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Roast me if it is already been discussed, but what is the majority saying about headig issues on SL and PCA jumps? Just reviewed a small and incomplete clip of an opening sequence and things looked like they unloaded a little off heading, but to no avail opened completely on heading. Body positioning could not be a factor as I am flawless with my body position(open to all kinds of roasting here).
Thanks gals and guys

Pilot chute movement is one of the major contributing factors for off heading openings.

PCA and Static Line remove that factor.

Statistically, PCA and Static Line deployments average better opening heading than freefall deployments.

That says nothing about what will happen on any specific opening though--or on _your_ next opening.

I think (correct me if I'm wrong), that the biggest thing to be careful about is crosswinds for a PCA or SL. They can easily blow your packjob around.

And, obviously, where the PCA/static line is relative to center of the jumper.

Hasnt affected anything in my experience. Ive probably got over 100 static line jumps at least in all sorts of wind conditions, and I cant remember an off heading of more than about 15 degrees. Just make sure the place you tie off is in line with your exit. If you tie off 10 feet to the right off you, guaranteed off.

I've had a 180 w/ 270twist on a PCA in crosswind. Could have been a fluke, but I would think the x-wind contributed. I thought body position was fine and PCA was in line.

Your chest must be presented to the wind at deployment time. Not to the horizon for jumps like this.
My experience is that in low to medium winds, the jumper's body position is in control of the heading. In higher winds (higher than 50% of your falling speed) the canopy takes control of you body pos. You can experiment by doing off the line pca's and static lines off a suitable bridge. Log every thing like the wind speed and how far off the anchor is. It should be ratiometric IMHO. But what do i know?

There are some things that some dont understand in applying physics to the angle of extraction in sl/pca or FF situations. If one has an orbiting PC, the angle of extraction is the same as being off line in a a static pca DB deployment. Tangential factors come into play. less drag force. simple example. tow a car straight on. then do the same at a 45% angle. it would be half the effective force.. Think about it.take car Tree and the rest of you.
space.

I have done and/or seen 100+ also and agree.
99% of the time ON or within 12 degrees left/right.

Once I Did see a perfect 180 on a clean PCA that
had no crosswind. At the time I would have swore
he put the packjob in backwards because I never
saw the canopy turn, just open and flew into the
compound at the base of the tower... weird.

Ones body must be positioned to the relative wind. Not to the horizon for jumps that would be SL/PCA/ go and throws.
Take care and I like a nice roast :-)
space

WOW! WTF!!! Do you have video of that?

i disagree. body position only needs to be squared to your anchor in a SL/PCA. it is purely mechanical. i've done many strong xwind SLs and never had an off-heading.

freefall is a different story.

Im not sure if i disagree with this principle, I can kind-of see it, but...... Im more in-line with this understanding!

This, plus also @ the same time with PCA or SL deployment . Body positioning is better if @ ( heads-up & body 45 deg. & square ) . over a ( flat & stable/& square ) with body pushing outward & away from object . As that tends to drag the packed deployment out & over the Container tray-bottom .
.

I've personally only seen one off heading, a complete 180, during a PCA and none on a static line. The jump in question the guy had kind of an odd PCA technique with two hands and no short rope (jumper fell to bridle stretch before container opening). The pack job looked like it was already 180 1/4 of the way to line stretch. I always attributed it to the technique.

Please. Who has a container bottom? Go back to the dark ages Ray

agreed!