Tunnel Question

[Birdman310 0]

I currently have 50 jumps.I was wondering if tunnel time counts as a skydive? It did for aff. Just wondered if it did for A-licensed holders.

[excaza 1]

It counted for AFF?

[Birdman310 0]

On two levels. Just wondering. Id rather jump but get some experience in the tunnel. Money is tight.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Since your profle is blank it is impossible to know what the context (country) is for your question. In the USA, the USPA does NOT allow tunnel time to be used to meet any experience requirements for licenses or ratings.

There are VERY good reasons for this:
--Tunnel time has no spotting.
--Tunnel time has no aircraft exits.
--Tunnel time has no real "altitude awareness".
--Tunnel time has no real "deployment time".
--Tunnel time has no canopy flight.
--Tunnel time has no canopy landing.

However, tunnel time can be VERY useful (and cost-effective) for building freefall skills. If money is tight... a canopy control course is more likely to improve your odds of survival than tunnel time!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[Birdman310 0]

Thank you Glideangle. Just set up that portion of my profile. I'm going to continue to keep jumping then. I need the jump numbers more than anything to get to where I want to go.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

I need the jump numbers more than anything to get to where I want to go.

If where you want to go has anything to do with a wingsuit, then you do need the jumps. Not much you can do in the tunnel will translate to wingsuit flying, as the tunnel is all 'straight-down', and wingsuiting is anything but. Tracking dives might be in order if wingsuiting is where you're heading.

If it has anything to do with wingsuit BASE, you need the jumps even more. Any type of BASE jump will require excellent canopy control and accuracy, and those are things that you can only get through making actual jumps.

Tunnels are fun, and a valuable training tool for freefall skills, but they are of limited use with realtion to exits, tracking/wingsuits, and anything to do with canopies.