running landings

[skyjules 0]

Last weekend I jumped alot. There was hardly any wind, so most of my landings I had run out. The first one was downwind, I mean the whole load landed down wind because the first person to land did, honest mistake. Now 4 of my jumps were running landings. I was able to run it out, but couldn't stay up by the end and ended up falling. My last one I did, I stayed up, it was a great feeling. This was the first weekend I ever had to run with my canopy, to tell you all the truth, I liked it better, and just wanted to share.

***Free bird Forever

[grega 0]

Welcome to the downwind world.

"George just lucky i guess!"

[diablopilot 2]

Many time when people fall down trying to run out landings it's because they stopped flying the canopy way too soon. Next time, rather than start running, pick your feet up for a second while continuing to flare. You'll see a mraked decrease in speed when you do set your feet down.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[chachi 0]

Also, if you have a great grass landing area try just putting your feet in front of you and turf surfing, great when you lose bottom end but listen to JP also, try flaring longer and resisting putting your feet down. Downwind at 40 jumps, perfect. hehe

~Chachi

[skymama 35]

Be careful running out your landings or you might find a little rut in the grass and end up with a nice looking ankle like the one in the pictures I attached. That happened in March and even after 8 weeks of physical therapy, it's still not right. Listen to Diablopilot, riding out your canopy and keeping your feet up a little while longer is a lot smarter.

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

[DrewEckhardt 0]

If you're not landing down-wind and aren't overloading the canopy you don't have to run.

Many people stop flying the canopy before it's done producing lift.

Your control lines may also be too long to get a full stall - I needed a wrap arround my first two fingers to get my PD143R to stall the last time I used it.

You can also sink a bit in the surf and pop back up to ground level at the end for a much slower stall speed.

[billvon 2,434]

> Many time when people fall down trying to run out landings it's
>because they stopped flying the canopy way too soon.

Or because their shoes are too sticky. I finally had to replace my old jumping shoes, and the new ones still have tread on them. Wiped out pretty good on one landing last week, when I barely touched down with one foot, started to slide - and the damn thing got traction.

[skyjules 0]

Thats good advice. Thanx. I see alot of experienced jumpers at my drop zone lifting their legs as they are comming in for a landing. I just havn't mastered landing yet, but it's getting better.

Free bird Forever

[skyjules 0]

OUCH!!! That looks like it hurts alot. So I guess it's best to avoid running landings. Thats too bad cause they were fun.

***Free bird Forever

[skyjules 0]

Your response of not having to run. I'm a little confused. Last weekend the winds were really low, and it's not like I was the only one running out my landings. Pretty much every one was. I can understand that you can probably minimize the run by flaring longer but i'm shure in some situations it's unavoidable, right? Even for experienced jumpers.

***Free bird Forever

[Spizzzarko 0]

Don't get caught up in everyone elses bad techniques. Take the WFFC for example...
I would venture to guess that about 1 out of 5 people there were making nice consistant landings, and it all boiled down to bad technique. Take some time out of your busy jump schedule and just sit down and watch people land. You can learn a lot from it. Not only watch their flare stroke, but watch how the canopy is distorted, and it's effects. You can then start to see who has good technique and who doesn't. Then start to pay more attention to those who are consistantly good. This will help you more than you will know.

And just because there is little to no winds, doesn't mean that you have to run landings out. It's all about your technique.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Your response of not having to run. I'm a little confused. Last weekend the winds were really low, and it's not like I was the only one running out my landings. Pretty much every one was.

Landing at the lowest possible speed is not necessary to get a comfortable and graceful standup landing even at moderate wing loadings and/or high density altitudes so people don't have to learn. With your feet on the ground running is the instinctive thing to do. It also takes a counter-intuitive sink and altitude gain just prior to touch down. If I don't think consciously about that I stay at ground level until the end which means running or sliding to a stop.

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I can understand that you can probably minimize the run by flaring longer but i'm shure in some situations it's unavoidable, right? Even for experienced jumpers.

With enough tail wind you're going to run.

With a high enough wing loading for a specific canopy you're going to run.

Otherwise it's all technique:

1) Fly the canopy until it stops. When you're going to land in the pea pit (it's a soft place to screw up) try picking up your feet and maintaining altitude when you think you're ready to land. You'll probably be surprised at how much farther you go and slower you stop. You might stall although that won't be uncomfortable with the soft ground close by.

2) Increase the drag and lift and the end. A quick end to the flare will slow you down a lot and lift you up. Sinking a bit (lifting your legs for clearance) before that will mean you don't get as far off the ground - you can pretty much step up to the landing.

With density altitudes up to 9000 feet MSL this technique allows landing with at most a couple steps under squares loaded up to 1.5 pounds/square foot, Stilettos at 1.7, and Samurais at 1.9.

[ayork 0]

I seem to remember a spectacular wing-over that Spizzzarko had at the convention. Surfs up Biotch. Long live the red-bull/Jager & Sam Adams Lager, not ale, nights!!

--Gentlemen, I gambled... and I lost.

"You're Arkot Ramathorn "Ram" and I'm Rod Farva, "Rod"... Car RamRod... Car RamRod... Do ya get it?"

[Spizzzarko 0]

I'm doing my best to let that memory fade as quickly as possible. The one good thing I have taken from the convention, was my newfound appreciation for Red Bull and Yaeger. "MMMmmm
MMMmmmmm.. Bitch" There's actually a picture of the "Incident" here on the web..

http://www.airzonextreme.com/gallery/images/AZX_Competition_21.jpg

This was about a split second before I did the unfortunate "Wing Over" that ayork speaks of. It made a big splash. Quite possibly the biggest one of the comp, but I'll let yall decide.

[Fast 0]

Clicky!

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[Spizzzarko 0]

Thanks, I havn't quite figued out how to make a "Clicky"

[meltdown 0]

Be careful. I fucked up a knee trying to run faster then my legs would go - I don't think it's ever going to heal completely.

[skyjules 0]

Sorry to hear that. I guess I was pretty lucky, cause the first jump I made that weekend was an unintentional downwind landing, and I was trying to run faster than my canopy would go. It was probably a good thing that I didn't finish it and fell.

***Free bird Forever

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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Be careful. I fucked up a knee trying to run faster then my legs would go - I don't think it's ever going to heal completely.

It is for that reason that I do not run out landings (normally). I will slide out a landing every single time I am afforded a smooth enough surface.