Hardpointing a canopy

[remko 0]

This happened to me on the Marl selection camp for the CFWR2005. It wasn't more than a small inconvenience, but I have seen it cause trouble before and it could cause a lot of trouble in a `big' big-way.

I came in to dock as a wing (#11) but got a little high in the final stage. I also ended up a little bit too far to the inside. While I was correcting for this mistake the receiver reached behind him and got hold of one of my lines, of course with the good intention to salvage this dock. The result however, was that from this point on I was unable to fly my canopy because he was `hardpointing' it. He held a line with one hand somewhere close to the center cell and was unable to walk it out quickly. Then the left half of my canopy entered the burble of his locker and started to deflate and collapse. I screamed `Drop me! Drop me!' and after a short while he let go.

From the moment he took one of my lines with a firm grip, he `took control' of my canopy. He literally left me hanging. The tension that developed later when my canopy collapsed could have caused trouble on the other side of the diamond. If you are on the receiving end of a bad dock, don't accept it, give the guy a chance to fix things.

Another example of hardpointing I saw some time ago. The docker was a locker who came in quite nicely but floated up a little after the grip was taken. In this situation the receiver held down the endcell of the docker. When you do this the other side of the canopy will still fly up and create a `bank angle' into the formation, resulting in sideways movement. This can shift the whole side of a formation or wrap the person hardpointing the canopy. You can easily accept a dock like this if you give the canopy room to move up.

Fly safe!

--
Everything you know is wrong. But some of it is a useful first approximation.

[faulknerwn 36]

Without a doubt! Let the wing fix the wing!

A year or two ago at one of the camps I was at, I docked a wing multiple times upon the same person. He had a really bad habit of sticking his arm and leg out to catch me, and then doing a wide sweep of his leg when I got close. I think half the time he'd snag my center cell line. He'd then put his legs back together, which tended to completely collapse the inside of my canopy!

Drove me nuts all weekend! I couldn't get him to look before taking a grip, and he about caused me to come around multiple times that weekend.. I'll get my dock to where it belongs - just let me do it!
W

[CReWLL 0]

Indeed, half of a dock is the catch. A good dock can be screwed up by a bad catch, and a bad dock can be salvadged by a good catch. It's hell on gloves, but let the line slide up and down. The wing person will be able to fly the canopy, and be way high or way low and still be in control. When it's settled, then stick in your foot.

[plastic 0]

Indeed, i seem to remember being in a wrap in spain last year caused when a world champion (not to mention world record holder and organiser)hardpointed a canopy.

I also seem to remember that resulted in wendy leaving her canopy in a swamp somewhere in spain. Despite at the time "minding her own business" on the other side of the formation.

plastic

[remko 0]

Quote

Indeed, i seem to remember being in a wrap in spain last year caused when a world champion (not to mention world record holder and organiser)hardpointed a canopy.

No, that was about catching a locker as a wing.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1282493

[plastic 0]

Sorry remko,

I thought a canopy was hardpointed when a person takes a grip on it so it can no longer be manouvered by the person flying it.

Are you saying that only a wing can be hardpointed and not a locker. Although the general theme seems to be the same, wait for the canopy to be docked in the correct place before taking a grip.

I do remember the discussions we had about wings catching lockers though.

plastic

[remko 0]

Quote

Although the general theme seems to be the same, wait for the canopy to be docked in the correct place before taking a grip.

That's a good rule of thumb.

But I was talking about the grip itself. In the first example a wrong grip was taken, and held, causing the canopy to deflate and collapse. It's good to try and move a canopy that is behind you to the outside by grabbing whatever you can and pulling it away from behind you and pushing it to the outside. That's helping it move in a direction it should go. But don't `fixate' it. That is bad. Give it room to maneuver.

In the second example a canopy that is moving up is being held down. The hand is hardpointing it, the end cell is being fixated. That is bad. If it is going up give it room to go up, by lifting your hand. If you can't reach that high let it go, holding it will make things worse. If you can take a leg grip you can let it slide up even further. The docker should `fly' the canopy back down, using front riser or cross control, slowly, so that it won't pull on the receiver once it settles. That will cause trouble at the other side of the formation. Once it is stable it can be handed out to the outer receiver.

Remember, a neutral grip is anywhere between the ankle and the knee with zero tension. Light is above the knee and heavy is on the foot with tension.

--
Everything you know is wrong. But some of it is a useful first approximation.