Help!! I screwed up my level 1 AFF..

[cassieaf 0]

It's stupid, and I'm super embarassed. I did my first jump two weeks ago and it was successful, I had perfect form, and that instructor even let me pull chute and steer the canopy. I enrolled in AFF, and my first course was this past Saturday. I was already out of focus when I arrived for a number of reasons. I had a different instructor this time around, and when he was putting my gear on, some random kid bumped into me so hard I almost tripped while stepping into my equipment. I was the only girl at the drop zone at this time, and I drove by myself for my first day of training- I kept getting unwanted looks and attention. Needless to say, I was already a nervous wreck and unfocused- but I am not a scared or unconfident person. My mind was so scattered on the plane, and I wasn't focused on my form like I was during my first tandem jump. We exited the plane, and my legs were all wrong, the flow was horrible.. I realized this and totally shut down. My instructor kept trying to signal me for the practice touches but I was focused on fixing my form and looking at my altimeter.. which was difficult with my state of mind. He ended up having to pull the chute, and sort of laughed and said "What happened? You screwed that one up royally!". I steared the canopy well and did all the turns he asked, but I was so embarrassed. I really wanted to perform well my first day, and I performed like crap. I know I will do better on my next jump a week from now.. but I don't want to fail and feel like that again. The tandem instructor I had before was super nice and talked to me about it, he said he failed some of his AFF courses, and that I shouldn't let this haunt me.. he's a super nice guy. I'm still psyched. Has anyone ever had this experience?? Advice? I really appreciate any input!!

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[Snowcrash 0]

Yes! Plenty of people have. You are by no means the only one and I'm sure you will be hearing stories from much more accomplished skydivers than I further down this thread of how they also started their skydiving career with a failed AFF1.

I would even venture that you learned more from your experience than many who managed enough to pass. You seem to be well aware of what happened, and why, which will the key to learning and improving.

[tfg30 0]

Don't think twice about it.
Happens all the time!
I failed a jump as well.

Just be sure to relax and have FUN on your next jump!

[shorehambeach 9]

cassieaf

It's stupid, and I'm super embarassed. I did my first jump two weeks ago and it was successful, I had perfect form, and that instructor even let me pull chute and steer the canopy. I enrolled in AFF, and my first course was this past Saturday. I was already out of focus when I arrived for a number of reasons. I had a different instructor this time around, and when he was putting my gear on, some random kid bumped into me so hard I almost tripped while stepping into my equipment. I was the only girl at the drop zone at this time, and I drove by myself for my first day of training- I kept getting unwanted looks and attention. Needless to say, I was already a nervous wreck and unfocused- but I am not a scared or unconfident person. My mind was so scattered on the plane, and I wasn't focused on my form like I was during my first tandem jump. We exited the plane, and my legs were all wrong, the flow was horrible.. I realized this and totally shut down. My instructor kept trying to signal me for the practice touches but I was focused on fixing my form and looking at my altimeter.. which was difficult with my state of mind. He ended up having to pull the chute, and sort of laughed and said "What happened? You screwed that one up royally!". I steared the canopy well and did all the turns he asked, but I was so embarrassed. I really wanted to perform well my first day, and I performed like crap. I know I will do better on my next jump a week from now.. but I don't want to fail and feel like that again. The tandem instructor I had before was super nice and talked to me about it, he said he failed some of his AFF courses, and that I shouldn't let this haunt me.. he's a super nice guy. I'm still psyched. Has anyone ever had this experience?? Advice? I really appreciate any input!!

Caiise,

Welcome to skydiving ! Well done on doing your first jump :-D

Congratulations on:

Getting to the DZ
Getting through ground school
Getting kitted up
Getting in the plane
Taking off and Being the only girl
Checking your rig
Listening to your instructor
Exiting the plane
Arching
Carryout out drills
Watching your Altitude
Flying your canopy
Landing

Ok, so you didn't pull and were a little freaked out. This is the sport.
I didn't pull on Level 2. Simple.

If your coach said ""What happened? You screwed that one up royally!" then he needs to learn some people skills.


