I'm 4 no more!

[gman 0]

I finally got that monkey off my back, I passed AFF#4 last Saturday. I seem to have an "arch" problem. For several weeks the advice I've been getting is to relax. Well...I relaxed so much that I flatten out my belly. I didn't know it until that moment.
Throughout the dive I relaxed, lost the arch, and worked to get it back. This happened 3 times during the freefall. I couldn't believe it, I'm not spinning. I took a quick glance at my altimeter and it was time to deploy. As soon as the canopy opened, I took the toggles and did lots of spirals and figure 8's in the sky, I was that happy. As soon as I got to the ground I asked my J.M. "sooo...did I pass?" His response is "Yep!" Words can't describe what I felt there and then, you just had to be there.
Now for the "Not so Good" part. I felt so confident, I wanted to do the level 5 jump the same day. After a 1 hour rest I went through the briefing session as to what I had to do. I got on the plane and kept telling myself to arch hard. As soon as I exited the plane I did just that, "Arched Hard". I arched so hard that I started "chipping" and couldn't stop. Basically screwed up the jump. Got to the ground and the JM told me I got a "relaxation" problem. The arch was perfect, I was not spinning, but I was too stiff.
Geez...if I relax, I lose the arch. If I arch hard I start chipping. "If it's not one thing, it's another". Maybe I didn't get rid of that monkey after all. Anyway I'm just happy to be at level 5.
-G.M.L.-

[Pammi 0]

Congrats Gman!!! Good to hear you are getting it figured out! I think we're both working on the same things..."relax AND arch?!" LOL! It's hard to relax when you want to pass the stupid jump! It's all about learning tho, and what the hey, so you make another jump! It's all a good time! Enjoy yourself first and foremost, the rest will come!
Blue skies!
Pammi

[lummy 4]

Glad to hear you got over the hump!!!! I'm sure you'll get the Arch just right, just give it time. Hell, when I was doing AFF, I was arching so hard that you could almost fly thru the hole between my back and rig. I'm serious, on video, you could see blue skies thru. From what I remember, chipping is more of being tense and stiff, not as much a matter of too much arch

[Zennie 0]

Arching right is kind of like riding a bicycle. It just sort of happens. After that you don't forget. Problem is, just like riding a bicycle, it's hard to describe how to do it to other people. You just sort of do it.
It is a relaxation thing, but not totally loosy-goosey either. Ever swing a baseball bat or a golf club? You don't throttle the grip, but you don't let it fly out of your hands when you swing it either. It's kind of like that.
Best advice I can give (and the only reason I'm giving it is because I got past the same bugaboo not too long ago) is to just sort of let yourself "sink in" to the arch. Let the wind flow around you and shape you, but have enough control that you can work it with your arms, hands & legs. Sounds weird, but that's the best way I can describe it.
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Blue Skies!
Zennie

[froggie 0]

gman,
congratulations! I was just wondering last night how your level 4 jump went. got to the threads and saw your post "i'm 4 no more!" and got a big dumb grin on my face for you :) Congrats. thanks for postin an update.
froggie

[Iflyme 0]

Hell, yer out there skydiving! Level 4 outta the way - that ain't so bad, is it...??? So what if you don't get it perfect every time out. Just have fun and keep trying!
Frank