Scared!

[GeminiRacer 0]

Well here is what happened, I was doing my level six AFF [I’ve had 6 solo jumps, and three jumps i shared with a big burly man.], and everything went great... the back-loops were a blast and recovering from them was almost effortless... everything was cool, until it came time to pull, I was coming out of tracking when I flipped on my back . As my instructor had told me, I was only there for a few seconds seconds, but it felt like an eternity. He was coming up fast to get me, but I recovered. I was just in such shock when I was on my back, I had never been there before, and having it happen to me right at pull time was the one of scariest moments of my life. I was trying to remember how to “rollout of bed” but I was just to disorientated to do that, so I just arched harder than I have ever arched before in my whole life, and bam, I was on my belly and I had no idea what my alt. was, I just went straight for my pilot chute. It wasn’t a hard opening at all, after looking at my canopy and my surroundings, I looked at my alt and I was just above 3000'. I headed on home and had a stand-up landing.

But here’s what’s up: I just can’t shake it, my instructor had told me that its not a big deal and the important thing is that I knew what to do and I did it. I was planing on making another jump that day... but I couldn’t... My AFF jumps up to that point had gone through without incident, well aside from my very first solo, when I had some nasty line twists...but I kicked them out i would have done anyother one if i had more than 6 bucks on me. Most days when I go home, I just wish I had more money to spend jumping, but that day I left with enough to my some bills [which I guess it good in its own right
Bottom line: Though it has been the greatest thing I have ever done thus far in my life, I’m scared shitless, and everybody tells me I shouldn’t be, and I know I shouldn’t be, but I am and I wish I wasn’t.

Any thoughts?



Ps. If I do my level 7, as soon as I am terminal I want to intentionally go on my back, then back to my stomach then carry on with the usual diveflow, I don’t care if I have to repeat level 7 to do this.

Is this a good idea?
Should the folks at my DZ be okay with it [assuming I let them know I want to do this while we are still on the ground]?

Thanks!

Peace is every step yo!

[Fab 0]

How about next AFF jump you face the inside of the plane and just let go. Don't arch and you will fall on your back. It's fun to watch the aircraft fly away and see the instructor jumping after you. You will see that it's very easy to turn over , even when you're not at terminal velocity yet.

Besides arching hard you could pull in one arm. This could help you turn over.

Talk to your instructor about exiting the plane backwards. You don't waste any time with the exit so you can still do all the tasks required in a level 7 jump. Your instructors at your DZ are the best place for advice.

_______________________________________

[FrogNog 1]

I think pulling one arm in only flips you over from your back if you look over the shoulder of the arm you just pulled in. I have found myself in some very fun freefall spirals from belly-down by pulling one arm in and (I think) leaning on that shoulder, so I would get practice flipping over this way well above pull time...

Arching hard to flip over sounds like the best bet. You did it and it worked. I did the same thing on one of my many, many 15-second delay jumps. (I did Static Line.) If I recall correctly, that's also the recommendation in the Poynter/Turoff beginner's book, and I remember hearing my instructors approving of this technique.
Glad to hear you deployed at a safe altitude and got nipples-down before doing so.

P.S. I'm not an instructor and I don't play one on TV, either.

[darrenspooner 0]

It sounds really scary, but it also sounds like you did real good.

I think one of the most terrifying things for newbies is the fear of instability. You know, I was scared shitless all through aff and then for about my first 7 consols. I was freefalling the same way as if I was driving my car on ice. And you know what, my confidence never grew at all. Until I deliberately rolled out the door backwards and allowed myself to become completely unstable. Recovering from it was like flicking a switch. I instantly knew that no matter what my body was doing as I approached pull time, I could easily get stable. No matter what your body is doing, if you arch hard you will recover in literally a couple seconds.

You need to get back in the saddle again. If your aff instructors will allow you to go unstable then I think its a great thing to do. Rehearse with them what you are going to do so that they can stick with you for reassurance.

Other than that, this is something that I think most people experience. You will get stable if you arch hard.

Good luck.

***Die with your boots on

[tombuch 0]

Quote

Any thoughts?

Ps. If I do my level 7, as soon as I am terminal I want to intentionally go on my back, then back to my stomach then carry on with the usual diveflow, I don’t care if I have to repeat level 7 to do this.

Is this a good idea?
Should the folks at my DZ be okay with it [assuming I let them know I want to do this while we are still on the ground?

