My first AFF jump & screw up

[Aperion 0]

Hello everyone.


I recently started the AFF course at my home airport. Jump one was a tandem fun jump. Jumps two and three were also tandem, but counted towards my rating. Jump 4 was AFF with one instructor. This is the one I screwed up.

It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I stepped out underneath the wing of the 182. My instructor grabbed my suit. Okay.... Prop... Up.. Down... Go... Away I went. I assumed the hard arch position. I looked up and saw the plane getting smaller. Uh oh, I relaxed. Hard arch, hard arch. We settled belly down after the hill.

I looked at my instructor and noticed we were spinning. He gave me the legs out hand gesture. We stopped spinning. Okay, circle of awareness. Horizon, check, altitude check, hard arch, relax. Uh oh, forgot to do my three practice touches. One... Two... Three... Oh no, we're spinning again. He's giving me the legs out gesture again. Legs out. Okay, heading stable. I must have relaxed my legs. 6k.

Wave off. One... Two... Three... Pull. Wait, where's the handle... Found it. Pull. Wait.. I need to let the pilot go. Throw... Boom... One one thousand, Two one thousand. Three one thousand. Canopy looks good. Altitude check. Drop zone check. Grab the toggles, Will. Okay, full flight. Left toggle down. Good left turn. Right toggle down. Good right turn. One... Two... Three... Flare... Everything looks good.

Hmm, the pond. I'm over the pond. I'm in the box. Altitude, check. I'm still a little high. This student canopy is huge. Okay, a couple turns. Left turn. Right turn. I'm still in the box. Hmm, the radio is a little quiet. Where's the guy on the ground? No matter. I still have a bunch of altitude to burn. I'm penetrating into the wind. Good.

Altitude, check. Time for downwind. Hmm, i'm still a little high. I should do a couple S turns. Left. Right. Downwind. Left. Right. Downwind. Hmm. I'm still a little high. No matter. I'll turn base. I'm a pilot. I know what it is like to fly the pattern. I do have 100 hours. Bah, this is easy. Okay. Final approach. Still high. I've cleared the power lines. I don't want to hit those. Wow, i'm still really high, but i'm over the lines. They scare me.
Shoot, i'm going to miss the DZ. I want to land in that circle. I don't want to overshoot it and land in the soybean field. I want to impress my instuctors. I want to impress my friends. Hmm, i'm still really high, maybe I can do a half ass turn. I still have 150 feet left. I'll go back to the touch down point. Okay, left turn. Wait... No... I shouldn't...That's stupid. Riser up.. Oh damn, the trailers. Left turn. Left turn.. Shoot. The volley ball net. Right toggle down. F*&^ %*& $%*^ Flagpole. Knees bent. Legs out and together. Smack... I kicked the flagpole. Wow, i did an unintentional PLF. I wasn't thinking about it. It just happened. Why is the flagpole on the ground? Did I knock it over. Yep, I did, all 18 feet of it. Jesus. My ankle hurts. Oh well. I'll just get up and walk it off. F@#* me. This really f%^&*$# hurts. I'm okay, I tell everyone.

Right about this time, my friend drops beside the runway. This was her first AFF too. She flared a little high, but still managed to make a good landing. Luckily, it was nothing like mine. I'll go over and greet her. Good job, I tell her. We walk back.

My ankle aches. They give me a beer and wrap my ankle up with an icepack. I have a cig. All is good. I'm still alive. I missed the 4X4 right next to the flagpole and I think I've learned a lesson in being cocky. I owe everyone a case of beer.

So, that was my first AFF. There were a bunch of things I did wrong. I was cocky and got burned. I'm more respectful of my limitations, at least I hope from now on. What does everyone think? It's okay, you can be hard on me.

Oh, btw, unfortunatley, no one had a vid camera out. I have some pictures after the fact, but I left my camera at work today. I can post them later.

[Chubba 0]

Woah dude.

You should get a google earth picture of your DZ landing area.... powerlines, trailers, volleyball nets and flag poles... sounds like hell.

Heal fast.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Welcome to our world!

I am a novice too. I will limit my comments to canopy flight.

Personally, I am far more willing to land far from the target and PLF AND WALK AWAY, than to try to impress anyone and increase my risk of injury.

Target hunger has broken many a skydiver.

I found it important to "Stow my ego" and learn to survive.

PLF is my friend. Without a doubt it has saved me from my own stupidity several times.

Don't give up!!!
Have fun, stay safe.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[jtval 0]

So, did you damage your ankle or was it just sore from the pole?


Thanks for sharing your story. I won't get into all the things that you COULD have done. That's between you and your instructor. It sounds like you know what went wrong so they must've had a long talk with you.

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[Aperion 0]

Actually, I did sprain my anke. After the adrenaline and shock wore off, I hurt like hell. I had to use crutches today for the first time in my life. Ironically, i injured my lower back about 10 days prior. It wasn't until friday that I felt well enough to attempt the AFF class. I picked up the tailwheel of my cessna 140 to do something or other and didn't pay attention well enough to lift with my legs. I regressed a little with my back injury. It's a little sore today.

