my first hop and pop and nervous

[MikeBIBOM 0]

Relax, arch, you're not relaxing or arching enough! Think about where you're looking. When you're on the step, you're probably looking straight ahead. When you let go, don't keep looking at the horizon. Looking up at the plane as you fall away from it will help you relax more and slip into a better arch and you'll go stable almost instantly.

edit: Haha, I wrote this just based on your own description, before I watched your videos.

Now that I've watched your videos, try standing outside of the door when you poise for exit. Look at the pair of guys who went out first in your first video, see how the one did the count with his leading leg? Stand outside the door, holding the bar, present your chest to the prop and do that with your leading leg, because it presents your body to the relative wind at the moment you're letting go, flex but don't bend your legs and keep your arms short, look up at the plane as you fall away. And when I say look up at the plane, I mean actually crane your neck.

You might also try putting your hands at your side like you're tracking and bring them up to box position as you count to three.

You might also try a diving exit facing the tail (from altitude, don't do a diving H&P until you can dive out stable).

[tbrown 26]

One of the drawbacks to AFF is that you start out at altitude and then come DOWN to make your first hop & pop. I've seen more jumpers, on the plane for their first hop & pop, who were so nervous about it, and I've always tried to give them encouragement that they would not only do just fine, but enjoy themselves.

My first hop & pop, forty years ago, was also my first freefall. Also my first pack job (under the close supervision of an instructor). I'd been making static lines from 2800 ft and now was moving UP to 3200 for the freefall. I could see the difference in the landscape that we were higher. Everything went fine, I was stable, the canopy even opened, and when I landed the beer never tasted better.

Stand in the door, step out sideways, facing forward, and watch the plane rise up away from you. Tilting your head back will cause your spine to curve into a perfect arch. Once you're clear of the plane, go for your pull. If you really want to have some fun, pull while you're still on the hill, before you flatten out. Your pilot chute will go straight out behind you and the opening will swing you back under the canopy as it inflates. It WILL seem like it's taking a long time to open and the opening will look sloppier than what you're used to, but only because you're not terminal yet. It does take longer, but you haven't fallen as far either. Once you're open, everything's the same as usual. So take a deep breath and enjoy yourself - because you will !

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[BKS60 0]

You'll be amazed how fast your outlook will change! Did my first and only hop and pop from 3500 about a year and a half ago. Was nervous as hell, rushed the deployment but it worked out.

Did a 4500 last weekend on the way down because of clouds and was wanting to turn a point or two.

Like all before have stated it's just about relaxing.

"You don't get many warnings in this sport before you get damaged"

[Di0 1]

I'm not going to give you any advice on the technique itself as I'm relatively inexperienced myself, however one good advice I can give is: as soon as you'll get a good one that "feels" right and looks right, get back up and do another one as soon as you can that day, the very next load if you can. It'll probably go even better and it'll give you the confidence that you "finally got it!", also probably help your muscles to remember the correct sequence and feelings until next time. Don't do a good H&P, be happy because it's all you need for you licence, and then never do one again.
Do a few of them at the beginning until you feel that you are comfortable and relaxed: beside being fun, they are needed sometimes (let's not think about catastrophic emergencies, but they are something good to have in your book for canopy classes, low cloud days, when you're in the mood to freak tandem students out and so on).

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[jimmytavino 16]

"and then never do one again"

hahaha BIG DisAgree

do them often if you LIKE
go to 3,600 feet or so, and get Out... Likely that you'll have the sky to yourself, especially if you're at a Cessna DZ
You'll leave more Room in the plane for any others who are going to altitude.
you'll reduce your "per Jump " price by "averaging down " and you'll be able to enjoy a SOLO.... Great thing about the sport, You can join others in the air, OR you can go Alone....
either way, a H & P is always OK in my book...
Plus if you hustle you can find a clear spot on the packing floor and be stowing you Pilot Chute when the others from that same load are just landing...
OH Yes....... ps to TBrown.....it seems to me that I may REMEMBER, some of those Hop and Pops of yours ......Might have been right behind Ya'... exiting a little further DOWN, the jumprun !!!
jmy
A 3914
D 12122

[Hellis 0]

jimmytavino

"and then never do one again"

hahaha BIG DisAgree

do them often if you LIKE
go to 3,600 feet or so, and get Out... Likely that you'll have the sky to yourself, especially if you're at a Cessna DZ
You'll leave more Room in the plane for any others who are going to altitude.
you'll reduce your "per Jump " price by "averaging down " and you'll be able to enjoy a SOLO.... Great thing about the sport, You can join others in the air, OR you can go Alone....
either way, a H & P is always OK in my book...
Plus if you hustle you can find a clear spot on the packing floor and be stowing you Pilot Chute when the others from that same load are just landing...
OH Yes....... ps to TBrown.....it seems to me that I may REMEMBER, some of those Hop and Pops of yours ......Might have been right behind Ya'... exiting a little further DOWN, the jumprun !!!
jmy
A 3914
D 12122

Did you even read what he wrote or did you just find a few words you could missquote to start an argument?

