normally referred to as downwind landing. Landing downwind, crosswind or against the wind changes your horizontal speed and direction (when landing crosswind) with respect to the ground. Nothing else. Now, if you have room (read as no obstacles in your horizontal trajectory), that is normally harmless. You can get hurt if you tumble at high speed, but nothing too bad will happen if you slide it out. I know a guy that broke his arm when sliding a swoop, when his arm got caught in a hole (I think it was from a rabbit), but that's about it. On the other hand, turning as a panic reaction to land against the wind has injured and killed numerous people. When you turn your vertical speed increases. You'll go faster against the ground, which is the only obstacle you can't avoid. Never decrease horizontal speed at the cost of increasing vertical speed.

[obelixtim 100]

_shelbomb

lol I think the accent is calming!! I really liked the Australian videos. Seeing an actual cutaway happen helps. That is great advice though. And I agree! I will take some shit for cutting away over risking getting hurt or worse. I am a very detailed person. I think there is a perfect way to do everything and I sometimes over think it to where I make it harder than it is or has to be. I hope to God if I was ever in a cutaway situation I would be able to deal with it! Seeing some injuries recently mixed with my altimeter situation freaked me out. That's why I posted this. It's nice to hear from experienced skydivers. I figure that's the best way to learn.

"Hoping" doesn't cut it I'm afraid. And god won't help.

If you are not 100% sure you can deal with a problem, you have no business getting in the plane. Seriously.

If you can cutaway in the hanging harness, you can do so in the air. Go and do some more practice.

I think your problem comes more from whether you will recognise a problem if you have one. People who have never had a mal, normally have this little seed of doubt in their minds, even if they've done hundreds of jumps. That is normal.

What you need to get clear in your head is not about action, it is more about decision making.

With skydiving, you need to be decisive. On opening, make a decision, and stick to it.

You only have two very simple decisions to make. That should take two or three seconds, max.

1. Is it good? - Stick with it.

2. Is it bad? - Chop it.

It really is quite simple. If you already know what a good canopy is like, a bad one will be equally obvious. If it isn't, it prolly isn't that bad.

As for landing, you will save yourself from serious injury if you aim for clear spaces, adopt a good plf position, and land with at least half brakes, no matter which way you are facing. Down wind, crosswind or whatever.

More forward speed downwind means you might roll and tumble a bit more on landing, but doesn't mean automatic injury.

Keep your brain switched on under canopy, the jump isn't over till you land.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[sundevil777 93]

Quote

My instructor talked to me about flat turns

That is great, a valuable skill...

You mentioned being apprehensive about landing crosswind or downwind. It won't be so easy to stand up a landing because you'll have movement sideways (crosswind) or extra speed (downwind).

You should also talk to your instructors about another aspect of what it might take to avoid obstacles - using deep brakes on approach. The altitude drop that the surge back to full glide takes can be surprising and will hurt (or kill) if you get it wrong. That kind of landing is sometimes done by some tandem instructors to get a little bit of extra speed. When going back to full glide, the speed at which the toggles are raised is also critical to how the canopy will or won't excessively surge. Done poorly, you get hurt. Done well, and if you anticipate how much more forward glide you'll get, it can help with accuracy if you're going to overshoot otherwise. Also, there is a risk of conflict with other canopies around/behind/above you, as they may not expect this, so there are plenty of things to consider.

There may come a day when an off landing forces you to land in such a small area that you can't do a full glide landing, and you can't just turn to avoid an obstacle. Being able to sink a canopy in a way somewhat similar to real accuracy competitors (youtube videos should be helpful to see examples) can be a valuable capability/skill (landing in relatively deep brakes with little or no final flare). Such a landing done on a largish sport canopy would of course mean a vertical speed greater than that with a proper accuracy canopy - meaning you better be prepared to PLF. I choose to jump a canopy big enough that I feel comfortable with it. Find someone that knows real accuracy technique like this. It may not be your instructor, more likely someone old.

Just realize that these techniques can save you, and they can kill you. Learn about them so you have a better chance of doing them correctly when needed.

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