From my log book:
6/21/05: Jump 18 - DeLand, FL - Canopy Control Course - Exit Altitude: 6,700 - Skyvan - Hop & Pop - Opened @ 6,000 feet wow! Lots of canopy time. Adj. leg straps. Practiced the five flares, slow flare, med flare, fast flare, med. eyes up, med. eyes closed. Practiced 5 full flares. Entered landing pattern. Followed pattern pretty accurately. Flared a little early to the 1/2 way point. Finished the flare. Almost stood it up. Landed 10 feet from target. Scott Miller D-13234
My second exit from the Skyvan was just as fun as the first. I really enjoyed exiting from a tailgate! It's so easy to "leave the plane stable" as Scott says.
During our second session, Scott went over the landing pattern or flight plan. It's important for each of us to fly a predictable pattern. We also discussed how to deal with various issues. I was very happy that the instructors at Skydive Orange did a wonderful job in teaching the importance of a set landing pattern. By using flat turns (flying 1/2 brakes, and 3/4 brakes), we would be able to make more conservative turns.
The weather crapped out so we ended our day early. After class, I told Scott about my initial experience at DeLand. There were no warm fuzzies. At Orange, you get hugs hello and goodbye. When I arrived at DeLand, I didn't find friendly faces or smiles and I was very surprised how quiet it was on the plane. It didn't seem like people were excited about skydiving. They were all so serious. What's up with that?