Flaring question

[crotalus01 0]

No wind day, about 88 degrees. Flying a Sabre 190 loaded at about 1.26:1
Came in on final going a little faster than I am used to, flared like I normally do, and got picked up about 8 feet.
My question is what exactly caused the canopy to generate lift like that? I usually have pretty nice landings, occasionally I have to run one out. This is only the second time I have been picked up on flaring (1st time as a student also on a Sabre 190).
Any advice? Thanks.

edit for spelling

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[Spizzzarko 0]

The speed could be playing an optical trick on your mind making you think that you were slightly lower that you were causing you to flare to much for the situation. It often happen to people not used to downwinders when they go down wind. Try looking more towards the horizon as it will give you a better feel for your altitude.

[crotalus01 0]

Spizzarko, I was looking out at about 90 degrees at the horizon, as I started the flare I felt myself plane out and swing forward, and as I continued the flare (at which point the canopy normally begins to stall allowing me to set down) I was lifted up about 8 feet or so. I held what I had and then stabbed the rest of the flare as I came down. Still had to PLF it out, not from forward speed but from the drop.
Question is, why in this instance did my canopy generate lift?

edit to add a couple of other jumpers saw the landing and confirmed that I did go up. They were lower number jumpers who were unable to tell me why (very slow day at the DZ).

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[billvon 2,444]

A few possibilities.

One, you just misjudged the flare due to the much higher groundspeed on final. Many skydivers use their sense of speed and not their actual height to judge flare distance. Looking out instead of down doesn't fix this.

Two, you misjudged the flare due to the higher _airspeed._ Hot air = higher density altitudes = higher airspeed = more speed to dissipate on landing.

Three, you hit lift. Calm air/hot sunny day are textbook conditions for thermal liftoff, and a thermal below you or right behind you could have caused the additional lift.

As a suggestion, if this happens in the future, consider letting off on the brakes a bit. Not all the way - you don't want the canopy to dive. But letting a little brake out will slow the balloon upwards and give you more flare power when you descend again.

[Suavel 0]

I'm not an experienced canopy pilot, but I think:

When you began your flare you felt yourself plane out and then finished the flare as per usual. Because of the lack of wind, you were moving faster than usual and you probably didn't wait long enough before beginning the second half of your flare, therefore that extra speed turned into more lift than usual.

Rephrased: Usually on a day with wind, you begin your flare, plane out, then finish the flare and touch down. You were moving faster so you probably should have stayed at the "plane out" stage for a longer period of time, killing speed, then finished your flare.

There's probably a couple of ways of saying all that with fewer words.

[jakee 1,262]

Quote

Question is, why in this instance did my canopy generate lift?

If you were conscious that you were coming in 'faster' than usual you could well have flared faster or deeper than usual (even if it felt the same). That alone can easily be enough to lift you back up quite a few feet.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[2shay 0]

you flare in the canopy becomes stronger the faster you go so could have been extra speed and you flaring normally at that speed would cause extra lift. Just a thought Maybe not?

Joel

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[freeflydemon 0]

Quote

Hot air = higher density altitudes

What????
Altitudes????

What do you mean with higher density altitudes???

edit: spell

[Peej 0]

Here is a great post from Quade on density altitude:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=128089;search_string=density%20Altitude;#128089

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[Tonto 1]

Quote

you flare in the canopy becomes stronger the faster you go so could have been extra speed and you flaring normally at that speed would cause extra lift. Just a thought Maybe not?

This says it quite well.

Lift is exponential. If you double your airspeed, you quadruple your lift. Recently, at our canopy piloting nationals, the only people who were taken away in an ambulance were those who hurt themselves coming down AGAIN, (Sometimes from as high as 30+ feet) not those who plowed in the 1st time.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[2shay 0]

Swoopers take some beatings sometimes! I have watched many vids and wow even if they land good in a distance competiton they are getiin' beat on by the ground.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[freeflydemon 0]

I didn't know that in English the concept is density-altitude.
When the temperature decrease the air density will increase....so when I red: “hot air = higher density altitude”, I was thinking in air relative density....
Thanks for explain the altitude density term..... I didn't know it

Edit: Spell

[crotalus01 0]

thanks guys, that makes sense. I am usually not coming in as hot as I was that day.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...