🚀 go-pugleaf

>      Again, the key is airspeed;  so stay outta those brakes near the ground,
> OK?  I usually approach the target at about 1/4 brakes, and flare when I am
> 3 to 4 seconds from touchdown.
> 
>             *
>            / \
>       |---/---\---|            Ken Scofield    C-9355
>       |   Gone    |            Hewlett-Packard PCD
>       |  Jumpin'  |            Corvallis, OR
>       |-----------|
>			{ucbvax!hplabs, harpo, ogcvax}!hp-pcd!kas

Hello Ken,
  
   That was a good  piece about about  hanging  under a canopy.  But I
wanted to discuss the airspeed issue.  I agree totally  that you don't
want  to be in  3/4  or greater breakes on   landing approach  (unless
you're doing  accuracy  shots), as there would  be a tendency for  the
canopy to  stall with small changes  in  surrounding airspeed.  But on
those bumpy/gusty/unpredictable days, I don't  think that you   really
want to  be in full  glide.  In full  glide, those gusts  would have a
tendency make your canopy surge/stall  and basically get  you rocking.
It's for this reason that squares are packed to open with half brakes,
to minimize canopy surge, etc.  I would recommend half brakes on those
weird  days  -- it will recover from  those changing  airspeeds with a
minimum of surging.   If  necessary, you  can land without  flaring on
those windy days -- just hold those half brakes.  With all that  wind,
you won't   have much ground   speed  anyway.   Actually, when  I  was
training for squares, we weren't allowed to flare until the 3rd square
jump.  The landings were not tip-toe, but were stand-upable.

   Now, on those no-wind days  when  the ground speed  makes ya  think
that yer  going down-wind,  or when  there  are easy  and  predictable
winds, I whole-heartedly grab for all  the canopy speed  I can drum up
on landing approach. Then, I have half a chance to get a good enough
flare to slow that hummer down and make a nice tippy toe landing.  I
recall my first real no-wind landing where I thought slower was better
(came in with about half brakes).  There must still be a skid mark on
my hiney for that caper ...

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Dane Meyer  Texas Instruments

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