How to Fly Your Canopy when Skydiving

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is J.P. Furnari with Expert Village. In this clip, we will talk about canopy control. After your canopy opens, you're going to need to do what is called a "canopy control check". This ensures that your parachute is open and functioning and safe to land. First, you will grab the control toggles just over your head, located on the risers. You will pull down on the right side, making a right turn, ensuring the canopy turns right when you ask it to. Come back to neutral. Make a left turn, also ensuring the canopy turns left. And you will pull down on both together, this is called a "flair". The flair should slow the parachute, bringing it to a near complete stop. Come back to neutral. As you approach the landing area, you will enter a landing pattern much like an airplane would at an airport. The landing pattern starts with a down wind or with-the-wind landing direction. You will then turn ninety degrees across the wind and then turn another ninety degrees in the same direction until you find a landing direction into the wind. Landing into the wind ensures that you land at the slowest possible speed. About eight to ten feet off the ground, you will begin to flair. Flair aggressively, slowing the parachute to a near stop just before touching down."