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Since my 180 (my first 180 in my short time in the sport) I have trying to research the varying factors that could have contributed to it. Luckily enough I had the awareness and actions to save me from a strike - as well as a nice tail wind! - but it has had me looking for some answers to the reasons for it.

I jumped with a tailwind that was coming slightly to the left of me with a 46" non vented non load taped PC. I took a 1 second (maybe slightly less) delay.

I can only come to the conclusions that as my PC seemed to skate around and perhaps I may have dipped my right shoulder on pitch (from previous video I never had done this - but hey does not say I did not) and the wind from the left side of tailwind all could have had some effect towards the 180. But without video and only my memory of the jump and the view from above from an experienced jumper I still find myself trying to pin point why this happened.

I would be appreciative of your views on factors and experiences of 180's to help me build on my knowledge and help in some way to explain a rather intense jump!

I do think that for first off the PC's I use to contribute to some of the off headings I have had - I will be jumping a load taped AV to confirm my thoughts that most of my off headings are caused by the "skating" of my PC. But I would also like the thoughts of other jumpers of additional reasons for off headings.

I am still but a newbie in this sport - and still need some guidence for some of the most obvious of experiences.

Thanks in advance for your patience and time.


Be Safe.


Michael

A few thoughts...


How strong was the tailwind? I would suspect that the tailwind was the governing factor in your opening. In my experience, when the absolute wind (tailwind, in this case) exceeds the relative wind (relative updraft from freefall), freefall deployments tend to open into the wind.

We had a discussion a while back about this, but I can't seem to find it (the search function on BLiNC isn't working for me with the new forums).


While I think this is a bad PC, I doubt that it was the primary cause of your off-heading. Load tapes help the PC maintain shape, which both reduces wear and contributes to a symmetric extraction force. Venting can also help this.


Two thoughts:

1) I think the tailwind was probably the big factor.

2) It is often impossible to pinpoint why an off-heading developed. Sometimes they just happen. With the current gear, it is impossible to perfectly manage the opening of a parachute. The system is just too complex. I find it amazing that we think we can predict this, a massive wad of cloth and string, unfurling in swirling, unpredictable winds, at all.

So, yes, change your PC. But don't think that that was the problem, and now you've solved it. It's just not that simple.