Adjusting Fall Rate

[AggieDave 6]

Besides the obvious answer of jumpsuit type/material/bagginess, what are some ways of adjusting fall rate. Today I learned that one of my problems is that my feet are too close together while sitting and that could be adding to my fall rate, what are some other things? Not just for sit fly either.
(Oh, btw, I was clocked at 218mph today in a sit...)
The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[Zennie 0]

Jesus Christ Dave, I'd have trouble keeping up in a head down! You need to hook up with Rachel!
As far as slowing down, the concept is similar to RW... get big. Push down with the arms & spread the legs out. To get really show I backfly. Did a jump today with a guy learning to sit and I was on my back most of the time to match fall rate (with moderate success... need to work on that ).
Unless we attach a drogue chute to you, you may be doomed to backflying with head downers.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[AggieDave 6]

That dive turned out to become a bit of a coach dive, learning some things I was doing wrong. Yeah, with my sit-fly, right now I need to get my legs farther apart and out and my arms more down. I spent another dive working on those specific things by myself today.
Specifically, with headdown, fall rate is controlled the same way, right? By spreading the legs and how far out your arms are...
Another question, for a head down, what's the difference in having the feet in the same plane and having one infront of the other? Is that a different position with a different name, or just nothing?
The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[PhreeZone 15]

In front/behind is Daffy. Side by side is Chinese Splits. (At least these are the terms we use around my DZ)
Political Correctness - At least one person at any one time will be offended by something

[Levin 0]

[Another question, for a head down, what's the difference in having the feet in the same plane and having one infront of the other? Is that a different position with a different name, or just nothing?]
having one foot in front and one in back is called the daffy position. the advantage is more stability by grabbing air on 4 points. the disadvantage is decreased manueverability as opposed to having legs spread side to side.

[Levin 0]

[(Oh, btw, I was clocked at 218mph today in a sit...)]
my fastest pro-tracked clocked speed was 195mph headdown, ankles together and hands on my sides. most of my dives are in the range of a 140- 160mph.

[AggieDave 6]

(please note, I'm 6'2" and 250lbs out the door The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[AggieDave 6]

(please note, I'm 6'1" and 250lbs out the door The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[AggieDave 6]

Sorry about that, I had a typo, tried to fix it and it posted a second post AND it won't let me go back and delete or edit either of them now...hmm...
The beatings will continue until morale improves.

[Levin 0]

[(please note, I'm 6'2" and 250lbs out the door )]
for headdown practice i recommend a feet attached drogue equipped with 3 ring cutaway system. ;0)

[AndyMan 7]

Quote

for headdown practice i recommend a feet attached drogue equipped with 3 ring cutaway system.

Please keep in mind FAA regulations prohibit the breaking of the sound barrier near populated areas.
_Am

[skymedic 0]

Dave, sounds like you have my problem....I scream head down....my last time mr.brusgard told me it was at 228.....I was cruising...but I am learning daffy and that is slowing me down alot....I tryed the splits thing but it tended to turn me alot...
marc
"...a mind stretched with new idea's will never regain its shape"

[MarcusV 0]

:-)))
Dave, how fast are you headdown? Why slow down if you can speed up!
The first USA speed competition will be held from the 9th to the 12th of May 2002 in Deland :-) With this speed you only have to add a minimum of 400 jumps to qualify! In the last speedskydiving event 2001 in Lapalisse with 218 you'd have belonged to the first 15, man!
Check it out Speedskydiving WorldCup 2002 USA
Blues Marcus
--
Perfect speed, my son, is being there. - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

[neural9 0]

Hey Dave,
I had the same problem when starting out- I'm 230 and 6'.
Practice your sit with wide open legs. Also push your feet further forwards, so that the angle from your knees is more like 100deg rather than 90. Push arms lower than your shoulders rather than higher - but only slightly, you are aiming to create a bit of a burble rather than sheer surface area.
With headdown, Daffy is the way to go - it also looks way cooler than straddle. With the Daffy, you have nearly the same surface area of a sit, except that you're head kinda acts like a missle nose cone. so again, bend your knees so that they're not 90 degrees.
Convince your group that you want to be base for the dive too. It'll make them speed up - they'll appreciate it in the end!
Later,
n9

[Levin 0]

[Convince your group that you want to be base for the dive too. It'll make them speed up - they'll appreciate it in the end!]
not when they're 5'8" and 130lbs. slower is better. you should get a baggier suit.

[AggieDave 6]

Can't do headdown, YET, but I will soon. That competition would rock, wear something like a wet suit and a swimming cap, go out and head down it...
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

[AggieDave 6]

Today, just now, I ordered a Freedom Means Choice FF suit, "fully phat" with heavy cotton on the legs and arms. It's really baggy and with that heavy material, and the tips here, I might be able to jump with all the *little* people.
Thanks for the suggestions guys!
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

[Zennie 0]

Cool beans. Come on down to Houston when you get it and we'll take it for a test spin.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

Another question, for a head down, what's the difference in having the feet in the same plane and having one infront of the other? Is that a different position with a different name, or just nothing?

As others have said, the positions are daffy(one in front of the other) and straddle, Olav, splits.....whatever the local term for that one is.. Daffy is definitely a much slower position when you learn it.. If you study the body position of some of the head down flyers that can fly ridiculously slow you will probably notice that they fly daffy and they have their bodies tweaked out with everything that can possibly slow them down.....such as leaning the feet inward or outward to present more surface to the wind, hands facing down and cupped, and sometimes even rocking the body back and forth presenting the front part of their body to the wind for a split second then the back part for a split second - which will increase drag and slow you down.. These are all pretty advanced things, though, and you will probably pick them up out of necessity without even realizing it as you become more experienced flying head down..
Mike

[huffermoose 0]

That dive turned out to become a bit of a coach dive, learning some things I was doing wrong. Yeah, with my sit-fly, right now I need to get my legs farther apart and out and my arms more down. I spent another dive working on those specific things by myself today.
just a thought to pass on to you remember when you spread your legs remember to keep em pushed down, as i used to and sometimes still do, which is slow right down but bring my knees up and compensate with my arms backwards but am getting better just a thought for ya!

[rgoper 0]

dave:
make sure your next freefly suit is constructed of nomex! damn, 218 in a sit? jeezush-h, what is it head down? were going to have to take you to 15K just to get you some freefall! take care.
Richard
"Gravity Is My Friend"

[freeflir29 0]

To slow down in a sit...just rock onto your back. It takes a little practice but this will seriously slow you down. I was having to do it on all my sit flys this weekend cause I was jumping with a medium weight person in a baggy suit. Keep those legs spread wide too.
"I only have 125 jumps, so I don't know shit..right?"-Clay