MrDree 0 #1 September 11, 2009 This week-end I'm doing my 7th and last AFF jump. The next one will then be my first solo jump, with no other purpose than just having fun. So I'm wondering, what did you do during your first fun jump? What kind of exit, what kind of maneuvres? Did you play around or did you just enjoy the scenery?"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." Dudeist Skydiver #101 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topper 0 #2 September 11, 2009 I just went out and tried to get stable as quickly as possible, practice pulls, turns, nothing interesting I just enjoyed being out there alone. Now the rest of the consoles mind you were good, falling out backwards watching the plane never got boring! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #3 September 11, 2009 just dove out, noticed on the way down that if i'd fuck up, i'd land right on the "stammtisch" of the restaurant.. “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tolgak 0 #4 September 11, 2009 I did a backflip exit followed by (I don't remember the order) a bunch of belly turnns, back/frontloops, barrel rolls, tracking, and a 3 second sitfly. Most of my maneuvers were failures. I was so out of focus that by the time I came to pull, I forgot to balance myself and ended up rolling on my back and having the pilot chute come up between my legs. As I hung upside down, I also noticed that my canopy had a ton of line twists in it. I eventually got out of it all only to make a horrible and hard landing. Moral of the story, don't do what I did. I would say, jump out on your back, just because it's cool seeing the plane as you exit. Flip, in no hurry, to your belly and revisit the COA and practice pulls. Do some turns and maybe one flip or roll and nothing more. Pull at the height you've been pulling during AFF. Don't try anything different under canopy. Just enjoy the success of your first solo jump and stick the landing.Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lost_n_confuzd 0 #5 September 11, 2009 I realised that the minute or so you spend in freefall seems much longer when you're not focusing on a set dive flow, hand signals and being tested by an instructor. You will notice things that were not there before, like the runway, lol. I recall my AFFI telling me to work on my tracking by tracking back and forwth perpindicular to the runway; at first I was worried about finding the runway, but that all went away as soon as I left the door and started looking around. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #6 September 11, 2009 Sweet. Congratulations!I think I tried to see how fast I could spin and then stop the spin and spin the other way.....check alti, find the dz.....check alti.....360 left, 360 right.... Had a 1000 jumps before i ever got the idea to just belly fly and not do any thing else but enjoy the scenery. Man that makes for a long skydiveIt was almost torture trying to not do anything but fall. No turns or flips, just falling. Here's a tip. If you feel all alone up there, just remember you've really been on your own this whole time. You can do this. And you can do it well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ABerry83 1 #7 September 11, 2009 I'm on my L3 AFF...but on my 6th jump cause of failing a few levels ...when I think about jumping out all by myself, it kinda freaks me out a bit...ok A LOT! I guess that's what the training is for, but I can still see myself paying for several coached jumps for a while until I feel confident and in-control out there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deltron80 0 #8 September 11, 2009 For my first solo jump I basically just did nothing and the whole way down I couldn't believe I was skydiving alone! It's a pretty good feeling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lauraliscious 0 #9 September 11, 2009 I just dove out, did some turns, backflips, and just looked down and enjoyed the ground rush. It's really different when you can just relax and take everything in and not be worried about a dive flow. Congrats! Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mellow 0 #10 September 11, 2009 i dove out, got stable and then just floated until pull time. it is awesome being alone out there with no pressure to perform for an instructor. i did quite a few solos after aff, and for most of them my dive flow consisted of "farting around." i was in no hurry to perform tasks for the A card. tomorrow, however, is my A license check dive, so after alot of acclimating to the sky and lots of flips and just plain having fun with solos, and slowly but surely acquiring the skills needed for a license, i'm finally almost licensed! moral of my story: have fun, be safe, and go at your own pace toward the A license.Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sapphire 0 #11 September 11, 2009 My first solo's were just getting comfortable with barrel rolls and front and back flips. I did 'em over and over grinning from ear to ear at how much fun I was having. I stopped a little early on one to just look around and enjoy the scenery... it was friggin beautiful! And to Jenn... good luck tomorrow on your check dive! I've been wondering if you were licensed or not... though you will be tomorrow! YAY! