Newcomer to the Sport!

[skylord 1]

Hi All,

This is my first post, so I apologize in advance for dumb questions asked that are already answered. About five weeks ago, I took my first skydive at Lake Elsinore. It was a tandem jump, and I have to admit it took me almost the whole free fall to finally relax and enjoy it. It was an experience of a lifetime, and they were excellent! Now I want to do it on my own.

A little bit about me, I'm an air traffic controller, as well as a commercial pilot with instrument and multi engine ratings. I'm the guy yelling at the VFR airplanes to get out of the way of the drops when I'm behind the radar scope. When I fly my airplane in the area, I always ask Approach control to let me know when the drops happen because I like to watch.

Anyway, enough of that. Here are the questions I have for all of you out in skydive.com world:

1. My only complaint after the jump was a nose or sinus "injury". I felt like I had to sneeze for the next three days, and had to take allergenic nose drops to make the feeling go away. I'm sure this was normal, but how do I keep that from happening again? Should I jump with a clothespin on my nose? Should I train by going to a gas station, driving up to the air compressor, drop a quarter in the slot, and stick the hose in my left nostril?

2. Should I get my own training chute, and if so, does the cost include the reserve and an AAD? What is the best? Lake Elsinore offers their own complete rental package which I am sure is excellent. Should I train and certify first, and then get my own chute?

3. I watched Joan Lunden this weekend on A & E and her training with the Golden Knights. She was incredibly unstable in the wind tunnel, and I'm worried about my ability to be stable on my own with the AFF program. Should I opt for a program with a wind tunnel, or do these things work themselves out with the standard AFF program? I learn fast, I just would like to know your collective thoughts.

I hope you pick up on my sense of humor with this first post. I look forward to hearing from all of you!!

Thanks for all replies,

Bob

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman

[Joellercoaster 6]

Quote

Should I jump with a clothespin on my nose?

Yes.

It probably won't help with the pressure change, but the ride to altitude, now...

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[Shark 0]

Bob,

Congratulations on your first skydive! Do you remember who your tandem instructor was?

I am a pilot as well, and there are a lot of other fixed/rotary wing pilots that are regular jumpers. As a pilot, you might also discover that your flying skills will help you adapt to canopy control and landing patterns. Freefall is a different story, but we will assist and educate you to become a skydiver. I am on the staff at Skydive Elsinore and work every weekend at the DZ. Please visit our website into the training costs, etc. If you have other questions regarding the training you can send me a PM as I am an AFF Instructor.

Regards,

Mark

[flygirl60 0]

Hi, I am a newbie too still going through my AFF training, If your ever in Georgia stop by ASC and say Hi, I am Deborah, (soon to be named Boom Boom if I dont learn to land standing up!)

[Luna 0]

Quote

2. Should I get my own training chute, and if so, does the cost include the reserve and an AAD? What is the best? Lake Elsinore offers their own complete rental package which I am sure is excellent. Should I train and certify first, and then get my own chute?

I think it's pretty universal that DZ's don't want you jumping your own equipment before you have passed the traditional AFF jumps and been cleared to solo, at least. Check with Elsinore and see what their policy is. I would not be looking for gear so soon, though.

Quote

3. I watched Joan Lunden this weekend on A & E and her training with the Golden Knights. She was incredibly unstable in the wind tunnel, and I'm worried about my ability to be stable on my own with the AFF program. Should I opt for a program with a wind tunnel, or do these things work themselves out with the standard AFF program? I learn fast, I just would like to know your collective thoughts.

If a wind tunnel is a convenient and affordable option, I'd take it. However, instability is something that ALL students deal with, and far more students overcome it in the air than in the wind tunnel. The whole AFF program is centered around teaching you to keep or regain stability, and perform basic maneuvers such as turns. Before you are cleared to solo, you will have to perform intentionally unstable maneuvers (barrel rolls, front and back flips) and demonstrate an ability to recover stability from them. It's just part of the program, and everyone deals with it. Read the forums here and you will find countless students who have struggled with either instability or spins (myself included). Just don't give up, and eventually you get it.

Good luck!

I'm walking a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click Here for more information!

[FliegendeWolf 0]

Quote

It probably won't help with the pressure change, but the ride to altitude, now...

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[skylord 1]

Hi Deborah,

I visit Atlanta about once a year or so on business. Keep me posted on your progress!

Bob

[skylord 1]

Quote

Quote

Should I jump with a clothespin on my nose?

Yes.

It probably won't help with the pressure change, but the ride to altitude, now...

That was funny!

Bob

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman

[skylord 1]

Luna,

Thanks for the information. Next question, how easy is it to fly a parachute? With the AFF program you are solo on your first jump after deployment. What difficulties did you have judging height, speed, drift, etc.....? Can I count on a few "taildragger" landings at first?

I've got a pretty heavy travel schedule the first part of August, but I'm looking at picking it up late next month or early September. Wooo-hooo!

Bob

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman

[Luna 0]

Well, keep in mind that in the beginning you will either be on radio, or they will have some other means to communicate with you as to where to go and when to flare, so it's really not as bad as you might think. Now, radios do sometimes not work, so you should pay close attention when they go over what your patter will look like and all, but generally speaking, parachutes are very easy to fly. Flaring at the right time is probably the toughest thing, and again, with a radio they solve that for you. I've seen many, many first jump students stand up their landings. Me, I'm not so fortunate, but I'm not the norm. Good luck to you, and let us know how it goes!