What happened is all of the big list above and yea- there's room for improvement - but its the same whether you have 1, 100, 1000 or 10,000 jumps.

AFF is not about passing/failing. Every jump is a huge learning curve and leap of faith.

You just jumped out of a plane and survived. Be proud. Be happy and get back in the SKY.

Emotions go very up and down when you start jumping - don't get too high with the highs and don't get to low with the lows.

[Andy9o8 0]

You did not "fail" your first AFF jump any more than you "failed" the first time you tried to parallel park a car. AFF jumps are training to perform a new skill set; they're not a test. Just like in driving, you have to practice a new skill set, especially one as alien and counter-intuitive as skydiving, multiple times to become proficient enough to be tested on it.

Any time you hear (or read ) anyone use the word "fail" to refer to a student jump that didn't result in maiming or death, walk the other way.

[cebra 1]

I flew away from the DZ on my 3rd jump and landed at a racetrack so far away that a truck had to pick me up, now that is an embarassing walk to the pack room. Now I am learning very quickly and doing quite well for my jump numbers. It happens way more than you may think and most people fall down once the training wheels come off. On a side note, you may want to do more than 1 jump a week while starting, I was doing 6 or so a day and you really get into a groove. My first jump each week while getting my license would make me nervous and I would not perform as well.

[tred 0]

Quote

I was the only girl at the drop zone at this time, and I drove by myself for my first day of training- I kept getting unwanted looks and attention.

not sure where you jumped at but your profile says you are in Orlando which means you are near a DZ that I am pretty sure has a lot of other female flyers (Deland) and I believe they have a AFF program that incorporates the wind tunnel you have in Orlando.

but yes a lot of people fail jumps on AFF and you will continue to mess up on jumps long after AFF

[fluffyduckie 6]

PM'd

"I love when humans fly,"

[Di0 1]

If you're writing here safe and sound, you didn't "fail", you just have to repeat a level, it happens ALL THE TIMES.
I repeated the third level FOUR TIMES.

A year and a half later I was helping out other people as a coach. It's a mental game and it might take a few iterations to get it, but once it clicks: it's the best thing ever. :)

P.S. You're already skidiving, most people would shit their pants at the sole thought of it, it's one of the most badass things ever, there is no reason to be "embarassed" if you freak out a bit. You still got out of that f-cking plane, which is, well, a big deal. :D

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

You were in a totally unfamiliar environment, doing totally unfamiliar things, some of which are really scary.

You didn't do it perfectly.

So what?

Any jump that I:

Land safely
Learn something
Have fun

Is a successful jump. That's it.

Everything else is a bonus.

A couple years ago, we had someone document their journey from tandem through AFF, to A-License and beyond. The good, the not-so-good, the fears and triumphs, all that. Absolutely the best depiction of the process I've ever come across.

She was an artist, so she did it in cartoon form.

As a duck.

This is her 2nd tandem. Follow the links to follow the progress:

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2011/08/sky-diving-duck-ii-chicken-of-sky.html

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[ridebmxbikes 0]

and here i was thinking skydiving was about making screw ups. screw up a jump, get back on to screw up another one.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

I really wanted to perform well my first day, and I performed like crap. I know I will do better on my next jump a week from now.. but I don't want to fail and feel like that again.

This is a humbling sport. One thing I can tell you is that just getting through AFF and getting your A doesn't guarantee that you won't have a bad jump that will humble you and bring you down. You could have hundreds or thousands of jumps and make a mistake learning something new or just because you made a mistake.

This is an opportunity for you to learn how to handle setbacks, of which this sport deals plenty in numerous ways. Gather yourself up, think hard about what you can do to move forward and improve, and put a plan into action to address it. As a student, this is what your instructors are there for, so you're in luck you don't have to figure that out all on your own. Seek them out and discuss this with them (preferably when you both have time to talk it out).

Bring a case of beer at the end of the day and I bet your instructors will talk to you as long as you want (or until the beer runs out, so plan accordingly )

But you do have to be mentally strong on your own!

As another poster listed out, however, you have already demonstrated mental toughness so you have it in you. Flex that willpower and power through, I think you'll be surprised what you can overcome if you stick with it and keep your chin up!

