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Why Upside Down ?
This seems to be the question on everyone' lips; people who have
been in the sport for a long while as well as newcomers to the sport.
I usually take this to mean "Why Free Flying ?".
Well, there are a whole
load of reasons, not the least of which is notable decrease in the amount
of dirt diving. For a lot of people a good deal of the appeal of
freeflying
is the idea that you are constantly working to fly your body in an almost
limitless range of positions...
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The fun starts before the dive, preparation for a head-down dive is fairly
relaxed; usually just a matter of working out how to get out of the aircraft
such that you all end up in the same piece of the sky. In freefall you
immediately notice the increase in speed, especially in a head-down position.
You are constantly having to work to keep level and proximity with the
person(s) you are flying with. Then there are the visuals - having the
ground on your head and the blue bit at your feet adds a strange perspective
to anything you are familiar with. Passing through cloud gives a sensation
of rushing up into the sky. But the big buzz really has to be the close-in,
controlled contact flying with people in stand-up, sit or any position
at all.
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Photo by Stuart Meacock |
Getting
Started
So, its time to try it! It's a good idea to start after a good bit
of sit-flying and stand-up as these are useful stable positions,
especially when you're learning to transition into head-down. It
takes a load of solo jumps to really work it out! It is not easy
to know when you have attained a stable head-down position which
doesn't have you zooming around all over the sky. The feeling is
that of having no wind hitting on your back or chest but creating
drag with your legs by having them spread out to the side or to
the front and back (the shuttlecock effect).
Clothing
Try wearing some loose fitting pants to accentuate the feeling of
drag on your legs. Using your arms by pushing against the air can
produce turns and control your speed significantly but you will
be amazed at how much movement you can generate by using your legs.
It's really hard to describe how you would make controlled turns
and be able to stay on heading but by getting up there and playing
with your arms and legs is the best way to understand.
Safety First!
The safety side of things deserves a great deal of attention from
anyone getting into this brand of fun. On the gear front, a lot of what
you have taken into account for sit flying and stand-up applies; ie securing
the bridle and closing pin etc. 'Safety in numbers' is not the name
of the game. Once you are confident you are able to hold a fairly stable
position, stick to doing 2-ways with only one person head-down at a time.
This will help you to work on your proximity and level with the other
person. The last thing you need is four or more people zooming around
all over the place, especially at these speeds! This approach will also
maximise your climb up the learning curve. But, the best way to get the
latest on safety or anything else is to talk to the people doing it!
Head-down is a relatively new and unexplored area of our sport, so -
catch the buzz! It's fast and furious but most of all its a wicked amount
of fun!!
Mark Swarbrick
Back
to Feb 97 Contents
Forward to detailed article on head-down
flying
Forward to brief piece on head-down in Just
for Hippies
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