Training Question

[htown84 0]

I know I have seen many say to do all the training to get your license at one place. Is this the best method for the sole reason your instructors can better help you to correct mistakes because they witness it? I have located many DZs in TX and want to jump at each one by the time I am done. Should I just wait until I have the certification to go to another DZ? Too many chices to make. Also I will be going to San Diego in October if all goes right with work. Are there any DZs in the San Diego area that somone recommends? Thank you all for the help you have given me so far.

[alicai 0]

Hi! I jump at Skydive San Diego and I love it there! My boyfriend, friend, and I have all graduated from our AFF recently and the staff and other skydivers are all great and really supportive. It's a smaller drop zone, but I like the environment and you can't beat the view (the ocean, coronado, down town sandiego, and Otay Lakes (the drop zone is on the edge of the lake). As far as having all of your training and getting your liscense at the same place, I am not sure what the best plan is. I have only jumped at Sky Dive San Diego because I was learning so many new things in skydiving that I didn't want to throw an unknown dropzone into the mix, but I'm sure more experienced skydivers can give you info on that.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

I know I have seen many say to do all the training to get your license at one place. Is this the best method for the sole reason your instructors can better help you to correct mistakes because they witness it? I have located many DZs in TX and want to jump at each one by the time I am done. Should I just wait until I have the certification to go to another DZ? Too many chices to make. Also I will be going to San Diego in October if all goes right with work. Are there any DZs in the San Diego area that somone recommends? Thank you all for the help you have given me so far.

not everyone does the AFF (or AFP up to the point of self supervision) sequence the same. These are the expensive jumps and you don't want to repeat levels just because Dropzone A does unstable stuff on this jump and B wants it done a level prior. Or if you move, do it just once. I ended up with a couple extra AFFs because I went A -> B (but just one jump short) -> A.

Once I was cleared for self jumping, I fled to C, where I stayed until I got the A. Probably not absolutely necessary, but easier I suspect to get your A card fully signed off. Then I visited everywhere.

[dzjnky 0]

I agree with kelpdiver. My recommendation is to minimize your moving around, and go "play" after you have gotten your license. You have enough things to learn already without adding extra uncertainties due to differences between DZs.

I got taught that you should only change one thing at a time, especially early in your career. So if you go to a new drop zone, try to find one with the same kind of aircraft that you are already familiar with. If you are jumping new gear, try to do it at a familiar DZ in a familiar airplane. Taken to the extreme, that means new drop zone = repeat the last jump. That might be a bit conservative, but you get the drift.

In addition, the more you jump with the same AFFI (assuming you work well together), the quicker your learning curve will be. If you insist on moving around, I would at least wait until you are done with the formal AFF stuff, and are working on your coach jumps. Finally, if you are moving around, be sure to keep your paperwork current, and get everything signed off when you do it!

[htown84 0]

Well, I appreciate all the info that has come my way. I was kind of thinking the training would be best done in one spot. I guess the DZ i did my tandem at is the DZ I will do the training at as well. Please keep all the info coming, it is greatly appreciated.

[doorgirl 0]

Assuming that you liked the vibe at the DZ you did your tandem at, go for it! If something in the DZ just didn't click with you, then it might be good to hang out a couple of the other area DZs before starting your training to get a feel of where you feel at home.

I was a traveling student, to put it lightly:

tandem at A,
AFF 1-3 at B,
AFF 4-7 at C,
jumps 9-23 at D,
jumps 24-27 (license!) at E,
28-29 at F and
30-33 at G.

The massive number of DZs is a reflection of both a region where the DZs are friendly and jumpers flow from place to place and the fact that it's cold up here in winter so I HAD to go someplace warm.

With all of that traveling, I look back and think that I would have had a more consistent experience had I done nearly all of my pre-A license jumps at one DZ. I am however glad that I didn't do all of my training at the DZ I did my tandem at since I didn't click there as well as the other DZ's due to the culture. While my TI was awesome, there were broader undercurrents at the DZ as a whole that would have caused me some grief.

So find a place that feels like home (you might be there already) and get that license! We'll see you in the sky!

[htown84 0]

Thanks. The idea of doing ti all at one DZ makes sense I guess I am just anxious to jump everywhere I can. Will probably do it at the DZ I did my first tandem at.

[brits17 0]

Ya, stay at Spacey Place for now. AFP is a great student program.

_______________________
aerialkinetics.com

[htown84 0]

Thanks Brit