Jessica 0 #1 March 24, 2002 (Cross-posted in Safety and Training)So today I made my first skydive since getting back from Airspeed tunnel camp. And I was pretty damn nervous -- all that money, all that work later, would any of it translate into the sky?I have 60 jumps, and I SUCK in the air. I've always had a horrible backsliding problem I couldn't seem to solve; I was just completely unaware of my legs and what they were doing. The backsliding was so bad that it dwarfed my other problems: fallrate issues, unintentional sliding and orbiting, flying with my arms in a big ugly W, reaching for grips (on the rare occasions I was close enough to take them). Etc.I was hopeful, after tunnel camp. You see, you can't fake fallrate in the tunnel. So I fixed that the first day. And you can't backslide in the tunnel, because you slam into the glass and the whuffos laugh. There's nothing more irksome than being laughed at by a whuffo. So I fixed that pretty quick, too. It was almost easy, with mirrors everywhere and Jack Jeffries constantly in my face. I learned to turn and fly with my legs, to keep my arms forward, to arch properly, even to stay stable and maintain altitude in a burble.So today was the test. A guy who'd been at the same tunnel camp offered to jump with me. Cool. "If you see me backsliding," I told him, "fly up to me and scream 'YOU WASTED ELEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!'" He laughed. I was serious.We decided to do a sidebody exit, then just do a bunch of sidebodies alternating with docking face-to-face. Stuff we'd done in the wind tunnel. I did it fine there; I've never done anything remotely that complicated in the sky.We manifested, got in the otter, rode it up. I was as nervous as a whore in church. Got in the door. Jumped out.And boom. Every part of the skydive was exponentially better. My exit was the most confident it's ever been -- leaping into a wind tunnel over and over and over again will do that for you, I guess.We didn't funnel. That's amazing right there. I'm a champion funneller. I get so overwhelmed on exit I forget to arch. Not this time.I flew around in front of my jump partner. We docked. Again and again. I was acutely aware of my legs. I was actually flying instead of falling. Yeeha!So, long story less long, yes, it translated. In spades. The tunnel camp was an incredible tool. I really think I learned more my first day there than I have in a year and a half of sporadic jumping. There're a lot of reasons that come to mind offhand, some of which we talked about at camp.First, the fear and stress inherent in throwing your body from a plane is removed. Second, you're nose-to-nose with a world-champion skydiver for every moment you're in the tunnel. Third, you get about two minutes of flying time at a stretch -- that was pretty darn cool. Jump today seemed kind of short. And fourth, every moment of flying is intensely debriefed. You can't get away with anything sloppy. And that's the way to learn.So! I recommend it, obviously, and just wanted to share my happy happy jump with y'all. I even almost stood up my landing. Oh, and here's some proof:Day one.Day three.No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #2 March 24, 2002 That is awesome Jess! I knew it wouldn't be a waste of money or time but I'm blown away by how much you learned. Now you've got me wondering what I can sell to get my own butt there this year...pull and flare,lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #3 March 24, 2002 Way to go, Jessica! Your story almost makes me want to try belly flying again.....but not quite.AndreaThe brave may not live forever, but the timid may not live at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prost 0 #4 March 24, 2002 Are there any good free flying tunnel camps? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #5 March 24, 2002 So you've gone from being "Jessica, yee of little faith", to "Jessica, master of all things related to air". Eleven hundred bucks, huh? That's alot of ... alot of ... of -- alot of stuff you could buy! But it sounds like you made a good investment -- in yourself! I happy for ya, Jess! So let's have some video of all this flyin' you do these days! How much time did you spend in the tunnel?"Men weren't meant to rideWith clouds between their knees"Five For Fighting Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #6 March 24, 2002 I'm almost positive they've had a FF in the camp sometime in the past, and I bet they're more in the works. Try the Skyventure site.Frank, I was in the tunnel for a total of 100 minutes. Sixty were included in the camp; that's the $1100 I was referring to. Everything else cost extra.Yeah, it was a huge chunk of change, but let's look at what I got. Sixty minutes of freefall = about 60 jumps. That's around $1080. Video on all of them would be what, another $600? I have no idea. Coaching by Airspeed. God, I couldn't say. Regular SDU coaching is around $30, so maybe, conservatively, another $1800?Anyway, my point is that for the same amount of money spent skydiving, I wouldn't have gained a fraction of the benefits. Yeah, it hurt, but it was very well spent.I have nary a complaint. No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #7 March 24, 2002 Oh, and I'm no "master," hehehehe. I'm "less likely to completely FUBAR the jump."No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #8 March 24, 2002 That is awesome Jess. Glad to hear that it went well. I would love to go to a camp like that. Seems too easy without the 15 min ride to altitude and the packjob afterward. I think you just got SkyVenture some future business. JumpinDuo.com...come and sign the guestbook. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #9 March 24, 2002 Yes! I hope I didn't come off sounding negative - I wanted to say: This is a GREAT investment you have made! Skydiving skills go way up, self confidence - ditto... now you can jump like crazy! I think it's fab, and if there was a tunnel nearby, I'd do the same!"Men weren't meant to rideWith clouds between their knees"Five For Fighting Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
