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frogerina

Very much a newbie...wind tunnel questions

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Okay, so up front here -- I've had a grand total of one tandem and one AFF jump. In debriefing that first jump, my instructor recommended some wind tunnel time, and I think that would be very helpful, as I was not super-stable in that freefall. I'm in southern Ohio, so I know this would be a bit of a roadtrip. Closest I can find with preliminary research are Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Pigeon Forge and ParacleteXP in NC. Any others within more-or-less driving distance from Southern OH?

First of all, anybody know anything about Flyaway? My instructor mentioned ParacleteXP. With one nontandem jump to my name, I really want to be able to get comfortable in the air, to work on form and learn what a good arch, etc. feel like. Are these reasonable wind tunnel goals? Since this would be a road trip, I really can't bop to the tunnel with much frequency -- could I get this information into my body, and then be back at the DZ to continue my AFF training with more style? (That first freefall of mine was not beautiful. Thank heaven for amazing instructors.)

I read here about people getting coaches. One jump me -- would I be okay with the staff there, explaining that I'm not there to play, but to learn good form? How much time, over how many sessions (I know -- I'm asking everyone to get their crystal balls out!) for a true newbie treading in very different waters?

Thanks for your help! I really want to figure this out.

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Hello!

I thought this thread had a cool video showing wind tunnel progression. Mind you he did this in 20 hours of time.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4403479

Think like this.. everyone learns at a different pace. The first goal is usually getting stable, and then you can learn everything you need for AFF :)
My personal experience was that I got belly-fly proficient within about 30 mins. However, for some people it might be double or half the amount of time. I don't recommend flying for more than 10-15 minutes at a time when you first start.. and 2 minute rotations for your block has been the best for me.

Just get instruction from the tunnel staff and have a good time.. you will learn more if you relax and enjoy yourself!;)

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Its a good idea to get some tunnel time in. Here are links to the two tunnel sessions I did at Perris valley between my static line jumps and freefall. I feel it gave me confidence and a grasp of the basics even though I was only in the tunnel 6 minutes total.

added link to videos of both sessions http://youtu.be/YcuWJOwq2wc

http://youtu.be/IDf4IV7HfNI

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Pigeon Forge: one of the older tunnels, choppy air, better than nothing.

Paraclete: relatively new, one of the largest, wall to wall air, great staff, one of my most favourite buildings on the planet. They will look after you, work with you and fast track things. They will know exactly what to do. Spend the money, take the drive (extra drive if it's further) and enjoy. Spend as much time there as you can afford - it will be worth it IMHO.

And it's a 20+ hour journey for me to get there, I'd be roadtripping if I could mate so there's not much of an excuse!

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I'm sure this list isn't exhaustive, but hopefully fairly close - here's a link to a database of tunnels worldwide:

http://www.jumpticketprices.com/tunnels.asp

Hopefully it'll give you some indication of where they are in relation to you.
Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

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That first freefall of mine was not beautiful



Truth be told, falling out of an airplane is not natural to most people ;)

It's normal to suck the 1st time you do something. Most of us have, and still do.

Speaking generally, since none of us know you: Will wind-tunnel time help? Most probably. Is it required? Probably not.

If you do some, do it in quick sequence before jumping: the day of, of the weekend of. At most, a few days before. And any tunnel instructor worth his/her salt should be able to help you with those goals.
Remster

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Talk to the instructor at the DZ and see if the dropzone has any planned trips to XP in the near future. Depending on the dropzone you jumped at here in Ohio there is one that has multiple teams that are training for Nationals and make the trip down every couple of weeks and might be able to help provide guidance on a trip or even help with ride sharing or other assistance. Join the DZ's facebook group if they have one and ask around since there are usually lots of people including some instructors in the area wanting to make a trip down there and are just looking for an excuse to go.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

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SecondRound

Its a good idea to get some tunnel time in. Here are links to the two tunnel sessions I did at Perris valley between my static line jumps and freefall. I feel it gave me confidence and a grasp of the basics even though I was only in the tunnel 6 minutes total.



Thank you so much for the view of a newish student at work! And thanks to everyone who has commented, shared video links and lists and ideas and PMs. I will be going the end of this month to SkyVenture Colorado!! (Yes, a ways from Ohio, but I got a great deal on a flight) and am set up with a tunnel coach/AFF instructor who is enthusiastic about the challenge of helping a newbie get comfortable and figure out the combination of air and body. Super excited....but also somewhat scared I ain't got it...

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I will be going to SkyVenture Colorado later this month. Any tips/suggestions? I'm trying to take everyone's suggestions about different workouts & stretches. I bought 2 hours & scheduled the minutes over 3 days total. After reading here, I'm thinking that might be a little optimistic. Since I am an older newbie, do you have any words of wisdom you can offer?

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Getting real yet? Older myself, I found that an hour (15 min a session, 30 minutes a day, over two days) was plenty. My third session was my best (first session of the second day, after I had a night's sleep for my body to program the moves in), and my final 15 minutes, I was really tired and it was hard to be able to get my body to cooperate with all that I wanted it to do. Personally, for me (and I can only speak for myself), I don't think I could have done 2 hours at the outset. However, you've got another day to spread those minutes out...

From another newbie...don't expect your first few minutes to be a thing of beauty. However, as you become more familiar with the space, you really will learn, and it becomes a lot of fun. Make sure you and your coach have worked out what you're planning to do during your time slot, and be sure you talk about the signals your coach will be using. Communicate what your goals are, what you want to learn.

The tunnel staff there are really a great bunch. It's a comfortable place, and you can watch and enjoy the other people there. They sell minutes to nonskydivers, too, so you may see some different stuff (and adorable kids flying!) during those other times of day.

Stay hydrated and well-fed. Be prepared to be sore and possibly have some bruises if you work on the mesh. Remember to enjoy the beautiful area and have fun food and rest during your downtime.

Try to get into the sky as soon as you can after you get home. Remember the tunnel work as you fly in the sky.

Now I defer back to the people in this forum who know what they're talking about with respect to tunnel. ;) Just my perspective from my first magic hour...

Have fun!!

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Great information! Yeah, I'm thinking about asking my husband to not be there for the first few sessions! I'm sure I'll struggle for a while. As far as the signals, I think I'm going to find what they are so I can study a little ahead of time and won't feel so stressed about remembering them. I've watched some wind tunnel videos. The one thing I can't figure out is how they are moving forward and back.

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I will be going to SkyVenture Colorado later this month.



Start stretching. Now. Everyday until then. And it may not be a bad idea to continue stretching everyday after that.

(and do a quick warmup before you stretch).

2 hours over 3 days sounds reasonable. It's a good amount, but manageable. Bring Advil ;), and tell Derek V hello from me.
Remster

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I stayed at the Element Denver Park Meadows. It was within walking distance of the tunnel, had great breakfast and comfy beds to throw tired bones into! Call the tunnel..they have discount codes for some area hotels. The tunnel itself is in an area with several restaurants, etc. Have a great time in the tunnel!

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Congrats on getting started!

Here are a couple goodies for you. Hope it helps. x

How to Train in the Wind Tunnel:

http://extremesports.about.com/od/skydiving/a/Totally-Tubular-Training.htm

Listing of skydiving specific wind tunnels in America:

http://extremesports.about.com/od/skydiving/tp/List-Of-Indoor-Skydiving-Locations-In-The-United-States.htm

XO!
AO

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