How do you do your final turn on a swoop?

[sabrepilot25 0]

Hey folks, I have been doing 270 degree turns for my landings and I have been learning from various people. Everyone I speak to seems to have a different way of doing their final turn.

I am interested to hear more techniques used by more people, and any feedback about how my method can be improved upon (for speed or distance). If you can, please also post your wingloading, canopy, initiation height for your final turn, Degrees in turn (e.g 270), Location from the entry gate you perform your turn at (e.g 40 feet behind, 30 feet to the right of the gate when facing the gate)

ATTENTION FOR PEOPLE LEARNING TO SWOOP: I AM IN NO WAY A TALENTED SWOOPER OR CANOPY PILOTING COACH SO MY METHOD BELOW COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG, THERE MIGHT ALSO BE THOSE WHO POST REPLIES WHO USE INCORRECT METHODS SO PLEASE BEAR THIS IN MIND WHEN READING MY METHOD AND ALL REPLIES GIVEN IN THIS THREAD

Here is what i do for a left hand landing pattern with a right hand 270.

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-Start in deep brakes
-Slowly lift the brakes and grab both front risers by the loops
-Pull both front risers down evenly to begin with to get the canopy in a good dive
-Slowly lift the left front riser, keeping the right front riser down so the canopy begins to turn right.
-When I have turned about 180 degrees I completely lift both risers and finish in a harness turn
-If i realize i am too high after start of the turn, i slow the rate of turn down by only using a light harness turn and no risers (this is after the canopy is already in a dive)
-I plane out using a small bit or rear riser input (Pulling them out to the side to increase the wing span)

My wingloading: 1.9,
Canopy: Icarus VX 94,
Initiation height for final turn: 580 feet,
Degrees in turn: 270,
Location from the entry gate I perform my turn at: roughly 30 feet behind, 30 feet to the right of the gate when facing the gate (rough guess, i have never measured it).

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I am by no means a good swooper, I have posted the above method (a) for feedback on what to change for improvement (b) to demonstrate how i would like others to explain their methods.

All feedback is welcome but I particularly am looking for advice from those who have competed in swoop competitions.

[Sabre1Lucke 0]

My wingloading: 2.48
Canopy: Velocity 90
Initiation height for final turn: 730 feet
Degrees in turn: 270
Location from the entry gate: Depends on windconditions

-Start in deep brakes
-Lift the brakes and grab both front risers by the loops
-Pull both front risers down evenly to begin with to get the canopy in a good dive for about 5 seconds.
-Slowly turn the canopy on bodyweight (harness) for the first 180°.
-The last 90° is swing the canopy around on harness input witch make the canopy dive even more
-Plane out using a small bit or rear riser input

[sabrepilot25 0]

When you "Slowly turn the canopy on bodyweight (harness) for the first 180°." have you already raised the front risers back up completely?

[Sabre1Lucke 0]

No, I keep them down until I do my final 90°.

[sabrepilot25 0]

So both front risers are even while you are turning 180 degrees?

[Sabre1Lucke 0]

Yes, that's correct.

[sabrepilot25 0]

interesting, thanks for the reply

[Heatmiser 0]

You mean yanking down on one toggle around 150 feet isn't the proper way to swoop?

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[JohnDeere 0]

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You mean yanking down on one toggle around 150 feet isn't the proper way to swoop?

Always worked for me

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[phoenixlpr 0]

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You mean yanking down on one toggle around 150 feet isn't the proper way to swoop?

Always worked for me

How is the speeding up coming out from your breaking down action? Nice example of the toggle-money.

[sabrepilot25 0]

bump,

any more feedback would be appreciated

[pjc 0]

I do pretty much the same as you but start the turn from 700' on a Velo 111 loaded 1.95. Seems to work OK, but I only have 75ish jumps on the canopy so still finding my way...

[superstu 0]

i think the more important question is not how you do your swoop, but why you do your turn the way you do. for example, why are you holding your double fronts for 5 seconds? why not 4 seconds or 6 seconds? personally i think once you understand why you do the turn the way you do you can then understand why something is successful and not successful and then tweek what ever you need to.

for what it's worth here's my turn for the 79 at sea level:
- start in deep brakes
- double fronts at 1350' for about 4 seconds
- an accelerating 450 turn that takes about 7 seconds, smoothly transitioning from all front risers to pretty much all harness throughout the turn.
- roll-out for about 3-3.5 seconds

I have reason's for doing this type of turn, but this is just my turn and what works for me and definitely not for everyone.

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[AggieDave 6]

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for what it's worth here's my turn for the 79 at sea level:
- start in deep brakes
- double fronts at 1350' for about 4 seconds
- an accelerating 450 turn that takes about 7 seconds, smoothly transitioning from all front risers to pretty much all harness throughout the turn.
- roll-out for about 3-3.5 seconds

Then dig out as hard as you can?




(I can poke fun because Stu is such a nice person and a much better swooper then I am).

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

[sabrepilot25 0]

in that case, would you be able to go into more details about why you do your turn the way you do? e.g why do you stay on double fronts for this long?

thankyou