My instructor was pretty hard on me. I deserved it. My fixed wing instructor was also there watching and reamed me out pretty good.

My home airport is 2d1, Barber field. Right next to it is the old taylorcraft factory for you aviation buffs. I'll search for a google map.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I recently started the AFF course at my home airport. Jump one was a tandem fun jump. Jumps two and three were also tandem, but counted towards my rating. Jump 4 was AFF with one instructor. This is the one I screwed up.

...

I'm a pilot.

Congratulations on avoiding injury.

They didn't let me solo a Cessna until I had a hundred landings.

With skydiving there wasn't any radio help after the first 5 jumps and I was cleared for self supervision after 7. It's amazing skydivers screw up as little as we do.

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I missed the 4x4 right next to the flagpole

Yeah, that would have gotten you a nickname. I knew a "Ram Tough" (Dodge), "Like a Rock" (Chevy), and 34B (the hanger she landed on, not bra size).

[Aperion 0]

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I missed the 4x4 right next to the flagpole

Yeah, that would have gotten you a nickname. I knew a "Ram Tough" (Dodge), "Like a Rock" (Chevy), and 34B (the hanger she landed on, not bra size).

[jsreznor 0]

Am I the only one who thought that was a really funny read?

You'll get it next time. 1000ft start the run, 500ft turn, 250 turn and look 45 degrees in front of you.

[npgraphicdesign 2]

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Congratulations on avoiding injury.

They didn't let me solo a Cessna until I had a hundred landings.

You mean as a pilot or as a skydiver?

[boxhead 0]

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I have a cig. All is good. I'm still alive.

sounds like a good jump.

[mr_music11 0]

Ahhh .. no worries!! You will have plenty an opportunity to redeem yourself! (At least that is what I have to remind myself everytime that I feel that the jump went less than what I would want) The fact that you were able to walk away speaks volumes.. as stated target envy has ruined many a jumpers day! We will always have those jumps that will leave us and maybe even others less than impressed with our skills. All you can do is learn from each of your jumps, enjoy them... and dont be TOO hard on yourself. If you're like me, you are probably your own worst critic and that can be self defeating. Good luck...continued success and blue skies!



P.S. check out the other threads on the site that detail some of the stupid stuff people have done (yes even those with LOTS more expreience than you or I at the moment) You'll feel better about your experience and at the same time get a giggle or two while learning from others stories!

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.

[Cari 0]

I'm still new too. I've had 2 landings in a corn field (neither too deep), but the rest were where I should have been. It's a huge pain in the ass trying to get everything untangled from fully grown corn stalks when you're only 5'4".

[npgraphicdesign 2]

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I'm still new too. I've had 2 landings in a corn field (neither too deep), but the rest were where I should have been. It's a huge pain in the ass trying to get everything untangled from fully grown corn stalks when you're only 5'4".

Newbie as well. So far my 'other than normal landings' include:
1. bushes/trees on the edge of the cornfield
2. cornfield (thankfully the corn stalks were cut already)
3. off-site landing about a mile or so away from the DZ

Just one stand-up landing so far, but I'm damn proud of it, because I a. passed the jump that I failed before and b. landed on my own w/ no radio assistance. Yeaaaaaa!!!!!

[UliToo 0]

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Am I the only one who thought that was a really funny read?

I thought it was a funny read as well. Informative too. I'm new too and am learning from your story. Also learning from the others on where not to land, haha.

[ladydyver 0]

PLFs are your friend. Learn them well...even after 250 jumps I did an improper plf and was out for 3 months of the season. I am way ahead of schedule for my injury by the way. Every time we had New jump course students I went and talked to them....

and remember, sagebrush is not your friend!

good luck in the future, take your time and don't rush things too much....glad it was only a sprain and not a break.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[anarki 0]

i'm so ready to start my aff, but it starting to sound kinda hard. thanks for posting this great story

guess what's 250 lbs and flys like a brick? me

[grannyinthesky 0]

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i'm so ready to start my aff, but it starting to sound kinda hard. thanks for posting this great story, i'm new also so don't be to hard on me for this. what is PLF?

PLF stands for parachute landing fall. It's a way to land that let's you minimize your chances to get hurt. YOu will learn it as part of your training. I do it so often, I have decided PLF should really stand for preferred landing form. !!

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[Aperion 0]

I remember a couple things I should have noted. I did run into a common problem. I had line twist...about 5 turns worth. Nothing major. I was prepared for it. Pull and kick, then wait for the slider to come down....

Next, that there's a lot to think about in such a short 30 sec timespan. I'm not to the point that everything becomes automatic, like driving or flying. I have to think of something before I react.

My ankle is starting to heal. I should be off the crutches tomorrow. I have a wedding to go to this weekend, or else I'd be up jumping again. I guess I'll have to wait a little longer.