AFF Sky's the Limit

[mahirob 0]

I finally selected a DZ to take my AFF. I'm going with Sky's the Limit in East Stroudsburg, PA. I'm pretty pumped to join everyone with cert's. My 'first' jumps will be this weekend as well as the ground course.

I just hope the weather gets warmer and holds up. Any tips from anyone? Or anyone familiar with this DZ?

[Boomer10 0]

Try to get a good night's rest the night before your first jump course and listen to what your instructors say. While I've been there twice I've only been able to make one jump there due to weather so I can't comment too much, but I would go back again.

Oh, and have fun.

[CharlieMc 0]

Why do you put "first" in quotes - have you jumped before?

[mahirob 0]

Thanks! I've been reading the rules to kind of give me an idea of what it will be like. I will definitely try to get a good nights sleep. Hopefully I can, but it may be hard with how excited I am.

[mahirob 0]

I've jumped tandem three times before completely recreational, but this is my first lesson jump. Although in the last tandem I did tell the guy I was planning on getting certified so he gave me tips on our way down.

[BigMikeH77 0]

Practice your exit in the mockup. Without your rig or instructors. Then with your instructors. Then with your rig, then with your rig and instructors. Then practice it again. Then do the same thing up in the plane. I hope it's not a King Air.

Know your EP's. Take it slow and easy on your practice touches. You'll have two people wiht you so you'll have no problem with stability. Nice and easy. Have a fun and safe landing.

Smile and have FUN!

[shorehambeach 9]

Listen to your instructors and don't take advice from novice jumpers.

[Melissa126 0]

Woohoo!!! See you this weekend!

[CharlieMc 0]

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I've jumped tandem three times before completely recreational, but this is my first lesson jump.

Ah, I see. Those tandems will make you much more relaxed on your solo "first" jump, which increases your odds for achieving success and fun.

[labrys 0]

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You'll have two people wiht you so you'll have no problem with stability.

This is terrible and potentially dangerous advice. Students need to pay attention to the instruction that they are given in training about stability, not be told that they will be stabilized by their instructors.

It's very exciting to be a new jumper and very tempting to give other new jumpers advice but please try to refrain from doing it. Listen more and talk less for a while.

Owned by Remi #?

[CharlieMc 0]

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Woohoo!!! See you this weekend!

Look at that, MahiRob - You haven't even made your first solo yet, and already you've got a hot skygoddess eager to see you. Things are looking up already!

[Trafficdiver 8]

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I've jumped tandem three times before completely recreational, but this is my first lesson jump.

Ah, I see. Those tandems will make you much more relaxed on your solo "first" jump, which increases your odds for achieving success and fun.

This will be your fourth jump then. Don't go buying beer more than you have to...you'll get plenty of opportunities to do so in the next 25 jumps.

[mahirob 0]

Thanks again for reaching out to me. I look forward to meeting everyone there!

[BigMikeH77 0]

Of course.. Although I'm sure you see no ill intent.

One of the purpose of having two JM's for the first few jumps is that it makes stability easier, yes - provided the student listens, pays attention, asks questions...

I'm not trying to give unsound advice other than practice, listen, relax, and haave confidence and fun. But apparently that is too much for me to say so I'll just STFU and let other folks do the talking.

[labrys 0]

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One of the purpose of having two JM's for the first few jumps is that it makes stability easier, yes - provided the student listens, pays attention, asks questions...

Hey, I do understand that you have no ill intent... but still, saying that "One of the purpose of having two JM's for the first few jumps is that it makes stability easier" is entirely off the mark.

Those instructors are not there to make stability easier. They're there to correct and instruct when there are problems, including problems with stability.

Owned by Remi #?

[davelepka 4]

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Practice your exit in the mockup. Without your rig or instructors

Let me use the above to illustrate a point. I know the intent of your advice, but here's how it's (way) off the mark-

One of the key points of instruction is that people tend to learn best the first time. The reason being that habits are hard to break.

So when you give advice to practice any part of the jump without your instructors present, you're opening the door for that person to develop a bad habit. Furthremore, when you practice an exit without a rig on, you lose the restriction of the harness and space the rig occupies on your back. So you might get into a position in the mock-up that you could never achieve with a rig on.

Instructors will practice with each student until they (both the instructors and student) are satisfied that they are doing it correctly and comfortably.

Remember that every student and every instructor are different. To interject yourself into the process is making a ton of assumptions about both parties, and you just can't do that with any degree of reliability. One important lesson to learn in skydiving is that when you give advice about any aspect of the sport is that you need to be VERY sure that it is 100% correct and 100% applicatble to the situation at-hand. People will take what you say and literally make life-and-death decisions about their next jump.

There's an aspect of the riggers test where if you are asked a question you don't know the answer to, the correct asnwer is 'I don't know, I'm going to refer to the manual'. Along those same lines, it's never the wrong answer in skydiving to say, 'I'm not 100% sure, you should consult an instructor or more senior jumper'.

[SeanYang2k 0]

Don't forget to stretch! Especially lower back, arms, and legs. Helps the Arch

[Andy9o8 1]

[labrys 0]

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Let's all go have a beer.

Owned by Remi #?

[Andy9o8 1]

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Let's all go have a beer.

Might as well; we're being ignored in here.

[Scrumpot 1]

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Practice your exit in the mockup. Without your rig or instructors.

Why would you do this?
Sounds to me like a great opportunity to establish potentially even BAD procedure / habit, that will only then later, be quite difficult to "un-train" / correct.

Like someone else has already replied - get your advice FROM YOUR INSTRUCTORS ...not from on here - even if supposedly well-meaning, none-the-less overly exuberant themselves, unknowing (the potential consequences of their ill-advice) novices.

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Andy9o8 1]

Repent.