SallyKate 0 #1 September 8, 2003 I need some help with my landings! Am still only a baby skydiver but am thinking of stopping because i keep hurting myself when i pile in! I'm not jumping my own kit at the mo cos its too small and am going to start jumping student kit again! The worst thing is when i was a student i could land fine! Since cat 8 i seem to have lost all ability to flare at the right time! Anyone got any tips at all cos now my confidence is wrecked and stopping me jumping! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,174 #2 September 8, 2003 Can you have someone video your landings, and then go over them with a canopy coach, or an experienced canopy instructor? Also, you might want to post this in either "safety & training" or "swooping and canopy control" sections -- a lot more people who can help you look there. There's a thread somewhere about making sure your flare isn't a momentary thing (i.e. "I flared at just the right time") but instead a dynamic thing -- think about flaring the whole time you're going down a flight of stairs -- you have to control your canopy all the way to the ground. Learn how to roll on landings. The parachute landing rolls you learned are your friend. Really. Put some knee pads on under or over your jumpsuit so you'r not scared of bruising your knees, and practice. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #3 September 8, 2003 Thread being moved so you can get more expert replies. She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redtwiga 0 #4 September 8, 2003 I feel your pain, and don't give up! This is way too magical a sport to pass up on because you're getting snagged by landings. I hurt myself many times on landing too. My knee, my shoulder, a broken toe, numerous bruises. It got to the point where I dreaded jumping only because I was scared of landing. I was told that some women never learn to land, that we are born with worse depth perception...being pissed off kept me trying. I finally did get a coach to video my landings and had friends jump my rig. It turns out that the canopy itself didn't have a very good flare, so I had one chance to flare fully and that was it. Anything gradual would leave no flare at the end, and if I got the altitude just off, or wind conditions changed at all, I was too high or too low. I put almost a hundred jumps on that canopy and NEVER knew how my landings would be. I got a new canopy about 50 jumps ago and no matter the wind conditions, no matter if I'm on the dropzone or 2 miles out, I have consistently amazing landings. The worst part of a skydive has become one of my favorites and I really look forward to canopy time and landings. Keep trying, make sure your gear isn't the problem. It's worth it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mickb 0 #5 September 8, 2003 The advice from Wendy is spot on you will learn more from watching a video of your landings than anything else. also ask to wear a radio and get your instructers to talk you through the landing. The big student canopys are so forgiving its easy to land them without a proper flare. the same mistakes on a smaller canopy hurt. Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed. Michael Pritchard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyswc 0 #6 September 8, 2003 you should get a flare puppy. what you do is find a puppy and a 20 foot leash , and when the leash goes slack its time to flare Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi 0 #7 September 8, 2003 the problem with that is when you use a pup like chaos you doible your wingload until the leash goes slack:) -yoshi_________________________________________ this space for rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #8 September 9, 2003 What part of "no bullshitting in the specified forums" do you guys not undertand? Keep the BS to Talk Back. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigfritz 0 #9 September 25, 2003 I used to feel the same way. I loved the freefall part, but I dreaded the landings. Every time I would think I'd be flairing good and SLAM...owch! I was about ready to have somebody get on a loud speaker and tell me when to flair. lol I used to flair all in one motion, that's what was killin me. Now I do a 3 step flair and I haven't had any problems since. ------------------------ Freefly, baby. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TaeKwonDoDo 0 #10 September 25, 2003 Dude - I'm right there, right now, too... I have been jumping a rental PD230 for the last several weeks. Always landing at 100'MSL and into a 10 knot wind. This last weekend I was jumping my own, new to me, Sabre 190 - couple that with the fact that I was not at my home dropzone and at +1600 MSL in NO WIND - I was Haulin ASS! Talk about practicing your PLF (and belly flops) - I came in from the desert on one jump COVERED in dust... It was humorous for a while, and everyone got a kick out of it (but me). So Sunday I took a canopy control course and had the video taken - it helped but still didn't slow me down: Just need to learn (I guess) to run it out. The video showed me doing a three stage landing - easy flare to almost 90o's, second stage almost a swoop, and it was third stage I was screwing up - I should have gone to full flare but as I was higher on the "swoop" than I should have been (~6'). Instead of completing the flare by toggling all of the way down I let them up and would drop like a rock. I'm looking forward to doing the three stage flare this weekend at my home DZ, with the 100'MSL and the slight headwind - Cause I'm tired of the PLF . I'm just hoping I can get someone to video me this weekend so I can watch it on the TV and continue to work on it. I'll take any tips I can get here too... - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy2 0 #11 September 25, 2003 I was having trouble planing out a bit too high, it would get me freaked out and scared if i was maybe 4 feet off the ground when I was supposed to be stepping up to the ground with the finishing flare. Then someone told me just to ride it out and make sure whatever I did was SMOOTH and no releasing the toggles thinking that will help. Compensate smoothly and slowly and ride it out. Otherwise you get dropped like a sack of shit just what I've been told, hope it helps... --------------------------------------------- let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewClearSports 0 #12 September 26, 2003 1. Lift up your goggles under canopy - Some of those cheap goggles (Student goggles) distort your depth perception. 2. Understand what your flare does to the wing above your head, remember that it is variable not ON/OFF like so many students think - Were you taught "Ready Ready - Flare!!" 3. Do lots of Flares up high - Figure out where your canopy pulls out to level flight and where the brakes kick it, and where it stalls - The worst landings are when a student over flares and stalls the canopy. Even a student needs to have a small swoop to get a good landing. 4. Lastly talk to experienced people at your DZ about the things listed above - you need more information - I can't write it all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
