Landing downhill

[skybytch 259]

I landed downhill on Sunday. Wasn't much of a hill, but it turned what would have been a sweet standup on flat ground into a pretty spectacular cartwheeling wipeout. I won the award for best PLF of the day, but I'd really rather know what it was I did wrong so I can pull it off next time.

So, what do you do differently (set up, flare point, flare depth, etc) when landing on a down slope?

[Deuce 1]

This happens to me occasionally when I have to land out. There's low hills just to the north of our DZ. I just flare slower and try to stay just over the slope. When I run out of flare I put my feet down. If I'm still hauling, I PLF, if I'm slowed down enough I run it out a little.

I'm curious what the canopygods will say.

[freeflir29 0]

Definately flare SLOWER. Also remember that you never have to "Level out" your canopy. IE You will ultimately flare less until you get to the shut down portion of the landing. You're going downhill after all so you have to keep it at a slight descent in order to keep your feet in contact with the ground. If you can slide your feet on landing this may help a bit. I had the exact opposite happen to me earlier this year. First jump at a new DZ. First jump of the day. First jump onto a beach. A bunch of "old geezer" canopy traffic. So what do I do? The only sensible thing. Hook it for the hotties on the beach towel!!!! Luckily I didn't have enough altitude to hook it too hard. Started my swoop right where the water meets the sand. Didn't think for a second about how much of an UP SLOPE that is. To make it all the more fun I was quartering down wind!!! YEEEHHHAAAAAA!!! swooped about 100 ft and had to really shut it down once I got "over the top" where the sand flattens out or would have gone 10 Ft in the air. Looks cool on video and the whuffo hotties I swooped by loved it.
Anyway....moral of the story is. Flaring should not be a conditioned response to nearing the ground. It should be inputs by the pilot based on several factors such as ground speed, visual picture, and feeling whats going on with your parachute. If you always flare X amount when you are Y feet from the ground.......good luck....you are going to have a painful jumping career.

[crazy 0]

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I landed downhill on Sunday. Wasn't much of a hill, but it turned what would have been a sweet standup on flat ground into a pretty spectacular cartwheeling wipeout.

So, what do you do differently (set up, flare point, flare depth, etc) when landing on a down slope?

short answer: don't.
If it's steep, anyway, you can probably land further down on a flater area. If there is no alternate landing area, consider landing across the slope, it might be much easier. If you really have to land downhill, flare a bit later, slower, try to adjust the glide to the slope, and slide it on your butt (it will be less painful than face planting while running like hell downhill).
If it's just a gentle slope, don't do anything different... but make sure you get the right reference: your landing point (not the ground below you when you start flaring) There is no point to flare differently (your canopy doesn't care about the relief below you when you fly).

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Skydive Asia

[Hooknswoop 19]

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There is no point to flare differently (your canopy doesn't care about the relief below you when you fly).

If I didn't flare differently Sunday I would have cratered very hard. I was landing on an up-sloaping dirt road and had to climb in my swoop to maintain the same distance above the ground.

Same thing for a down hill landing, if you flare the same (on a canopy that will plane out and swoop) and travel horizontally, the ground will drop away and you will be high at the end of the swoop. I would say initiate the flare at the same altitude, but flare slower so the canopy doesn't fly level, but is in a descent that matches the down hill sloap of the ground.

Hook

[crazy 0]

My comment stands for a conservative landing with a spectre 170 at a low wing loading. Sorry, i thought it was obvious in the context.

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Skydive Asia

[Hooknswoop 19]

Even a Spectre 170 at a low wing loading can plane out a bit, requiring a different flare for a down hill landing. I have a Safire 189 loaded at 1:1 (1.1:1)(or 174 depending on how you measure it) and it will plane out, especially in no wind.

Hook

[bobsoutar 0]

Must have been good to watch!!! If you decide to try it again you would probably like to make it a bit less spectacular.
A normal approach and flare only works on flat ground or if you are landing across the slope. For downhill landings you will need to "ride the slope" much like a turf surf - you will be landing further forward than you normally would on the flat so you will need to "plane out" your canopy by putting on just enough brakes to keep you a couple of feet above the ground. Keep adding a little bit more brake as necessary to stay the same height, keep your nerve (that's the most difficult bit) and wait until you have completely stopped going forward before you put your feet down.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Lisa, just don't flare so much that you pull back up, off the slope. Get your landing gear tighter under you, but more out front and be prepared to slide it out, that way you don't take a header trying to run it out.

Chuck