2008 Skydiver's Information Manual
A United States Parachute Association Publication

Category E

Contents:
Introduction
Category E: Learning and Performance Objectives

A. Exit and freefall
B. Canopy
C. Emergency procedure review
D. Equipment
E. Rules and recommendations
F. Spotting and aircraft

Open Parachute orientation
Aircraft Briefing
Dive Flow
Quiz

Introduction

This is the last category that distinguishes between students of different disciplines. Once you have demonstrated the ability to regain stability and control within five seconds after initiating a disorienting maneuver, a USPA Instructor in your discipline may clear you to jump without instructor supervision in freefall. At that point, any USPA Instructor may perform gripped exits with you, as well.

From Category E on, a USPA Instructor makes sure you are properly trained and supervised on each jump.

In Category E, you practice unpoised (door) exits and aerobatics to increase your confidence, awareness, and control in freefall. You should by now be jumping from the highest altitude available at your drop zone.

Under canopy, you'll practice for softer landings by looking for the "sweet spot" in the flare-the flaring stroke that provides the best lift for that canopy with that jumper's weight. The goal is to flare your canopy to fly as flat as possible until you begin to touch down. The USPA Instructor will also remind you of your responsibility (and every jumper's responsibility) to observe and steer clear of other canopies.

By the end of Category D, you should have been able to land within 50 meters of the target with minimal assistance. In Category E, you should be able to do it on your own.

Part of the emergency procedure review includes a detailed discussion on preventing premature openings in freefall and more detailed procedures for two open canopies.

A rigger or instructor will introduce you to the open parachute system to identify its key components, along with the FAA's rules for packing parachutes. Supervised packing begins in Category F.

You'll discuss weight, balance, airspeed, jump run procedures, and aircraft emergency procedures, usually with a jump pilot. A jump pilot or USPA Instructor also shows you how to read a winds-aloft report. From that information, you'll learn to calculate the best opening point over the ground.

In Categories E through H, you're expected to select and prepare your equipment for jumping (with the supervising USPA Instructor's advice), including obtaining all recommended pre-jump equipment checks. You're also learning to spot, where to sit in the aircraft, and to allow enough distance between the jumpers exiting before you. You should know the surface winds and plan the appropriate landing pattern.

In order to be cleared to student self-supervision by a USPA Instructor, you must have obtained the following skills and knowledge:

1. Demonstrated the ability to regain stability and control in freefall within five seconds after initiating a disorienting maneuver.

2. Demonstrated sufficient canopy control skills to land safely in all expected conditions.

3. Demonstrated the knowledge required to select and inspect gear before use.

4. Shown knowledge of spotting required to make reasonable judgment about suggested exit points.

5. Shown knowledge of both normal and emergency aircraft procedures for all aircraft types in common use for skydiving.

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A. Exit and freefall

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1. Stable door (unpoised) exit--

a. Position for the best launch.

b. Present the front of your hips to the relative wind.

c. Exit in a neutral position with your legs slightly extended (better stability).

d. Maintain your arch as the relative wind changes from ahead to below after exit.

2. Recovering from exit and freefall instability--

a. Altitude, arch, legs, relax (review).

b. If falling stable back to earth although arching, briefly retract one arm and look over that shoulder at the ground to return face-to earth (half barrel roll).

3. Barrel rolls, backloops, and front loops (instructor's preferred technique)

a. Try barrel rolls first, because they have a built-in recovery component from back-to-earth.

b. Any two disorienting maneuvers with recovery and reorientation within five seconds qualify you for self-supervision in freefall (the same one may be used twice).

c. Demonstrate full control by completing all three maneuvers within 60 degrees of the initial heading.

4. Rolls, loops and other freeflying maneuvers result in faster and erratic fall rates; check altitude often.

5. Visual altimeters, especially when chest-mounted, may be unreliable during inverted positions (see SIM Section 5-3).

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B. Canopy

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1. Types of stalls

a. An aerodynamic stall is a stable, steady-state stall, or sink, with decreased glide and increased rate of descent.

