HD learning priority: Stable from exit to track, or transitioning?

[grue 1]

In general, should someone learning HD be working on going HD right from exit until going flat for deployment, or should I hold it as long as possible, go to sit, and try and transition back?

I'm in the very early stages at the moment, I've only done a few dives really trying to work on my HD, and what I've been doing is dropping HD into the relative wind, and when I invariably fall out of the HD 4 seconds later, I go back to my sit, turn 90 degrees off the flight line, and work on going back into the headdown.

Just not sure what's the best way to be doing this.

cavete terrae.

[Brains 2]

There are FAR more experienced people to help you than me but, I think you are doing the right thing for now. You are exiting in the HD position, when you cork, you transition to sit to keep your speed up, check line of flight, and transition again?? Sounds like you are really paying attention to what is going on. And as always, coaching will speed up your progress, cover some local guy/girls slot and ask them for some advice.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[freefli 2]

It seems that you are being heads up as far as your awareness in the sky as Brains said.
A great way to get the feel for head down is exit with a group of 2-4 jumpers and exit on your head in a formation so that you can use the others to be able to maintain that position. After breaking the formation be sure to get back on your feet as you are a huge liability to everyone else being that you're not stable. More than likely, when you are on your head you are haulin ass forwards or backwards. For this reason you are like a human missile that will take others out. Check out this link for an example of this scenario http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEtPxivFQyE
sorry for it not being clicky.
I wouldn't really recommend just paying the slot of a local to check you out because if they don't have the skills of a coach to get out of the way, they are in danger.
HD is fun, but so dangerous to learn. I myself can't believe I made it through the learning process safely.
If you keep your awareness to traveling perpendicular to the line of flight and you go right to your feet when you start to get unstable, over time you will learn on your own. It will take quite a bit longer by yourself than with help. Nothing speeds up the process more than video and someone to debrief it with you.
Regarding the exit, I would suggest exiting in a sit when you go solo since you can still track right up or down the line of flight quite a lot on your head from the door. Ride the hill in a sit and get your heading and got to your head. The largest bit of helpful information I can give is lock your legs out. Almost all of your stability will come from your legs. While keeping your legs quiet, try and be as relaxed as you can with your upper body.
Hope this help you some. Be safe........

[grue 1]

I'm definitely planning on getting some help with it, I'm just wondering if I might not be better off waiting until I'm more stable before I start doing that. Since I'm still all over the place when I try and go sit -> HD, I figured I want to get that at least halfway predictable... but then again, like I said, I've only done a few jumps, so that might come quickly.

I'll report back after the weekend, maybe even with video!

cavete terrae.

[grega 0]

maybe try another practice, but be careful cause you'll be all over the place and change speeds considerably.

Anyway the practice is: jump out (however you like), turn 90 degree to line of flight. then go to belly into somewhat tracking position, then dive steeper and steeper until you're past the "straight down, HD position" and you'll end up diving on your back.
when diving/tracking on your back try to check that you're still perpendicual to the line of flight, since you are probably covering some nice horizontal distance.
After that start diving again, this time on your back, dive steeper and steeper, until you end up diving/tracking on your belly again. Then dive steeper until you end up on your back again. and so on.

Somewhere in between this swings is the sweet HD spot. Try to reduce the swinging as much as possible and find the sweet spot.
When you think you found it, spread the legs and try to maintain that position (look at horizon, legs can't be spread too much, spine straight, don't fly with your arms, jadda jadda,...)

And you also know how to move forwards and backward in HD after this practice (at least to some degree
This is a solo practice btw...and always check you're not under or above somone, because speeds change a lot...

"George just lucky i guess!"

[hparrish 0]

How proficient is your sit? Have you mastered the following with your sit flying?

1.) Exiting in a sit and mainting the entire dive?
2.) Fwd, Bwd, and Side movement in a sit?
3.) Controlled turns in a sit.
4.) Transitions in a sit......ie...front flips, back flips, cartwheels?
5.) Sit flying with 2-Ways, 3 Ways, 4 Ways.
6.) Control of horizontal separation with others in a sit?
7.) Control of vertical separation and flying level with others in a sit?

If you can do all these things in a sit, then it's time to start working on Head Down.

I highly recommend you find a qualified Freefly coach to learn the basics of HD. Then spend some jumps practicing what they taught you. Then get more coaching jumps.

I'd highly recommend you stick to solos, unless you are jumping with a coach. I wouldn't try to learn HD with more than one other person. And I'd make sure that 2nd person is a skilled freeflyer. I would say its cool to jump HD with others when your mentor feels you are ready.

As long as you are doing solos. i think your approach is sound but a coach with video will make you prgress much more quickly than going it alone. You may not realize you are driving fwd or backsliding, or turning, or tracking instead of actually going HD.

When I am coaching someone I always hold onto their harness and give minor head, arm, and leg adjustments until the person is flying correctly and relaxed. Then I let them go and they can see if they are backsliding, driving forward, turning, or corking. Usually if there is allot of separation when I let them go they notice......and I guarantee it's not me backsliding.

Once they are flying relatively well in HD and making progress with flying down the tube, and have the ability to purposefully move fwd and bwd, I start drill dives and make them follow me around the sky. This usually takes awhile, about 50 jumps.

Just make sure whomever you get for coaching, knows what they are talking about. But more importantly make sure you can actually learn from them. Not all good Freaflyers make good coaches. Ask around I'm sure you can find someone good.

I personally hate having folks pay me or cover my slot. I think folks should give back to the sport to a certain degree. Unless you want someone for 8 jumps a day for an entire weekend. Then covering the slot seems reasonable. But not everyone is generous, and you may have to pay them and cover their slot.

Good Luck, you seem to be off to a good start.


Harry P

[kes6 0]

i don't have anything to add, just to say i'm exactly at the same frustrating place, of being very comfrotable up-right and a complete mess trying to transit..good luck.

[Zoter 0]

Go nuts....practising your HD...dont hold it for more than 6 secs at a time so if you are 'travelling' you have the opportunity to reset ,without getting into others airspace...
Transition, fly...6 secs...back to your stable headup position...pick a different vector..repeat

[lili 0]

Just read the bit by hparrish about holding onto the harness of the student, and I totally get why this is a good idea in terms of more control and making corrections being easier, and I'm sure it works well with many people, but when I was learning I found this really offputting. I would end up arching every time (subconciously to have more space? not sure why). For me it was easier to relax etc when the coach was holding my right hand with his/hers and elbow with the other (2-way flower) and making hand gestures with the elbow hand (if this makes sense).

Just sharing my experience in the hope it might help someone.

Lx

[hparrish 0]

doesn't work for eveyone.......different strokes for different folks.

[grue 1]

cavete terrae.

[grue 1]

Oh, and here's the video of the coached jumps... still got a long way to go, I was all over the place.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=5392

cavete terrae.

[hookitt 0]

Haven't watched the video yet but the picture shows nice forward movement.

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

[Ktownbret 0]

Arching definitely seems to be my trend too. Especially on transitions. I got some excellent coaching recently. From exit he held my leg strap with his right hand, and higher on my harness with his left hand. He kept me really close and was able to mouth instructions for my head position. He was also able to put the lower half of my body in the correct position. From there I practiced slight hip movements to get a feel for forward and backwards movement. I was able to realize that my head position was Throwing me off. I think I can at least call it a baby step.

www.okanaganskydive.com

[Zenister 0]

think a bit about how your hips, spine, shoulders align... thats a nice arch youve got there.. but your facing the wrong way to use it well :D

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.