AFF 4: by popular request

[Nightingale 0]

Well, like I said last time, I was gonna stop posting these, but people kept asking me for them... so here goes...

Yesterday, I did AFF 4. I had some HUGE nerve issues, mainly because for a while we were grounded due to high wind, and I was already worried enough about my canopy landings, after ending up face first in the dirt last go round.

The dirt dive went well. Raoul told me that we're going to exit the plane like usual, and then, once I'm stable, he's going to move from my right side to my front, holding on to both my arms... then, when I'm stable, he's going to let go. All I have to do is stay in front of him and stay stable. That's it... no brainer, right??

So, we get geared up and get on the plane. Raoul has arranged for me to jump last, since he knows from last jump that I do better if I can take an extra moment to leave my nerves at the door.

And then its my turn... Oh My God. The nerves hit me so bad that I didn't know if I was going to jump or not. I think what really did it to me was that there was no second jumpmaster. I knew Raoul wouldn't let me freefall alone if I wasn't ready or was unstable, so that wasn't a huge issue, but that second jumpmaster gone was a pretty big emotional hurdle. Then, I started thinking about my landing... which SUCKED last time. My landings have been getting progressively worse, and if the pattern continued, I'd probably kill myself this time around!

Panic Attack...breathe...push all that fear down through the floor of the plane. Deep breath... look at Raoul (who's looking a little impatient by this point, but I can't say I blame him) "Am I okay?" I get the thumbs up, and we lean out, and in, and out, and WOW!

I had a good exit, despite the nerves. Once I'm in freefall, life is wonderful. I get stable and do my practice ripcord touch. Altitude check. 10,000 feet. Raoul moves to grab my arms. Still pretty stable.

He lets go. YEEP! I freak a little, and get a little wobbly. He grabs my arms again and gets me to breathe. Deep breath. Altitude check. 9,000 feet. He lets go again. Ok. I can do this now. Arch, breathe, steady....

Oops, he's moving a little to my left... wait a sec, that's me moving! Better turn a bit to fix that. Ok. back in line. Hmm...little to the right now... fixed. 7,000 feet.

He's moving away now... I need to straighten my legs to fix that. I'm going backwards a little. Ok. All better. 6,000 feet! LOCK ON!

5,000 feet! Wave off. PULL!!!!!!

Ok. I got a little unstable on the wave off, but all was fine. Canopy deployed with no problems. Shape? good. Spin? no spin. Float...yep. Cool!

Good look at the canopy, no twists or broken lines. Slider's down. Everything looks good!

I do my control check with my rear risers. No problems there. Takes a bit more muscle, but I want to practice.

I unstow the toggles. Both are fine. Ok. Control check with the toggles. Looking good.

Because I hung out in the door for so long, I was WAY north of the dropzone. I hear Raoul on radio telling me to head straight back to the circle. We've got winds coming from the south, so it may take a bit to get there. Ok. I can do that.

I'm now at 1000 feet and setting up my landing pattern. I hang out over the canal and cruise towards the swoop pond. Now at 500, time to turn left... now, left again towards the circle.

I didn't quite make it to the circle. I flared too high, at more like 20 feet than 10. I just held the flare, knowing I didn't have enough time to unflare and flare again. I hit the ground on my knees, but it was a much better landing than last time!!!! YAY!!! and, the obligatory Note To Self: Sticker Bushes are Obstacles!!!! Those things freakin HURT.

So, I remove myself from the sticker bush and untangle myself from the canopy. The truck comes by and picks me up. I'm grinning like a freakin' idiot. That was an AWESOME skydive. Wow!

I go into the packing area, and Raoul tells me I met all the requirements and I passed!!!!!!!!!! He encourages me to work with a different instructor next time, because you get different feedback from different people. Makes sense to me. I know I'm ok by myself in freefall now, so I'd be okay with changing up instructors now... maybe Kai or Vinnie next time.

Being alone in freefall was the most amazing thing... I can't wait for next time. I wanted to go today, but I had some things I had to get done at home, and by the time I was done, the dropzone wasn't taking any more reservations... guess they were busy today. On Friday, then. That's ok.

[mailin 0]

WOW! That sounded great! You should be proud of yourself!