Here, let me quote what you should have quoted.

Quote

Don't do a good H&P, be happy because it's all you need for you licence, and then never do one again. Do a few of them at the beginning until you feel that you are comfortable and relaxed.....

So what he is saying is do more than one H&P.

[jimmytavino 16]

yes YOU are correct.. in my haste to TRY to read EVERY post in a thread.....
I DID misunderstand...my bad

Thanks sooo much for YOUR critique...

not tryin' to "start an argument"

it's good that WE are alllll in agreement. That H&Ps are Good, Fun, satisfying and a learning opportunity


jmy

[jumpgump 0]

I wonder if this freefall jumper was nervous doing a hop n' pop at 1500 feet (last jumper to leave the plane). I was one of the static line jumpers on this jump. I thought he was on the plane as a safety and to pull the static lines back in after the other jumpers exited the aircraft. I didn't think a hop n' pop could be done this low...frickin' crazy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJZfoiWswY

[Trafficdiver 8]

jumpgump

I wonder if this freefall jumper was nervous doing a hop n' pop at 1500 feet (last jumper to leave the plane). I was one of the static line jumpers on this jump. I thought he was on the plane as a safety and to pull the static lines back in after the other jumpers exited the aircraft. I didn't think a hop n' pop could be done this low...frickin' crazy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJZfoiWswY

[craddock 0]

jumpgump

I wonder if this freefall jumper was nervous doing a hop n' pop at 1500 feet (last jumper to leave the plane). I was one of the static line jumpers on this jump. I thought he was on the plane as a safety and to pull the static lines back in after the other jumpers exited the aircraft. I didn't think a hop n' pop could be done this low...frickin' crazy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJZfoiWswY

When I was "young" I loved 2k cloud ceiling days max so I could play with landings. My first jump was a H&P from 3.5 and us static liners have a different view than the new kids. Now I don't have any desire to take a loaded x braced out below 2 but before I knew better I was door diving from a Cessna on a ST107 at the hard deck. Foolish 100 jump wonder stuff though.

That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

[potatoman 0]

dpfire29

well did not go as planned but i got the fear behind me. Both of my jumps are on you tube under hop and pops at raeford. First jump was way nervous and tumbled, pulled and had a good canopy by 4200. Second jump i tumbled once and kicked out of line twist at 4700 ft, both exits were from 5,500. I for some reason cant get down coming out of the plane and arching, not really sure how i am gonna fix that. I am really glad to have the fear behind me and ready to keep doing them to get it down pat

I did not see the vid.
DO you dive or do you face the prop?
The pac has a fairly large door.....Facing the prop, you are basically in an arch as you exit....

Anyways, I find it very important to be able to exit stable and deploy fairly quickly. I have had to bail out at 1800 due to engine failure. Trust me, you don't want to wonder what to do when the pilot screams "GO GO GO".

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[IJskonijn 38]

jumpgump

I wonder if this freefall jumper was nervous doing a hop n' pop at 1500 feet (last jumper to leave the plane). I was one of the static line jumpers on this jump. I thought he was on the plane as a safety and to pull the static lines back in after the other jumpers exited the aircraft. I didn't think a hop n' pop could be done this low...frickin' crazy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJZfoiWswY

Depends, mainly on your gear and skills. I'd do a H&P from 1500ft if I have a Lighting or similarly quick-opening canopy (ignoring the fact that such an exit altitude is actually forbidden here in the Netherlands), but not with a Spectre, or anything that takes more than ~250ft to open.

Also, in case of any kind of malfunction, I'd go straight to silver. No time to mess around at those altitudes.

[dpfire29 0]

I have been trying to face prop.poised exits have been consistent for me but poised is probably not gonna be a option in a emergency. I have really been struggling with my exits lately.

[MikeBIBOM 0]

What is it about them that makes you nervous? Are you over-thinking them, worried that you have to get it just right or you'll screw something up badly? Do you have trouble getting stable in freefall?

RELAX.

Early on I always got nervous when the door opened and wanted to be precise and deliberate in my movements getting set up in the door, I was worried that I'd screw something up and fall out before I was ready. As a result I was tense and my exits reflected that.

RELAX.

You're over-thinking it and that's making you tense and that's messing you up.

RELAX.

I'll give you the same advice I got: Who cares if you slip and fall out, that's what you're going up there to do anyway, you'll just do it a little earlier than you planned.

RELAX.

You're over-thinking it. In freefall does it take you longer than ten seconds to recover to a stable arch from a spinning canonball? You have more than enough time to get stable from 3000+ feet on a H&P.

RELAX. RELAX. RELAX.