hillson

N/A

Sorry is this is in the wrong area...will be in Melborne 17-19 Feb and figure I'd spend two days at Sebastian. Checked their calendar for Feb and nothing is listed yet. Looking for real basic post-A stuff (like 10 jumps post-A by that point). Basic fall-rate, docking, proper exits etc or a first canopy course. I'm happy to mix and match over two days too... Any point of contact assistance would be appreciated...

I had crippling door fear...rode the plane down on my 8th jump, would show up at the dz at 8am and sometimes not jump...sometimes I would get up enough courage by 3pm to do one jump...extremely frustrating as I KNEW it was all in my head. I read almost every thread on the site about fear, spent hours watching YouTube etc. eventually I realized that I was letting my inability to effectively manage my fear was preventing me from doing something I loved (once I got out of the plane). I eventually learned how to learn to love the exits...and pounded out 17 jumps in the last week (this was a very recent problem). And it doesn't really feel like "falling" but rather floating and accelerating. For easy math...let's say the jump run is moving horizontally (ie flat over the ground) at 90-100 mph. You fall at terminal at 120 mph. What you're doing when you jump out of the plane is converting 90-100 mph of horizontal speed to 120 of vertical speed. In reality you're going to gain about 20-30mph in 10s/1000 feet. It is sort of like jumping off of a 10m high dive but you don't have the massive "falling elevator" feeling in your stomach because 1) you're not starting with zero vert/horizontal speed and 2) you're jumping into the relative wind which you'll feel first coming at you from the plane and then will shift over 10s to coming below you...gently and not abruptly. Anyway...that's my crappy explanation. Report back on how your jump goes. :)

Reducing one's canopy size by ~24% (particularly with low jump numbers) seems silly to me...but what do I know...

Any question you have during FJC...ask your instructor. I had about a million (75% of which I thought were dumb) and each was answered with grace, patience and a full explanation. If something is nagging or you'd like your instructor to go over it again...ask Before you get to the door take a nice deep breath and smile. :)

Copy all. Will reassess my approach.

Just out of curiosity, how many are you expecting him to do? Well, if one is going by the book: Altitude check every five seconds or after each maneuver, whichever comes first. Knowing that everything, of course, does not always "go by the book" I would *hope* that I'd observe them after maneuvers. I, too, have made this error.

Never suggested that I did (or that I do). I'll be happy to spring for a video of my check dive and post it for your observations. But I'm not going to waste my lift ticket geeking the camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiIcKXIKnkc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Check out the next one on his video list... Looks to me like an AFF dive with a freaking costume on. WTF? 1) Didn't even pretend to spot 2) I counted maybe 5 alti checks 3) flew like a can of pringles 4) delta track =! hands on ass 5) looked at the ground at deployment (contribute to his line twists?) I'm sure there are more but i stopped paying attention

Kinda hard to have an opening at 3 when you're exiting at 2, eh? Yeah. I just think it's nuts - well, overkill - to exit at 2,700 and go right to silver. I would agree with you. But as one of those law type guys....what would you tell a student? edited to add: the SIM nor PIM does not care if you are in freefall or on a clear and pull....it is MINIMUM opening altitude. FWIW I went over this on a coach jump this weekend for my student progression and whether there were differences between FJC acft EPs and now. Assuming we're not riding the plane down pull silver at 3000 hit your main. There was the acknowledged grey area of 500 feet but we were told until we had experience of a sub terminal opening we should pull silver...and then discuss with your instructors after some hnp. Did two from 5k this weekend. First was 5 sec delay and pull and was open by ~4k. Second was immediate clear and pull. Was open by ~4.4-4.5k (owing for alti inaccuracy). Had a discussion with instructors after about acft emergencies and opening altis and this was my determination: 2500 or less is my hard deck. Pull silver. Above that (and I'm not talking at 2501 ft) but below 3000 I'm confident that there is altitude to go to my main...with the caveat that I can always hit silver first. I've had no problem getting stable from any orientation on exit (yet) but I know it is something to put into the decision matrix. Not that is matters but my routine on the ride up is at 1k remove buckle, touch silver, remove helmet. At 2.5k do a full handle check, and at 3,4,5k (my student deployment altis as it were) look alti, look window, touch hackey. Obviously EP, checks etc higher as is std but want a good sight picture and a plan if all goes to shit lower.

Paddy'a Day is (blessedly) on a Saturday this year...there will be plenty of beer at the Bird House...Plus it should average about 25C that time of year which is nice. Plenty of very experienced jumpers and a growing bunch of new jumpers that call the dz home...look us up!

Legoland FL is close to Lake Wales and it isn't too painful a trip to ZHills....just sayin'....

Rental fees: iirc it is ~$23 per jump on zhills gear. Don't remember if that includes pack. If not add $7 Sunshine Factory is (iirc) $40-45 for half day $87 for full day. Half day ends early afternoon I think. You can pack yourself. If you pack yourself and chop and lose the gear...you buy the replacement. Pay for pack and chop and lose...gear is covered. No RSL on rentals Largest canopy is a 210 I think.

No idea on the first rig...hasn't even entered my calculations yet. Here's my general cost (assume to be +/- a few hundred here or there for yourself) AFF A-E + solo (no repeats): $~1500 10 solo: $25 lift / $23 rental: $480 6 coach: $98 per (coach plus rental) + lift = $738 Total: ~$2700 I have no idea how I'm going to split coach and solo so those are just ballpark figures. Can't rent non-student gear until the A because they have no RSL here, cash for goodies will have to wait until I'm done. Plus $60 for USPA

If you don't have the time / $$ to head to FL/AZ/CA...save every penny you can. Or set a pile of $100 bills on fire every weekend to get used to the feeling. Read...but understand you may be "too book smart" when you get to AFF. I had (or thought I did) a good "conceptual" idea of skydiving / AFF...was real different when I was finally in the air. Had to slow down and realize info in AFF is parceled out in small chunks for a reason. YMMV, of course. Go to Raeford for a weekend for some tunnel time. Prepare to be frustrated by the weather; prepare to make a mistake or two. Seriously...save some cash.