AKCrash 0 #26 April 10, 2008 Practice your emergency procedures. Make that your second nature. I was practicing it when all the time even when I am standing on checkout line in your gorcery story. Imagine your cutaway and reserve handles. Practice them in order. Have fun. It will be a great time. Be safe on landing."Those who would give up Essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" Franklin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbiceps 0 #27 April 10, 2008 Wow this is weird , i am in the exact same position as you. doing my first jump this sat. I am fairly nervous about it thats for sure. Bit scary climbing out and standing on the wheel trying to do everything right and to let go at the right time. Hope u do well buddy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickDG 23 #28 April 10, 2008 It's Thursday, so you guys must be shitting in your pants! Only kidding, don't worry, the beginning is best, and the rest is just practice . . . Post the vid . . . NickD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #29 April 11, 2008 Quote It's Thursday, so you guys must be shitting in your pants! Only kidding, don't worry, the beginning is best, and the rest is just practice . . . Post the vid . . . NickD Oh wise guy eh? You know what we do with wise guys like you in Russia? And i won't be spending money on a video until I go through all my required jumps and get enough practice and training so I can go on my own completely. All the other noobs, how's the weather looking? The weather for my DZ looks crappy. Rain..rain...and more rain... Looks like the Rain in Spain stay mainly above my DZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maestrabella67 0 #30 April 11, 2008 Weather here is looking great right now, it's about 63 and sunny, but tomorrow it's supposed to change... dropping about 30 deg, going to get snow and rain showers... I already know that I won't be getting the actual first jump tomorrow, there's too many tandems scheduled at my DZ so I'm sure I'll get it in Sunday... if not, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown waiting for it! It all depends on the weather... One of my students (I'm a high school teacher) wanted to know if I would do SPLAT before first jump... SPLAT? I asked? Yes, he said, S squat P pray L leap A aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!! T touchdown Hehehe!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #31 April 11, 2008 Quote Weather here is looking great right now, it's about 63 and sunny, but tomorrow it's supposed to change... dropping about 30 deg, going to get snow and rain showers... I already know that I won't be getting the actual first jump tomorrow, there's too many tandems scheduled at my DZ so I'm sure I'll get it in Sunday... if not, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown waiting for it! It all depends on the weather... One of my students (I'm a high school teacher) wanted to know if I would do SPLAT before first jump... SPLAT? I asked? Yes, he said, S squat P pray L leap A aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!! T touchdown Hehehe!!! hahah...that's hilarious...and i would recommend a detention for that joke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #32 April 12, 2008 fna. spent all day there and didn't get to jump...clouds/wind/clouds/wind/clouds/wind...damn.. going back at 10am tomorrow...wish me luck! ps. everyone else who jumped today, how'd you guys do? pps. DougH, I am not a woman...repeat...NOT a woman! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #33 April 13, 2008 Quote fna. spent all day there and didn't get to jump...clouds/wind/clouds/wind/clouds/wind...damn.. going back at 10am tomorrow...wish me luck! Get used to weather holds, especially as a student. When I was an AFF student in Winter 2003/2004 in Colorado, winds were too high, clouds too low and I'd sit at the dz weekend after weekend waiting to get my next AFF level jump done just to stay within the 30 day currency requirement. Then, while I was visiting my family in the South over Thanksgiving, I did a few levels since the weather was nice and then wrapped it up in Eloy, AZ over Christmas/New Years. Good luck to you..I hope the weather cooperates tomorrow so you can jump. _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbiceps 0 #34 April 13, 2008 Sat was stage 1. There was alot of tandems so our jump was in the arvo. i was fairly nervous and once we jammed into the plane the nerves got worse. As the alti got closer to the 10000 i started thinking about why didnt i take up chess or something like that. I was going through the jump in my head about what to do during the descent. I know u could see it in my face that i was scared. When the door opened and 2 fun jumpers went i knew my time had come. I thought about chickening out but decided that facing my mates and telling them that i piked it was worse than what faced me outside of the door. I steped out and checked in and out and jumped. Then it all came back to me what a rush the freefall is and that this is what i had paid for. Apparantly i "screamed like a girl" all the way down. After a few practise pulls we enjoyed the scenery and waved off and pulled. What a rush. I grabbed the toggles and followed the arrow and then remembered to check the canopy which looked pretty good to me. Everything was alot quiter and i stopped screaming. I looked down to see the instructors pulling lower and in a spiral. I was in no rush to get down. There was very little wind and the radio man talked me through a few 360s and started our downwind run. The landing was a bit long and in the high grass but fairly soft. How good was that, George came over and congratulated me on a good jump and i had a smile that lasted for about 30 minutes. The plane broke down today so stage 2 will have to wait until next weekend. My biggest regret is why did i not do this 10 years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VincentVL. 0 #35 April 13, 2008 You probably had your reasons. As for the weather holds: I started AFF 4 weeks ago. Then I had a period of three weekends were I was abroad so I couldn't jump. When I arrived at the dropzone yesterday, I found my fellow students in the bar. They hadn't made a second jump either due to bad weather. Yesterday we got winded out as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #36 April 14, 2008 I started AFF Thanksgiving weekend, and it's been an exercise in learning patience. I iwas once again foiled by the wind. Weather woes just seem to be part of being a student. "safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pontiacgtp00 0 #37 April 14, 2008 And I thought my student progression was going slowwwww! I also started thanksgiving weekend, static line student though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pcnut 0 #38 April 14, 2008 wow i did my first jump (a tandem) 4 days after xmas '07....knew I was hooked right away... saved up some cash and started my AFF on March 1, 08.....no student jumping due to high winds... came back the next day...well long story short......I got my A license in less than a month and in the 42 days since my first AFF jump I have 45 jumps... .....it never rains in southern california....... :D :D :D It was actually above 90f today...... To the OP: Good Luck on your AFF.......!!!!! just relax.....