Backflying

[foxykatie 0]

I am trying to learn how to backfly. I've attempted it twice and both times I started spinning and could not get out of it. Any tips? Also, do you think it's necessary to master backflying before attempting to sitfly? Is it best to work by myself at first or go ahead and work with a coach?
Thanks!

[beowulf 1]

Get coaching. It will help you much much more then trying to do it on your own. It is much better to learn back flying first then sitflying.

[yardhippie 0]

You were spinning b/c you had something on your body not symmetrical. Work with someone who has accomplished this on the ground to help you with your body position. Do some jumps with someone who can get video and help you with more of your body position.

When you go to the tunnel you have to learn backflying before you can sit b/c its your "neutral" position. IMHO, you can fall much faster on your back than on your belly b/c you can tuck much of your arms/legs into your torso's burble. This faster fall rate is desired over a belly to earth position in case you become unstable in a sit, you can return to the backflying position and maintain much of your freeflying fall rate. Corking is bad and has been known to hurt and even kill.

I agree with beowuf here in the learning backflying first, or at least learn to be stable on your back and maintain a fall rate. Have a stable fall rate if you have someone with you will help you both be safe. As you learn both sitting and back flying your can trasition easily between the two. I liked that exercise a lot in the tunnel.
Hope some of that helps.

Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

[dharma1976 0]

not only is it necessary it is a lot of fun to fly on your back

plus you can get some great camera angles flying on your back

Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[FlyinDawg 0]

I know im not coach. What I has learned from my coach from completed backflyin'. I had several time spins too. I realized, I have to bend legs out more, keep arms balance and head more back with chest out. But depend on your body form, important is to keep PRACTICE till SUCCESS!

Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog


"To understand is to forgive, even oneself."

[NWPoul 1]

As been already said, coaching - the best way to do
As to the Hot Tips: IMHO there are some:)
What's help me a lot:

1. I've been told, that it's essentialy to have stright back (and even a little arched with chest a little bit up/straiten shoulders/chin up) during backfly and natural way to keep it - it's take a deep breath:)
2. Most unintentional spining come from unsymmetrical legs, best way to control legs while learning bacfly: put knees together/heels apart
3. (but may be most important) Mindset - relax;)

Good Luck!

Why drink and drive, if you can smoke and fly?

[genfreefly 0]

mmm...i disagree for the most part.

most of my students, when i used to coach people, i found it easier to teach sit flying.

sometimes, if people had a hard time with their legs slipping under them, etc, we'd work on 'butt-fying' a bit, then just get the legs down a bit more , and presto, sit flying

laying flat on your back in the sky doens't make sense to me as a beginning technique because one is not looking forward (at a good reference point or at another person, instead one is looking up at the sky, i guess)

i've found that one of the most important thing when i coached people is eye-contact.

and if doing solos, a reference point.



tunnel is great, but sky is different...but if you have all the time and money in the world, do both

my 2 cents, i could be wrong

fly safe
max

[dharma1976 0]

I did learn sit flying first though...

you out jumping this weekend max?

D

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[genfreefly 0]

yeah man, i'll be around
max

[Newbie 0]

What Max said. Reference point is very important - inexperienced back flyers by themselves can track hard and fast all over the place without realising it. You can easily be backtracking while on your back without adequate reference points.

I learnt to back fly in the tunnel - it's a very useful skill to have but not a prerequisite to learning to sit if skydiving.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[yeyo 1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8NkMROaDWg

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[Ktownbret 0]

the beginning of this vid talks alot about backflying first. Personaly I never did, and IMHO I kind of wish i had.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9-4wLOrdIg&mode=related&search=

www.okanaganskydive.com

[snafuhere 0]

is your rig tight on you?
close the cheststrap first, tight
then the legstraps
make sure it is not moving to much on your back

this sometimes helps with backfly spin

https://www.facebook.com/1skydive/

[Ozzie 0]

One one of the best reasons to have a good backfly (if you want to be a freeflayer) is that it is the position you should fall into if you flail your head down or sit. You never want to cork to your belly and risk floating/smashing into others in the group. Instead, learn how to do a tight and fast high speed backfly and then pop back into your sit from there while maintaing most of your fall rate and keeping the group safe.

O

Motion = Emotion

[Unparagoned 0]

I don't think that back flying is the best recovery position in the sky when learning to sit fly. The orientation in back flying is completely different. I was taugt to bring my knees into my chest and heels to my arse, with my arms out. This is a nice simple position and makes going back into sit very easy, the orientation is kept the same etc.

In the wind tunnel, obviously you need complete control at all times, and backflying is the standard recovery position in the tunnel.

[Ozzie 0]

Quote

I was taugt to bring my knees into my chest and heels to my arse, with my arms out. This is a nice simple position and makes going back into sit very easy, the orientation is kept the same etc

That sounds more like a transition and not a position. What position are you in before you initiate this transition? I dont "hang out" on my back or anything. I just tuck in my feet, drive my heals down and bring my arms out some and then right back up (as you described). But the whole transition is made easier because it is inititiated calmly from a position that is familiar and comfortable as opposed to unfamiliar, scary and maybe even chaotic for many.

O

Motion = Emotion

[Unparagoned 0]

Quote

Quote

I was taugt to bring my knees into my chest and heels to my arse, with my arms out. This is a nice simple position and makes going back into sit very easy, the orientation is kept the same etc

That sounds more like a transition and not a position. What position are you in before you initiate this transition? I dont "hang out" on my back or anything. I just tuck in my feet, drive my heals down and bring my arms out some and then right back up (as you described). But the whole transition is made easier because it is inititiated calmly from a position that is familiar and comfortable as opposed to unfamiliar, scary and maybe even chaotic for many.

O

It's not a transition, it's just the most stable headup position possible, I'm not too sure what others call it but I when I was taught it, it was just called the recovery position. Basically you are curled up into a ball with your arms out. Whenever you feel yourself going, you just bring in your legs, then when you are ready stick back out your legs. This way your view is completely the same and basically you can see what is going on, what caused you lose your sit position. It is such a simple position you can work or think on who or what made you lose your position, without putting any effort or thought into flying.

I don't recall ever seen an experienced sit flyer use the back fly position as a recovery position in the sky. I've done a reasnable amount of time in the tunnel practising the back the sit transition so I know it fairly well, but I would never use it in the sky since it is quite a big manouver, requires thinking, effort, time, etc.