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ness

Newbie - Singapore tunnel time before AFF?

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Hi all,

I'm a very lucky girl :)
My dad is a skydiver and last month he bought me a tandem jump. I had the BEST time, it was just awesome and I cannot let that be the only time I ever jump out of a plane :) so I want to do my AFF later this year (just saving up some cashola and annual leave time first!). So the only experience I have so far is one tandem.

Dad is nipping over to Singapore next weekend for a couple of hours coaching in the wind tunnel. And as I am his favourite daughter, he's shouting my airfare and hotel room so that I can go with him!!! The only thing I have to pay for is my tunnel time.

Now, not being a qualified skydiver I don't even know what I can learn in the tunnel - is it worth it for me to book a 1 hour session? Or is that a bit of overkill? If I rock up to the tunnel and say "hi, I want to learn to skydive, what can you teach me that will make AFF easier" will they have a plan of attack?

Or am I doing it a bit backwards to how most people do it? It's too late to change it, Daddy has just booked my flight :)

Essentially I just want to know should I only book the "Experience" 4-flight package just to say I've done it, or would I get value from something like their "Belly Flying Package A" which includes another 6 'flights' with an instructor?

Many thanks in advance for any advice,

Ness

(Love you to bits Dad, just in case you're reading this!!??!!)

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Why not send them an email saying you're planning AFF and ask what they recommend?

Have a look at their training packages - these aim to teach you to fly your body in freefall, which is a good start. You can also get AFF specific training in a wind tunnel, which covers a bit more. You might be able to get that training from a tunnel instructor, or they might be able to put you in touch with someone.

Or have a chat with your father. If he's taking part in a tunnel camp there may be someone there who could give you the training you want.
Anne

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Here are some things that I've learned with tunnel time. Tunnel is not required to do AFF, but it can be very helpful. 4 minutes is not a lot in the tunnel.. some people get a stable position right away, and some take 10 to 20 minutes of flight or more.

The key is to relax and have fun. Listen to what the instructors tell you. The more you are worried or tense and not having fun the less you will learn!

As for learning previous to going into the tunnel, when I want to learn something new I go to the IBA youtube channel and watch the videos (and maybe practice a move out of the tunnel) but then go in and listen to what the instructor is teaching me.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFA9176BAACA9B59F

Make sure you don't watch too many videos. Maybe watch up to video 3.

Anyways, have fun and let us know how it goes! As with anything in skydiving the more time the better...

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Hi Anne,
I did end up emailing them, but they answered pretty much how I expected they would answer...
"Yes of course, tunnel time before AFF is an EXCELLENT idea, everyone should do it, how about I sell you $700 worth of time to start with and we'll see how we go?" ;)
I do think that just getting comfortable with an arch position, and maybe starting to move left and right (depending on how I go) might be useful and will hopefully be something I can remember and call upon when I start AFF for real later this year.
Thanks for your reply!
Cheers
Ness

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Oh wow! Dahlem, thanks so much! That YouTube link is brilliant, I haven't had a chance to watch any vids yet (its 11pm here and I'm knackered) but I've bookmarked it for looking at it tomorrow. What a great suggestion, thanks!

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Yup, it's an expensive sport! Once you move from the standard experience and basic training packages, you tend to need to buy fairly expensive chunks of tunnel time, plus pay for coaching. The alternative is to find someone who is coaching groups, which might enable you to buy smaller chunks of coached time. Your father might be able to point you to someone who does that.

Whatever you decide, if you do a standard session with a tunnel instructor, make sure you tell them you're building up to AFF. If they know that, they can give you more help.
Anne

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Hi all,

I just wanted to post an update to this thread now that I'm home.

Wow. Just wow.
I cannot believe how amazing this weekend was!

We had a VERY tight schedule, we flew from Australia and only had 26 hours in Singapore. My iFly instructor/coach was Jonathan and OMG he did such an amazing job - he made it all look so effortless!

By the end of Saturday I could:
- fly stable on my belly
- move forwards, move backwards
- move up & down in the air column
- turn left & back to centre, right & back to centre (using my arms)
- do a 360 turn left & right (using my arms)
- move in & (somewhat clumsily) high five him (more practice required tho!)... I take it this is the beginnings of "docking"??

So I think that's tonnes of learning in one day, we ran out of time to work on learning turns using just my legs, but that's fine, I think I have more than enough to get my head around :) I know that tunnel flying is not the same as actual skydiving, but I think that now I have a better understanding of a few basics hopefully it will hold me in good stead for my AFF course.

Tell you what, my 'core' muscles are telling me today that I worked them hard yesterday :) hope this means I can expect a washboard stomach in no time? :)

I had an absolutely brilliant time, I'm so grateful to my Dad for dragging me along with him, all the staff at iFly Singapore were amazing and so helpful.

Now I'm going to start searching for a DZ to do my AFF with.
But as an aside, I also need to work out how I can get a job as an instructor at the new tunnel they're building in Sydney, I think my coach has the best job in the world! :D

Cheers

Ness (not-yet-a-real-skydiver-but-totally-addicted-anyway)

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Tell you what, my 'core' muscles are telling me today that I worked them hard yesterday :) hope this means I can expect a washboard stomach in no time? :)





hahaha thats hilarious!!

If that were the case i woudl look photo shopped if i took my shirt off B|:P
*IF AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED... SKYDIVING IS NOT FOR YOU!!!*

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what state are you in Ness?


Qld - you don't happen to know any awesome instructors on the East Coast do you? My great Instructor Hunt has begun :)



Head on on out to Toogoolawah (near Esk) great DZ and TOP NOTCH Instructors and coaches.
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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