Skydiving is based on the Basic Safety Requirements (BSRs) that have been established as the cornerstone of a self-policing principle. The BSRs represent the industry standard generally agreed upon as necessary for an adequate level of safety. Research can be conducted to develop and document new methods and procedures within the BSRs and, when necessary, under waivers to the BSRs, to establish a justifiable basis to modify these standards. This section includes two fundamental, interrelated USPA publications: the Basic Safety Requirements and Waivers to the Basic Safety Requirements.
- The Basic Safety Requirements represent commonly accepted standards necessary to promote safety in average conditions.
- Since these standards may be an unnecessary burden in some individual circumstances, USPA provides procedures to document exceptions, known as waivers to the BSRs.
- These waivers also provide for the responsible research and development of improved techniques and methods.
On subsequent jumps, they practice controlled freefall for ten seconds before deployment on at least two jumps to become accustomed to the shift in direction of the relative wind from ahead to below. It also introduces them to the speed of a near-terminal-velocity freefall. You need to establish confidence and relaxed freefall control. A controlled freefall in Category C may include some random heading drift, which you learn to lessen by relaxing and focusing on the basics: altitude, arch, legs, and relax.
The instructor shows you more about how to plan a canopy pattern for various wind speeds and directions to improve traffic flow and avoid conflicts with obstacles and other jumpers. You learn to
predict, avoid, and react to turbulence induced by wind over obstacles and heated areas. You’ll learn ways to approach an off-field landing, and the drop zone manager explains how off-field landings may affect neighbor relations.
Emergency review includes discussion on an inadvertently opened parachute in and around the aircraft and how to avoid and respond to it. Also, your instructor provides more details on recognizing and avoiding landing obstacles and how to approach off-field landings.
Visualization: Mind Over Body
Did you know that done properly, visualizing what you’re about to do can be as effective as practicing it for real? Studies show that the only part of an athlete’s performance that visualization won’t help is gaining the strength necessary to perform the task. Exercise is hard and skydiving is expensive, but visualization is cheap and easy. To begin, go where you can relax and where distractions won’t affect you. (Potential distractions may be all around, but you can train your mind to tune them out.) Breathe rhythmically and slowly and recall or imagine a pleasant experience or moment where you are calm and very comfortable.
Then, imagine your upcoming performance exactly as you want it to occur. Start from the beginning, which includes moving to the door of the aircraft, and imagine your actions through to the end. You should even visualize your descent under canopy. Visualize every detail: where you will place your hands and feet in the door, the cold air rushing in, the noise of the plane, the clean smell of the air, the feel of the aircraft metal on your hands, and everything you can associate with the upcoming experience.
Fly Away From The Plane
Imagine how you will move every part of your body during the count and exit and how you will feel as you fly away from the plane. Think of where you will position your hands, feet, head, and torso, particularly as you explore techniques for maneuvering in freefall. Visualize every move, including looking at the ground, checking your altimeter, and seeing your instructors. Some athletes visualize the upcoming performance from their point of view, while others visualize as if they were watching themselves on TV from above or alongside. Visualize in slow motion or real time, but no faster. See your performance as one continuous flowing action, rather than as snapshots. As you visualize your actions, associate the motions by feigning the small movements with your hands or your legs with each action (“twitch”) as you mentally rehearse the performance.
Leave yourself a few minutes to take in the sights and sounds on the way to altitude, but keep your performance first on your mind. The jumpers who succeed best all practice their routines on the climb to altitude, so you shouldn’t feel out of place. Just look around at the others doing the same thing! At this stage of your training, your performance requires as much of your attention as any skydiver training for competition. Use these same visualization tips that help top athletes in skydiving and other sports to help you improve your performance and increase your overall satisfaction from each jump.
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