WHAT TO DO AFTER YOUR PARACHUTE OPENS
From deployment to landing, your awareness is your life insurance.
Skydiving doesn’t end when the parachute opens.
That’s where your responsibilities really begin.
You’re out of freefall.
But now, it’s all on you: decisions, awareness, and control.
Here’s what you must know to handle your canopy like a beginner, but fly like a future pro:
1. THE OPENING: STAY BALANCED
To deploy the main parachute, the handle (often bottom right of your container) is your first target.
As you reach with your right arm, raise your left arm overhead to counterbalance.
This prevents you from inducing a spin mid-deployment.
Pull smoothly.
Let the canopy open.
If the deployment takes longer than usual, don’t panic.
You can gently wiggle your hips to help the pilot chute extract and speed up inflation.
If nothing happens and you pass your decision altitude, or you feel you're in trouble:
→ Cut away and deploy your reserve.
And remember: you are never alone up there.
Modern rigs are equipped with an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) that will fire the reserve parachute at ~300 meters if you’re still in freefall and unconscious.
2. MISE EN ŒUVRE: WAKE THE CANOPY UP
Right after opening, do a mise en œuvre:
→ Grab both steering toggles and pull them all the way down to your hips.
This activates the brake lines, checks responsiveness, helps bring the slider down, and confirms line symmetry.
You’ll feel the canopy “wake up” a bit.
I use French terms as this is how I learned to skydive and I don’t want to mistranslate.
3. THE 4-CHECK SAFETY SYSTEM
Now check your gear and canopy function in order.
✅ Check #1: Canopy Shape
Look up.
Are all cells inflated and symmetrical?
Do the sides look soft, uneven, or collapsed?
→ Do another mise en œuvre if needed.
If the shape improves, you're good.
If it stays misshaped:
Can you steer?
→ Yes: Fly it, but cautiously.
→ No: Pull your reserve.
✅ Check #2: Suspension Lines (Suspentes)
Are they tangled? Twisted?
Is any line broken?
→ If a line is damaged:
Can you still steer?
→ Yes: Continue, carefully.
→ No: Pull your reserve.
✅ Check #3: Slider (Glisseur)
The slider should travel all the way down after opening.
If stuck:
→ Do multiple mise en œuvres.
→ Pull both toggles down and hold for a second.
Still stuck? It’s not an emergency, but your handling might be reduced.
✅ Check #4: Spinning
If you're violently spinning after opening, your lines may be twisted.
→ Grab the harness and counter-rotate with your body:
Spin left = rotate right.
Spin right = rotate left.
The goal is to untwist using body torque.
If the spin does not stop, cut away.
Do not waste time.
4. ALTITUDE AWARENESS IS LIFE
Keep checking your altimeter, especially before and after every input.
Know your hard deck (your minimum safe altitude to pull the reserve), which depends on your gear and school.
If you're unsure, don't guess, cut away.
5. CANOPY CONTROL: HOW TO FLY
You’re stable. Now you fly.
Pull left = turn left
Pull right = turn right
Pull both = slow down or flare
Pulling one toggle all the way creates a sharp turn (or even spin)
Never do aggressive turns below 500 meters.
This is how people get hurt.
If you bend both arms to about 90°, you’ll make minor course adjustments, ideal for fine tuning your line toward the landing zone.
6. ZONE D'ÉVOLUTION (TRAINING ZONE)
Once stable, fly to the zone d’évolution (training zone) and stay there to practice:
S-turns
Light flares
Heading control
Altitude awareness
Drills should stop around 500m (1500 ft).
From there, focus only on landing preparation.
7. THE LANDING CIRCUIT
You don’t land randomly. You follow a pre-established landing pattern.
🧭 Before your jump, instructors will brief you on whether it’s a left-hand or right-hand circuit, based on wind direction and safety.
Landing has 3 phases:
Phase 1: Base Leg (Against the Wind)
Fly straight until your landing point is ~45° behind you.
Phase 2: Crosswind Leg
Turn 90° left or right (as directed) and fly for ~50–100 meters.
Phase 3: Final Approach (Into the Wind)
Make a final 90° turn to face the wind and prepare to flare.
Important:
Do not turn more than 90–180° below 500 meters.
Low turns are dangerous.
8. THE FLARE & LANDING
At around 2–3 meters above the ground:
→ Pull both toggles down all the way
→ Controlled, smooth flare
You’ll decelerate.
Land with feet underneath, knees slightly bent.
Run it out if needed. Never try to sit.
9. AFTER LANDING
Stow your toggles
Gather your canopy carefully
Walk back to the packing zone
Debrief with your instructor
Jump again. Smarter, sharper.
FINAL NOTE
Skydiving isn’t just a fall, it’s a system.
From deployment to landing, your awareness is your life insurance.
Respect altitude. Respect the air. Respect the process.
The sky will reward you for it.