Beginning AFF Tandem question

[Cajundude 0]

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Good luck!
Relax and enjoy.

Thanks! Watching you guys in the wingsuits is what got this rampage started. I want to do that so bad I literally have trouble sleeping sometimes because I think about it so much. I know I have a long way to go before I can be in a wingsuit but maybe I will get to come out to your class in 2 or 3 years. I hope so. Thanks to all for the great replies.

[skyyhi 0]

Good luck with your tandem. . .you got some great advice here and have your head screwed on straight for learning. Enjoy the ride and come back and let us know how it went.

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[bodypilot1 0]

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I know I have a long way to go before I can be in a wingsuit but maybe I will get to come out to your class in 2 or 3 years.

Relax and Focus...
It can be closer than you think.
Be safe.

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[Daizey 0]

I did the tandem progression and liked it a lot. I felt as though I learned a lot on my tandems and knowing what to expect when under canopy is nice. With the background of knowing what the dz looks like and knowing where and how are you going to land, your able to concentrate better. I think I was also less reliant on the radio because I had a good idea of what I had to do and how i had to do it....

*daizey*

[DanglesOZQld 0]

As a tm/Aff instructor and vidiot I believe that good training is just as beneficial as doing a Tandem first and then an instructional jump solo with own gear. On the whole though with the be all and end all being the money factor (unfortunately!) with a lot of places a tandem either as a fun thing or a TAF takes a lot of the unknowns out of the jump. The students know what freefall is like and then adjust to having their own gear and having also to think more for themselves than treat it as an amusement ride or similar. I have seen variants of both and it is not always something that can be judged by what the person has done. Train/learn/be around others who have been there and know/ Learn to WALK before you RUN!/ Never think you know it all - YOU DONT!!

The best jumpers in the world would say that they are always learning. When I was flying aircraft the same applied - "Learn from the mistakes of others because you will never do or be around long enough to do them all yourself!" BSBD! -Mark.

"A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!"

[ripcords 0]

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With the tandem you are pretty much completely at the mercy of the instructor right?

The tandem rigs have a ripcord that the student can pull. Also the parachutes are set up with dual steering controls. The one thing that you want to know is that you are harnessed together prior to leaving the plane, but there is no reason that you are completely at the mercy of the tandem instructor. You should be an active, learning participant in the skydive, (as much as you want to be).

Our dropzone requires two tandems also. We used to offer all options for first jump courses, but it quickly became apparent that tandem was the quickest, safest, and most effective way to introduce someone to the sport. It is an integral part of our training for many reasons.

It makes the first solo jump course much more effective, because you are able to truly understand the material that the instructor is explaining after you have made a tandem. Not just by imagining it, but because you experienced it. The advantages of the canopy control learning on tandems are obvious. This allows you a comfort level under canopy that frees your mind to concentrate on the freefall learning objectives more readily. I could go on and on.

Best of luck with your skydive!

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[Cajundude 0]

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With the tandem you are pretty much completely at the mercy of the instructor right?

The tandem rigs have a ripcord that the student can pull. Also the parachutes are set up with dual steering controls. The one thing that you want to know is that you are harnessed together prior to leaving the plane, but there is no reason that you are completely at the mercy of the tandem instructor. You should be an active, learning participant in the skydive, (as much as you want to be).

Our dropzone requires two tandems also. We used to offer all options for first jump courses, but it quickly became apparent that tandem was the quickest, safest, and most effective way to introduce someone to the sport. It is an integral part of our training for many reasons.

It makes the first solo jump course much more effective, because you are able to truly understand the material that the instructor is explaining after you have made a tandem. Not just by imagining it, but because you experienced it. The advantages of the canopy control learning on tandems are obvious. This allows you a comfort level under canopy that frees your mind to concentrate on the freefall learning objectives more readily. I could go on and on.

Best of luck with your skydive!

Excellent info! This one should be added to me previous list of why you should do the tandem first. In any event my mind is made up and I will be doing to tandems and the AFF ground school on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. I took off of work. Only 1.5 more days! I almost didn't get to jump this coming Wednesday. We were coming back from New Orleans yesterday and we were run off of I-10 by an 18 wheeler. We went into the middle of the interstate at around 70 mph came back on to I-10 on two wheels (yes an SUV) flew into the ditch, made a big splash, flew over the service road and into the trees around 50-55mph and somehow managed to break a tree in half spin around and end up back on the service road. Nobody in the car was hurt and we were able to drive the car back! What a rush! Somebody was certainly watching out for us yesterday.