peregrinerose 0 #1 May 7, 2007 I am probably going to be taking an AFF Instructor course in June (assuming I can get enough practice jumps before then)... if not June, then I'll go to Florida this winter to do it. I can fly well, I'm very good with students, good with ground prep, that end of it doesn't concern me as much. My weakness is that I tend to not fly aggressively, I'm always just a hair farther than I should be from my practice student on the 4 practice dives I've done). Skydiving is all about psychology with me... when I'm a bit insecure or nervous or second guessing myself, I hesitate just a hair. So, when AFF I/E are available I do practice jumps with them (due to me being one of 2 packers, I'm stuck on the ground all the time though, so not getting as many of these in as I'd like... only 4 so far). However, I can jump at a closer cessna DZ Tues and Thurs after work and my husband is willing to be faux student for me. I don't want to do spins/flips with someone who isn't qualified to teach me how to do them properly, so not looking for drills like that. I only want to teach myself to be more aggressive and more confident in my abilities... the flying skills are definitely there, I just don't believe in myself enough.... we are just going to do no-touch dives where I have to chase him around and stay within touching distance, giving hand signals, doing the bottom end as though it was an AFF jump with me slapping his leg instead of actually pulling him. (A local AFF I/E approved of this type of jump for us to do, he knows us both well and knows this would be a good drill and safe to do) So, any suggestions for him on how to fly to give me a challenge or for me or for me to get over this stupid insecurity thing would be great. Thanks! Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontiego 0 #2 May 7, 2007 Kicking all he can with legs and arms, maybe? I've seen videos of student doing that... Or falling very fast, in fetal position . If he's big enough, you'd have a hard time catching up. (just suggestion, i have actually no clue... so please don't flame) "We call on the common man to rise up in revolt against this evil of typographical ignorance." http://bancomicsans.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #3 May 7, 2007 Quote Kicking all he can with legs and arms, maybe? I've seen videos of student doing that... I've jumped with students (coaching jumps) doing that. Damn it's funny to watch people trying to swim in freefall Makes coaching jumps a lot less entertaining when they stop doing that though. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #4 May 7, 2007 Your sig line says all you need to know about flying your slot on AFF. These threads may also help. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1192346;search_string=AFF%20Course;#1192346 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=294102;search_string=AFF%20Course;#294102 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=644249;search_string=AFF%20Course;#644249 tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #5 May 7, 2007 How odd? I've taught students to perform heel clicks exactly zero times. Change *heel clicks* to *toe taps* and it's a much better read. Good luck peregrineroseMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peregrinerose 0 #6 May 7, 2007 Quote How odd? I've taught students to perform heel clicks exactly zero times Heel clicking sounds like you're frantically trying to get back to Kansas Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 0 #7 May 7, 2007 Quote Quote How odd? I've taught students to perform heel clicks exactly zero times Heel clicking sounds like you're frantically trying to get back to Kansas I probably was... you'll see My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #8 May 7, 2007 What I did: ***I flew in the tunnel giving the "remind two three, pull two three, assist two three, dump two three" hand signals and procedures while carving around and up and down the tunnel without grips on the "student". *** I had about 100 roll overs and 100 spin stops in the tunnel, followed by an immediately required corrective action. (Relax, pull time, arch, etc) *** I chased a few fake students around the sky. You mention the confidence thing and being there thing... You will get close and be there if you put your mind to it... Here is a story... When I was doing one of the pre-course eval dives, my evaluator "fell out the door". He put so much rotational force into it - to remove me from my grip on purpose - he hit his opposite hip on the door and I got a pretty good bump to... So there I am in the plane and my "student" is somewhere below me. I dive and see him on his back spinning... I never prior had to dive really strong to a formation - all my experience was in 4 way. I learned how to do it in 2 seconds - because I "wanted it". And boom - I was there, stopped the spin, rolled him over, and gave him the relax signal. It turned out the course director asked the evaluator not to do that again - it was too risky to do acrobatics in the doorway and get both of us slamming into the door or breaking a wrist (which would have happened if I could not let go)... But, I was happy he did it, because I knew I could dive to anything quickly... But I just had to "want it". At the same time, in my practice dives before I went to the AFFI program - I was not 100% "there". It was too easy not to "want it". But with a rating on the line, or post grad, with a student on the line - "wanting it" comes easy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #9 May 8, 2007 Quote I can fly well, I'm very good with students, good with ground prep, that end of it doesn't concern me as much. My weakness is that I tend to not fly aggressively, I'm always just a hair farther than I should be from my practice student on the 4 practice dives I've done). Skydiving is all about psychology with me... when I'm a bit insecure or nervous or second guessing myself, I hesitate just a hair. That hesitation and "hair farther" thing is exactly what to work on. The difference between being six inches away and two feet away when a student/evaluator goes googlyfucked is huge. As for TDog's "wanting it" thing, I guess I feel the same way but word it differently. Your flying skills need to be at the point that they are 100% instinctual. If you need a moment to think about what to do with your body to stay with the student, that's a moment you don't have to be watching and staying with your student. On my last eval dive, Mr. Stokes did a (somewhat predictable) flop to his back and started spinning away. I realized as I was rolling him over a short time later that what I'd done to stay with him wasn't something I'd ever done before...it was just what needed to be done based on our relative positions, and my body responded on its own. Rule 1 - Don't hurt the student or yourself. Rule 2 - You can't expect the student to do any better than you taught them on the ground. Rule 3 - Fly like both of your lives depend on it. It's that third one that makes AFF so mentally tiring for me. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shark 0 #10 May 9, 2007 Practice, practice, practice with current evaluators and/or AFFIs. Be aggressive; real students will not always be stable a pull time. Your evaluator will at least be belly-to-earth. Level 1s are not always the easiest. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #11 May 9, 2007 On my first practice dive I got hammered for being too far away when I thought I was in my slot. That pissed me off. I made up my mind that that sucker wasn't going to get away from me even if I had to rodeo the bastard. Disclaimer: No, I wasn't really going to Rodeo him. My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
