{"id":17356,"date":"2016-07-13T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=17356"},"modified":"2019-08-15T16:12:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T16:12:32","slug":"2016-07-14-flat-tracking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2016-07-14-flat-tracking\/","title":{"rendered":"Flat Tracking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Milko in a great track, by Andrey Veselov<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tracking away from other skydivers well is one of the most vital survival skills a skydiver can have. No matter what kind of skydive you do (unless a Mr Bill or a solo) you will  track to achieve horizontal separation from the others before deploying your parachute. Failure to track well and straight can result in collisions with other skydivers as you deploy, with potentially fatal consequences.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these reasons, tracking well and straight is also an absolute requirement to do larger-way skydives. Big-way organizers will cut you from the jump if you can\u2019t track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracking is a skill we may think we have when we graduate from the Skydiver Training Program. However, like most other skills you learned as a student, the track is only a starting point. As you jump more and more, you should continue to work on tracking better  \u2013 flatter and farther \u2013 on every jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has often been said that you have no friends below breakoff<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s a Flat Track?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A flat track is one where you fall slower and move forward more rapidly (a flatter glide angle). In the same amount of altitude (i.e., from breakoff to deployment altitudes), a skydiver tracking flat will gain more horizontal separation from the center of the formation than someone in a steeper delta dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Flat Track?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply because it will save your life. The goal of breakoff and tracking is to get as far as possible away from those mofos you\u2019ve been flying with so you can all deploy your parachutes in clean air. It has often been said that you have no friends below breakoff, and this is very true! If you\u2019re close to others horizontally, if the low jumper pulls (or if the high jumper cuts away), the high jumper who\u2019s still in freefall can fall through the low jumper\u2019s canopy as they decelerate. Or an off-heading opening between jumpers who are near each other horizontally can result in a canopy collision\/wrap. None of these scenarios carry high expectations of survival. Particularly with highly loaded canopies, you might be surprised at how much ground they can cover just after opening, even with the brakes stowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not one of us is immune to a collision based on experience or time in the sport; only through good breakoff plans, constant awareness of others around us, and good tracking technique can we reduce our risks of collisions during breakoff and deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flat Tracking Technique<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may ask, \u201cIf flat tracking is so awesome, why didn\u2019t I learn it as a student?\u201d Excellent question! Most students are not taught a super flat track because it is a less stable body position with a higher center of gravity, and thus harder to master. As a student, if you are able to break off, track straight, and pull on time, you will pass the tracking requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n


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