Here I go...

[Stevetaylor 0]

GULP!!

Just finished my AFF supervised...now I get to make my first high and low solo....tomorrow morning!!!

The high solo, I'm not so worried about. The last two jumps with the instructor, I was essentially alone. He was watching me from above, but on the two jumps I got a quick glimps of him only once. THANKS RANDY FOR BEING A GREAT COACH!!!

Its the low solo, the hop and pop, that has me buggered for the past two days. I've always felt that I was very unsteady for the first 5-10 seconds out of the plane, except to the last one (a "Superman" exit that I nailed); although Randy seems to think that I'm doing well. (Gotta trust him)

I'm just really nervous at the though of exiting at 6k and needing to get stable and throw by 5k, in all of 10 seconds. What if I'm not stable at 5K? (I know...deploy, deploy at the right altitude, deploy stable, ...). If I'm "almost" stable at 5K, will I hold off deploying to 4K to tr to get into a better body position? My brain says "Pull, ask questions later", but not sure what I'll really do.



Most likely I'm overthinking this, right? I mean, the training and jumps and endless mental practicing the procedures works, right?

Oh well, I want to get a good night's sleep before going diving tomorrow. Good night all....

The Dropzone opens in 11 hours and 10 minutes...

If anyone is down at CrossKeys tomorrow, I'll be the one with the black jumpsuit and the heart pounding before the jump...

Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[ahegeman 0]

Your instructors wouldn't let you go if they didn't know you were ready. You'll do fine. Just stay calm and do what you know you are supposed to. Talk to your instructors about your what-if question.

I was nervous before my hop-n-pop. Afterwards I wondered what all the anxiety was about.

---------------------------------------------------------------
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
--Dave Barry

[jeremy556 0]

Are you sure you have to do your hop ‘n pop tomorrow? In my training course, you just had to do it by the time you got you’re a to fill out your A license card. On the packet that I got that went over all the jumps in the student program, the high and low solo were detailed on the same page right after AFF7 and before the coach jumps, but they did not need to be done in that order. You should ask your instructors about it. I did my hop ‘n pop at about jump 23 I think, once I was sure I was stable on every exit.

[Tanvan 0]

So i've got 3 more SL jumps then i'm on to my first H/P and i've been kinda worried about it also thinking i was going to be doing it at 3500ft (the alt i've been jumping so far). Any static liners out there, what altitude was your first hop 'n pop?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Two Fingers, , This Is Skydiving.

[anewempire 0]

pull stable. pulling stable at 4k i think is more important than pulling unstable by 5k just so they tell you you pass. the instructors at my dz always over emphasize the importance of pulling stable. but talk to you instructors. it's more important to pull at 10 seconds and be stable than it is to pull within 5 all on your back and crap and heighten the risk of potential problems. it's all good. just another skydive. remember what they teach you about stability. ARCH

[KATO33 0]

Just remember once you leave the plane you can't go back so HAVE FUN!!!!

Blue Skies Black Death

[shermanator 4]

ignore everyone on here except for the part about relaxing. Talk to your instructors, they know if you are ready or not. they will debrief you on what to do and how to do it. they will give you the best advice you need for that particular jump.

CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08
CSA #720

[Orange1 0]

Quote

pull stable. pulling stable at 4k i think is more important than pulling unstable by 5k just so they tell you you pass.

Really? I was taught that the priorities of freefall are:
1. Pull
2. Pull at the right altitude
3. Preferably pull stable.

While this may not seem such an issue at 5K I am guessing getting into the wrong type of thinking makes it a very big issue at say 2K. And what if he isn't stable at 4K - does he wait till 3K? All this just goes to show - OP, don't ask for advice on these types of things here, but ask your instructors.

To the SL question, my first freefall was at 4500', so 1000' above the usual SL exits

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

I'm just really nervous at the though of exiting at 6k and needing to get stable and throw by 5k, in all of 10 seconds.

Is 6k your high HnP or your low one? Please not the latter. The A requirement is 5 seconds from 3500.

The high one, listed in the ISP but not a license requirement, will give you more confidence.

[Suavel 0]

My HnP was from 4500. I was Static Line trained.

Five seconds from 3500 puts you right about 3k to pull...yeah?

Sort of low for a student hop'n'pop though..

[Stevetaylor 0]

Thanks for the erassurance. I'm less anxious this morning..at least till I get to teh DZ. Oh well, if I screw up, what's the worst that can happen?

Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[Stevetaylor 0]

According to the info packet I have, I need to make two low exits. One at 6k (to reassure the DZ that I can get out of the plane in an emergency. That one need to be done today. The exit at 3.5k has to be done sometime before my A license.

Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[Stevetaylor 0]

Good Point

Perhaps that why the instruction (other than "ARCH") that Randy has for me so often is "Relax".

Gotta go now, the DZ opens in 46 minutes.

Happy Clouds!
Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[matt1215 0]

What helped me relax for my first 5k H&P was remembering that some regularly pull around 3k, and that it takes longer to get there subterminal.

[mnealtx 0]

Steve -

Don't sweat the low hop/pop... you actually have MORE time from there than you do from terminal....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[adventurechick 0]

Relax! You'll be fine :o)

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[Airman1270 0]

I wish I could be there at sunset this evening to share the beer, listen to your description of the jump, and enjoy your newfound confidence.

Static line graduates are smiling. My first freefall was jump #8, from 3500'. The plan was a hop 'n' pop, but my instructor said "You can do five seconds, you can even do ten. You have the time. If you do 15, I'm going to be pissed..."

With heart pounding, I did a beautiful stable exit and counted off "arch, look, reach, pull..." He told the others on the load it was the best first freefall he'd ever seen. He later told me he was one of those guys who'd popped a pilot chute in his jumpmaster's face.

You can do a 15 second delay from 3000' and pull before the Cypres fires. Don't, of course, but you could do it if you had to.

Enjoy the jump!

Cheers,
Jon S.

[Stevetaylor 0]

Good point, I tried remembering that as I was yelling all the wasy out the door...

Update- Just got home a wee bit ago...and I survived the low solo! I'm now (finally) cleared to jump all on my own. As one of the very expereinced freefliers said to me, now is when the fun starts....

But the hop n pop was, perhaps, the single ugliest dive I've seen! I was doing fine, then started to go head down. (Still having problems with that damn arch...guess the spine doesn't bend that well anymore after 40). I just wanted to get some nylon out over my head, so I deployed after 5 seconds. My attitude was a bit head down, perhaps 30 degrees from horizontal, but then I started to roll to the left as I tossed out the chute. I think I did a 1/2 barrel roll (didn't bring the left hand in to compensate as I tossed with the right), and flipped onto my back. It was very disconcerting to see the line stows deploying in front of me, as I was looking at sky!

I remember thinking, on my back and head down 30 degrees- watching the chute deploy, that "Oh shit...this is gonna hurt...". The initial snatch wasn't all that bad, other than simultaneously flipping me over and standing me upright. The good thing is that I've been very worried about an unstable deployment, and now I've had one. And it wasn't that bad. (Not that I'm going to intentionally try to have one.)

All in all...what was I so worried about all week????? I think I see all these free fliers and experienced jumpers, and expect me at 9 jumps to be silky smooth. I jumped, I pulled, I landed, I walked away...all is good!

Now I just have to work on my stability and landings...although I'm getting very good at PLFs... (grin)

Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[Stevetaylor 0]

Thanks for the confidence. I think that I'm coming to realize that my dives don't have to be picture perfect for me to have fun. I've been concentrating so much on my AFF tasks, that on two of three dives I forgot why i'm doing this. I actually smiled on the way to the door on both the high and low solo today.

I'm thinking about calling out of work tomorrow so I can go jump on my own (finally!)

Steve

The definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way, but then to expect different results. -Einstein

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

But the hop n pop was, perhaps, the single ugliest dive I've seen! I was doing fine, then started to go head down. (Still having problems with that damn arch...guess the spine doesn't bend that well anymore after 40). I just wanted to get some nylon out over my head, so I deployed after 5 seconds. My attitude was a bit head down, perhaps 30 degrees from horizontal,

did you dive downward or poised (head up)?

You're going to be somewhat to very vertical on HnPs because the relative wind on exit comes from the front of the plane, not the ground. It's 10-12 seconds before you're falling belly to earth.

drink up tonight!

[Dmac98 0]

I was going to warn you about that. I'm a static line student and can't get past my 5 second delay. The last time was the half barrel roll. My first try was the chute deploy between my legs trick. That's a ride I don't wish to repeat. I was wondering why I did that barrel roll, but the arm out after throwing the pilot chute with the other still over my head probably did it. Good job!

[wildfan75 1]

Quote

Any static liners out there, what altitude was your first hop 'n pop?

Static linere here...First hop 'n pop was from 3500', but it was really a hop 'n pop. I think leaving at 6k and pulling at 5k is more of a 10 sec delay than a hop 'n pop.