Aug 17, 2006, 6:24 PM
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When to do tunnel time
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Hi,
I'm about to do my AFF in the next couple of months, and I'm considering doing 20 or 40 minutes in a tunnel to help build freefall skill quicker. Should I do some tunnel time before AFF1, or get some real jumps first then use the tunnel time to improve once I've got a base to work from?
Aug 17, 2006, 10:36 PM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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I have been told by many people that my experience in the tunnel should help me immensely when I start AFF. As a matter of fact, I have scheduled my AFF, and told my coach I'd like to work on the elements I will need for it. He told me that I'd already gone beyond what I'd need to pass AFF.
I did feel that I understood the arch much better during my tandems because I'd worked on it in the tunnel. I had a difficult time getting stable in the tunnel and my arch was terrible. I've been able to focus on that and really improve it, and I think it's given me more confidence that I will be able to get stable during solo freefall.
Still, why not do both? (Some before, some during?)
(This post was edited by sartre on Aug 17, 2006, 10:38 PM)
Aug 17, 2006, 11:05 PM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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Tunnel time will definitely help, but talk to the instructors you will be doing your AFF jumps with. Unfortunately, it's all moot if you do not get out of the plane, nor fly & land your canopy safely.
Aug 17, 2006, 11:20 PM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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***not an instructor of any kind***
I think you'll be fine either way; really you just need some freefall experience. Get as much as you can as soon as you can, though; I just had my first 30 minutes in the tunnel after 125 jumps, and I already have "bad" habits in terms of body position that my coach had to work on breaking.
The tunnel is a great learning tool, but it's different from skydiving. Make sure that distinction is clear in your mind, then have fun with both.
Aug 18, 2006, 3:09 AM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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All i can say from my own very limited experience...is that I initially started AFF without any tunnel time and was generally pretty hopeless after 8 jumps and only 3 levels passed. I then took 6 months off, spent 1 hour in the tunnel in Orlando and then started my AFF again. My instructors released me almost immediately after the first exit - indeed I never saw the reserve side again - and i passed all levels in 5 jumps. I consider it money very well spent!
Unfortunately, it's all moot if you do not get out of the plane
I don't consider my 120 hours a waste because I haven't jumped in a year. It's all about what you are into. I don't think having fun at the tunnel and learning new skills would be a bad thing, even if you never get out of the plane. I've yet to meet a whuffo tourisits who considered their tunnel time moot because they don't jump.
For many people, skydiving is not as exciting as tunnel flying. It's a sport of it's own and most skydivers are really humbled and/or pissed by their tunnel experiences because they realize that they sky is very forgiving and you don't have to create lift to fly.
(This post was edited by Paige on Aug 18, 2006, 4:37 AM)
Unfortunately, it's all moot if you do not get out of the plane
I don't consider my 120 hours a waste because I haven't jumped in a year. It's all about what you are into. I don't think having fun at the tunnel and learning new skills would be a bad thing, even if you never get out of the plane. I've yet to meet a whuffo tourisits who considered their tunnel time moot because they don't jump.
For many people, skydiving is not as exciting as tunnel flying. It's a sport of it's own and most skydivers are really humbled and/or pissed by their tunnel experiences because they realize that they sky is very forgiving and you don't have to create lift to fly.
Aug 18, 2006, 5:56 AM
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Re: [Reginald] When to do tunnel time
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You missed his point...
Maybe I did maybe I didn't.
The tunnel is a simulator designed to make you comfortable with one step of the skydiving process. I understand canopy training and things like that are important, but so is controling your body in freefall so you are able to deploy stable.
Tunnel time helps you get comfortable with less fear. if you are afraid and unstable, the sky might not be the best place for you at the moment. Hop in the tunnel, straighten things out, and then get back to it with far more confidence.
Aug 18, 2006, 6:14 AM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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The tunnel time you get before you start AFF will positively help, so long as you spend your time in there practicing the skills you will need during AFF. Heading mainenance, right and left turns, forward (and backward) movement. Practice touches, practice circles of awareness, etc.
I don't think there is a single tunnel where you can't schedule time to work on those specific tasks with a qualified tunnel rat/AFF instructor.
Chuck
PS: I am an AFF instructor with more than 200 hours of tunnel time.
Aug 18, 2006, 7:23 AM
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Re: [bitmonkey] When to do tunnel time
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My philosophy is this..
There are plenty of things you have to do for the very first time on your first skydive.. flying your body DOES NOT have to be one of them.
Go to ANY tunnel.. practice the skills you will need to accomplish AFF.. like skymonkey said... circle of awareness.. turns, heading control, practice pulls..
then do your AFF... save yourself some stress on your first jumps.. so you can focus on piloting your canopy & learning about skydiving.. no need to add learning to fly your body too!
Unfortunately, it's all moot if you do not get out of the plane
I don't consider my 120 hours a waste because I haven't jumped in a year. It's all about what you are into. I don't think having fun at the tunnel and learning new skills would be a bad thing, even if you never get out of the plane. I've yet to meet a whuffo tourisits who considered their tunnel time moot because they don't jump.
For many people, skydiving is not as exciting as tunnel flying. It's a sport of it's own and most skydivers are really humbled and/or pissed by their tunnel experiences because they realize that they sky is very forgiving and you don't have to create lift to fly.
Easy there tunnel princess. This is about AFF. I've had a guy with 1/2 hour of tunnel refuse to get off the bench on a level 2. Nobody questioned his freefall skills. His fear was the exit.
I just graduated AFF and I found that tunnel time really helped. I had 10 minutes of coaching with a freefly coach, who is also an AFF instructor at the school before I did level 1. I'm sure my JMs were happy they didn't have some fruit cake grabbing them and spinning out of control. Before I did my release dive, I went back in with the same coach and I was fine. I have no problem getting stable even when I am initially unstable.
I say do the tunnel time if it will make you feel more confident! It really helped me, lord knows I have enough problems getting my butt out the door, I would hate to think how hard it would have been for me if I didn't KNOW I could get stable once I finally got out.
(This post was edited by amanda78 on Aug 21, 2006, 10:16 PM)
Unfortunately, it's all moot if you do not get out of the plane
I don't consider my 120 hours a waste because I haven't jumped in a year. It's all about what you are into. I don't think having fun at the tunnel and learning new skills would be a bad thing, even if you never get out of the plane. I've yet to meet a whuffo tourisits who considered their tunnel time moot because they don't jump.
For many people, skydiving is not as exciting as tunnel flying. It's a sport of it's own and most skydivers are really humbled and/or pissed by their tunnel experiences because they realize that they sky is very forgiving and you don't have to create lift to fly.
Easy there tunnel princess. This is about AFF. I've had a guy with 1/2 hour of tunnel refuse to get off the bench on a level 2. Nobody questioned his freefall skills. His fear was the exit.
