accuracy laning on a target

[thegman 0]

I have a little over 100 jumps.However I recognize that my accuracy sucks which concerns me.I have no problem landing in
general but I really can not come very close where I realy would like to land.I,ve decided to do a bunch of hop n pops to try and improve.Other than the accuracy trick from fly like a pro does anyone have some advice,Thanx.

http://www.freefallmaniacs.net

[freefalle 0]

My suggestion is this, If you cant get to a canopy control class like the one thats taught at skydive Deland by Scott or Vladi, try this. Find a competent canopy pilot at your DZ, someones whos willing to teach, get them to work with you. You may even consider getting back on the student radio with them and have them talk you down. discovering how to hit accurate landings requires a bit of effort including how to read the wind, wind direction and the effects of the wind on your specific canopy. Getting some advice and help from someone with a bit more experience may prove helpful.

[Samurai136 0]

When I was in AFF I was also reading _The Skydiver's Handbook_ by Turoff and Poytner (sp?) and applied their technique for accuracy landing. It's pretty much the same as the instructions in the USPA SIM.

I've heard Scott Miller's canopy control lecture at Skydive U and he talks about planning your landing pattern. He talks about a holding area, like a box, where you allow your self to play around under canopy. From your holding area you goto a standard landing pattern.

Plan your entire landing pattern on the ground. Watch other landings and find out what the winds are doing before you jump. When you're under canopy, fly your plan and be safe. If you end up short of the target, shorten the downwind leg a bit; long of the target, lengthen the downwind leg.

Ken,

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[quade 3]

Basic landing accuracy begins with consistency and discipline on the part of the skydiver in flying an accurate pattern. That said, accuracy is a secondary goal and should be abandoned for the sake of safety whenever there is an immediate concern to avoid other canopies. Fortunately, basic accuracy can be practiced on every jump, so if canopy traffic demands you abort on one attempt, you can try it again the very next jump.

In the attached illustration, the wind is shown coming from the top of the page and the skydiver would want to land facing this wind.

The “X” represents the target. This might be the pea pit or maybe a particular brown spot on the grass. Whatever it is, use this particular spot on a consistent basis. Until you have basic accuracy nailed down, you might want to find a spot to use that isn’t in the middle of where everyone else is trying to land. This will help ensure it’s available for you to use.

The “Key” is a point where you’ll begin all of your approaches. The “Key” is located several hundred feet upwind and several hundred feet to the side of the target. Its exact location will depend on the flight characteristics of your particular canopy. As a starting point, you might try a spot 500 feet upwind and 500 feet to the side to begin with and refine it from there.

You’ll plan all of your canopy flights so that you’ll be 1,000 feet directly over the “Key” and turn downwind.

Fly directly downwind and note the speed of the winds.

In a no-wind situation, you might fly about as far past the target on the downwind as your “Key” is upwind. The stronger the winds, the shorter you’ll make your downwind leg. Note your altitude as you turn “base”. Every time you land, make a mental note of the winds and how far you flew past the target on the downwind.

Try not to focus so much on specific landmarks, but rather the angles, altitudes and distances to the target. This way, when you travel to another drop zone, you’ll be able to recognize almost immediately where the key, downwind, base and final ought to be in relation to the target.

At touchdown, note how close you came to the actual target. In a no-wind situation, if you flew 100 feet past the target, you’ll only need to lengthen the downwind leg by about 50 feet. If you landed 100 feet short, then you’ll need to shorten the downwind by about 50 feet to correct.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[PacemakerOne 0]

Quade definitely has the right advise. As an accuracy competitior, I learned how to land on a target with the same system. The key is to write everything down for each jump--wind speed, altitudes for each leg, distance from target (draw a picture of the target and put an X where you landed). This is so you can look back to them to see what you did in specific conditions. Also do a 'wind check' at about 1200ft. To do this, face into the wind and pull your brakes down until your parachute stops any forward motion, note where you hands are. If you hands are higher than your chest, the winds are high, if lower the winds are low, middle-medium (you get the idea). Every parachute has different penetration speeds so without knowing what you are jumping, I can't give you definite wind speeds. This will give you a good idea how the winds are on the ground and how far or close you need to make your final turn. I jump an accuracy canopy, so my top speed is about 22 mph. So if my hands are all the way up the winds are 22mph. If they are at my chest, they are about 11mph and at my hips--0mph. Making hop and pops are the best way because you can concentrate on your landing without having alot of other jumpers to worry about. Be consistant! Good luck! It can be addictive!