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OSOK

Next jump: going solo!

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Just did my level 3 tandem today. On the parachute ride down with my instructor I got a "that was a f*cking good jump!" I had to do 360deg turns (which were awesome) and forward motion. On the last jump I remember I only really concentrated on my arms, pulling them back. This time I made sure I worked my arms AND my legs... I felt like Superman. :)
After the 6 hour ground school, I go solo.

Today there was a guy jumping that was repeating his IAF Lvl 4 (what I'm going to be doing). This dude had failed it once, and failed again today... so that's $300 wasted. He said that he just keeps tumbling down like a ball... dunno what's up with that... I just hope that's not me.

Is there any advice on how to correct an uncontrollable fall other than arching? I know I'll learn this in the ground school, but I'd also like some advice from here. Thanks!

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<- only 20 jumps here. I know nothing.

Being in New England and doing my AFF at a tandem factory meant I had a lot of time between my jumps.

I obsessively studied, I obsessively laid on my hard as hell coffee table at home and went through my dive flows with my wife watching me and telling me if it looked like the picture in my training materials and the same as how it looked when my trainers were with me on the mushroom. I've since purchased a ....whatever that thing you put your legs on next to your couch, and use that - much easier.

I visualized every second of the skydive and would count everything off in my head using the second hand on a watch.

I visualized the dive at work, at home etc etc. When it came to doing the real dive I only had to worry about some nerves. We'd dirt dive it on the ground with my instructors who'd tweak whatever I might have missed, and then we'd jump.

Seriously, the same as any task you're going to perform in life, mental preparation will burn that sucker into your system, it's then a question of having your muscles physically perform them, and that can be done with the aid of your coffee table :).

<-- only 20 jumps here. I know nothing.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

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I understand about doing things like going over the dive over and over again so it's just a matter of doing what's in your head. However, I don't really have a problem with remebering the sequence. What usually happens when I get there before each jump I just look at the dive flow and go over it on the way up, then just perform it. Am I supposed to have any instructional material? The only thing I have is the dive flow from my second jump, that's it. I don't really know what happens on my first solo... I think it's just doing PHTs and concentrating on being stable.

Did the DZ give you the material, Alex, of did you get it yourself?

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I dont know about IAF but i do know that in level 1 AFF you dont need to worry about going unstable because you have two instructors falling with you.

But if you do go unstable its simply a case of arching, they'll drum it into your head until you start falling asleep at home arched.

Good Luck mate.
1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

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This dude had failed it once, and failed again today... so that's $300 wasted.



While this dude might have "failed" to advance, it is not a failed jump. Every jump is a learning experience. I have know some students that struggle to get through their training that turn out to be world class jumpers. We all learn differently and at different rates. What might be easy for you or me, might be extremely difficult for him. Conversely after he finishes traing he might turn into a hell of a freeflyer because he has experience with unusual attitudes.

I stress to my students that the physical aspects of skydiving are fairly easy and will come with practice, it is the mental side of this sport that is tough. And most of it is mental. I am sure that given enough time you could train a monkey to arch and pull (no offense to all you SkyMonkeys) but could you teach it the discipline to follow a dive plan.

A successful jump is one that end favorable and with you learning something from your actions or the actions of others. If you are going through training with someone else, buddy up with them. You can compare notes and videos of each others training dives. This will give you more questions to ask your instructor and more exposure to the sport. One last note. Its not all about jump numbers. Time in grade has a lot going for it too. Listen to your instructors and you will be on your way to a long skydiving career.


Congratulations on your progress this far.

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OSOK, I'm an information junkie. I picked up several books and studied them. My DZ gave me some photocopied material for my ground school which I kept, and I read the SIM often.

You might want to start with 'The Skydivers Handbook' by Dan Poynter, as it's really easy to find in larger bookstores. My AFF instructors looked it over and gave it the OK, you may want to do something similar with your instructors to make sure they're ok with you taking stuff out of that (for instance, there's a particualr technique in the Poynter book that I was recommended to not do).

It really isnt about remembering sequence for me, I can remember a few moves. What I try to do is to program my body to accept new ways of being. Holding a stable box position isnt very natural for me, so I practiced every day until my body 'knew' it.

My visualization covers everything from the moment I gear up (inc gear check), the plane ride up, the exit, the dive flow, the canopy ride down and landing, until the moment both feet are on the ground and so is the canopy. I also run through every possible malfunction and my reaction to it. Things are even better now I have my Neptune, as it has a ground training mode so I can be really anal about it:)

Psychologically visualization is as good as physically doing something, the only exception is that your muscles do not get a workout or become conditioned by visualization - as a person with limited spare time, limited funds and very few jumps this revelation was very important to me.

This might sound overboard to some people, i guess.
I'd happily go into details about why I believe it's helped me.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

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This dude had failed it once, and failed again today... so that's $300 wasted.



While this dude might have "failed" to advance, it is not a failed jump. Every jump is a learning experience.



And you need 25 of them, min, to get your A. A coached jump with gear rental can be 100$+, so it's not that much less than an AFF level. Even if you hose the entire level, they can give feedback on the exit and canopy time.

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I agree with the others, there is no such thing as a wasted jump when you fail a level. I failed level 3 twice because I wasnt relaxing and doing a proper arch so I could be stable in freefall. I just finished level 6--unassisted exit/freefall/backloop/tracking. Everything I learned when I was struggling (screwing up) has made me more confident as I progress. I would rather make my mistakes with the JM's there! You are going to jump all by yourself soon enough!

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