Photo above by Niklas Daniel.

In 2020, the wing loading for those involved in reported incidents averaged 0.1 pounds per square foot above the recommendation for the jumper’s experience level. Of the 12 incidents reported in January of 2022, the jumper’s experience level averaged 0.2 pounds per square foot higher than the recommendation, with all but one involving wing loadings well above the recommendation. These statistics suggest an increasing normalization of deviance regarding wing loading in our community.

As rating holders, we need to appropriately advise students and low-experience jumpers according to their experience levels and established industry standards. This is primarily for the safety of our jumpers, but it also reduces personal liability, as it would be challenging to defend advice that contradicts USPA recommendations.

Draw a Picture

So, how do you determine the right advice to give? First, remember that most people's beliefs about their abilities are rarely rooted in facts, so when it comes to canopy skills, just asking someone about their skill level isn't enough. And jump numbers won’t give you a complete picture, either. (A jumper who concentrates on canopy skills early can be more proficient than one with more jumps but who hasn’t done much canopy work.) You’ll provide the best advice by looking at details in their logbook, using those details to categorize what type of canopy pilot the jumper is and matching your advice to the recommendations in the Skydiver’s Information Manual. Looking at the logbook allows you to gauge the jumper’s specific prior performances. Pay little attention to subjective comments (which include phrases like “I feel” or “I think”) and stick to objective statements backed up with data.

Categorize

Once you have a clear picture of a jumper’s canopy skills based on the logbook, determine with the jumper which of five canopy categories they best fit into:

• Student: These are jumpers who are just beginning their skydiving careers. They are focused on learning the lifesaving skills of canopy flight such as flying an appropriate landing pattern, landing accurately, flares that set them down gently and performing parachute landing falls (PLFs) when their landings are not so gentle.
• Novice: These jumpers have repeatedly shown proficiency at student-level canopy skills. They are building their experience with downwind landings, long spots, landing off and obstacle avoidance (skills like half-braked turns and landings). Because these jumpers are still in the learning phases of their progressions, they must use large, docile canopies that are forgiving of mistakes. This canopy choice allows them to build experience safely.
• Intermediate: These jumpers have repeatedly shown proficiency in all basic canopy skills. At this time, they may start to experiment with more advanced techniques. However, they must learn and practice these techniques under a larger canopy until they are proficient before downsizing. The performance and speeds of smaller canopies can exacerbate any mistakes made during this learning process.
• Advanced: These jumpers have refined all basic canopy skills. They have practiced more advanced techniques under less aggressive canopies and learned how to get the best performance out of those canopies before downsizing. This experience allows them to handle unexpected situations that may arise under smaller and faster canopies. In this category, currency starts to become a significant concern. Jumpers should be highly active before entering this category and remain highly active jumpers to stay in this category.
• Expert: These jumpers have extensive experience with high-performance maneuvers under larger canopies before downsizing. These jumpers spend a significant amount of time honing their skills, usually jumping year-round and making a considerable number of jumps dedicated to improving and maintaining their canopy skills. Members in this category would include but not be limited to top-tier canopy piloting teams and world-class canopy competitors.

Match the Category

Once you and the jumper agree on the category of canopy piloting they fit into, match that category up with the suggestions in SIM Section 5-3. This section lists the recommendations for wing loading by license and is generally interpreted as follows:

• Students: maximum wing loading of 0.8:1
• Novice: A- and B-licensed jumpers, maximum wing loading 1:1
• Intermediate: C-licensed jumpers, maximum wing loading 1.2:1
• Advanced: D-licensed jumpers, maximum wing loading 1.4:1
• Expert: Full-time skydivers who have spent a significant amount of time and effort honing their canopy skills, both basic and advanced. Maximum wing loading at their discretion.

If we are to address and reverse normalization of deviance regarding wing loading, we must provide solid, dependable, responsible advice on downsizing. Providing trustworthy advice simply requires that you dig into the details of a jumper’s logbook to understand their prior performance, define what type of canopy pilot they are and match that category up to the recommendations that are already in the SIM.

Ron Bell | D-26863
USPA Director of Safety and Training