brain fart on level 3 AFF...

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

I did my level 3 jump Sat. mornong. first jump i wasnt focused enough on heading control so i didnt make any corrections when i started spinning. I wasnt picking a spot. I was thinking of breathing and altitude. so i had to use the money i had planned on level 4 for another level 3. no problem. i understood. so the second jump was supposed to go great. except for i for some reason had a major brain fart and skipped the practice touches in my dive flow. when my instructors gave me the hand signal. I couldnt remember what it was. by the time i got it all sorted out and done i lost around 2500-3000 feet. I was still trying to focus on heading control the whole time. altitude awareness wasnt a problem. but i am pretty pissed at my self that I fucked up 2 times! ran out of money and level 3 will have to be passed next weekend. hopefully...

posatives to the day of jumping:

finally figured out how to breath with no problems.
did good on all of my landings.
good exits from the plane.
my ear pressure problem has gone away.
got a lil too relaxed in freefall. (flatened body and arms were flappin. i thought he gave me the relax signal. i got the arch signal next)

has anyone else had to repeat level 3 twice. weather it was something like my situation or you just messed up the heading control all together?

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[Mike111 0]

Hey,

Sorry you had to repeat it twice, im really stuck on level 5 with breathing and relaxing - i mean i know deep breathing and smiling helps but never can seem to do it cos im distracted on other things - how do you do it?

I sparted spinning like the roters on helicopters on level 4 and found it hard to maintain heading (level 3 was just fluke with regard to heading control for me) so if its any consolation thats two of us!!!


Don't worry about repeating levels, ive failed two as well and are probably gonna fail a couple more along the way. Its better to fail and learn the skills requied and be as safer skydiver as possible than whizz through without learning the key techniques .

Mike

[GoRdOn8619 0]

I am just starting my level 1 aff next week.. i did a tandem once.. thats it tho. So about the aff.. im really nervous to be jumping out on my own and having to steer the parachute on my own.. i dont wanna freakin run into a tree or somthing. is it relatively easy? or what? i need some advice from someone who has already finished it.

[Mike111 0]

Hey Gordon,

I was really nervous to with regard to the AFF level 1 and had done a tandem once myself.

Although you are technically doing a solo jump, you have two JM's with you HOLDING ONTO you at all times until youve deployed your parachute so they will be there to help you all the way through it should you need it. Furthermore, the LO's are pretty ok so don't worry yourself to much!

Im only a student so can;t really offer much, but i think it would be fair to say it is challenging, but easily doable if you follow your instructions - you should have a radio on your AFF jumps through which you are told literally what to do, where to turn, when to flare - they get you to the ground etc etc.

However, through your training you should have adeqaute knowledge to be able to land without radio - sometimes radios fail . Unfortunate but true(that happaned to me)

However in your ground school, you will learn all the stuff you need to do - your JM;s won't let you jump until you are fully capable, so have confidence in yourself and go and enjoy it.

I would however suggest you start another thread somewhere in the forum such as safety and training displaying your concerns so you can get much more valuable input from far more experienced skydivers than me.

Coudl i also say that when your at the DZ, if you are unsure about something, always ask the instructor regardless of whether you think it is a stupid question or not. Better safe than sorry!

When you donig the course?

Good luck mate,

Mike

[GoRdOn8619 0]

Mike,

Thanks for the info. it helped ALOT. I will get some more help on whatever else ineed. but you basically covered what i needed to know. Thanks a bunch. by the way, what did u mean when u said they failed on the radio? what happend? And i am going to do the course in about a week or maybe 2 id say.. when i can get the money to start it up

[Mike111 0]

Hey,

No probs. What i meant was radios sometimes fail for some reason or other - they just fuck up, lose battery whatever, but its very rare.

Don't worry about radios failing, it really wasn;t a massive concern and everything was cool - point being you will be fine, absolutely fine.
What happaned - i just put the training i learnt in ground school into practice and it payed off fine i got down in one piece. Again, they will not let you jump until you are ready - and these guys know what they are doing - thousands of dives and loads of time in freefall- you are in very safe and good hands! I promise you.

the course generally gets more challenging as you progress through but its a natural one - each dive you build up conifdence so again do not worry. Stick with their instruction and you will be fine.

Could you let me know how it goes, either post on here or PM? Would love to hear that you get on fine,

Good luck,

mike

[moretole 0]

When I did my AFF I would go through the levels coming up in my mind (with actions!) a number of times. Lie on your bed (sofa or whatever) and go through the whole jump , practice pulls, altitude checks until it comes second nature. I think it avoids brain lock because when under pressure you revert to what you've practiced.

I also, used to do my emergency procedures every morning before heading to work and had printouts of pictures for hand signals and malfunctions with the answers on the back and went through them until I knew them all.

It really worked for me (no repeats) and I reccomend it. Skydive Elsinore has all the levels in flash so you can see what your going to do on each level.

Hope this helps.

[tbrown 26]

Hey congratulations, you're doing just fine. Don't worry about it, they won't let you pass until you get it right. Besides, you might as well get used to feeling disappointed. Even those of us with hundreds, or thousands of jumps come down feeling that way more often than we'd care to admit.

If you're opened by a safe altitude, executed any necessary EP's, made the dropzone or a safe out, and walked away from your landing on your own two feet, you did JUST GREAT. Shrug it off and start planning ahead for the next one, whether it's on a 20 min. call or a couple more weekends out. What counts is you're in the game.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT 0]

thanks for the support guys. and Mike the way i got breathing down was keeping my mouth shut! sounds funny but it helped alot. im pissed at my self but im not down about the whole situation. and i didnt exactly say "I failed" I look at the good things and im already working on the fixes for the bad. if i can scrounge up enough money i will head back out next wekend for another go at it. I like the hand signals on flash cards idea. I working on the dive flow as mentioned. by going through it at home alot. I think i will nail it next time.
I am however glad the radio is only one way. cause i was venting like hell once under canopy.

ExPeCt ThE uNeXpEcTeD!
DoNt MiNd ThE tYpOs, Im LaZy On CoRrEcTiOnS!

[Greaseball 0]

I had to do level 3 twice when I was learning. Ill repeat what my instructor told me 7 years ago when I went thru aff and was some of the best advice I can remember (although I remember a lot of good advice).

Its not a matter of "if" your going to get it but "how long" its going to take..

[psipike02 0]

I didnt have problems on level 3, but 4 was a problem for me. So i had to do it 3x before i passed. And then i went to a windtunnel and went yesterday. My JM wanted to do a "heading" dive first. We did it, just like level 3, only not holding on. I did 180 turn unintentionally because i was looking at a heading but off to the left, as soon as my JM came around in front of me and i looked at him and locked on, all my instability problems disappeared. It was amazing, i remained perfectly still and then my JM started laughing, because he knew that it finally clicked...

Next, i did a combo of 4 and 5. I did my first solo exit, which was sooo much fun by the way, and he did the same thing. He came around in front and i was completely stable. I then started my turns and they worked perfectly. I couldnt belive it....and now i'm on to level 6.

The point of this is, once my JM came in front of me, I stopped THINKING about the dive and my body just took over an did it naturally. Thats my advice to you guys. Just relax and try not to think about it, because once you do, it'll just happen and its a great feeling....good luck on the rest of your levels....

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[Mike111 0]

Hey,

Thanks for the help..

I hope youre level 3 goes fine, and good luck.

Thanks again,

Mike