SIGMA TANDEM SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL
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Section 3: Instructor Techniques • Chapter 4 - Canopy Control 11301 - 00.00.0000
B. Landings:
There are three kinds of Tandem landings:
1. Stand Up
2. Running
3. Sliding
1. Stand up
When the wind is over 10 mph, a proper flare should yield a no forward speed stand up landing. All a student has to
do is keep enough leg tension to support his or her own weight.
When the wind is high, have a canopy catcher waiting for you at the landing area. Hand ONE toggle to the catcher at
touchdown and have him run into the wind with it to collapse the canopy. Remind the student to let go of the toggle
immediately after touchdown so that the catcher can do his job. This is one of the things you should rehearse with the
student during flare practice under canopy.
2. Running landing
When the wind is more than 5, but less than 10 mph, both Tandem Instructor and student must take a few steps after
touchdown. If the student does not have proper leg tension or does not take those few steps, he or she will fall down
and pull the Tandem Instructor down with them. This kind of landing is actually the most difficult and takes considerable
student preparation. The lighter the wind, the more the student must raise the legs up and forward, with knees bent,
prior to touchdown. The Tandem Instructor must be able to see the feet and knees when looking over the students
shoulder. The Tandem Instructor can also use his feet to coax the student's feet into the proper position.
3. Sliding landing:
When the wind is less than 5 mph, the day hot, the student heavy, and/or the field altitude high, a sliding landing is
probably the best choice. To prepare for a sliding landing, the student must lift his or her legs and put them well out
in front prior to touch down. A good slide requires a good flare to almost zero rate of descent. The Tandem Instructor
sits back in his harness (thus pulling the student back as well) and is prepared to take the landing on his feet, but
continues to sit back after initial ground contact to a slide on his butt with the student literally sitting in his lap. It is
important that the Tandem Instructor sit back on landing so the student will not have a tendency to lean forward at
touchdown (which can cause the Tandem Instructor to roll over on top of the student.) Never try to take any vertical
force on your butt. Serious injury could result.
So, JUST before landing, remind the student about leg tension, make your decision about which landing you are
going to use based on ground speed and shout “stand-up” or “run” or “feet-up” into the student’s ear.
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