How should i go about getting my A license?

[philmackay28 0]

hello everyone,

I'm very new to the sport just finished my AFF course and have one solo jump under my belt. After jumping my first solo with no coach or set dive flow I'm just wondering whats a good recommended path for checking off A license requirements? what should i be practicing on my non coach jumps? looking for a rule of thumb break down. Maybe some of the things that you did wrong that you would have down differently? any insight is appreciated!

[Bealio 0]

If I could do it over again, I would have gotten more coach jumps in the beginning instead of doing solos. You won't get much feed back from a solo. It also took a while for me to realize the dropzone I was at didn't have much of a training program after AFF, so I had to go to another dropzone to get coach jumps.

[fencebuster 7]

At my DZ, we try to keep the student on track with the ISP. We have Instructors and Coaches willing to train the CAT F, G and H jumps, so we take advantage of that for our students. The cost of a Coach jump includes a Coach on the jump. Solos are not very useful for learning proper tracking, or the group free fall skills necessary to be a (relatively) safe new A license skydiver. We also pay our instructional staff to make the Coach jumps, so the Coaches have an incentive to help the students in their progress to A license status.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[tred 0]

so how much does a coach jump cost?

[fencebuster 7]

$115. Includes the slots, the pay to the Coach, the gear rental and packing of the parachute.

Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

[dthames 0]

philmackay28

hello everyone,

I'm very new to the sport just finished my AFF course and have one solo jump under my belt. After jumping my first solo with no coach or set dive flow I'm just wondering whats a good recommended path for checking off A license requirements? what should i be practicing on my non coach jumps? looking for a rule of thumb break down. Maybe some of the things that you did wrong that you would have down differently? any insight is appreciated!

While cleared for solo practice, I was encouraged to do mostly coached jumps so I would not imprint bad habits because of my ignorance. The few solo jumps that I did were to practice specific moves. Most of those were very late in my student progression.

Even if you do decide to do a solo jump, find something that you can practice under canopy and get signed off on. Don't let a jump go by without learning something. There is a lot to learn about canopy flight and you should take advantage of the fact that you are up in the air. Use that time for something that you can document. I was working on my B canopy card late in my student program.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

This is what I would do too. I spent so many of my solo jumps working on exit stability because I was afraid of hop & pops. So when I got to my coach jumps, I didn't have a lot of solos left to practice things I'd need for my coach jumps. It ended up taking me 29 jumps to get my license--not a bad number at all, but I certainly could have used a couple of my solo jumps a little more wisely.

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[Divalent 89]

Lots of good advice here. I would encourage you to talk to your instructors about a plan. I would add two things, though:

1. when ever you are doing a jump (solo or coached), make sure you have a plan for both the free fall part and the canopy flying part. Even if there is no coach or instructor to sign off on it, you can get experience with the maneuvers. (So study the A-card so you know what to work on).

2. You will eventually have do do 2 hop-n-pops. Unless your dive plan precludes it, when jumping from higher altitude, pretend you are doing a hop-n-pop exit (with a practice touch instead of a pull) so that when you get to the real hop-n-pops, you will be comfortable doing a clear and pull without tumbling.

[Toggle 17]

My advice is to print out the A-license proficiency card (if you haven't already), study it, and then talk to the instructors at your DZ to learn more about the things you need to be good at before getting your A license.

It's ok to seek advice on the internet, but there is no substitute for proper instruction by your instructors at the DZ.

Peace,
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