That sounds like a great plan to me. The AFF program is designed as a standard, but it can (should) be modified to serve the needs of each student. If your idividual problem is a fear of instability, then work on that when you know you have tons of altitude and a great instructor waiting to help out. You might even decide to spend the whole skydive flipping on your back, then recovering to your belly, check altitude, then flip on your back, then belly. Talk with your instructor in advance, establish key altitudes and ask him to stick with you in case you have trouble. If he needs to help out at some point, let him, and then check altitude, take a deep breath, and then try again. If you don't do any of the other targeted learning objectives for that level it's fine, as long as you gain your confidence back and have fun!

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[cvfd1399 0]

I see a few things
1. You did what you were supposed to.
2. You lived
3. You had fun
4. You want to do it again
5. You are truly a AFF student like the rest of us
were.......









YOU HAD NO MORE MONEY WHEN YOU GOT DONE!

[TrickyDicky 0]

Dont worry about it. You got back fine. You havent seen real instability untill you the "Mandy Chowe" special on vid at our DZ. He thought he was gonna die, but its the funniest thing ever (dont worry, hes still jumping and laughs at it too). His moves put even Olav Zipser to shame

Im sure if you saw it, you'd feel better about what you did. You did good

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[gordy 0]

once your AFF is done you may decide that flying on your back, head, toes, knees is the way that you want to fly all the time.....

[goose491 0]

Sounds like this might just be the first thing that didn't go exactly according to plan for you. It can be a little shaking whenever something unexpected happens.

Oh well! Chalk me up as the next "Don't be scared" guy. Soon you'll find back flying is tons of fun. You got back on your belly no problem.. so no problem!

Personally, I wouldn't waste an AFF level on going unstable and recovering over and over again unless you really think you may have a problem with just this sort of situation. Just do like others have mentioned at exit. "Melt" backwards out of the aircraft, relax and make no effort to keep a body position. You'll end up on your back. While approaching terminal, punch out the arch, get onto tha belly and continue the dive flow!

And above all, keep having fun!

Nick

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[Jeth 0]

Hey,
I just wanted to tell ya I have the same fear. My last jump was my release dive where they let go of me. I didn't flip over, but I turned and drifted and couldn't get back. I hated not being in control and not being able to get back to my instructor.
Now my next jump is where I jump out solo. I am nervous that I am going to go unstable and not be able to get steady. I know everybody says to arch, but I am not at a point where I trust my arch yet. It seems crazy that if I'm on my back just arching will flip me over! But I'm glad to hear it worked for you!! I guess I will learn to trust it, like you did, when it happens to me.
I think you have a great idea to go on your back on purpose. I'm sure the more times you are able to flip yourself back over, the more confidence you will have that you're in control.

I hope my 1st unstable experience goes as well as yours did! (I still haven't stood up a landing yet... ) Be proud that you did it right and it worked!! Just keep doing it and I'm sure the fear will go away.

Jeth

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[mattjw916 2]

...if you think that is bad, I flipped onto my back during my low alititude H&P jump.

It was somewhere around jump 12 or so, I was solo doing a low altitude exit from an Otter, I jumped, thought I arched sufficently when I was on the hill but suddenly found myself on my back rapidly approaching the ground. At the time it seemed like an eternity, but it really was only about a second before I turned over, picked a heading and dumped.

I thought I was going to get in trouble for pulling low as my canopy was inflating but as I checked the altimeter I was just passing ~2700ft and under a good canopy so everything was fine.

My point... you usually have a plenty of time to correct body position and get stable because of the higher deployment altitudes during AFF so don't rush it... talk to your instructors, and just remember if you walked away from an AFF jump, you really were successful, whether you have to rejump it or not.

Bluskyz!!!

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[tombuch 0]

Quote

It seems crazy that if I'm on my back just arching will flip me over! But I'm glad to hear it worked for you!! I guess I will learn to trust it, like you did, when it happens to me.

It's a simple concept. Think of a badminton shuttlecock/birdie. The red end is the heavy center of gravity, and it always turns the birdie toward the ground, with the plastic "feathers" facing up. Your body will respond the same way. If you arch, your pelvis will be the CG and it should roll to your front side in a nice belly to earth position. If you de-arch (bend at the waist) your butt is the CG, and you will fall backward.

As you arch, think about relaxing just a tad. A stiff arch can cause "potato chipping," while a slightly relaxed arch generates stability and causes a sweeeeeeet smile.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[dippymoo 0]

Level 7 at my dz is mostly about unstable drills so defintely wouldnt' be a problem wanting to do them!

[syntax 0]

Yeah good stuff! I used to worry about being unstable untill my aff stage 7. Trying to pull of 2 backloops almost guarantees you a bit of back time!I was surprised how easily i just rolled back over.Now i dont mind the odd bit of instability!

------------------------------------skydiving...the grounds the limit!