Jul 14, 2007, 12:06 PM
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AFF course questions
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Hey there! I'm thinking about doing the AFF course at my DZ in CT. I have a few questions though, maybe you can help me out. First they are charging $2700 for the course including 30 minutes in the wind tunnel, is that average? It seems like a lot to me. Also, since I'm in CT and the DZ is closed from Oct-April what happens as far as recurrency when I go to jump again in the spring? I was thinking since it's so late in the summer already, I might as well just wait until next spring to start and then have the whole summer to enjoy it and get experience. Any advice?
Just because yoru DZ is closed during the winter does not mean that you can not skydive. Head South, young Jedei! Of course, this comes from someone who does nto skydive very much when temps are over 90deg. I hate hot weather. I can skydive all winter but hate the suummer heat.
Hard to say if that's a good price or not... depends on what it includes. How many jumps? 7-8 level AFF program, or the full ISP (categories A-H)? How much do repeat jumps cost?
Also, you're aware that there's another DZ in CT? Connecticut Parachutists is open year round... though we usually stop doing AFF and tandems when it gets pretty cold. If you get off student status (through category F) before about November or December, you can keep jumping all winter really.
Don't know what we charge for AFF, but we don't require tunnel time. We don't offer a complete package for a fixed price... you just pay per jump. I don't know how our prices compare, but I know our normal jump prices are a bit cheaper for more altitude out of a bigger plane.
It includes levels 1-8 plus a packing class, manuals, log book etc. It still seems like a lot to me. I am aware of the other DZ but it is pretty far from where I live, and the prices aren't on the website so it's hard to compare. There is a chance that I may be relocating to the Jacksonville area and I was checking out that DZ and they only charge $1400 for basically the same thing without the tunnel. hmmm.....
If that $2700 is inclusive to your "A" licence, and includes the 30 minutes of coached tunnel time, then it's not a bad deal. You should end up learning quite alot from it.
The 30 minutes in the tunnel is worth a few hundred bucks itself.
I live in RI and I drove to CPI over the winter, just about every weekend, to make jumps and stay current. It was cold, it was a long drive, but it was a blast!
Thanks for all the input guys! It seems like most other DZs charge about half what they are charging. I still don't know what to do, I've already done two tandems there and feel super comfortable with the staff. I'm moving to FL as soon as we can sell our house here so I was going to wait to do AFF until I get down there but I don't know when exactly that will be and I'm getting impatient .
I'd start AFF... worst case is that you have to repeat some jumps after the move. There are eleventy billion DZs in florida, so finding one down there to finish your training at won't be a problem.
Skydiving is fun... repeat jumps are skydiving too.
Don't plunk down $2K+ at a DZ you don't plan to finish your training at though. Pay by the jump. DZs don't usually do refunds.
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