Sunday, July 22, 2012

2 jumps, mixed results

After dropping off Matt's foot locker and working the temperature table for the summer camp departure, I got on the road for Chambersburg. Drizzly rain, low dark clouds, thought about going back home. I arrived at about 10:15, and got on the first load at about 12:15. Ugh.

NW winds, 11-13 kts. Jumped the same 260.

Jump 1 - solo
Dove out, keeping my eye on the other solo jumper. In freefall, I used him as a point of reference for some 360 degree turns in both directions. Fast turns, stopped them easily, right back on heading.
From pull to fully open canopy - completely on heading the entire way. I attribute that to a good pack (not me) and a stable pull (me).
Worked on braked turns with different amounts of brakes and different amounts of letting up a toggle to see how it felt. Flew around some clouds. Playing a little by skirting the edges of the clouds and trying to stay out of them but close to them.
Flared a hair high, held it for a second, flared the rest of the way. Half-hearted PLF that I easily could have stood up. Landed in front of the other hangar.

Jump 2 - 3-way (sort of) with Brian (Marine) and Frank (coach)
Frank was front-float, Brian was rear float, I exited right after Frank from inside right in his chest. Plan was that Frank and Brian would be gripped, and I would dock with them, then undock so they could back off and sink, then I would redock. I ended up way lower, and they never stopped a slow spin. I didn't think they'd be able to sink down to me (which was the plan), so I tried to spread out and come up part way to them. Never made it. I got unstable, and ended up on my back. No biggie, I just rolled out of that. Then I started spinning horizontally. In my mind, I said that a spin is just a turn, so all I had to do was stop the turn. I still spun about 4 times very rapidly. I think that I was trying to hard, and stiffened up, which was what led to the whole problem starting with the flip. I stopped worrying about fixing the spin, arched fully, relaxed as best as I could, and the spin stopped. Altitude said under 4500, so I waved and pulled. And forgot to track away from Frank and Brian. Honestly, this was the worst freefall I've had since Cat B or so. Very strange, since I've been having so much fun in freefall this summer. Writing this off as atypical, but using it as a reminder that I need to remember to relax.
I had some fun under canopy. Some slightly more aggressive turns and spins. Stood up a nice landing in front of the other hangar.

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