axe96bam 0 #10 March 24, 2002 Yep, there is the proof again - the tunnel is an awesome learning tool.Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jabeln79 0 #11 March 24, 2002 After reading this i no know i must go to a tunnel . ANyone want to share some time at Pigoen Ford in tennesse sometime preferably during the week or on a sundayBlue Skies Joe "When they say jump you say how high" RATM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Albatross 0 #12 March 24, 2002 Two big points. 1. The tunnel is awsome!!! Especially if you have consistant problems. 2. Anything where you get to fly with Airspeed is going to make you MUCH better. SO Jessica does this mean that we will be seing you at a Skills camp in Eloy soon?God bless us and God Bless AmericaAlbatross Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #13 March 24, 2002 wow jess-- good on you! but i didnt realize the camps were that expensive. i could buy an awesome guitar for that much...oh wait i got 5! well i could buy part of a rig for that muc--wait got that too! or i could take a well deserved trip to..oh yea im doing that in 23 days...um i guess ill have to go to the camp when i get to vegas!( ive been planning it but i guess ill have to save some more beans first!)glad to hear it worked for ya!getting high is fun, but coming down is the best partJT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DENGOPHER 0 #14 March 24, 2002 i'm planing a trip to pigonforge soon when were you wanting to go????just jump!!!gopher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #15 March 24, 2002 That's awesome Jess. I think you made an incredible investment that is well worth it! Everyone knows that those who can jump the most often, and with as little space between the jumps, will learn faster and better because you don't forget things in between. For those of us with little opportunity to get a lot of jumps because of other obligations, or sometimes much alti to practice in, it's hard to build up skills we need/want even if we have a lot of actual jumps! I look at how many jumps we have verses the amount of time we've actually been in the sport and can think of a hundred things I'd do differently. Also, just as many that we couldn't prevent. The tunnel seems like a terrific place to learn a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I could! New pin jewelry! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #16 March 24, 2002 First off, congrats Jess! Glad you got over the confidence hump!QuoteAre there any good free flying tunnel camps?I know the Flboyz have them occasionally and I believe Alaska Jon also does one. Both are at SkyVenture I believe.I would love to do a FF tunnel camp to work out my fallrate & proximity issues in HD. I can fall fast, but have a hell of a time falling slow, so I drop out on sitfliers all the time. I did the tunnel when I was a student and it helped immensely. I'm sure if I dedicated an hour of tunnel time to my freeflying it would make a huge difference.The only thing I'm not too sure on is whether even the SkyVenture tunnel can support freefly speeds. If they can crank it up to 140-160 MPH then yeah it would be do-able. In fact, it seems like it would be good training to have them vary the speeds up & down and make you hold your position. You'd really learn to react quickly to other people's fallrate changes & still maintain proximity. Naturally freeflying with someone in the tunnel would be a boon as well. Work on docks, over-unders, etc."Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #17 March 24, 2002 Here's a link to Jon DeVore's tunnel camp info. Bottom line $2500 and about 3 hours tunnel time and a day of jumping at Deland. By my math, if you assume approixmately a 53 second freefall per FF skydive, that comes out to $3681 to get the same amount of freefall time as you'd get in those 3 hours in the tunnel. Now imagine all those skydives as coached jumps. So even though it seems steep, it's all coached freefall time.Wasn't able to find anything on any Flyboyz tunnel camps."Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #18 March 24, 2002 I wonder where the closest tunnell to Detroit is? Semper Fi ..... http:// www.aahit.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #19 March 24, 2002 QuoteSO Jessica does this mean that we will be seing you at a Skills camp in Eloy soon?YES! As soon as I get my firstborn back from the pawn shop.No, Frank, you didn't sound negative -- I'm just constantly justifying the cost to myself. No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OmriMon 0 #20 March 24, 2002 i must give my opinion here too bout wind tunnelsafter all i found skydiving when i first went to the wind tunnel when i was 8, since then i was hooked to it and wanted to skydive ever since!i have now over 7 hours of wind tunnel time and it had done wonders when i started jumpin, even though i don't do much belly flying anymore i would recommend anyone that wants to improve his skills to go to the windtunnel."The longer you freefly - The longer your beard is" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #21 March 24, 2002 Heh!In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I just realized that BOTH those pics are from day three of the camp. It's not my fault, though -- that was during the "rough-up-the-student" drill!No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #22 March 25, 2002 We went to SkyVenture while we were over there, one thing that struck me was when we arched well we just went belly down to the wire and would sit there until we de-arched.When we got back from there we were told that we should have asked for more air, I found it a great tool for making you aware of you body's position, but I think it spoiled my shape because of us having to use a de-arched position to actually get off the wire.What I noticed were my arm's were lower and more out in front to enable flight, so when I tried it in freefall I just started some involuntary head-down stuff. Excellent tool though I would like to try it with some more air though to put my mind at rest...Billions of people living out their lives..Oblivious.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jessica 0 #23 March 25, 2002 Yep, they should have cranked it up for you. The Airspeed guys were bent in half with their crazy arches, and they sure weren't hitting the mesh.No, it's not updated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #24 March 25, 2002 Dont forget about the Deland Magik(Joey Jones was one of the fist guys to develop tunnel training)guys...you get two hours in the tunnel for 1800 bucks..and then offer jumps at Deland with the boys to cross over to actualy air...remember they did just beat Airspeed in Deland two weeks ago....(they(Magik) are so gonna win nationals).....marcBSBD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #25 March 25, 2002 ANY good coach will make you fly better, Airspeed doesn't have the monopoly on that. (XL, Majik. PD Blue/Genesis all offer excellent coaching)... the nice thing about these guys is there are local, and you can do as much or as little as you want if you book outside of a camp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
