Newb in Virginia

[GoGoGadget 0]

Jumping is one of those things I have always wanted to do. Never had the money to spare tho. Kids are grown and gone. Career is picking up and I can spare the cash.... so here I am.

Started talking about it for real last year so my wife bought me some time in a tunnel for Christmas. I sucked so bad there I thought I would be wasting my time trying AFF. I was so stiff I was bouncing off the walls and could not hold position. Then my son wanted to do a tandem in coordination with a marriage proposal to his g/f. So he, g/f's Dad and I jumped tandem and he proposed on the DZ. That got me reinvigorated so I signed up for the AFF program.

I am 3 jumps in and keep looking up at the blue skies wishing I was back up getting ready for the next jump. Having a ball and each jump is getting better.

[Trafficdiver 8]

Everyone sucks at the tunnel. Even when you see really good people flying in there...when they get out they think they suck too.

Keep on jumping!

[GoGoGadget 0]

Thanks.

I went and did my C2 and D1 jump.

C2 jump was good, but flared to hard and fast, and ended up doing a PLF into a pile of cowshit.

D1 jump I screwed up by the numbers and ended up spinning wildly until my instructor swooped in and stopped me.

I think I have it figured out as to what caused it all, bad exit, being in a CCW drift when doing my practice touches that spun me more. I went to the tunnel to work on turns since I only had time to get one in on that jump. Tunnel coach was giving me a thumbs up and big smile indicating I looked very stable and was turning well. Then he signaled me to do a practice touch. As soon as I did, I started spinning. Got stable and tried again, and spun again. D1 jump was first one where I did not have someone holding on for that part. So apparently I have been doing it wrong for the 1st 4 jumps.

Gonna hit the tunnel Tue night and work on that before trying to finish up Cat D Wed.

[DanG 1]

I used to do some freelance coaching in a tunnel. You'd be surprised how unstable even experienced jumpers get when going for the pull. I used to make all my coachees fly around in the pull position in the tunnel until they were comfortable. I think not enough time is spent on flying with unusual arm positions in AFF in general.

- Dan G

[GoGoGadget 0]

Took a few days off and and got my last 13 jumps in. So all licensed now. Was going to go back today for some fun jumps on my own rig, but I am sore as shit now. LOL. My 49 y/o body does not recover like it used to.

[joeyc0726 0]

Where did you do your AFF? I'm in Maryland.

[GoGoGadget 0]

Skydive Orange in Orange Va. There was student there from Bethesda last week. Long drive for a day. They only do the Cat A ground school on Sat (I think, maybe Sun also) but once through that, it might be worth it to camp down there or get a motel and stay a few days to knock it out a few chunks at a time instead of driving back and forth from Md.