1. Flaring the Canopy - Flaring the canopy is a technique of pulling both toggles vigorously and evenly to the groin area about 8-10 feet above the ground. This stalls the canopy. Stalling the canopy reduces the forward drive of the canopy, but it also increases the vertical descent of the canopy. You will practice flaring the canopy in class. In addition, while you are doing your "Clear All" procedures you will be stalling the canopy. Take note of what happens to the canopy while performing your "Clear Alls." At 200 feet AGL you should prepare to land by turning into the wind, putting your feet and knees together, and prepare to do a parachute landing fall (PLF) described below. Listen to the radio and flare on command. If you don't get a flare by command, just stay at half/three-quarter brakes and prepare to do a PLF.
If you flare on your own, once you have flared, you hold it, don't let it go. Letting go of the flare will cause the canopy to surge forward increasing your horizontal AND vertical speed. Your student parachute is slow enough that even a downwind landing should not be too fast. Even downwind, a proper flare will slow your rate of descent for a soft landing. You will still have some forward velocity that you may have to run, slide or PLF off as you touch down.
2. Parachute Landing Falls (PLFs) - The Parachute Landing Fall consists of five points of contact; 1) the balls of your feet, 2) the calf muscle, 3) the thigh muscle, 4) the buttocks, and 5) the pushup muscle. PLFs will be demonstrated in class, you will be required to do them with your instructor "by-the-numbers" and you will be required to satisfactorily perform PLFs on your own.
3. Field Packing the Canopy - Congratulations!! You've just made your first skydive. After you get done jumping up and down and hollering "WAHOOO!" We'll need that parachute back for the next student's first skydive experience. If your canopy lands on top of you, try not to walk through the lines. This makes repacking the parachute difficult. When the parachute collapses on you, stay still and pick the lines straight up and off of you. Then move away from the parachute to straighten out the lines again and gather it up. Once the lines are straightened you can 'daisy-chain' them. Daisy-chaining keeps the lines in order and will help you to get the parachute back to the packing area. This is done by making a loop with the lines, reach inside the loop, grab more lines past the loop and pull the lines through the loop to make a new loop. Continue this process until you reach the canopy and then pull the slider through the last loop to hold it in place. Daisy-chaining is best learned by watching your instructor perform this process and then practice it yourself.