AFF Student... Still waiting for jitters to be gone

[majormajors 0]

lookoutbelow

***lookoutbelow: In your 5th jump, do you remember what you did wrong?

Yes. I had so many things on my mind that I didn't focus on the very immediate task and I exited facing into the wind without an arch. The next few times I was at the door I just repeated "arch and legs, arch and legs" over and over and over to stop the other thoughts from taking over until I was stable.

I had something similar happen to me last week on jump 3. My first two jumps had been out of a PAC, but it was unavailable that day and we ended up taking smaller loads in a 182. I was so terrified by the fact that I wasn't confident with the 182 exit that I forgot to focus on the task at hand. Long story short, I had to repeat level 3.

This past weekend when I went back to the DZ to repeat level 3, I was back in the PAC but was still a bit shaken up from my previous jump that I found myself with another shitty exit, but I managed to recover quickly enough and get through my dive flow to pass level 3. It was such a lightbulb moment for me when I realized that remaining calm and getting into my arch as quickly as possible was all I needed to do. Of course, this is something my instructors had told me several times but I think I needed to experience that to really get it.

A couple hours later, I was back in the sky for my level 4 and it was by far my smoothest yet. After the lightbulb moment on the previous jump, I suddenly had no fear on the ride up and exited like a boss. My instructors also went ahead and just let me do my landing pattern with no radio assistance because I was already in the correct spot and entering my downwind before they had a chance to tell me what to do.

I'm psyched to head back to the DZ this weekend to wrap up my AFF.

OP: I'm obviously not experienced enough to give you any sort of advice, but I know where you're coming from and I've definitely experienced the same thing very recently. I think you'll do well as long as you don't let the nervousness cloud your thinking and remember what your instructors have told you.

Also, I assume from your username that you're from the SF Bay Area. Where do you jump? Have we met? I'm doing my AFF at Norcal.

[SFBayArea 0]

Thank you all for your comments.

So far I was able to keep my mind on the tasks I have to do. I guess my previous military training helps me stick to the tasks once I am out of the plane. However, it is that open door that gives me shock. I know I have to get over it. I just hope to get over it sooner than later.

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[grasshoppergirl 0]

Lots of good input in this thread. Thanks!

[SFBayArea 0]

Guys, what is this tunnel some people comment about?

[NWFlyer 2]

http://sfbay.iflyworld.com/ Assuming your user name = location, this is your local one.

Indoor skydiving - great training tool! If you book some time, tell the tunnel instructor that you're a student skydiver and they can help you with the basics.

"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

[SFBayArea 0]

NWFlyer

http://sfbay.iflyworld.com/ Assuming your user name = location, this is your local one.

Indoor skydiving - great training tool! If you book some time, tell the tunnel instructor that you're a student skydiver and they can help you with the basics.

Thanks!

[uberchris 0]

i was absolutely petrified of the door until about jump number 80-ish...........then i found myself next to it with my leg hanging out on the way up, and realized i had overcome door fear. keep at it!

i see sfbayarea, i was jumping at byron saturday and sunday, were you there or at another DZ?

gravity brings me down.........

[dthames 0]

I had an interesting experience just a few weeks after getting my A license. It was a super hot Texas summer day and I was sitting right at the door of an Otter. After 1500 feet we opened the door to get some air. After about 3,000 feet and up to the point we closed the door I was thinking, the plane could roll and I could fall right out. It wouldn’t really matter, I could deal with it. The biggest concern was that my goggles were down on my neck and I would have to and off. I had never considered being in a situation where I might fall from a plane and really not have to worry about it.

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

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

dthames

I had an interesting experience just a few weeks after getting my A license. It was a super hot Texas summer day and I was sitting right at the door of an Otter. After 1500 feet we opened the door to get some air. After about 3,000 feet and up to the point we closed the door I was thinking, the plane could roll and I could fall right out. It wouldn’t really matter, I could deal with it. The biggest concern was that my goggles were down on my neck and I would have to and off. I had never considered being in a situation where I might fall from a plane and really not have to worry about it.

Yes! That is exactly my experience! I just came to a realization that nothing bad would happen if I fell from the plane! Under 2000 feet, I'd dump the reserve. Over that, I'd dump the main. And land you know, wherever. With prior hang gliding experience I'm always on the lookout for my next landing area.

Once I realized that, I realized that climbing out and climbing around on the outside of the plane was no different than doing it on the ground. Maybe even easier, with the extra adrenaline.

Oddly, some time thereafter I had a dream where for some reason I needed to jump from a platform to the rigging of a hot air balloon about 6 feet away. In my dream I was not wearing a parachute, but I made the jump confidently. I knew I could have made the jump on the ground and that the only difference the altitude made was in my head, and I had already defeated that fear. I don't think any other fear that would have paralyzed me before can stop me, anymore.

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

[grasshoppergirl 0]

For me, it's not a fear of the airplane or falling out (in fact it feels weird when I travel and get on a plane I can't jump out of). It's more that moment of committing to the jump in the door. There's a part of me that thinks 'what IF something goes wrong and I can't handle it'. It's more about me really trusting myself then being afraid of the door. The second I leave, that feeling is gone and I'm focused on the dive.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

grasshoppergirl

For me, it's not a fear of the airplane or falling out (in fact it feels weird when I travel and get on a plane I can't jump out of). It's more that moment of committing to the jump in the door. There's a part of me that thinks 'what IF something goes wrong and I can't handle it'. It's more about me really trusting myself then being afraid of the door. The second I leave, that feeling is gone and I'm focused on the dive.