Thanks so much for posting these - they really help me understand what to expect when I start AFF next year.

Jennifer

Arianna Frances

[Nightingale 0]

Keep in mind that everyone's issues are different. My big thing is door anxiety.

However, on AFF 2, what made it more difficult is that I kind of adopted other people's issues... there were a few folks on the board who were having stability issues. For me, stability comes naturally. I'm a martial artist and a dancer. Finding my center of gravity and using it is something I've been doing for many years. However, I was very afraid that stability was going to be a problem for me, because it was a problem for some other folks here. I was expecting a problem where there was none, anticipating a problem, and therefore freaked myself out.

Some people have stability issues, some have canopy control issues, some have door issues, some have other freefall issues... each person's experience is unique. What I write is probably a good general idea of what you're going to do, but what's going through your head is going to be totally different...

Skydiving, for me, is a head game. I told my mom on the phone a few days ago that when I get my A license, its going to mean more to me than my college degree. She asked why, a bit horrified. I explained that for me, school was EASY. I show up, I do my homework, I get a good grade. That's just how its always worked. However, with skydiving, it sure as hell ain't easy. That first step out of the door is the most difficult step I've ever taken in my life... which is why the A license is going to mean more... because it's going to be a LOT harder to get.

[Fast 0]

Quote

Keep in mind that everyone's issues are different. My big thing is door anxiety.

Hehe, I think that if you asked around, quite a few people would say that they had a problem with this. I know for my first few AFFs I never got all the way in the door, made it a real pain in the ass for my JMs, alas... it went away after a few jumps...

Glad to hear about your progresssion, keep up the good work (Don't forget to PLF )

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[labrys 0]

Quote

Keep in mind that everyone's issues are different. My big thing is door anxiety.

I've had a cornucopia of anxiety issues. When I started my AFF progession the door didn't bother me at all, but now after a couple of jumps off student status the door sometimes really freaks me out. My major anxiety on the student jumps was my gear. I'd check my chest and legstrap routings 5 times on the way to altitude. Then I'd check all my handles and do at least 2 emergency drills when I was finished with the straps.

Now I'm content with 2 strap checks and 1 drill, but I still find that if anything is different about the jump I'm about to do, I get a little wonky at the door. New gloves, dry mouth at the door. New exit, dry mouth at the door, new rig, extra dry mouth at the door, my first pack job, friggin' everthing is dry at the door.

What? You want ME to open the door? Shit.

Congrats on the level 4. It sounds like you rocked.

Owned by Remi #?

[schattenjaeger 0]

I think a big thing is to not overthink it at all, and just do everything possible to relax! I had been going with a week or two apart for a while and had to do level 3 three times:( But then I came back and did 4, 5, and 6 this past Saturday, and on 4 I was a little nervous and had been thinking about it the whole week, and it was a bit shaky but I pulled through. Then on 5, I was a bit more relaxed, and I tumbled on the exit and wound up thrashing all over the air before I just stopped, breathed, and arched! Next thing I know my JM was laughing her ass off at me and motioning for me to do my 360s, which I did flawlessly, with a big smile on my face(tumbling was fun:) 6 was just great. Like most fun ever great

[Michele 1]

Gooooooooooooooooooo Kris!!!!

Been there, done that, conquered the same thing. And I do think that license means more than some other acheivements...we are learning to fly!!!

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[DeNReN 0]

Loved the read......YEHAAA...go again!!!!..it will only get better

[vonSanta 0]

And it only gets better and better.

I started my AFF progression in June and due to no instructors being available it took me til the end of July to finish it off.

Now at 75 jumps with a Real Rig(tm), skydiving just keeps on getting better and better. I suspect you, like me and many others who started in this great sport, will spend most of your time and money on it .

Your poor whuffo friends will be SOOO bored with your skydiving stories after just a little while - if they aren't already

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[kelel01 1]

Quote

I still find that if anything is different about the jump I'm about to do, I get a little wonky at the door. New gloves, dry mouth at the door. New exit, dry mouth at the door, new rig, extra dry mouth at the door, my first pack job, friggin' everthing is dry at the door.