Good luck!

[shorehambeach 9]

This is a humbling sport.

+ 1

[sammielu 3]

Congratulations on your first student jump! The goos news is that whats next for you is: more skydives!

Every jump has things that went well and things that can be improved- at every experience level. Smile, make another jump, repeat.

[yoink 321]

If we did everything perfectly the first time life would be pretty boring, no? Congrats on your first AFF jump! Take pride in that!

But do try to remember to pull. It does get important eventually...

[wmw999 2,121]

I've screwed up FAR less demanding jumps than that one Everyone screws up. When is the only question. And what did you learn? Because that's really the measure of a jump, what you learned and what you can remember.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[akarunway 1]

cassieaf

It's stupid, and I'm super embarassed. I did my first jump two weeks ago and it was successful, I had perfect form, and that instructor even let me pull chute and steer the canopy. I enrolled in AFF, and my first course was this past Saturday. I was already out of focus when I arrived for a number of reasons. I had a different instructor this time around, and when he was putting my gear on, some random kid bumped into me so hard I almost tripped while stepping into my equipment. I was the only girl at the drop zone at this time, and I drove by myself for my first day of training- I kept getting unwanted looks and attention. Needless to say, I was already a nervous wreck and unfocused- but I am not a scared or unconfident person. My mind was so scattered on the plane, and I wasn't focused on my form like I was during my first tandem jump. We exited the plane, and my legs were all wrong, the flow was horrible.. I realized this and totally shut down. My instructor kept trying to signal me for the practice touches but I was focused on fixing my form and looking at my altimeter.. which was difficult with my state of mind. He ended up having to pull the chute, and sort of laughed and said "What happened? You screwed that one up royally!". I steared the canopy well and did all the turns he asked, but I was so embarrassed. I really wanted to perform well my first day, and I performed like crap. I know I will do better on my next jump a week from now.. but I don't want to fail and feel like that again. The tandem instructor I had before was super nice and talked to me about it, he said he failed some of his AFF courses, and that I shouldn't let this haunt me.. he's a super nice guy. I'm still psyched. Has anyone ever had this experience?? Advice? I really appreciate any input!!

Video?

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[cassieaf 0]

I will be jumping on my own after one more session of tandem... I'm sure something like this might happen to me lol :-) I'm in college, 100% on my own financially.. just started new job.. so I'm having to break out the AFF jumps over the course of two and a half months.. the joys of being in college!! I would love to be able to do I daily at this point.

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[cassieaf 0]

I'm so excited to 've skydiving, I'm definitely still trying to find that balance between relaxation and fun.. and focus. I really appreciate the response. I've heard that bringing beer is a great idea at the dz :-) Sadly I'm not of legal drinking age yet.. gotta improvise with that one haha.

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[cassieaf 0]

Thank you for the info! I've been at a dz in Plant City, not too far from Tampa- was recommended by a friend.

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

Sadly I'm not of legal drinking age yet.. gotta improvise with that one haha.

Oh boy. Only woman on the dz and not 21? I'd suggest you head to the women's only forum you may need to cover some material that's not in the SIM

[cassieaf 0]

I saw some families that were just going tandem for the day, a few women there.. but no recreational jumpers are students that were women, maybe it was the time of day?? Lol

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[hillson 0]

cassieaf

I saw some families that were just going tandem for the day, a few women there.. but no recreational jumpers are students that were women, maybe it was the time of day?? Lol

There will be more female jumpers at 1) Deland or 2) Skydive City in Zephyrhills which is ~3 miles north of Jump Florida up 39. Both of them are simply much bigger dropzones.

BTW, we allow "screw ups" at ZHills, too...(hint: I'm not where I'm supposed to be...lol). You've had some good advice in this thread...don't sweat it.

[cassieaf 0]

I appreciate the response.. I've always been the person thats super hard on myself, but after reading many of these responses it's more about practice and having fun :-)

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.

[cassieaf 0]

I LOVE THIS. Great artwork, and pretty much exactly how I'm feeling at this moment... Thank you so much :)

I like planes almost as much as jumping out of them.