(1) associated with older designs and specialized accuracy canopies

(2) may not be achievable with newer, flatter-gliding canopies, which often fly flatter almost until a full stall

b. A dynamic stall occurs at the end of a flare when the jumper begins to rock back under the canopy and the canopy begins to nose forward.

(1) associated with a sharp dive

(2) may signal a full stall

c. A full stall occurs when the trailing edge (tail) is pulled below the leading edge (nose) and the canopy begins to fly backwards.

(1) collapses the canopy

(2) may result in unrecoverable line twist in smaller, more highly loaded wings stalled with the toggles (a back riser stall may be more controllable)

(3) may be contrary to the manufacturer's recommendations

(4) may result in entanglement with the jumper if released too abruptly

(5) may result in injury if done too low

2. Raise the controls smoothly after any stall to avoid diving and partial collapse.

3. Proper flare technique:

a. Keep your feet and knees together to maintain heading during the landing flare (level harness).

b. Flare with the hands in front to provide visual feedback for level control.

4. Discovering the best landing flare ("sweet spot") for the canopy being jumped (nine practice flares):

Note: Complete all maneuvers above 1,000 feet.

a. From full glide, flare to a mid-point in the toggle range.

(1) approximately the bottom of the rib cage

(2) at a medium rate of flare

b. Feel the amount and duration of lift before the stall.

c. Return gently to full flight for at least ten seconds.

d. Repeat to the same depth.

(1) once at a faster rate

(2) once at a slower rate

e. Compare the strength and duration of the lift before the stall.

f. Flare at three different speeds to a point deeper in the toggle stroke, approximately at the hips.

g. Flares at three different speeds to a higher point in the toggle stroke, approximately at the shoulders.

h. Compare the flares to determine the stroke rate and depth that produces the maximum combined strength and duration of lift for that canopy.

5. Best flare height above the ground

a. Use the best flare procedure (discovered during the nine practice flares) upon landing, beginning one body height above ground.

b. Flare to minimum descent (or flat) and hold that toggle position when the glide begins to flatten.

c. Smoothly continue the toggle stroke to maintain the flat glide.

d. If the canopy begins to stall and drops several feet, begin the flare that much lower on the next jump.

e. If you don't achieve the flattest glide before landing, begin to flare slightly higher on the next jump.

6. Review of traffic avoidance procedures:

a. Watch for other traffic, especially upon entering the landing pattern.

b. The most dangerous point of the pattern occurs when two jumpers on opposite base-leg approaches turn to final approach.

c. The lower canopy has the right of way, but one jumper should not maneuver to assert right of way over another.

d. It takes two people to have a collision, but only one to avoid it.

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C. Emergency procedure review

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1. Preventive measures for two open canopies

a. Deploy the main parachute at the correct altitude to avoid AAD activation.

b. Initiate malfunction procedures high enough to cut away safely and avoid AAD activation.

c. Maintain and correctly operate hand-deployed pilot chutes, especially collapsibles.

d. Protect your equipment before exit to prevent pins or handles being knocked loose.

e. Some AADs, particularly those used for student jumping, will activate under a fully open parachute when controlled too aggressively at lower altitudes.

2. Review detailed procedures for two canopies out as they pertain to experienced jumpers, found in SIM Section 5-1.

3. Procedures for high-wind landings

a. Before landing, disconnect the RSL as a precaution in case a cutaway becomes necessary to prevent being dragged.

b. Choose a point to the side or well downwind of any obstacle that may generate turbulence.

c. Land using a PLF and pull one toggle in as quickly as possible until the canopy collapses.

d. After landing, cut away if necessary (with an SOS, cutting away may open the reserve container, but only the reserve pilot chute will likely deploy).

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D. Equipment

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1. Attend the Category E Open Parachute Orientation (inset) to prepare for packing lessons.