I know what you mean about anything being different making you nervous. I'm still on rental gear, and when my black Pro-Tec or the rig with the 200 isn't available, I freak out. I haven't had to open the door yet, but when I do for the first time, it's gonna scare the crap out of me. Why? Who knows? Our fears may or may not have a logical reasoning behind them. I think jumping out the door of an airplane is a very reasonable fear to have, even though we know how awesome it is!! I am FINALLY not nervous about exiting, but it took me all the way until my first solo to feel that way. Now my biggest fear is jumping with other people! How weird is that?! I have done four solos, and I think I'm going to do about 3 or 4 more before I start on any coaching jumps, because I really like the lack of performance anxiety I have right now. I think there's always going to be something that can freak you out, but once you conquer that fear, you're ready to move on to the next one. That's one thing I love about this sport, and I honestly hope that never changes for me. The fear is part of what keeps me going, because I will not let it win! Have fun out there, and stay safe! Sounds like you did an awesome skydive!

Blue Skies,

Kelly

[lewis321 0]

Nightingale, keep up the postsWe all have some issues to deal with...no matter how big or small. I think it pretty cool of you to keep us posted. I have seen new jumpers trying to be cool and have that "nothing gets to me" attitude. They need to know that it is ok to hit bumps in the road. They can handle it.
As a newly rated coach I find it interesting to see what problems people are having and how they fixed them. I hope I can pass this knowledge on to students I jump with.

Keep it up, Todd

[FrogNog 1]

This has turned out to be a big support group for students who get nervous at "changes" or new stuff, and I like that.

I have been afraid of:
* being able to see out the door. (First 5 or so jumps just looking down out the door was :O)
* exiting from 13k instead of 6k, my previous max exit altitude.
* exiting from 5k instead of 3.5k (I did static line progression)
* exiting 500 feet higher or lower than I was told on the ground.
* the door being opened
* getting to my knees in the C-182, opening the door, sticking my head out to spot, and doing a step exit instead of hanging exit - these things were all newly given to me on the SAME jump.
* "whisps of haze condensing" on the strut and dripping off the back.
* upper going faster than I've ever seen before.
* more than one group on jump run.
* getting out after another group ("You mean I have to count? Oh, I have to visually estimate a 45-degree angle? NOooo!")
* getting out before another group
* seat belts. (Stowing the seat belts still cause me anxiety because I have to avoid perseverating on them.)
* don't even talk to me about turbulence under canopy.

Oddly, my first jump off static line, my first and second jumps on my own pack jobs, and jump runs in non-prevailing direction did not scare me. I believe in all those cases I just wasn't in the mood to be particularly scared. (Same with my twilight rain cutaway jump after taxi was delayed by a forgotten wing tie-down; I knew weird stuff was going to happen on that jump and I just turned off my "care" about my surroundings and held onto my plans.)

And so far not much in freefall scares me; I'm too busy flying and remembering what I'm supposed to be doing next to be scared the same way I can wind up in the plane.

My general formula is to consciously breathe and actually, truly relax my body in the plane. That and do whatever it takes to get the job done right, and be scared about it later after I'm on the ground.

Oh, and if looking out the door scares you, ride with some static-line or 0/5/10-second delay students (if you have SL or IAD at your DZ) and when each one gets out, lean over with your head out the door and watch them fall away. Bonus points if the C-182 pilot makes a right-hand turn to point the door at them.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[bmcd308 0]

>>* getting out after another group ("You mean I have to count? Oh, I have to visually estimate a 45-degree angle? NOooo!") <<

Your exclamation of NO! was the correct response to someone telling you to estimate a 45 degree angle to judge separation. Proper exit separation depends primarily on groundspeed.

See this site, created by a physics professor and frequent poster on these forums:

http://www.iit.edu/~kallend/skydive/separation.pdf

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www.jumpelvis.com

[flygirl03 0]

Awesome.
My next jump is AFF 4. Not able to go until Nov 8th. Yes, Im already experiencing withdrawl sypmtoms.
I was flying Saturday with no particular destination... you don't have to guess where I ended up... an hour away at my DZ.
Sunday... I visited another DZ... closer to home.
Anyway, Glad you passed with "flying"colors.
Hope my 4 goes as well :)
Great post btw, I felt like it was ME doing the jump!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit