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italianman

AFF during HOLIDAYS

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First of all i'd like to say Hello to Everybody.

I post this message in order to have the community opinion about my intention to do the AFF course during holydays.

I'm Italian and Next year i'll surely come to US and i'd like to complete the AFF course. Probably i'll go to Hawaii and I saw that 2 Dz. are located in Ohau.

I'd like to complete the course if possible in 3 or 4 days. I saw also that some schools provide AFF training in a weekend, maybe this is possible also in Hawaii.

What is your opinion about the possibility to complete the course during an Holidays period?

I have an average level english and suppose (just suppose) that it will be good enough for learning. Of course i'll have to prepar myself with specific glossary.

Can i complete the AFF (7 jumps) and complete in a second time (maybe in different schools) the A level?

Thanks in advance to everybody for your time.

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It's important to ask the DZ where you plan to go whether they can handle someone who wants to complete AFF and 3-4 days. Certainly it's possible, but factors like weather, instructor capacity and availability, and your own energy/concentration level need to align. Most DZs are probably going to recommend no more than 3 jumps a day in the early going (and your first day will likely only be one jump since you'll be in ground school for several hours). If you only have 3-4 days weather could also make it very possible to go home completely disappointed (weather such as high/gusty wind or low clouds that might not otherwise interrupt a good vacation could still make it impossible to skydive).

If you want to go to Hawaii to be a tourist in Hawaii, great; but you may find you'll have better luck meeting your AFF gaol in other parts of the U.S. where there are larger dropzones that may have more full-time instructor availability.

Your best bet would be to contact the DZs in Hawaii to find out if they can accommodate you before you make definite plans.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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Thanks alot for your prompt and clear reply.

All the matters regarding weather have to be evaluated but considering that are totally out of control I didn't spent much thinking on them.
Anyway your're absolutely right, I'm not a Skydiver so I'm not used in weather condition way of think... for the moment.

I really don't know how much time is normally necessary to complete the AFF. I saw that many DZs offer the AFF in a WeekEnd and the "A" license in a week. So I supposed that, according to the weather, 4 days or 5 could be enough for AFF.
My first GOAL, if possible, is to reach safely and properly in defined time (a week) the AFF and just then plan to complete the "A" level.
Maybe in another Dz?

I choose Hawaiis for the following reason.
a) The Dzs available are USPA affiliated (and is a guarantee for a novice).

b) Hawaii It's the only well defined stop of my Us TRIP.

c) I think that JUMP over Oahu offers something like a nice view B| (the sunglasses smile is obliged)

d) The Dzs availables are very confortable to reach from the URBAN Area of WAIKIKI, i'm a tourist and the idea to rent a car and drive for 1 hour to reach a DZ is not so fascinating.

Thanks Again

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My impression of the DZs in Hawaii is that they frequently have higher winds (not good for students) and that often times they don't jump for a full day. As a student, you really need a DZ that runs from sunrise to suset to fit in several student jumps per day. Of course the first jump takes all day when you include the ground school, but the other levels each take a few hours to complete between the training, making the jump, and the debrief.

Look into Perris Valley. It's in California, between Los Angles and San Diego. If you are planning to go to Hawaii, you'll be flying ouy of one of those two cities, so you'll be close to Perris anyway.

They've got an on-site wind tunnel, and for a guy looking to get the program done in a short period of time, the tunnel will be a great thing to have available to speed up your progression. I'm sure they have an AFF package, or an A license package that includes all the jumps plus tunnel time, and they certainly have the aricraft, and instructors to keep you jumping non-stop. They also have on-site housing so if you can get to the DZ, there's no need to drive yourself back and forth all week.

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Just plugging in the boys at Elsinore next to Perris :) Been doing my AFF there and it's been just perfect!

As others said weather can be a big set back if you only have a few days to jump. I also don't live in the US and had to plan my A license in different trips. I'd suggest getting to AFF 7 on your first trip, which should take no longer than 4-5 days of jumping. If you go all the way to AFF 8 and have to wait for a while before coming back you will have to redo more levels to be current than if you stopped at lvl 7 ;)

Then come back for a good week and jump as much as you can to get your 25 jumps for the A and even some extra ones.

California is a really good place to go jump since it barely never rains there :) Blue skies buddy!!
"Common sense is not so common" - Voltaire
Dudeist Skydiver #9

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People on here have "impressions" of Hawaii but none of them jump here. If you are planning on or thinking about coming to Skydive Hawaii who offers the license in a week you need to call them. We do more student jumps here per year then any mainland DZ, Tandems and AFF. That I can guarantee. We also have at least 10-12 instructors on staff per day and maybe 2 are not AFF rated.

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I am an East Coast jumper and, accordingly, have no dog in this fight, but I have jumped in Hawaii while I was on vacation and I offer my perspectives as a visiting skydiver getting ready for my AFFI rating. My impression of the Hawaii DZs is that they are tandem factories. They do AFF, but it is not what they are designed to do. I saw one AFF jump in the week I was there and it was for a packer that had been packing tandems and rental rigs all week. I was there for a week and they shut down each day by 3 PM -- when the tandem traffic had been completed for the day. That is a short day if you are trying to max out the jumps.

When I was a student I arranged a pretty aggressive program to finish my A license at Eloy, Arizona in December when I had 13 jumps. They would have gotten me 12 jumps in less than a week, plus tunnel time, except I injured myself before the trip and could not go to skydive. I personally recommend you go to one of the big west coast DZs after first talking to their chief instructor and letting them know your plan. I am sure they will accommodate you if you give them some advance planning time. Plus they have many instructors not solely focused on tandems.

Just my thoughts. Take them or leave them . . . .
Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208
AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I
MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger
Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

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Quote

I am an East Coast jumper and, accordingly, have no dog in this fight, but I have jumped in Hawaii while I was on vacation and I offer my perspectives as a visiting skydiver getting ready for my AFFI rating. My impression of the Hawaii DZs is that they are tandem factories. They do AFF, but it is not what they are designed to do. I saw one AFF jump in the week I was there and it was for a packer that had been packing tandems and rental rigs all week. I was there for a week and they shut down each day by 3 PM -- when the tandem traffic had been completed for the day. .



Actually, they shut down because of the trades.

I started skydiving in Hawaii, and agree it's not the optimal place to start your skydiving career.
If you can make the west coast, IMO Elsinore or Perris are the best places to go this time of the year. I'm a fan of Elsinore but Perris is very good too. Perris has a better bar, but Elsinore has a better view and a better landing area, IMO.

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