Lawndarter

Heh, there will be nothing but taking it easy on them! I want to learn as much as I can before I go back up. Indeed, now that I'm starting to understand wing loading and so on it'll help me have a more intelligent discussion on how I get to my solo CoP and A license. I have to also make sure my lovely wife, who's been through the "fun" of putting up with me while I recover feels better about the whole thing. She thinks I'm out of my mind for wanting to go back up, but is coming to realize that what happened was a stupid mistake more than anything.

I've got some places I will be practicing PLF - even the DZ does too - I think I want to get it burned into my head as just a drill. And I'm going to ask more questions about the rig - I didn't really understand wingloading at the time, and now that I've been reading more, I can't see why I had a canopy. It had to be a 260 though - unless I really misunderstood something. The instructors gave me the rig and said "this should do it!" It's off season now (too cold!) and I'm a long way from the DZ but part of the FB group so there's lots of good discussion there I'm following. I'm just getting read to start physio and rehab and I won't be going near a plane until I'm 100% though may go up to the DZ to watch some landings and chat with instructors if it opens before that.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I think it was actually a 260, I'll have to look at what I wrote in my logbook. I feel like no one would have let me jump too small a canopy. Or at least I certainly hope not. Funny enough though I remember on my first AFF jump, when I pulled (just as my instructor was about to, I was too rigid and all over the place!) thinking as I did my canopy check that it seemed small! That was after resolving the line twist, which was a good first pull experience for confidence in learning what to do! I'll double check that and see in the spring when I'm fit to go again. The DZ is going to honour what I paid for the course, so I'm happy with that. As for radio, yes, didn't mention that. I had one. First jump I couldn't hear anything and went too far out of the pattern and landed a bit off the DZ, between the taxiway and runway. A little walk of shame. The second, honestly, I don't remember. I know it was fine calling my turns in the pattern, and I think I remember that ib thought I heard them call for me to flare, and I did. And went to full flare probably way too fast as well. I think I realized it but didn't know what to do except try to PLF and not to come out of the flare. It was just how my feet hit the ground that screwed me. Anyhow, for now I'm in week seven of recovering, starting physiotherapy next week and trying to be as positive as I can about it all. I want to go back and get it right and just need to learn as much as I can (reading and so on isn't s replacement for practical work obviously, but it helps me get a handle on it all so I can move to practical.) I've got some good resources already sent by private message too, that's great. I realized the first time I visited a DZ what great people skydivers are, so no surprise there.

So, this is kind of embarrassing, but important to me. I've searched through forums and read lots relevant but not totally sure I got everything. I got hooked this summer after my first tandem and decided to do an AFF course. Ground school felt a bit rushed, but I'd watched lots of videos, read the CSPA PIM and checked out and go through USPA's Skydive School stuff online so I was pretty confident. First time out I landed off DZ, PLF'd and though it sucked I was fine. I flared too high. A bit bruised but no worries. Second jump, everything went well at first. Stable exit, good deployment (oh yeah, first exit I had a line twist to remedy!), and coming in, I again flared too high, and while I was set to PLF, something went wrong and I felt something crack, my right heel struck the ground first (when on a proper PLF it shouldn't ever. Then, stupidly, after having it looked at by some first aiders who were set to carry me into the hangar, I put my foot down. If my distal fibula wasn't already broken, that did it. So, I've had an ORIF surgery (open reduction/internal fixation, and I have a plate and 7 screws in my right ankle on the outside. It's healing nicely and with physio I'm expected to recover fully. I want to finish AFF, and jump again. So there's a couple problems. First: how to I figure out how better to read the ground to flare? Second: how best to protect my ankle because I know I'm going to be hesitant. I'm planning to wear a pretty solid sports brace for it - and I think change my footwear from the hiking boots (though without a super aggressive sole) to skateboarding shoes. My thoughts, which may be nuts: I think I want to go for another tandem and review landing while I have an instructor actually strapped to me - I know tandem landings are different - but people do use slide landings too, do they not? It may look goofy but maybe that's what I should do? I guess what I'm missing is how to really apply flaring properly. I'm about 210lbs (so what, maybe 225 out the door?) and jumped a Silhouette 230 if that matters. Any experienced advice graceously accepted.