Photo by Josh Reuck.
If you go to any drop zone, you’ll invariably hear instructors at the mockup loudly chanting, “Prop. Up. Down. Aaaarcch! Arch! Arch! Arch! Arch!” Let’s examine how important the arch is for a good student exit (disregarding the fact that two people repeatedly yelling “Arch!” will not help anyone relax into an arch).
Mentally breaking the exit into three parts—setup, launch and flyaway—helps instructors be more aware and responsive during the exit, and it also helps the student perform better. It also allows us to examine the importance of the arch at each stage.
Setup: Exact body position for the setup varies based on the aircraft being used, but arching on setup is nearly impossible for most of them. However, the consistent similarity, regardless of aircraft, lies in positioning the hips to face the relative wind as much as possible. This is the most critical aspect of the setup.
Launch: Which of the following yields a more stable exit?
1| A perfect arched, neutral body position but oriented with the side to the relative wind.
2| Facing directly into the relative wind, but with a weak arch (mostly symmetrical but hips not forward).
Obviously #1 would never yield a stable exit, but #2 will be initially stable. This tells us that it is more important to have hips and torso squarely on the relative wind, even if the arch is not as good. A launch can be head-high, perpendicular or head-low on the relative wind. Regardless of which orientation you’ve planned for your student's exit, having them face their hips toward the relative wind provides the best chance for stability. This is the most critical aspect of the launch.
Flyaway: Also called “the hill,” the flyaway should transition easily if the student presents properly on the launch. Here is where the arch becomes more important. The main focus for the student is to be aware of the transition, perform a good arch and adjust for heading if necessary. The most critical aspect of their flyaway is transitioning from relative to terminal wind by maintaining where their hips face and making sure they have a good arch.
Of course, the arch is critical for stability in freefall. However, on the launch of exit, facing the relative wind is a higher priority. Teaching students to focus on their awareness of their orientation for exit will create skydivers who have more skills and a greater understanding of the exit.
Jen Sharp | D-17516
Tandem, AFF and Coach Examiner; PRO