how much tunnel time makes sense?

[leonanderson 0]

Hey Folks, I am going to Orlando to get some coaching. I want to get as much time in the tunnel as I can learn from and physically handle. FYI, I am 56 and in pretty decent shape. Spent maybe 20 minutes in the tunnel in the past 2 yrs. Mostly want to work on flat-flying skills for RW this summer. What do you think is realistically the max time I should try to do over the course of 3 days?
Thanks much, LA

[kirkverner 0]

You can handle 30 minutes a day easy enough. Break it down into two 15 minute blocks with at least an hour in between so you can debrief, rest, and brief the next session. There are great instructors at the Orlando Skyventure that are available on a daily basis to coach. Contact the office and tell them what you need.

ParacleteXP

[rehmwa 2]

A two hour coached camp over 2 or 3 days is a nice camp. Getting a coach is a great way to make it work.

If you get a few people together and go with each other, then you have the option to share time if you show good skills and get more time also. Or, if you show you're more fit than typical.

(I've seen fit people just horribly spent and sore after 2 - 15 minute sessions in one day. But I've also know a handful of people that share a ton and get in 4 or 5 total flying hours over two days (but there's a limit even there with a new person and when the training isn't productive anymore. If you max out the time to that extent, mixing it up is really important - step away from belly and try some back and bootie flying to give the muscles a break, etc).)

Chromy is a great coach in Orlando and also can help find others - he's our number 1 coach/organizer for the yearly tunnelcamps. So is Kurt rom Skyleague.com. The staff at Skyventure is great too. Lots of good coaches in the Orlando area when they are available.

But, get the coaching, don't go it alone.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[keka 0]

I'll be in Orlando at the end of this month for some tunnel coaching too.
should be about 4 or 5 of us and we will probably share 30-60 mins....

can't wait

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
PMS#551
I love my life :)

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

Hey Folks, I am going to Orlando to get some coaching. I want to get as much time in the tunnel as I can learn from and physically handle. FYI, I am 56 and in pretty decent shape. Spent maybe 20 minutes in the tunnel in the past 2 yrs. Mostly want to work on flat-flying skills for RW this summer. What do you think is realistically the max time I should try to do over the course of 3 days?
Thanks much, LA

I did one hour in one day. I was pretty sore the next day though, but a lot of that's attributable to not having enough regular exercise lately during the winter..

If you exercise a lot of your muscles regularly, and warm up before every 15 minute session, 1 hour is pretty easy. If it's your first time, 20 minutes per day is probably good. Although I'd personally prefer two separate 15 minute sessions in the same day, followed by another two separate 15 minute sessions the next day. This gives you time to recuperate and apply learned skills while they are still fresh - and fix the mistakes you've made in the first 15 minute sessions of the day....

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

I'll be in Orlando at the end of this month for some tunnel coaching too.
should be about 4 or 5 of us and we will probably share 30-60 mins....

can't wait

yeah, we've got about 4 hours between 5 of us in CO end of the month. I plan to be in for most of it (working 2way with a friend, lots of 4 way stuff). Very excited, this is a 'fun' camp rather than team training, can't wait to see how it works.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[keka 0]

Quote

yeah, we've got about 4 hours between 5 of us in CO end of the month. I plan to be in for most of it (working 2way with a friend, lots of 4 way stuff). Very excited, this is a 'fun' camp rather than team training, can't wait to see how it works.

Nice!

this will be my 1st time in the tunnel (damn.....I know....beer, right!? )lol.....and I am very excited about it.
After that, the camp in NC with Kirk...and finally the tunnel in NC in July! YAY

this will be a busy year... I hope!

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
PMS#551
I love my life :)

[MedicJumper 0]

The first time I did tunnel I had about 100 jumps. I was in the same boat as you fitness wise. I ended up booking 2hours.

The first day I had 30min. coached time in an hour slot (i.e. I go two minutes, another student goes two minutes, I go two min....). I was fine physically. Maybe a little sore at the shoulders but that's it.

The next (3) days I had two 15min. coached sessions with an hour break in between. Same mild soreness but MUCH more productive! You have time to sit down debrief, look at your video to your heart's content and really think about what you just learned.

These days, I'm booking 20min. times usually with friends but we rarely go above that even if we easily could, fitness wise. We get out, take a break, talk about what went right and wrong and we go back in for another 20 min. later that day if we want to.

The trick is not just to do tunnel time but to maximise your learning curve with it as it's fairly expensive to crank up the hours.

Hopes that helps.

Somewhere, someone is training when you are not. When you race him, you will loose.

[leonanderson 0]

Thanks (to all who have posted on this question). I've decided to go with two 15 minute sessions an hour apart on each of three days. That sounds plenty manageable physically, but more importantly, it should maximize my ability to learn in the process.
Thanks again,
LA