2. Typical characteristics of elliptical canopies, compared to rectangular canopies of the same size and material:

a. flatter glide for same airspeed

b. faster turns

c. greater loss of altitude in a turn

d. may continue to dive after stopping control input following a turn

e. slower, less predictable opening (some models)

f. shorter toggle stroke for flare (some models)

g. quicker, more abrupt stall (some models)

3. The stall speed of any wing increases with higher wing loading.

a. more suspended weight

b. sudden maneuvers, such as flaring hard after a dive

4. Use and limitations of the reserve static line, or RSL (SIM Section 5-3).

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E. Rules and recommendations

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1. Winds

a. Students are limited to 14 mph (ten mph for round reserves).

b. A USPA Safety & Training Advisor may file a waiver for students to jump in higher winds (see Section 2-2 on waivers to the BSRs, for the procedure).

c. Licensed jumpers must exercise judgment.

2. The FAA publishes rules for the periodic inspection and repacking of the main and reserve parachute system, found in FAR 105.43.a and b, Section 9-1 of this manual.

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F. Spotting and aircraft

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1. Attend the Aircraft Briefing (inset).

2. Spotting (pilot or instructor)

a. how to read a winds-aloft report

b. jump-run procedures

c. spotting corrections

(1) manual (hand signals, shoulder taps)

(2) electronic (spotting buttons and lights)

(3) verbal

3. The effect of winds during canopy descent

a. A canopy descends at approximately 1,000 feet per minute.

b. Divide the opening altitude by 1,000 feet to determine time of descent, e.g., 3,000 feet = three minutes of descent.

c. Estimate in miles per minute the amount of drift during descent, as in Table 4-E.1:

MPH	Miles per Minute	Drift from 3,000 feet
60 30 20 15 10 5	1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/6 1/12	n/a n/a 1 mile 3/4 mile 1/2 mile 1.4 mile

4. Calculate the drift under canopy from 3,000 feet, based on the average of the known winds and a canopy descent rate of 1,000 feet per minute, to choose the correct opening point-example (Table 4-E.2):

WINDS (forecast and observed) Altitude       Direction       Speed 3,000 AGL*...... 280..................20 Surface..............260...................10 Average..............270....................15 Use Table 4-E.1 above to estimate the canopy's drift during a three-minute descent in winds averaging 15 miles per hour. DRIFT Open      Time      Distance      Direction 3,000'......3 min. ....3/4 mi...........from 270 *above ground level

Table 4-E.2 Averge the wind direction and velocity to estimate drift after opening at 3,000 feet above the ground.

ALTERNATE METHOD FOR CALCULATING FREEFALL AND CANOPY DRIFT Example for Calculating Freefall Drift Altitudes         Heading          Speed (in mph) 3,000 ft           250           15 mph 6,000 ft           260           18 mph 9,000 ft           270           20 mph 12,000 ft           290           25 mph Average           270           19.5 mph To simplify the process, convert mph to mile per minute (mpm) *Assuming a one minute freefall 19.5 divided by 60 equals .33 miles Freefall drift is equal to .33 miles at 270 degrees. Example for Calculating Canopy Drift Altitudes      Heading      Speed (in mph) Surface           180          12 mph 3,000 ft           200           18 mph Average           190           15 mph *Assuming a one minute freefall 15 divided by 60 is equal to .25 miles Then multiply .25 miles by the number of minutes under canopy. To simplify the process for the student assume a four minute canopy flight. Canopy drift is equal to .25 miles multiplied by four minutes which is equal to one mile at 190 degrees.

 

a. canopy descent time from 3,000 feet (at 1,000 feet per minute): three minutes

b. total (uncontrolled) drift at 1/4 mile per minute: 3/4 mile

c. ideal opening point: 3/4 mile due west

5. Observe and ask jumpers on a previous load about the wind conditions and spot.

6. Jumper procedures during jump run

a. The pilot determines when the door may be opened and may prefer to operate the door.

b. Look below to--

(1) check for clouds

(2) check for aircraft

(3) verify the jump run is correct

c. When the pilot gives the OK to jump, verify that the aircraft is the desired distance from the drop zone and begin exit procedures.

7. Be sure to establish communications for spotting corrections with the pilot prior to flight.

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