Dec 26, 2012, 8:17 AM
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New from FL - Looking to Restart my AFF
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Hey everyone. I've been lurking around the past week reading some posts and getting to know the site.
I'm looking to restart my AFF that I had originally started 6 years ago.
Hopefully within the next month-ish I'll be scheduling my level 1 with the DZ in Palatka, FL - Skydive Palatka. I was referred to them by a friend.
I'm originally from Indiana (now currently in Jacksonville, FL), which is where I started and completed my Level 1. However, I was a sophomore in college (boiler up!) at the time and I ran out of money and winter came around so I couldn't continue with the course anyway. Disappointed then, but now I'm ready to get back to it. I did a tandem jump in Greensburg, IN at Skydive Greensburg back in 2006 then a week later I had scheduled my AFF at a local DZ near my hometown.
I've attached some proof that I completed level 1 ;)
Any advice for someone that's been out of it for 6 years? I still have my log book and hand signals cheat sheet my last instructor gave me to study. Figured it'd probably be good to look at them and memorize them again.
(This post was edited by rohicks on Dec 26, 2012, 8:20 AM)
Dec 26, 2012, 10:09 AM
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Re: [rohicks] New from FL - Looking to Restart my AFF
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Hi and welcome! I just started my AFF a couple of weeks ago here in Denver. Since you're clearly not current and left off with AFF-1, you will have to repeat that jump. Just for good measure, you will probably want to take the ground class again to reintroduce youraelf to the equipment and procedures and stuff. Your DZ may or may not require it.
Fortunately for you, the weather in Jacksonville will probably make it much easier to stay current durinf the winter on your AFF than, say, Indiana or Denver :-)
Dec 26, 2012, 10:13 AM
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Re: [BigMikeH77] New from FL - Looking to Restart my AFF
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Ya I wouldn't feel comfortable starting at Level 2 after 6 years. I was planning on starting back at 1 even if by some chance they said I could continue where I left off ;)
Dec 26, 2012, 1:12 PM
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Re: [BigMikeH77] New from FL - Looking to Restart my AFF
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IIRC they actually want you to do some turning and start trying to find a heading in the 2. They also tell you to relax again, and it still seems like an unreasonable request.
I actually failed my first AFF2 jump out of the King Air. The log brings it all back; I had trouble getting out the door, didn't arch on exit, flailed around trying to get stable, fumbled for the hacky and finally found it at 4500. That was as close as I ever got to having the instructor pull for me. I also very specifically remember Pat, coming in at a steep dive, looking at me like "What the hell are you doing?" He was wearing wrap around sunglasses instead of goggles and in that moment he looked to me like the coolest person on the planet.
My second one out of the otter went much better, but one of the instructors specifically writes on there that I need to relax more for AFF3. I was pretty amped up on those early jumps.
Now I look back on all that and I'm like, "heh."
Even if you have to repeat them starting from level 1, your previous experience might make getting started a little easier.
skymama (D 26699)
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Dec 26, 2012, 6:18 PM
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Re: [rohicks] New from FL - Looking to Restart my AFF
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Welcome to the forums! The DZO in Palatka, Art, is a longtime user on our forums and a good friend of many of us. He's a great guy and you should have a lot of fun at his dz, there are good people there. Good luck!
level1.jpg
The DZO in Palatka, Art, is a longtime user on our forums and a good friend of many of us. He's a great guy and you should have a lot of fun at his dz, there are good people there. Good luck! 