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrelgirl 0 #12 September 11, 2009 I was the last one out of the plane and it felt SO weird! But I leapt out and screamed most of the way down. It felt really, really good :) I did nothing but enjoy the scenery and grin like an idiot. Came down and enjoyed a beer that I had preemptively brought for said first fun jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skinnay 0 #13 September 11, 2009 I was terrified for my first fun jump. I was the last to exit, but i had always wanted to climb out and hang on to the otter. I climbed out, spent maybe 4 seconds in the door, and finally let go and watched the plane fly away. I just watched the ground and my alti. The whole experience was so overwhelming I just did that for a few more jumps while i tried to get used to being on my own :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnDeere 0 #14 September 11, 2009 Pretty much just watched my altimeterIt was a great jump, it just seemed to last alot longer than the jumps before it. Nothing opens like a Deere! You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sangi 0 #15 September 11, 2009 On my first true solo after I graduated AFF, on that jump I did all the things that I learned during AFF (360's, backlfips, frontflips, tracking etc..) and just enjoying finally being responsible for myself and nobody being there to help me if the shit hits the fan, it was one of the best feelings ever "Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MiamiJumper 0 #16 September 11, 2009 Congrats! I did absolutely nothing on my first jump, just dove out and just enjoyed being alone and watching the ground get closer and closer....ok ok I did do a back flip at about 6,000ft. I pulled at 4,500ft which was 1,000ft lower than AFF. Just enjoy it, realize your accomplishment of doing it on your own. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robskydiv 0 #17 September 11, 2009 I did static line progression. My first 20 second delay, I actually arched a little too hard and potato chipped a bit. I saw the plane as I was falling away and it looked like the Cessna was potato chipping. not me. All of a sudden I saw the Caney Fork River. It was so beautiful! I must have relaxed when I saw it because I suddenly realized that I was falling straight down the tube! No rolling, no flipping, no turning. Just falling. Did a couple of 180's and saw the runway, the hangar, etc... Man what rush! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tomcat933 0 #18 September 12, 2009 I'm a static line kid too, the first time I WASN'T alone was weirder for me; when my instructor dove out after me I started flipping cause I tensed up thinking she was going to run into me. That was my first 25 second delay, i but i had been outside the door with no static line four times before that. With S/L progression you don't really get the whole "someone will save me if i mess up" idea in your head, i felt solely responsible for my own fate from jump one till graduation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GLIDEANGLE 1 #19 September 12, 2009 Good Luck on your check jump!!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toasted_Cracker 0 #20 September 12, 2009 I just jumped out got stable, did some practice touches and pulled at 4500. I did the same for the next few jumps and I am just now starting to really loosen up enough to practice some other maneuvers. lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scholarkyle 0 #21 September 14, 2009 Like many of you, I basically just burned a hole too. I think I just watched my alti bleed all the way to pull time--still fun, and you can definitely take in a whole lot more when you're not worried about completing a set dive flow. For me, pretty quickly I learned to like hop n pops more if I'm soloing just because there's only so much you can do by yourself and working on canopy flight without the distraction and adrenaline rush of just having spent a minute in freefall isn't ever a bad thing. Then again, I haven't really focused much on learning to freefly or do any sick belly to earth stuff yet. I just finished my license! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuna-Salad 0 #22 September 14, 2009 Quote This week-end I'm doing my 7th and last AFF jump. The next one will then be my first solo jump, with no other purpose than just having fun. So I'm wondering, what did you do during your first fun jump? What kind of exit, what kind of maneuvres? Did you play around or did you just enjoy the scenery? I got out.. tumbled for a few thousand feet.. said "what the fuck am I doing" then realized it was 5k and time to open I describe my FIRST time skydiving by saying: its like having a swat team throw a flash bang at you and demand you recite math problems.. IE my brain shut down amid the confusion but I still had to think..Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaVriK 0 #23 September 14, 2009 I didnt think about it until i already exited...and i remember thinking.."wow, i dont HAVE to do ANYTHING" and i did nothing..enjoyed the scenery, just relaxed and enjoyed it...was one of my most memorable jumps so far..~MaVriK~ "The Greatest Accomplishment in life is actually Living it" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybill 22 #25 September 16, 2009 Hi Mr Dr, They're "ALL" fun jumps!!SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites