Skydive Radio Interviews Available for FREE Download! Brian has
been doing interviews for Skydive Radio on several
topics including Canopy Flight, Freeflying and The
Psychology of Fear. Listen in and hear Brian discussing
some of the hottest topics in our sport today. These
in-depth discussions provide answers to questions
emailed to Skydive Radio from listeners worldwide.
Don’t miss out on this free opportunity to
hear Brian teach!
[HERE] is a an Off-Site Link to Skydive Radio.com
Below are the longer interviews:
:
Show #14 “General Canopy
Flight Dynamics”
Show #18 “High Performance
Flight”
Show #27 “Emotional Factors
in Aviation”
Show #33 "Freeflying, Part
One"
Show #48 "Freeflying, Part
Two"
Show #74"Brian answers listener
questions Pt 1"
Show #75"Brian answers listener
questions Pt 2"
Show #88"Hook
Turn Restrictions"
Show #98 "Traffic Patterns"
Show #100 Brian hosts the centennial episode!
Skydiving and the Mind: Clearing the Mind
In the previous article, we discussed the profound usefulness of meditation preparation as a tool to prevent overreaction and panic. In this installment we will take a closer look at one traditional meditation technique, as taught by the Tibetan Buddhist monks.
Meditation Preparation
Most skydivers exercise some form of mental preparation on the way to altitude. What most do not realize is how incredibly important this is. The mental state that we are in prior to exiting the airplane determines how we respond to any given situation, and this response is the most important contributing factor in how the situation ultimately evolves. In other words, mental preparation is every bit as important as a pin check.
Surviving the No Wind Landing One of the most dreaded conditions of all is the no wind scenario. This fear is so profound that many jumpers in fact avoid jumping in no wind conditions. Although landing with the benefit of a headwind is unarguably easier, there are specific methods that markedly improve the chances of standing up your landing. Here are a few tips that will help you to land softer and safer when the wind goes away:
Collapses
and Turbulence
There are many variables to consider when looking
into a canopy collapse:
What was the pilot doing?
How fast was the canopy flying when it collapsed?
Where was the pilot flying?
What is the canopy design?
What is the wing-loading?
Was there any re-active solution employed?
These are the principle considerations, but not
the only ones. I will take each one separately.
Brian's Famous Pilot
Chute Packing Method
Many years ago, Brian came across an incredible
method for packing throw-out pilot chutes.
This technique seriously reduces the risks of a
main reserve entanglement due to a horseshoe malfunction.
The Long Haul
There are many areas of this sport in which we can
invest ourselves, so many avenues in which to excel.
By focusing heavily on a single discipline, we are
able to achieve significant notoriety in a fairly
short period of time. By utilizing the superior
training techniques, personal coaching and wind
tunnel rehearsal, modern skydivers are able to reach
significant prowess in just a few months of participation
in the sport. Although the speedy gratification
of our desires is tempting and rewarding in the
short term, there is a larger, more important goal.
We must survive.
Ground
Launching
You can ground launch any skydiving canopy if you
have enough slope and enough up-slope wind. The
heavier the wing-loading, the steeper the slope
has to be. I don't recommend trying anything higher
than 1.3 or so until you get more experience. As
for the technique, it's fairly straight-forward.
Brian
Germain Offers In-Depth Canopy Flight Courses
Parachute Designer Brian Germain, President Of Big
Air Sportz, is now offering a new type of canopy
class. Unlike other canopy camps, the focus of Brian’s
courses is the classroom information, rather than
only filming landings. Although jumping is often
included in the course, this is intended to be an
in-depth ground-school of parachute flight.
Canopy
Skill Drills
Learning to fly our parachutes is absolutely necessary
for long-term survival in this sport. The philosophy
that the canopy is simply a means to get down from
a skydive is gradually becoming a thing of the past.
This may be as a result of individuals with such
an attitude dropping out of the sport due to canopy-related
injuries, or from the insurmountable fear that comes
as a result of a lack of control over their experience.
Regardless, many jumpers have been taking an increased
interest in flying their parachutes better.
AirLock
There is a considerable amount of chatter about
“valved” parachutes going around these
days. Many skydivers believe that airlocked parachutes
are the way of the future, while others see the
introduction of this new technology as a temporary
fad. In this article I will discuss the pros and
cons, as objectively as I can, to this new development
in parachute design.
Slider
Locking Mechanism
There are many reasons to bring the slider all the way down to the bottom of the risers on modern gliding parachutes. The improved performance noted on high performance canopies in particular is quite noticeable (see fig 5). It is important to note that skill level and situational specifics may make this task inappropriate or even dangerous at times. However, the benefits most often outweigh the risks for most experienced jumpers.
The
Stall
The stall is one of the least explored and most
feared aspects of flying. Avoidance of this flight
mode causes many canopy pilots to be uncomfortable
with flying slowly, and unpracticed in this important
art. This article will discuss the governing variables
relating to the stall, in hopes that this knowledge
will help parachute pilots to become less afraid
of this essential aspect of the flying experience.
Airlocks After Landing
Big Air Sportz canopies are equipped with the Germain Airlock System (US Patent 5,573,207, Brian Germain). This restricts the exhale of the canopy’s internal air pressure in flight, but also after landing as well. This is a bit of a bother to those pilots unprepared for an inflated wing after landing, but a non-issue for those that have developed a technique for deflating the canopy.
