Unstable freefall

[the_rain25 0]

so i am a student and i keep getting nervous to leave the airplane, 13,500ft -my last jump was my first solo exit-was terrible,tumbled until 10,000ft,got stable but was still upset about being so nervous on the exit,but i completed 180's and 360's,after i was stable, does anyone have good tips?(as far as not being nervous on exit? i seem to do fine once im in freefall and canopy control.

[steve1 5]

Hang in there. Eventually you'll grow to like exiting an aircraft....

[FastRon 0]

Been there. Like a Cessna (according to my pilot friends) belly to earth with solid arch is positive stable. (An F16 or a reverse arch is not) Bring your arms back, arch hard, spot the horizon, get symmetric, and you're there. Worked for me anyhow.

[MikeJD 0]

Nervousness is one of those things that lessens with experience. Not the answer you want to hear, and not much consolation right now! I remember being quite nervous on each of my AFF jumps, but that was more to do with the pressure to pass than fear of getting hurt.

Of course there's a vicious circle at work too, since you will skydive best when you're alert but relaxed, and better skydives would in turn make you more confident. Sounds like you have the reverse effect at the moment.

Have you spent any time in a wind tunnel? That would allow you to build up your freefall skills in a no-pressure environment, and then having that confidence in your flying ability would give you one less thing to worry about when it's time to leave the plane.

You might want to check out Brian Germain's book too. I haven't read it, but it seems to come highly recommended and might help you.

Meanwhile I'd say you need to look at the positives as well, since at the moment you seem to be beating yourself up unneccesarily. You did get stable. You did complete your turns. You did have a good canopy ride. Hey, when it comes down to it you did jump out of an aeroplane. What's not to like?

[Darktower 0]

Being new to the freefall experience I don't know if there is alot I can offer but let me tell you wha works for me. During the entire process of getting to altitude I think about the things I want to accomplish/work on for that jump. I keep repeating a positive image of a successful jump in my mind and take deep breaths.

Now, I did have quite a few static line jumps back in the military so I might have developed, as one poster said, a relaxed state because of familiarity. However, one my second or third jump in ABN school I actually fell asleep in route to 3,000.

Try that and see if it helps!

[Ishootu 0]

When u stop getting nervous is when u should start to be concerned...nervous is good

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[Skyper 0]

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When u stop getting nervous is when u should start to be concerned...nervous is good

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certain arousal level is definetelly needed, but being too nervous can lead to wrong decisions...

try to relax during the flight (about 2000ft prior exit level) - close your eyes, inhale deeply and slowly and exhale in the same way.

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[snwbdr94 0]

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try to relax during the flight (about 2000ft prior exit level) - close your eyes, inhale deeply and slowly and exhale in the same way.

While your eyes are closed you can be mentally preparing for the jump as well. Envision your self in freefall whether it be 3rd person or 1st person and run through each objective you have. You can do this during your breathing exercises.

If you mess up during the jump, laugh about it! Don't stress about it under canopy since there isn't anything you can do about it until after you land anyways. Enjoy the ride and don't forget to have fun!

[jrmrangers 0]

You know that is a great comment, i laugh at myself all the time when i screw something up. It helps you to relax and everything comes more natural when your relaxed. As Ive read here a million times, dont beat yourself up, youve got a grand total of a couple of minutes of freefall. Did you learn how to ride a bike in 5 minutes or less? Relax have fun and enjoy the ride!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[Divinfool 0]

Ditto...remember you are in this for FUN. I had the same problem in AFF...it was not the fear of getting injured ... it was the fear of not succeeding in the eyes of my instructors. I did level 3 three times! I finally said "screw this"...I'm here because I dig every part of this sport. Who cares how well I do it. If I have to do level 3 ten times, I'm not giving up. Long story short, I ended up skipping level 6 because I aced it all the rest of the levels. I really love this sport.... IMHO the best is yet to come.

Fear is the thief of dreams.....

[firstime 0]

just after you exit look up at the plane and keep looking at it, it worked for me. it takes your mind off the unstable exit thingy and looking up gives you a good arch