paratom

Yes, I've seen the page... "All competitors had the option of doing traditional 'stomp' accuracy onto a tuffet, supplied by long-time Para-Skier Jack Ronalter, or of going for speed with sport (or 'swoop') accuracy on a separate target a few yards away. This year the field was split, with 5 jumpers stomping the pad and 7 going for the swoop in the Intermediate category; 8 of the 11 Open category jumpers were aiming for the tuffet." I guess my writing referred to traditional 'stomp' accuracy onto a tuffet...(FAI paraski) I did not know the swoop accuracy became the part of paraski. Anyway, I am learning. Best regards

Skipro101, your enthusiasm is OK, but some facts; The paraski is combination of ordinary accuracy jump usually on the target laid on the slope (to 45 degree). The target is normal accuracy one (3 or 5 cm zero - center) and the distance from zero is measured on paraski competitions to 100 cm. Everything more is max. penalty points (100 cm). Usually 6 jumps are made and perhaps additional semi-final and final one. Therefore max. penalty points is 600 cm and min. 0. (Jumping from 3000 feet - Usually people thing that on paraski you would jump from the plane on skis) I would not recommend you therefore to take part on competition with your Hornet. Only in case there is wider area around target. But usualy there is no. (ski resorts) Maybe we can even predict the result? Anyway, accuracy canopies are recommended for such competitions. Skiing is a separate part of competition. Usualy first and consists from two giant slalom runs (as normal race). The time is measured and your setback behind the winner gives your position before jumping starts. If you win, you get 0 penalty points. If you are for example 6 seconds behind the winner from both runs together, this is multiplied by 3 (due to the competition rules; can be different). So you have 3 x 6 = 18 penalty points before jumping starts. As you can see, many combinations are possible. If you are good at skiing and you win and bad at jumping, your advantage can easily be compensated by the others. (After first round of jumping your result would therefore be 100 penalty points; (missing the target for 1 m); the second who had 18 points from skiing; (6 sec. behind you from giant slalom) and hit the zero on target; would have 18 penalty points) And there are 5 more jumps. The winners are normally good at accuracy jumping and in skiing (as far I know they are almost all ex-ski racers; slalom, giant slalom) But nevertheless the paraski competitions became more and more unpopular, the same as accuracy jumping. The main reason is that the canopies became faster and less accurate and do not allow an "old style" accuracy jumps. When the majority of canopies were Paracommanders, Papillons later Clouds, Para-Foils etc. much wider population took part on such competitions. Today, majority are "old-timers", who still have Para-Foils in their closets, perhaps as second canopy. The second reason are expenses. It costs you a lot if you want to be good at accuracy jumping or the army must support you. Anyway this problem is in charge of FAI and they should think on new solutions; introducing the new rules for smaller canopies, to make it more attractive perhaps.

Come on, tell us. If you are not a native speaker say in magyar or suomi language. I'll get the translation, but I am very interested in it too... If you tell us I will explain to you what to do if the S/L student leaves the plane and his S/L is by mistake not attached.

Many thanks to you both. Are/Were there any difficulties such as slip off the strut when students try to hang on it? How far from the wheel of the plane? I can imagine then afterwards; bend the knees, look up, release and try to arch. Must go smoothly and almost impossible to fall backwards. Of course just in case as you said if they shove themselves away from the strut. But even in this case much less dangerous than roll from the step/wheel in contracted position. As said many are just fine, but some are really hard work.

Hello to everyone. I have been visiting this forum for a long and I must say it is excellent. It provides many answers to the questions, which I believe are common all around the world. At least to the people who take part in this sport. I must say the falling through the lines of deploying main is the situation which is supposed to be the most dangerous of all by S/L student jumping. We had such cases but everything ended relatively fine. Years ago there was even the student on his first S/L jump, who fell through the lines of main, cut away immediately (;should not as he was taught; - but the main by luck slid off his leg) RSL opened the reserve and he fell through the lines of deploying reserve too. He landed in the wild spin half head down. He was hurt, but not too much and in few weeks he was fine. Through the time we learned, that the plane should fly very slowly, at least by side-exit (An-2). In this case the air resistance is not too strong and does not possibly roll the student too much. Even by bad exits the students hardly come close to the deploying lines. But the danger by S/L side-exit is always present. We learned, that the most suitable planes for the first S/L jumps are therefore C172 and C182. The things you know for a long already. The problem is very low space between the wheel, where the student stands with left leg (the right keeps hanging) and the wing. The student is in the position, (when he drops), from which he easily falls backwards and rolls. And here we go again. It is more or less the matter of the awareness of the student, whether he/she arches from this position or not. Many do, but many just stay in contracted position and roll. (Some have even fallen between the wheel and the strut.) You may help them to concentrate on arching by putting the sticker on the wing and order them to look in it. Therefore I found the idea of hanging from the strut excellent. Is this common (when you do it from Cessna) method? Do you have any extra handles on the strut? After how many jumps the S/L students usually start to exit from the step? What do the pilots say; do they oppose due to the possible balance disturbance? Many thanks for you answers.