I think that also goes away somewhat as time goes on. One of my instructors told me even he still gets jittery and has spikes of adrenaline at some points during the flight, but he settles down very quickly. Everyone's a bit different and we all have somewhat different things we worry about, but as you gain confidence it won't be anywhere near as bad and it won't slow you down in the slightest (Sounds like it's already not slowing you down, so you're halfway there already!)

Like I told another student, if something REALLY feels wrong about the jump, don't do it. When you're starting out, every instinct you have is screaming at you not to do what you're about to do. But as you gain experience in the sport, your instincts play an important role in keeping you safe. Right now if I'm standing at the door and something feels wrong about the jump I'm about to do, I wouldn't feel any shame in riding the plane back down. Once I'm down, I can go over everything again and try to isolate what was bothering me.

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

[grasshoppergirl 0]

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I think that also goes away somewhat as time goes on. One of my instructors told me even he still gets jittery and has spikes of adrenaline at some points during the flight, but he settles down very quickly. Everyone's a bit different and we all have somewhat different things we worry about, but as you gain confidence it won't be anywhere near as bad and it won't slow you down in the slightest (Sounds like it's already not slowing you down, so you're halfway there already!)

It really does make me feel better to hear it's normal... I keep reminding myself that my brain has to get used to what I'm doing. I'm not in love with the fact that I still have that 20 sec burble of anxiety/2nd guessing. I think the trick (assuming you know you want it) really is to just keep getting on loads and keep throwing yourself out of that door! I've also done 75 minutes of tunnel practice so I need to remember that I have the right to have some additional confidence in terms of my flying skills. And besides, if all goes to shit, just go back to your ARCH right? ;-)

[popsjumper 2]

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Under 2000 feet, I'd dump the reserve. Over that, I'd dump the main. And land you know, wherever. With prior hang gliding experience I'm always on the lookout for my next landing area.

Highly impressive! You have a plan!

You wouldn't believe how many would fly off into never-never land not even seeing that big open field below them.

I call it hop-scotching...running from one potential LZ to the next never getting too far away from an acceptable one and ready to bail and turn back to the one I know I can get to.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

popsjumper

Highly impressive! You have a plan!

You wouldn't believe how many would fly off into never-never land not even seeing that big open field below them.

I call it hop-scotching...running from one potential LZ to the next never getting too far away from an acceptable one and ready to bail and turn back to the one I know I can get to.

Well the altitude is more math than anything else. At 2000 feet even if I dump right out the door, my canopy tends to be so snively that I'm not certain I won't end up with two canopies out. I don't want to end up with two canopies out. Though they covered THAT pretty thoroughly in the AFF ground school and subsequent AFF written tests, so I know what to do in the various circumstances that can arise if that happens as well.

It's interesting how the hang gliding experience affects my skydiving experience. I didn't get very far in my training -- just a few student tandems before I moved out of state, but I read the hang gliding book pretty thoroughly and remember a good bit of it. Since you're more likely to end up soaring in that sport, they drill it into you to always be on the lookout for your next landing area. It's a game I play on the plane. There are a couple of spots on the jump run where your choices are woods or road. I did spot a turnout on the road that looks like it's a couple hundred feet long. There's also one spot where there's what looks like a nice wide field... on top of a rather large-looking mountain. Hopefully we never have engine trouble there!

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

[manseman 0]

SFBayArea

I know this subject been discussed here before. However, I just wonder when some of you stopped having these jitters and how you battle them?

Be as prepared as you can and make sure you haven't left any questions or concerns open. Focus on breathing and positive thoughts.

I always have the same jitters if it's the first jump in a while, if it's the first jump in a new location or if there is something decidedly unusual or (to me) new about the jump. After three AFF jumps you are still very much in the first-time-everything-is-new mode.

As for the door, I imagine it's possible to somewhat ignore the fact that you are going to jump up until it opens. That's when the curtain opens for the show and you can't avoid it any longer. I heard somewhere that a couple of very experienced jumpers wore heart rate monitors for a few jumps and that there were spikes when the door opened and just before deployment.

[SFBayArea 0]

Thanks guys. This week I am taking off from the "skydiving" - going camping for the weekend and next week I plan to go to the tunnel before heading to the DZ on Saturday.

[Mach1dmb 0]

I get nervous in the plane sometimes, mostly from being packed in like a sardine and then not having enough time to sit up and breath before its my turn to jump. But I just think of the door like an escape. No matter how nervous I am I know the feeling will be gone the second I jump.

[Lodi781 0]

BigMikeH77

Check out Namowal's skydiving duck cartoons :-) She puts it together so well - The threatening door, the "frog brain", and the "freakout-o-meter".. hahaha

http://tailotherat.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html

This is exactly how my first jump went...except I did fail for not pulling in time...

Now i'm on jump #9 and I still get anxious, but I know how good it feels getting out the door. Not only that, I feel that it is more fun NOT having my instructor hold on to me for two reasons;

1) I feel I get stable quicker and float more so there isn't as much of that roller coaster drop feeling

2) I feel like it's MY jump. everything I do in that 60 seconds and then under canopy is completely my own.

Another thing that helped, is since my packing class, I have packed my own chute for the last 3 jumps I took. The first one I was just happy the dam thing opened. But Knowing your equipment helps immensely because knowing how it functions can help you solve problems correctly when it doesn't.

The love you withhold is the pain you carry, lifetime after lifetime.

[obatzda 0]

what you call the door-fear is what seperates jumpers from nonjumpers at one point, since there is a high quote of aff-students that never get a licence this fear is maybe a reason for it, since everyone is different it can take a long time for some people to turn this fear into pure-enjoyment.

special if your season ended with that coin of fear, its hard to come back after the winter i bet.

the question would be does this fear come back after a realy long break? :)