AFF in Sweden

[sebinoslo 0]

Finally, my AFF course is just around the corner. I neatly received the AFF manual 2 weeks ago and went through it almost twice from cover to cover.

Doing it in Sweden, the schedule is quite different from what seems to happen in the USA. The first stage is a four-day course, where the first 2 days are mostly theory, the 3rd day is on-the-ground training and the 4th day is dedicated to the first two jumps.

A second weekend is necessary to do the subsequent 5 + 3 jumps. The 5 jumps are the normal AFF jumps while the last 3 are considered to be consolidation jumps (AFF 8th level).

So far the weather looks good, the spirits are high and it's Easter time.

PS: Nearly everyone I talked to before the holidays finished their "happy easter" wishes with "And don't forget to pull", "come back in one piece", "see you... maybe.." with a jockingly voice.
Is that why skydivers are basically only friends with other skydivers?

Happy Easter to you all,
Sebastien

[mrwrong 0]

Quote

Is that why skydivers are basically only friends with other skydivers?

No, the real reson for this is that we don't have time to spend with whuffo friends, except from off season.
Most whuffo friends can't take that....

“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw
He who dies with the most toys, wins.....
dudeist skydiver # 19515
Buy quality and cry once!

[MacTim 0]

Congrats, for choosing Sweden, you wont be sorry!

What dropzone did you choose?

//Tim

[riggerrob 558]

While some American schools try to cram all the ground school and first AFF jump into one day, it can be over-whelming.
Hemet had a better pass rate if students spent all day Saturday in class, then jumped Sunday morning, because "sleeping on it" helped all that information sink into longer term memory.

[sebinoslo 0]

Hei, I went to Skånes, by Kristianstad.

I just got back home tonight after 4 hectic days...
The first 3 days started at 9AM and finished between 6 and 8PM. The following was covered:

- all the theory
- plane exits
- tons and tons of reserve drags, including on suspended rigs
- lots of PLF
- Simulating the landing on the ground (the instructor would count down 100m of altitude every 20 sec and a partner was doing the canopy and acting according to the wind directions and strength) - which was useful since we had to land on our own, without radio assistance.

the end of the 3rd day was concluded by a written test as well as a practical test done by the AFF-I.

On the fourth day, only one jump was possible. The DZ planned on having 2 planes but the second one broke down in another DZ so we were left with the cessna.

my jump went pretty well. out the door at 3000m, went a bit too much backwards, arched and went horizontal, circle of awareness started at 2600m (was asked to arch and bend legs a bit), 3 dummydrags, second CoA at 2000m (was asked to close gap between legs), opened at 1500m landed about 30m away from the landing point - PLF wasn't really good but I didn't really flare too high, maybe 5m so it wasn't a hard landing.

was it fun? i simply don't know...i was so concentrated on doing all the stuff i had to do that i didn't have time to realize i was freefalling..except between the time I dragged the handle and until the chute opened...

Now all I want is be done with the AFF and take one jump where I can just arch, not think about anything but the altitude every few seconds and enjoy the feeling.

I have no idea how people can be done with the AFF in 2 or 3 days...I am glad I have two weeks until the other jumps so I can processed all the information my brain and body accumulated the past 4 days. i have been going through that jump non-stop for the past 4 or 5 hours and what I would do differently etc...

Regarding the DZ I will post more in the Dropzone section.

[Hellis 0]

yeah the Beaver did a nosedive in Eslöv.

http://www.hellis.me/Beaver.zip