Ground carves

[PhreeZone 15]

Alright, I've got a problem I don't know how to fix and I'm hoping some one can turn the light bulb on over my head and help me fix the issue.

I've been slowly working up my approaches and I'm now getting my 180 HP arroraches dialed in and I'm starting to work on my ground carves on the same landings. I'm currently waiting till I've leveled out about 3-5 feet up and I'll toggle turn the carve while staying planed out. I can do 45 degree turns on the ground pretty consistantly and only have to run every few out. There are the odd one here or there that are far from graceful since the canopy is not perfectly level and I slide those out on my feet or knees. I'm making usually left front riser approaches and ground carving to the right.

I'm trying to do 90 degree carves and all I'm doing is throwing the toggle input longer then I do with the 45s. The issue I'm having is it seem like it just takes forever for the canopy to turn the additional 45 degrees and by that time there is'nt enough speed to get the canopy back over my head and I took a few spills last weekend due to this issue. I'm getting scared of trying them again since it was clear on the one video that at about 70 degrees I was out of time to get it level and I did'nt reconize it while the situation was happening and kept pushing it. Luckly all the spills have been rolls on the ground, I'm getting used to seeing blue, green, blue, green again like my student days

I have a feeling there is a funamental flaw in my approach, but since I'm the only one at my DZ thats even close to doing this and not many of the people I talk to do ground carves (most seem focused on distance) I'm not sure where to start in a redesign of my technique.

I know I'm not bringing the same speed into the manuever as a lot of pilots since I'm jumping a canopy at a 1.45 loading, but in my mind speed is only part of the solution.

Any ideas on where I'm going wrong? Looking forward to the answers.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[marks 0]

i havent practiced carves much but i can do aprox 90 deg. ive seen a freind of mine consistantly do 180... geese that looks scary.. well anyways ive found the most of my problem ive had was gettingg the balls to do it.... well since your trying and wiping out im guessing you got those..

ive never really paid much attention to WHAT i was doing when i did it but i will try to explain it

start the carve to the point where your swung out from the canopy then pull the other toggle down just a bit to create lift... since your sidwards the lift will result in a turn... when your turn has reached the desired deg then pull both toggles more to create more lift then finish with more toggle input on the toggle opposite of your carve to put you back under the canopy..

im not very good at putting things into words so i hope you can understand what im getting at...

hopefully somone else has some input...

[trigger 0]

I don't know if this will help as i'm only pulling 45's at most myself and not too often at that,just when the mode takes me!

But the technique i've been using is druing the "swoop"flying the canopy on the edge of brakes"where toggle input starts to bite" and leaning into my harness in the direction i want to carve..i'm not saying basically harness turning the canopy is a better technique but i keep most of my initial speed through the carve and have "touch wood"not failed to land this moneuveur

Looking forward to this thread as i'm always scouting for ways to improve my techniques

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[hookitt 0]

What MarkS said.. just go for it.

Your 1.45 wingload is plenty and actually EXCELLENT for some crazy turny maneuvres. Using the same left hook to right carve as an example, Get your speed up however you're doing it. I like to carry a bit of left turn into it as I plane out. As the wing gets level just lean hard to the right with your body and add toggle pressure. You'll be pulling pretty hard on the toggles. See how close you can get the wing to the ground. It's not uncommon to brush the weeds when you start really leaning it over.

You've seen this picture before but look at how much toggle input is there. That's pretty significant.

When I go for it hard, I lean forward in the beginning and then to the side. It feels like leading with the chest.

It's very common to run out of steam before you finish getting the wing level. Finish sooner than you think you need to, and it will set you back up quicker. Oher wise be prepared to slide it out.

Hope that helps

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[AggieDave 6]

We're playing with the same thing with the carves. Actually, it sounds like we're at the same point with the carves.

Here's what some other canopy pilots have told me and I've found to be true: use more harness input. I've found it to help a lot with the carving.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Samurai136 0]

The brief description I learned at Scott Miller's canopy control course this weekend is that carving after leveling the canopy out is the same technique used in braked/flat turns. You are doing a braked turn at a higher airspeed w/ a high performance canopy. Practice making braked/ flat turns up high and build them into your surf....

It doesn't take much to get a big response uunder a high performance canopy in a braked turn. Scott also said something about mastering braked turns being the skill he felt everyone should be taking away from his course. "a properly executed braked turn can save your life in a normal or high speed landing."

Ken

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken