How common are injuries for AFF Level 1?

[Neely47 0]

[rsb5267 0]

depends what you consider an injury

[Anachronist 2]

For new jumpers injury and statistics are a big concern. No doubt a lot (perhaps most) skydivers have some metal in them, or at least have had an injury that prevented them from jumping for several months (Yours truly has some metal). I am not an AFF instructor but in observing a lot of AFF jumps, injury is rare, but not unheard of by any means.

If you are a new jumper the biggest thing to work on is canopy control. You would do yourself a big favor seeking out professional (i.e. paid) canopy coaching. It is really really important. Continue to seek it out for your whole skydiving experience. The current system is woefully inadequate for teaching canopy skills, you have to be your own advocate and seek out training beyond USPA AFF and License required courses. Think of USPA requirements as a bare minimum.

[Andy9o8 0]

You're clearly a bit torn: you're eager to take up skydiving, but you have a lot of doubts and nervousness running through your head before you even sign up for your first jump course. This is apparent from the fact that this is the third recent thread you've started here with this type of inquiry. Which is perfectly fine - knowledge is power, and helps dispel the uncertainties.

I'd suggest that the best way to gain this knowledge is to schedule a time to go down to your local DZ, have a sit-down with a couple instructors to address your questions in detail, and then just watch the activity for a couple of hours. Then go home and decide whether giving skydiving a first try (for example, with a tandem jump, which, if you haven't done at least one yet, would be a great introduction for someone like yourself) is for you. (And if you already have done a tandem, you should still have a sit-down with instructors to get your questions answered in person prior to AFF.)

[riggerrob 558]

If you do exactly as they tell you in ground school, you have a 99.9 percent chance of walking away (uninjured) from an AFF jump.

[Dantes 0]

When in doubt, you PLF that shit. I'm a noob too and it has saved me more than once.

[yoink 321]

Put it this way, more students get injured from the drinking after than from their first jump!



That said - there is a risk. I'd almost guarantee soreness in your back and thighs the next couple of days from all the arching you should be doing. Is that an injury?

Sprains / twisted ankles? Maybe 1 in 20?

Hospital time? Personally I've never seen one from an AFF level 1 in 10 years. But it CAN happen.

Numbers aren't going to solve your problem I'm afraid. Get to the DZ and watch for a weekend or two. It's no problem! People will be glad to show you around. Maybe that'll help.

That said, skydiving isn't a sport for 'by-the-numbers' people. If you're looking for absolute assurances on safety it just doesn't work like that - often times people who are least confident end up getting hurt because they don't make decisions under stress well.


Go to the DZ but be honest with yourself.

How do you deal with high pressure situations? Not well? Try a tandem. Thrive on them? Go for it!

[Neely47 0]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

After doing a lot of thinking, I'm planning on starting out a tandem jump 1st. My situation is a bit unique; I'm hearing impaired (half deaf) and wear a hearing aid. I don't know how my hearing aid will respond by the wind noise and how that will impact me hearing the radio. Radio is probably going to be really crucial for AFF Level 1 since the ground instructors will tell you when to make the 90 degree turns for making the landing pattern and when to flare.

I don't want to take any big risk (especially for my 1st jump), so I think I'm gonna play it safe with a tandem 1st. I will listen to the radio during my tandem jump and see if I'm able to hear well. If all goes well, I will progress to AFF Level 1.

[Deimian 43]

Radios are backup devices, you should be prepared for not using them. Being said that, I am not sure how well I would have performed without one back in my AFF.

However, you might still get assistance without radio. In some dropzones (at least one that I know of), have a movable arrow to help students (but even them are using radios now, I think). Think of a "T" to indicate wind direction, but manually steered and used just for students. They just had 1 student per load, and an instructor was steering the arrow indicating which direction the student should be facing. You can have that way a visual help of when to turn.

[Krip 2]

Tell you instructors about your concerns about hearing the radio before signing up for AFF. Maybe they can give you a radio check before you sign up. If your not happy dont do it.
How much do you weigh?

What kind of shape you in?

Do you have health insurance?

The last three questions may have a effect on your odds of getting hurt. Or enjoying your experience.
Have a happy

One Jump Wonder

[Andy9o8 0]

There are a number of very capable and experienced skydivers who are deaf. Most DZs accommodate and train deaf students quite well in their student programs. There are a few douches at the occasional DZ who are afraid or aren't willing to make the effort, but they're generally few and far between.

Do a Google search for the phrase "deaf skydivers". You'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

[mkelly3078 0]

I'm a student with a hearing impairment. The people at the dz have been very helpful and understanding of my problem. I've done jumps with and without my hearing aids. The wind noise was not that bad when I wore them, although it took a few minutes to get the helmet comfortable with them on.

They've switched radios for me several times until I was sure I could hear the ground instructor for my jump.

I'm going to a dz where I feel they really care more about my jumps than they do with making a buck. I'm also pretty sure wherever you decide to train you'll find the same thing. Some of the responses you read on here might make you question how "friendly" other skydivers are, but when it comes to actual safety and training I haven't run into a single person who won't stop and help you.

[dragon2 0]

It depends on where you'll be jumping if you even *get* a radio. For instance on my dz we don't use radios. Now we have a huge landing site and lots of outs, plus we train students to be self-reliant under canopy. Only time I've ever seen radios used at my DZ was when a student + instructor came over (from France?) plus occasionally for some advanced canopy relative work course.

You don't *need* a radio for your student jumps perse (unless you have a small landing area with lots of obstacles around or something). As an instructor, I would be more concerned with communication in the airplane, under canopy and on the ground, but otherhearing-impaired/deaf skydivers seem to do OK.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[dthames 0]

dragon2

It depends on where you'll be jumping if you even *get* a radio. For instance on my dz we don't use radios. Now we have a huge landing site and lots of outs, plus we train students to be self-reliant under canopy. Only time I've ever seen radios used at my DZ was when a student + instructor came over (from France?) plus occasionally for some advanced canopy relative work course.

You don't *need* a radio for your student jumps perse (unless you have a small landing area with lots of obstacles around or something). As an instructor, I would be more concerned with communication in the airplane, under canopy and on the ground, but otherhearing-impaired/deaf skydivers seem to do OK.

It is welcome to hear that not everyone is dependent on radios. I am surprised to hear about students on their 10 jump, still needing radio help.

To the OP, I have heard of DZs that have ground signals for those that are not able to use a radio.

Reading "A Parachute And It's Pilot" might help you to have a good start on understanding canopy flight.

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

[baronn 111]

Rare. They do occur. Even after AFF. Your situation does present challenges. They can be overcome. The Tandem progression is the way to go IMO. Learning to fly a pattern and properly to land will have to be thoroughly understood prior to the jump. There's always going to be learning by doing but, most can be picked up thru ground and the tandem ride. As long as you don't do anything TOO stupid, you'll be fine.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

dthames

It is welcome to hear that not everyone is dependent on radios. I am surprised to hear about students on their 10 jump, still needing radio help.

To the OP, I have heard of DZs that have ground signals for those that are not able to use a radio.

Reading "A Parachute And It's Pilot" might help you to have a good start on understanding canopy flight.

I think I followed the radio direction for my first jump. Since I was pulling high compared to the fun jumpers, it was pretty easy just to follow their pattern down. I felt the radio was more of a distraction than anything else. I know a couple of times I could hear it clearly, the instructions were for someone else and following them would have put me in a bad spot. By the time I got to jump 4, my instructor knew me pretty well and told me he was only putting the radio on me because that was the policy with students, but he knew I could get myself back to the ground without it.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[dthames 0]

FlyingRhenquest

***
It is welcome to hear that not everyone is dependent on radios. I am surprised to hear about students on their 10 jump, still needing radio help.

To the OP, I have heard of DZs that have ground signals for those that are not able to use a radio.

Reading "A Parachute And It's Pilot" might help you to have a good start on understanding canopy flight.

I think I followed the radio direction for my first jump. Since I was pulling high compared to the fun jumpers, it was pretty easy just to follow their pattern down. I felt the radio was more of a distraction than anything else. I know a couple of times I could hear it clearly, the instructions were for someone else and following them would have put me in a bad spot. By the time I got to jump 4, my instructor knew me pretty well and told me he was only putting the radio on me because that was the policy with students, but he knew I could get myself back to the ground without it.

I had documented hearing damage by the time I was 15 years old and I have always worked to protect my hearing since I learned how easy it was to have it damaged. I jumped one AFF jump without earplugs and then went to wearing earplugs on all jumps. I could still hear the chest mounted radio even with earplugs in. Of course I had to "listen".

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

[Hellis 0]

FlyingRhenquest

I know a couple of times I could hear it clearly, the instructions were for someone else and following them would have put me in a bad spot.

A few weeks ago we were walking out to the loading area and one of the students (also walking towards the loading area) all of the sudden started turning left, then he turned more left.
And soon he was walking back towards the hangars.
We stoped and asked what he was doing and he replied:
"The guy in the radio is telling me to turn left."

[Guru312 0]

Neely47

After doing a lot of thinking, I'm planning on starting out a tandem jump 1st. My situation is a bit unique; I'm hearing impaired (half deaf) and wear a hearing aid.

Many years ago...like 45...I taught a totally blind man to make a static line jump. This was many years before tandem jumps and... before AFF was fully accepted. He did extremely well and landed closer to the target than another sighted student on the same plane.

You will have a MUCH easier time than he did. I also think that given your very obvious apprehension, a tandem jump will allow you learn about yourself. That is to say: "Do you have what it takes to do the AFF program?"

You can do it.

Guru312

I am not DB Cooper

[Neely47 0]

Update! I changed my mind (again, lol), and ambitiously went straight to AFF level 1 and decided not to do a tandem. I just did AFF level 1 yesterday.

The radio (mounted on top of my helmet) was definitely hard to hear, and I didn't make out some of my instructors commands. However, I felt the radio issue wasn't a big deal because I was confident in my canopy skills, and when to make my 90 degree turns for my landing pattern. I adequately prepared for all of this by reading the USPA booklet, studying the map/layout of the dropzone with key landmarks, and talking to my ground instructors. So, the radio issue wasn't a big problem at all. In fact, I could do without the radio.

Anyhoo, I passed AFF level 1!

[DrDom 0]

Neely47

Update! I changed my mind (again, lol), and ambitiously went straight to AFF level 1 and decided not to do a tandem. I just did AFF level 1 yesterday.

The radio (mounted on top of my helmet) was definitely hard to hear, and I didn't make out some of my instructors commands. However, I felt the radio issue wasn't a big deal because I was confident in my canopy skills, and when to make my 90 degree turns for my landing pattern. I adequately prepared for all of this by reading the USPA booklet, studying the map/layout of the dropzone with key landmarks, and talking to my ground instructors. So, the radio issue wasn't a big problem at all. In fact, I could do without the radio.

Anyhoo, I passed AFF level 1!

Congrats!
I have normal hearing but severe tinnitus so I wear hearing protection at all times. I could not hear the radio with them in on my first jump so under canopy i wiggled one earplug out... and couldnt understand the radio. couldnt tell if I was being told left or right, figured it out by learning what his "MPRFF" sounded like and once I turned right and heart "MPRFF! MPRFF!" i turned left and understoof "good!". that word was left, if I heard something else i assumed "right". lol. I knew on final all I would hear was "flare" so I just listened best I could knowing "wait for it" was first and then "flare flare flare". I also learned how to PLF really well ;)

You are not the contents of your wallet.