rcberryjr 0 #1 March 20, 2012 Hey everyone. I am excited and extremely proud to report that I completed my A Card this weekend and am now a licensed skydiver! Sent the card to USPA this morning. I would like to throw out a question to the experienced jumpers. Thinking back to when you first got your A and knowing what you know now, what would you suggest? What things should I keep in mind? What disciplines would be most beneficial to focus on right now? I have some ideas but I'm curious what Wisdom and Experience think. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,340 #2 March 20, 2012 Canopy skills. That's where most of the accidents are occurring. I don't claim either wisdom or experience, but I do try to pay attention to what's going on."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #3 March 20, 2012 Good work. As mentioned, canopy skills would be a good place to start. Look into canopy control courses anywhere near your home DZ, and it might be a nice way to take a trip to a new DZ if you have 'something to do' when you get there. Up until that point, order a canopy of Brian Germains book, The Parachute and it's Pilot, and read it through. Beyond that, make sure you carefully consider the winds, the spot, possible outs, and the landing pattern before each jump. Have a 'formal' flight plan in mind, and then do your best to follow through on the plan. If you make each jump and your 'goal' is to land on the DZ, you'll probably come close to 100% success rate, and but you'll develop very little accuracy. If you plan to fly your pattern a specific way and pick a spot to land, you can then 'debrief' your performance and compare your results to your plan. The good news is that you can do all this after whatever sort of 'fun' freefall you want. Practice RW, freefly, tracking, etc, whatever, and then also practice your canopy skills. The two don't have to be mutually exclusive, but in order to do both on the same jump, you really need to plan each one out to include specific skills and goals for each phase of the jump. The disclaimer - consult with an instructor before going much beyond a 2-way RW jump. As an A licesne holder, you already have a dozen or so 2-ways under your belt, but jumps with more people, or freeflying or tracking will have special considerations you didn't have on 2-way RW jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #4 March 20, 2012 Congrats on your achievement! That's a Beer Event and I hope you paid your mentors with the beverage of their choice for assisting you all that way along. Quote What things should I keep in mind? Safety. Above all else, skydiving safety. Knowledge and self-restraint are what you are needing to keep yourself safe. Know what you are doing before you do it and keep yourself within your limits as you progress. I like to think that skydivers come in two types. Jumpers and skydivers. -jumpers like to jump out of aircraft. -skydivers do too but they know what they are doing. I hope that you grow up to be a skydiver. Quote What disciplines would be most beneficial to focus on right now? - As mentioned above, Canopy skills: There is much more to know and practice beyond standing up landings. - Emergency procedures: Know them, practice them and practice them some more until you know them all like the back of your hand. - As mentioned above, tracking: Life-saving skill to get away from people at break-off time on group skydives. Learn flat-tracking as quickly as possible. Straight line, first, speed and distance second. - Equipment knowledge and maintenance: Know how every component in your gear works, how to use it, and when to use it. Keep you gear in top condition. Inspect it before every jump. Quote I have some ideas but I'm curious what Wisdom and Experience think. Thanks. - Knowledge: Knowledge is power. Know what you are doing. - Safety: Practice skydiving safety on all fronts. - Planning: Have a plan. Practice your plans for any and all contingencies. - Listen and Learn: Just as you asked here, listen and learn from those who embrace knowledge, safety, and planning.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GLIDEANGLE 1 #5 March 20, 2012 Try this for thoughts on "what next"? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4051701The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodypilot90 0 #6 March 20, 2012 do some crw, and look here http://www.makeithappen.com/ learn to spot and be nice to the old guys, they can help you learn lots Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