I'm walking a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click Here for more information!

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the sport of skydiving. Glad you made it, there is a lot here waiting for you.

Just to answer some of your questions ... Skydiving is a lot like flying an airplane. The same physical "principles" that apply to airplane flight also apply to skydiving. Seeing as how you probably are ahead of the power curve on flight, the concepts behind skydiving should be relatively easy for you to comprehend.

I think the mere fact that you have been around the sport as an air traffic controller and as a pilot a little will also help you to relax. I think skydiving is a lot about relaxation and education. If you understand your equipment and how it works, if you understand the concepts of body and canopy flight and some very basic physics, the rest is just experience.

My suggestion would be to check into the AFF program. It is designed to turn you into a safe skydiver. Some drop zones offer an AFP program which I think is also very good. AFF will train you in all you need to know to be a safe skydiver and learn basic skills to get you off on your own.

We do not let you go unsupervised until we are sure you understand, know how and can demonstrate your ability to perform certain tasks.

You will learn how to fly your body stable, unstable, forwards, left, right and in a track. You will also be trained to fly your parachute (which by the way is pretty easy ... left toggle pull down turns left, right toggle pull down turns right and both toggles pulled all the way down slows the forward speed to stall) just like the wing of an aircraft.

So go sign up for the AFF program. It really is a truly amazing experience

Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires."

Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

[WarrenScott 0]

Hey Bob,
I am just starting my AFF program so hopefully I can answer some questions. My ears felt 'full' and they popped for 2 weeks after my first jump. I have allergies and my sinuses were a little irrated when I jumped, and I heard jumping with a cold can do damage to your ears and be uncomfortable, so make sure your sinuses are healthy when you jump. It also helped to 'clear' my ears every few minutes on the plane ride up. There are a few ways to do this but I like to pinch my nostrils closed with my fingers and puff my cheeks (holding my mouth shut) and blow slowly but forcefully. After a second you should feel pressure in both of your ears and when you exhale they should be equalized with the air in the plane.

Also, after the jump when you are under canopy, try to remember to do the same thing a few times before you land. My radio person sometimes reminds me. I also heard that you just get used to rapid pressure changes after awhile. I dont have a scientific explanation but I've jumped three times and it has gotten better each jump.

As for worrying about how stable you'll be, there are alot of more experience jumpers and instructors here, but in my very limited experience, you'll do fine if you relax. Windtunnel time would help you, but me and my friend were both very stable on our 3rd AFF jump. People progress at different speeds, but if you get good teachers, practice on the ground, and RELAX, you should have no trouble learning to fall stable.

[chuckakers 370]

>>1. My only complaint after the jump was a nose or sinus "injury". I felt like I had to sneeze for the next three days, and had to take allergenic nose drops to make the feeling go away. I'm sure this was normal, but how do I keep that from happening again? Should I jump with a clothespin on my nose? Should I train by going to a gas station, driving up to the air compressor, drop a quarter in the slot, and stick the hose in my left nostril?<<

Hopefully this problem will go away with time, but be warned that some people actually stop jumping due to continued problems with this (very few fortunately)

>>2. Should I get my own training chute, and if so, does the cost include the reserve and an AAD? What is the best? Lake Elsinore offers their own complete rental package which I am sure is excellent. Should I train and certify first, and then get my own chute?<<

Unless you just have money to burn (I know how overpaid you controllers are) use the DZ's rigs until you're ready to buy your first "experienced jumper" rig. Each component of the rig is sold seperately - harness, main, reserve, aad, but may be packaged by the seller. As for dealer choice, I'd start with the DZ where you learn. The people who know your skills and learning curve are often the best people to help you with gear choices. The best advise I can give you on gear selection is DON'T be talked into buying a canopy that is smaller (faster) than you are comfortable with. You'll hear a lot of folks say that you will get bored with a canopy that's too big, and while that is probably true, you also have to make sure you can land what you buy. It really sucks to have to watch everyone else jumping while you nurse a busted whatever.

>> 3. I watched Joan Lunden this weekend on A & E and her training with the Golden Knights. She was incredibly unstable in the wind tunnel, and I'm worried about my ability to be stable on my own with the AFF program. Should I opt for a program with a wind tunnel, or do these things work themselves out with the standard AFF program? I learn fast, I just would like to know your collective thoughts.<<

Tunnels are definitely an advantage (I took both of my kids to one before AFF) but not a requirement for good learning. Don't worry about what you see on TV. Just relax and jump. It will all work itself out.



.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[skylord 1]

Chuck,

Thanks for the reply. Just out of curiosity, what were the "N" numbers of the aircraft you jump from that we overpaid controllers work?

All kidding aside, I appreciate the feedback here. I spent Saturday up at Elsinore watching the weekend loads. I watched the professionalism of each and every jumper, including the group jumps. They looked like they were choreographing dances.

I didn't jump myself, but remembered a promise made to my recently 18 year old son. If he wanted to jump, I'd cover it. He said yes, and I've got the tandem master picked out. It is becoming a family affair!!

Bob Marks


Unless you just have money to burn (I know how overpaid you controllers are) use the DZ's rigs until you're ready to buy your first "experienced jumper" rig.

Bob Marks

"-when you leave the airplane its all wrong til it goes right, its a whole different mindset, this is why you have system redundancy." Mattaman