KirstyM81 0 #26 October 2, 2014 Excellent! Let me know how you get on tomorrow. Have fun xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrDom 0 #27 October 4, 2014 KirstyM81Excellent! Let me know how you get on tomorrow. Have fun xx I, too, am waiting to hear! I did not jump this summer... took up Paramotoring and it just... got in the way of time and money (and maybe my door fear got the better of me?). But it is nice to hear people pushing through the barriers of the door and the freefall and being SUCCESSFUL!You are not the contents of your wallet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #28 October 5, 2014 Got there. Had to do ground training on the Saturday - took the whole day. Next day, was meant to skip straight to stage 3 but there were issues with the aircraft and it was impossible for the dz to get another one in time. I'm heading back next weekend, and plus, they'll have a larger plane, meaning larger loads and more jumps! Just have to keep my EP in mind. I've been really going over it and saying outloud; legs, look, locate, peel, punch, punch. I kind of want to experience a mal just to see how I'll react to it; but then again, that's quite an overwhelming thought. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KirstyM81 0 #29 October 7, 2014 Oh what a pain you didn't get up there! Let's hope you can this weekend. xQuote Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #30 October 7, 2014 Coat. Just have to keep my EP in mind. I've been really going over it and saying outloud; legs, look, locate, peel, punch, punch. I kind of want to experience a mal just to see how I'll react to it; but then again, that's quite an overwhelming thought. Glad to see you keeping up the mental rehearsal. While you're at it, spend some time visualizing the entire dive flow, from exit to opening. The mal thing? I know how you feel. I had my first cutaway (high speed) at 93 jumps. Amazing how easy it was to do after all that practice. I like the "legs" thing. Where exactly do they tell you to put them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #31 October 8, 2014 Pumped for this weekend. Keen to get out there and have fun. They tell you to bend your legs so they are closer to 90 degrees. Reason being is that when you go to do your EP, your arms tuck in and if you're in a high speed mal for example, you could potentially go into a head-dive whilst loosing symmetry. When you had your first mal, was your mind racing and did you panic at any point? I am a little concerned that if I had a high speed, like a PC hesitation, that even after counting my thousands, that I'd freeze and go into a state of sensory overload. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KirstyM81 0 #32 October 8, 2014 I had a reserve ride on my first consol and it was automatic. . . The drills really work! x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #33 October 8, 2014 Coat. They tell you to bend your legs so they are closer to 90 degrees. Reason being is that when you go to do your EP, your arms tuck in and if you're in a high speed mal for example, you could potentially go into a head-dive whilst loosing symmetry. I teach similar to that. The reasoning is absolutely correct. Some schools ignore body position during cutaways in their lesson plans. Quote When you had your first mal, was your mind racing and did you panic at any point? I am a little concerned that if I had a high speed, like a PC hesitation, that even after counting my thousands, that I'd freeze and go into a state of sensory overload. No panic, even though I was pretty excited (scared). I found my hands executing the EP's before my brain really caught up. Many people wonder the same thing before their first emergency and are pleasantly surprised to handle the real thing very well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites EChen22 0 #34 October 8, 2014 Having not yet experienced a mal (Hope I never have to, *knocks on wood*) this is purely speculation, but I feel I would do better in a high-speed "I-have-no-nylon-over-my-head" type malfunction vs a slower one that I have to debate whether or not to chop. I'm scared I'll make the wrong decision, chopping something I didn't need to or attempting to land something I shouldn't. How do you get over that fear? I feel I've heard a lot of "I probably should've chopped, but landed it anyway" type stories.You may never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them to fly in formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #35 October 9, 2014 EChen22 I'm scared I'll make the wrong decision, chopping something I didn't need to or attempting to land something I shouldn't. How do you get over that fear? I feel I've heard a lot of "I probably should've chopped, but landed it anyway" type stories. "When in doubt, whip it out!" Words to live by. More than one person has chopped a good canopy. At our DZ, we don't give them a bad time about it. We don't want anyone second guessing themselves.. I landed one I should have chopped once. Had a broken A-B line on a Cirrus Cloud 5 cell main. Thought I was okay until I reached treetop level. Then I knew my rate of descent was too high. I flared, it stalled and I thunked in with the best PLF I've ever done. Severely sprained ankle and cracked leg bone. Nothing that didn't heal, so don't worry so much about landing a marginal canopy. Just practice your PLF's. