Floater exit

I'm having issues with my floater exits. Every time I exit, I push to the left therefore rotating me. In my videos, the left half of my body looks like superman and the right half looks like a perfect neutral arch! I know the drill, head up and belly button to the relative wind but for some reason I just seem to over compensate on my step off that theres nothing there...anyone have any ideas or suggestions on how I can fix this?? I'm now in cat h of the a license progression and I'm sure this will slow down the license process until I get it fixed.

Parachut3Panda

...and I'm sure this will slow down the license process until I get it fixed.

And what's the problem with that? Skydiving shouldn't be about license progression but about having fun in the air. Wanting to get better at it is natural, but stressing out that it's going to slow your license down is focusing on the wrong parts.

And the best way to get better at flying is to try lots of times, and make good use of coaching. Jump with someone experienced who can see (and maybe video) your exits in real-time, and keep practicing.

And above all, don't forget to keep having fun!

My tip: Instead of thinking "there is nothing there", feel that you are laying yourself down on a "cushion of air" that is angled about 30 to 45 degrees from the front and down.
If you are jumping a reasonably fast airplane (any turbine engine plane, such as an Otter, King Air or Caravan, for example) there is enough air coming at you to immediately "hold you up". Trust this air and feel it immediately on your body. Lean into it. Let it support you.
When visualizing your exit, don't ever visualize that you are stepping out into nothingness and falling.
It's really easy to get used to that feeling, if you can go to an indoor skydiving tunnel a few times, and learn to enter the tunnel from the door, and feel that same airflow holding you up (In the tunnel it comes straight from below, while in the plane it comes much more from the front, but the feeling is very similar.)

Don't be so hard on yourself! Skydiving takes time and at less than 25 jumps it sounds like you are actually doing pretty well. As long as you can get stable if you tumble a bit you are doing fine. I know people with hundreds of jumps who have tumbled on a floater exit so don't be too hard on yourself especially at this point.

You will find skydiving is a continual gradual learning process. Just take it one jump at a time and follow your instructors advice. Also, just relax and take a deep breath before you jump it does wonders :)

Parachut3Panda

I'm having issues with my floater exits. Every time I exit, I push to the left therefore rotating me...

Many young jumpers try too hard to get belly into the wind. Try not "pushing to the left". This can cause an over rotation on a barrel rolling axis. Instead, just step off the plane as you open up your left side to the relative wind. Stay relaxed, head up, pelvis forward, legs positive, and just slide off the hill.

Disclaimer: Discuss this and any dropzone.com opinions with your instructor before applying.

Listen to Chuck ^^^Listen to your Coaches and Instructors. That is their function !!! To any experienced Coach or Instructor, your issue is obvious, that is why Chuck is able to correctly identify it. The best asset you have is your Coaches, not DZ.com.

Paul Gholson Coach Examiner

Same problem here :D

I'm celebrating the day when I can see the plane flying away :P

At least I'm not scared anymore of tumbling.

Its not so much that I'm rushing to get licensed, it's more along the lines of I'm getting frustrated with myself because I keep doing the same thing over and over every time I exit. I know in my head the process, I just dont execute it when I get to the door for some reason. Every coach I have tells me the same thing, chin up and watch the plane but that damn plane is hard to see!! Ha! All your tips will definately help, thank you!! I know I will have to hug someone when i finally get it! 😊

Parachut3Panda

....it's more along the lines of I'm getting frustrated with myself because I keep doing the same thing over and over every time I exit...

Don't worry - you'll get it. Remember, if skydiving was easy the boring people would do it and we'd go do something else.

It sounds as though you're thinking of your exit too much as a gymnastic exercise - it really shouldn't be, especially when you're jumping solo (it could be argued that there are gymnastic elements to larger linked launches, because everyone is aiming to put themselves into their own bit of unobstructed airflow).

Perhaps you're subconsciously worried about getting clear of the aircraft, but from a floating position where you're effectively outside already then there's no need. You are in a nearly-ideal place. Present the front of your body to the air and let it cradle you as you step away from the plane and gradually transition into a belly-to-earth attitude. Think about keeping yourself on aircraft heading as you slide down the hill.

Maybe you could also review which aircraft handles you are using (inside or outside, if both are available) while you're in the door. Using a rail on top of the fuselage might put you slightly more on your back, but it also gets the maximum amount of your body out of the aircraft and into the wind before you step off. You might be surprised how much of your weight you could take off your feet with the airflow to support you before you even leave the door. You're practically flying already.

I struggled with that early on too. I’ll tell you what helped me...

Try keeping your eye on the airplane until you feel yourself flying stable. I think this helps for several reasons.

First, you won’t be looking down, which is honestly a bit scary in the beginning.

Second, looking up promotes a proper arch, which helps immediately.

Also, watching the airplane flying away gives you a point of reference, especially regarding your heading. The airplane will always be flying away and into the relative wind, so if you’re facing the airplane, then so are you. Good for stability.

Plus, it’s fun, so there’s that!!!

This is good advice; always look where you want to be.

It works on so many levels.

Parachut3Panda

I'm having issues with my floater exits. Every time I exit, I push to the left therefore rotating me. In my videos, the left half of my body looks like superman and the right half looks like a perfect neutral arch! I know the drill, head up and belly button to the relative wind but for some reason I just seem to over compensate on my step off that theres nothing there...anyone have any ideas or suggestions on how I can fix this?? I'm now in cat h of the a license progression and I'm sure this will slow down the license process until I get it fixed.

It might not be the pushing off. I had so much trouble with this that for awhile when going front floater I would deliberately do a 360 to the left as fast as I could rather than fight it. (I'd been jumping many years before I got a chance to regularly jump anything bigger than a 182 so it wasn't an issue but then we got a 411). I did a practice exit and just thought about my body position. Every aspect of it but especially my chest. I realized that my chest was angled just a little so that my left shoulder was pushing forward and twisting my upper body. It wasn't much but it didn't take much. I had to make a mental effort to twist my upper body so that I was presenting equally to the relative wind rather than one shoulder dipped.
The good news is that it started working right away with my making a conscious decision to fly straight for a few jumps and then it just became second nature.

Just thought I would let all of you know that I passed my a license check dive!!! FINALLY got that exit down!! I'm so excited! thank you for all your input and help!

congrats!

Parachut3Panda

Its not so much that I'm rushing to get licensed, it's more along the lines of I'm getting frustrated with myself because I keep doing the same thing over and over every time I exit. I know in my head the process, I just dont execute it when I get to the door for some reason. Every coach I have tells me the same thing, chin up and watch the plane but that damn plane is hard to see!! Ha! All your tips will definately help, thank you!! I know I will have to hug someone when i finally get it! 😊

Try NOT thinking about how to do it. Think about what you want to do. You don't think about how to walk, you just do it. Granted, you have a lot more experience walking than skydiving but after 15 minutes of freefall you have much more mobility than you had after 15 minutes when you were learning to walk. Or after 15 minutes of learning to swim. And there's only three places you can be on this planet. On the ground, in the water, or in the air. Skydiving is simply mobility in a different medium.