(lol god if I hear that one more time im gonna!.......lol relax even more...) WARNING: Your instructors will brainwash you and attempt to change your way of thinking. DONT FIGHT IT...it will only hurt your wallet and ego...submit and ye shall prevail!!! cya, pcnut Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevinsa 0 #39 April 14, 2008 I started AFF mid october in 2007. Only done 3 jumps. I'm paying as I go so I can afford it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #40 April 14, 2008 I paid in advance for the first 16 jumps, so at least I'm not having to deal with money issues too, I just can't seem to get a break from weather and other problems here. Everyone reassures me that things will work out and I will get my jumps in."safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maestrabella67 0 #41 April 14, 2008 Yay for you, Mr. Biceps!! You did it!! You got your first AFF done!! Whoo hoo!! Unfortunately, here in Indiana, we got weathered out BOTH Sat and Sun so nobody jumped. I did get the ground school completed, at least up to the point of the first jump. It was me and 2 kids from Purdue in class. I really enjoyed the classroom part, it took a lot of the 'mystery' of parachutes away for me. I'm starting to think that I really CAN do this! Our instructor drilled and drilled and drilled us on the opening sequence, what to look for, what to do in case of a situation... I'm definitely feeling much more confident than I did a week ago before ground school. Yesterday as nobody was jumping, I started learning how to pack... didn't get far, because every time, as I was ready to put the canopy on the floor to start folding it in preparation to get it in the container, my instructor messed it all up again, tossed it down in a big heap and told me: start over. GRRRR!! However, it is at least starting to look to me like a parachute and not just a big pile of canopy and lines! I think packing will be fun once I actually get the hang of it. We'll see--as I said, I haven't tried to get it in the container yet. Extended forecast for this area isn't looking much better for the coming weekend.... so goes life at a DZ in Indiana in April. Hey, npgraphic, did you get your first AFF on Sunday? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VincentVL. 0 #42 April 14, 2008 Well if I had stayed on the dropzone all day I could have made a jump. But the intsructors had told us around 11 am that we shouldn't wait for the weather to clear. So I went home. Sunday, the wheather also cleared even though they had predicted bad wheather. It sucked looking at that blue sky from my backyard. Next time I'll take a book or watch the skygods pack. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpah 0 #43 April 14, 2008 Quote... or watch the skygods pack. "Skygods" don't pack...they complain about the canopy being in the way until it packs itself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pcnut 0 #44 April 14, 2008 My 19 year old daughter is chomping at the bit to start her AFF. She has done 2 tandems recently and really wants to jump. I suggested (ok told her) she should save up before starting, which is what I did. Even though we have great weather in so cal everything seems to cost more $$$ If you pay up front the A license package at Skydive Elsinore is $2842 that includes 25 jumps, packing class, all equipment/packing, 2 videos (still havent used mine) and your USPA fees. Since I only did my first jump (a tandem) because she wanted to go with me so bad...I agreed to pay $1000 of the cost. She has $700 saved up and just got a second job just to help pay for skydiving. She hangs out at the DZ with me sometimes and the (very cool) instructors let her use the training harness to practice her EPs. She even taught them to our dog.... :D We think she should be able to start late May or early June. I can hardly wait to jump with my daughter! It's funny though cause her sister is getting the bug too and she's only 13. But for now she has to be happy with the wind tunnel at Perris. Good Luck on your jumps!!! Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MomDaBomb 0 #45 April 14, 2008 Does your dz make you take a refresher course if you go more than 30 days without a jump? I've had to take it twice and I only have 4 jumps. I have to admit, I was glad I did because the information made so much more sense and I could actually relate to it way more than I did when I learned it in the first jump course. It was well worth the $50. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #46 April 14, 2008 QuoteDoes your dz make you take a refresher course if you go more than 30 days without a jump? I've had to take it twice and I only have 4 jumps. I have to admit, I was glad I did because the information made so much more sense and I could actually relate to it way more than I did when I learned it in the first jump course. I have done a refresher course twice myself so far and I have found the same thing. Each time I learn a lot and have new questions. I'm really hoping that the long gaps between jumps are about done. I am beginning to get the idea that no matter what time of year it is, there will be times when students will be grounded when most everyone else is jumping. After seeing how skilled the jumpers had to be yesterday in the wind, I've got a feeling there will definitely be pllenty of times when I'll be grounding myself."safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linebckr83 3 #47 April 15, 2008 I know how that goes! I started static line at the end of september. Then bad weather/surgery/bad weather/annual plane maintenance/bad weather. Slow 20 jumps but its coming together now! I also have found that having fun leads to better jumps. I tend to do better on the jumps I yell "wooohooo" most of the time "Are you coming to the party? Oh I'm coming, but I won't be there!" Flying Hellfish #828 Dudist #52 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #48 April 15, 2008 Quote Quote ... or watch the skygods pack. "Skygods" don't pack...they complain about the canopy being in the way until it packs itself. I thought that was Chuck Norris... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #49 April 15, 2008 Quote I know how that goes! I started static line at the end of september. Then bad weather/surgery/bad weather/annual plane maintenance/bad weather. Slow 20 jumps but its coming together now! I also have found that having fun leads to better jumps. I tend to do better on the jumps I yell "wooohooo" most of the time I was thinking of yelling "Cowabunga"...think that will be appropriate? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maestrabella67 0 #50 April 18, 2008 GRRRRRR!!! Looks like we're going to get weathered out again this weekend here in Indiana. Holy cow! Hope you get yours in, npgraphic! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