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #36 October 9, 2014 I need to practise my PLR's more. As for going the dive flow on the ground (which I've been doing at home), is it just me or does it get quite tiring when trying to arch on flat ground for a while whilst going over the objectives of the jump? Heading out to the DZ tomorrow a day early and hopefully jumping Saturday. I think that the years break I had was quite beneficial in terms of trying to be ready to come back and smash it out. If I have to redo a jump again, I won't sweat, I'll just correct my flaws and continue on. That was my problem - my consistency. I use to only do one jump a weekend and come back the next weekend to do the next jump. I know that jumping as much as you can, with a clear head, on the one day would help massively in progression and correction. This break has made me quite excited, and since doing my tunnel time, has backed off the nerves a little. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #37 October 9, 2014 Coat. . As for going the dive flow on the ground (which I've been doing at home), is it just me or does it get quite tiring when trying to arch on flat ground for a while whilst going over the objectives of the jump? Yes, it is tiring, and a little counter productive, since you're using the wrong muscles to arch UP against gravity. I recommend throwing a pillow on the floor in front of the sofa, lying down on the pillow facing away from the couch, then arching with the tops on your feet pushing lightly down against the edge of the cushions. Too many AFF students need the repeated "legs out" signal and this drill seems to help. You can also practice the dive flow standing up. Just make sure you keep your head back and a comfortable arch the whole time. Good luck to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mistercwood 287 #38 October 9, 2014 JohnMitchell Yes, it is tiring, and a little counter productive, since you're using the wrong muscles to arch UP against gravity. I recommend throwing a pillow on the floor in front of the sofa, lying down on the pillow facing away from the couch, then arching with the tops on your feet pushing lightly down against the edge of the cushions. Too many AFF students need the repeated "legs out" signal and this drill seems to help. Thank you very much for sharing this tip - I'm headed back to finish AFF in the next month or so, and I was definitely one of *those* students during my last jump (stage 3). Something to work on in the meantime... You are playing chicken with a planet - you can't dodge and planets don't blink. Act accordingly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites antieverything 0 #39 October 9, 2014 Hey, I just got my A-License and had similar issues - being afraid of screwing up. And so I did. I think I had to re-jump at least 3 times on different levels. Anyways, what really helped me was to "Relax-Jumps" with the instructor. They did not count towards my proficiency card, and helped me to get into mindset of "Ok, I am just gonna do my best and whatever is going to happen is going to happen". It helped me relax and I started doing much better. So the biggest enemy for me was to overcome the fear of screwing up while constantly overthinking. So while flying your body is not something people know how to do naturally, once you relax and just let it be, you become more tuned into the moment. Do a couple of practice relaxed jumps with your instructor, practicing something from your next test jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #40 October 12, 2014 Was a good weekend. Did stages 4 and 5. Time to smash it out next weekend. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JohnMitchell 14 #41 October 12, 2014 Nice work. Enjoy learning to track. That's my favorite level to teach. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #42 October 13, 2014 Thanks. :) Although, I think that the AFF I'm doing has tracking on stage 7. Stage 6 is very similar to stage 5, except it's a solo exit. On both previous jumps my landing was a little sketchy. I went downwind too late, did a turn, passed my target and landed off the DZ. Downwind leg is meant to start at 1000ft, and I remember checking my alti to start downwind at 1000ft but I guess you can't always rely on your alti. I need to practice my canopy control more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DanielRistow 3 #43 October 14, 2014 Hey guys, Just saw this thread, and was wondering how common are gaps like this in AFF? When I did my AFF 8 months ago, I did it at Lodi and finished ground school and all 7 jumps in a day. And the other dropzones near by said 2-3 day course. Do other dropzones spread AFF out longer?Whats the point of living if you aren't doing what you love? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #44 October 14, 2014 It varies on the DZ. Some DZ's are small, some are larger and it depends on how the it functions as a whole. I tried to get as many jumps as I could in last weekend, but with external circumstances, I only jumped twice. I'm hoping to finish off the AFF this coming weekend. Here in Australia, there is 9 stages. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites NWFlyer 2 #45 October 14, 2014 DanielRistowHey guys, Just saw this thread, and was wondering how common are gaps like this in AFF? When I did my AFF 8 months ago, I did it at Lodi and finished ground school and all 7 jumps in a day. And the other dropzones near by said 2-3 day course. Do other dropzones spread AFF out longer? At most dropzones, ground school is a 4-7 hour affair (time can vary based on the number of students in the class and how quickly they are picking up the information). Assuming perfect weather on a long summer day with class starting at 8 a.m., that means students wouldn't even be able to start jumping any earlier than early afternoon... getting in 7 student jumps between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. seems aggressive even if you're the only student on the dropzone and have the necessary instructors at your beck and call working only with you."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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites DanielRistow 3 #46 October 14, 2014 NWFlyer At most dropzones, ground school is a 4-7 hour affair (time can vary based on the number of students in the class and how quickly they are picking up the information). Assuming perfect weather on a long summer day with class starting at 8 a.m., that means students wouldn't even be able to start jumping any earlier than early afternoon... getting in 7 student jumps between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. seems aggressive even if you're the only student on the dropzone and have the necessary instructors at your beck and call working only with you. That makes sense. I did my tandem on a Saturday and they gave me information to read and a few vids to watch, and then I came back on Monday, class stated at 9, I was the only student in the class, and I was on the plane for my first jump at 11. I think I finished just before 3. Last time I was at Lodi that were calling load 23 and it was just after two. They turn loads fast there!Whats the point of living if you aren't doing what you love? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #47 October 19, 2014 Was a tiring but great weekend. Did stages 6 and 7 on Saturday - tracking was awesome. Did 8 on the Sunday, but had some issues with the hop n' pop. I redid stage 9 twice; my exit wasn't good and I kind of panicked/rushed it. On my second time, I still hadn't passed but can't wait until next weekend to finish it. I know by the time I got to stage 9, I was exhausted. Nonetheless, it was a great weekend and was nice to see my development. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #48 October 23, 2014 @KirstyM81, have you made another jump yet? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites KirstyM81 0 #49 October 23, 2014 Hi. Not yet! Weather is not ideal over next few months. Saving to return to Skydive Spain in Jan/Feb. Will need to repeat L 3,5 & 7 then continue with my consols . . . Then hopefully if I have enough dosh - work on getting my FS1. How are you getting on? x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Coat. 0 #50 October 23, 2014 In a fortnight, heading back to the dz to finish off L 9 (H&P). Tried twice but exit wasn't good, and I panicked because of the height. But will be all sweet next time. Weather can be a real bummer sometimes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 Next Page 2 of 3 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
JohnMitchell 14 #30 October 7, 2014 Coat. Just have to keep my EP in mind. I've been really going over it and saying outloud; legs, look, locate, peel, punch, punch. I kind of want to experience a mal just to see how I'll react to it; but then again, that's quite an overwhelming thought. Glad to see you keeping up the mental rehearsal. While you're at it, spend some time visualizing the entire dive flow, from exit to opening. The mal thing? I know how you feel. I had my first cutaway (high speed) at 93 jumps. Amazing how easy it was to do after all that practice. I like the "legs" thing. Where exactly do they tell you to put them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #31 October 8, 2014 Pumped for this weekend. Keen to get out there and have fun. They tell you to bend your legs so they are closer to 90 degrees. Reason being is that when you go to do your EP, your arms tuck in and if you're in a high speed mal for example, you could potentially go into a head-dive whilst loosing symmetry. When you had your first mal, was your mind racing and did you panic at any point? I am a little concerned that if I had a high speed, like a PC hesitation, that even after counting my thousands, that I'd freeze and go into a state of sensory overload. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KirstyM81 0 #32 October 8, 2014 I had a reserve ride on my first consol and it was automatic. . . The drills really work! x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #33 October 8, 2014 Coat. They tell you to bend your legs so they are closer to 90 degrees. Reason being is that when you go to do your EP, your arms tuck in and if you're in a high speed mal for example, you could potentially go into a head-dive whilst loosing symmetry. I teach similar to that. The reasoning is absolutely correct. Some schools ignore body position during cutaways in their lesson plans. Quote When you had your first mal, was your mind racing and did you panic at any point? I am a little concerned that if I had a high speed, like a PC hesitation, that even after counting my thousands, that I'd freeze and go into a state of sensory overload. No panic, even though I was pretty excited (scared). I found my hands executing the EP's before my brain really caught up. Many people wonder the same thing before their first emergency and are pleasantly surprised to handle the real thing very well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EChen22 0 #34 October 8, 2014 Having not yet experienced a mal (Hope I never have to, *knocks on wood*) this is purely speculation, but I feel I would do better in a high-speed "I-have-no-nylon-over-my-head" type malfunction vs a slower one that I have to debate whether or not to chop. I'm scared I'll make the wrong decision, chopping something I didn't need to or attempting to land something I shouldn't. How do you get over that fear? I feel I've heard a lot of "I probably should've chopped, but landed it anyway" type stories.You may never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them to fly in formation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #35 October 9, 2014 EChen22 I'm scared I'll make the wrong decision, chopping something I didn't need to or attempting to land something I shouldn't. How do you get over that fear? I feel I've heard a lot of "I probably should've chopped, but landed it anyway" type stories. "When in doubt, whip it out!" Words to live by. More than one person has chopped a good canopy. At our DZ, we don't give them a bad time about it. We don't want anyone second guessing themselves.. I landed one I should have chopped once. Had a broken A-B line on a Cirrus Cloud 5 cell main. Thought I was okay until I reached treetop level. Then I knew my rate of descent was too high. I flared, it stalled and I thunked in with the best PLF I've ever done. Severely sprained ankle and cracked leg bone. Nothing that didn't heal, so don't worry so much about landing a marginal canopy. Just practice your PLF's. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #36 October 9, 2014 I need to practise my PLR's more. As for going the dive flow on the ground (which I've been doing at home), is it just me or does it get quite tiring when trying to arch on flat ground for a while whilst going over the objectives of the jump? Heading out to the DZ tomorrow a day early and hopefully jumping Saturday. I think that the years break I had was quite beneficial in terms of trying to be ready to come back and smash it out. If I have to redo a jump again, I won't sweat, I'll just correct my flaws and continue on. That was my problem - my consistency. I use to only do one jump a weekend and come back the next weekend to do the next jump. I know that jumping as much as you can, with a clear head, on the one day would help massively in progression and correction. This break has made me quite excited, and since doing my tunnel time, has backed off the nerves a little. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #37 October 9, 2014 Coat. . As for going the dive flow on the ground (which I've been doing at home), is it just me or does it get quite tiring when trying to arch on flat ground for a while whilst going over the objectives of the jump? Yes, it is tiring, and a little counter productive, since you're using the wrong muscles to arch UP against gravity. I recommend throwing a pillow on the floor in front of the sofa, lying down on the pillow facing away from the couch, then arching with the tops on your feet pushing lightly down against the edge of the cushions. Too many AFF students need the repeated "legs out" signal and this drill seems to help. You can also practice the dive flow standing up. Just make sure you keep your head back and a comfortable arch the whole time. Good luck to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mistercwood 287 #38 October 9, 2014 JohnMitchell Yes, it is tiring, and a little counter productive, since you're using the wrong muscles to arch UP against gravity. I recommend throwing a pillow on the floor in front of the sofa, lying down on the pillow facing away from the couch, then arching with the tops on your feet pushing lightly down against the edge of the cushions. Too many AFF students need the repeated "legs out" signal and this drill seems to help. Thank you very much for sharing this tip - I'm headed back to finish AFF in the next month or so, and I was definitely one of *those* students during my last jump (stage 3). Something to work on in the meantime... You are playing chicken with a planet - you can't dodge and planets don't blink. Act accordingly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antieverything 0 #39 October 9, 2014 Hey, I just got my A-License and had similar issues - being afraid of screwing up. And so I did. I think I had to re-jump at least 3 times on different levels. Anyways, what really helped me was to "Relax-Jumps" with the instructor. They did not count towards my proficiency card, and helped me to get into mindset of "Ok, I am just gonna do my best and whatever is going to happen is going to happen". It helped me relax and I started doing much better. So the biggest enemy for me was to overcome the fear of screwing up while constantly overthinking. So while flying your body is not something people know how to do naturally, once you relax and just let it be, you become more tuned into the moment. Do a couple of practice relaxed jumps with your instructor, practicing something from your next test jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #40 October 12, 2014 Was a good weekend. Did stages 4 and 5. Time to smash it out next weekend. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #41 October 12, 2014 Nice work. Enjoy learning to track. That's my favorite level to teach. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #42 October 13, 2014 Thanks. :) Although, I think that the AFF I'm doing has tracking on stage 7. Stage 6 is very similar to stage 5, except it's a solo exit. On both previous jumps my landing was a little sketchy. I went downwind too late, did a turn, passed my target and landed off the DZ. Downwind leg is meant to start at 1000ft, and I remember checking my alti to start downwind at 1000ft but I guess you can't always rely on your alti. I need to practice my canopy control more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanielRistow 3 #43 October 14, 2014 Hey guys, Just saw this thread, and was wondering how common are gaps like this in AFF? When I did my AFF 8 months ago, I did it at Lodi and finished ground school and all 7 jumps in a day. And the other dropzones near by said 2-3 day course. Do other dropzones spread AFF out longer?Whats the point of living if you aren't doing what you love? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #44 October 14, 2014 It varies on the DZ. Some DZ's are small, some are larger and it depends on how the it functions as a whole. I tried to get as many jumps as I could in last weekend, but with external circumstances, I only jumped twice. I'm hoping to finish off the AFF this coming weekend. Here in Australia, there is 9 stages. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #45 October 14, 2014 DanielRistowHey guys, Just saw this thread, and was wondering how common are gaps like this in AFF? When I did my AFF 8 months ago, I did it at Lodi and finished ground school and all 7 jumps in a day. And the other dropzones near by said 2-3 day course. Do other dropzones spread AFF out longer? At most dropzones, ground school is a 4-7 hour affair (time can vary based on the number of students in the class and how quickly they are picking up the information). Assuming perfect weather on a long summer day with class starting at 8 a.m., that means students wouldn't even be able to start jumping any earlier than early afternoon... getting in 7 student jumps between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. seems aggressive even if you're the only student on the dropzone and have the necessary instructors at your beck and call working only with you."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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanielRistow 3 #46 October 14, 2014 NWFlyer At most dropzones, ground school is a 4-7 hour affair (time can vary based on the number of students in the class and how quickly they are picking up the information). Assuming perfect weather on a long summer day with class starting at 8 a.m., that means students wouldn't even be able to start jumping any earlier than early afternoon... getting in 7 student jumps between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. seems aggressive even if you're the only student on the dropzone and have the necessary instructors at your beck and call working only with you. That makes sense. I did my tandem on a Saturday and they gave me information to read and a few vids to watch, and then I came back on Monday, class stated at 9, I was the only student in the class, and I was on the plane for my first jump at 11. I think I finished just before 3. Last time I was at Lodi that were calling load 23 and it was just after two. They turn loads fast there!Whats the point of living if you aren't doing what you love? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #47 October 19, 2014 Was a tiring but great weekend. Did stages 6 and 7 on Saturday - tracking was awesome. Did 8 on the Sunday, but had some issues with the hop n' pop. I redid stage 9 twice; my exit wasn't good and I kind of panicked/rushed it. On my second time, I still hadn't passed but can't wait until next weekend to finish it. I know by the time I got to stage 9, I was exhausted. Nonetheless, it was a great weekend and was nice to see my development. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #48 October 23, 2014 @KirstyM81, have you made another jump yet? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KirstyM81 0 #49 October 23, 2014 Hi. Not yet! Weather is not ideal over next few months. Saving to return to Skydive Spain in Jan/Feb. Will need to repeat L 3,5 & 7 then continue with my consols . . . Then hopefully if I have enough dosh - work on getting my FS1. How are you getting on? x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coat. 0 #50 October 23, 2014 In a fortnight, heading back to the dz to finish off L 9 (H&P). Tried twice but exit wasn't good, and I panicked because of the height. But will be all sweet next time. Weather can be a real bummer sometimes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
