Good discipline for new jumper

[Scoop 0]

Hey, I was wondering what people suggest as good discipline for new skydiver to get into. I got a while yet but I was hoping to concentrate on formation work and accuracy stuff to build my skills.

I know its a rush watching people doing crazy things but at the moment the biggest kick I get is when I do something and it goes well from start to finish.

So guess im asking what did you do, would you do anything different in hindsight and what do you suggest?

• Quote

[MB38 0]

Beware of my advice, look at my jump numbers.

Almost everything that I've been told has led me to believe that a new jumper should focus on relative work for a solid amount of time. Be able to work on your fall rate, turns and docking ability so that down the line you won't have to think about it.

I've spoken to freeflyers who started on their ninth jump. Two-hundred jumps later they were fairly proficient freeflyers, but as soon as they got on their belly they were lost.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[vt1977 0]

Since you're in the UK, you will need to do at least some FS or RW before you are allowed to attempt to freefly.

Last time I checked the ops manual you had to be able to do the following flat flying before being allowed to freefly:

Forward/backward movement
Sideways movement
Fast/slowfall
In place turns
Dive to pin

You will need to find an FS coach (sometimes still called WARP coach) to learn these skills with. However, once you have achieved these skills you will be within a couple of jumps of achieving your FS1 so you may as well carry on and get that anyway. You will then be free to go and learn more FS or start freeflying.
As far as the canopy stuff is concerned, you will now do CH1 as part of your A licence and you will need to do CH2 (more advanced canopy handling and some accuracy landings) and JM1 (spotting, flightline checking and responsibilities of a jumpmaster) for your B licence. I'd strongly suggest that you get as many of the JM1 briefings as possible done over the winter when the weather isn't great!

Try to get on one of Chris Lynch's Wingtips seminars as soon as possible too!

Whatever discipline you choose, get good coaching early - it is worth the money - and stay safe.

hth
Vicki

[Scoop 0]

Cheers, Chris is an instructor at my DZ and even at AFF level he is really hot on teaching canopy stuff and getting us to experiment and plan our landing patterns etc.

[flyangel2 2]

For a newbie you got the right idea

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[tdog 0]

I have 240 "RW" jumps (and 5 or so hours in a tunnel on my belly) and 10 freefly jumps, and I am just STARTING to feel like I have some of the skills solid in RW and my freefly is crazy... So it takes a while. Nothing 10,000 more jumps won't fix.


It might just be me, but I also think tracking dives are a great learning tool while working on your belly skills too...

Tracking is something you will do every RW jump to save your life, but there is a lot to learn by spending the whole dive doing it...

I also think it is good to throw in some "freefly" even if it is solo jumps where you spend some time on your back or in flips, etc... I spent 120 jumps in a row once doing 4way RW... I found after that, I had better abilities on my back as a 15 jump wonder, that I lost trying to be so "stable"... Being on your back is a useful tool, even if you just do RW... (For an example, you go REAL low on a formation, but you need to break off at the planned altitude... Flying on your back is a great skill because you can look up and see what is happening.) Barrel rolls are also a life saver, and having the skills to stop the roll for 2 seconds to get a good look, is great... All these skills are not exactly sit flying, but not exactly belly either.

T.

[thepollster 0]

I'd suggest CRW. Canopy skills are important, and not panicing when you are close to someone else can only be learned from pratice. Also, if you did 10 jumps with a top 4-way competitor, you might get a little better in freefall. If you did the same 10 jumps with a CRW coach, you would see great progress, and be much safer (likely, no guantees) under canopy.

[vt1977 0]

PS to add...

Since you're in the UK, you now have 2 brand new windtunnels to go and play in! Take advantage of that - we are very, very spoilt all of a sudden - whatever freefall discipline you choose!

Vicki

[Scoop 0]

Ive had 10 mins at Bedford which was brilliant. But that was after level 3 and was really just to sort out positional stuff. But I shall have to go up there when im bit more cometent to 'tune in' the skills

[Jackpunx 0]

I did wind tunnel between level 3-4 it was great.. but.. I lost a little alt awareness as a result of flying in the tunnel for a couple min at a time.. try to make a habit of looking at your wrist while in the wind tunnel.

[purplegirl 0]

my instructor told me to do belly flying for at least 100 jumps before venturing to other disciplines. he said it'll make me an excellent jumper.

[twibbles 0]

I was told by a freeflyer that freeflying invloves flying in every position possible, including flat. So it works out better if you get FS1 before venturing into freeflying. For me, i'm planning to go for a canopy control course next, just to get my landings somewhat accurate.

Eugene

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of
people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

[Stumpy 284]

True - but if you do well you can get FS1 in about 8 jumps - thats not a lot of time on your belly. We were doing some hybrids last week and a couple of the freeflyers couldn't fly into a slot on a nice stable 4-way because their belly skills weren't up to it.

The most impressive freeflyers i have seen are really good on their belly as well. (Fabian Raidel springs to mind)

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[twibbles 0]

A bit off topic, but just noticed your FAI number's only 4 away from mine.

Back on topic, very true. I'm still having fun and working on the finer points of FS after 60 FS jumps. Just starting to get into big ways. Amazing how much fun a good 16-way was! Not planning to really start learning to freefly until summer and some tunnel time.

Eugene

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of
people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

[TheAnvil 0]

I recommend doing RW for a few hundred jumps. Get comfortable on your belly, in the air, and under canopy. When you pass 100 jumps you'll realize you don't know anything, then when you pass 200 you'll realize it all over again. After you've got a couple hundred jumps, perhaps give CRW a try, but only with someone with a lot of CRW experience.

One thing I see a lot of people do - Vinny opinion - is start learning to freefly too early. When you do this you lose your belly skills - which were never fully developed in the first place.

Since you're just starting out, learn how to do some flat turns under canopy - they can save your butt. And KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF THE FRONT RISERS FOR A LONG WHILE. 200 jumps or so. Then, think about it again, ask somebody who knows what they're doing, and stay off of them for another hundred jumps unless your above 1500 feet.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

And KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF THE FRONT RISERS FOR A LONG WHILE.

Balderdash -- just do it above 2000 feet.

Good to get familiar with them, just do it up high.

[tbrown 26]

I'm a Relative Worker & always have been. It's good discipline and real flying, especially the sequential, which makes you think and plan. Plus, when you do get into freeflying and hybrids, you'll actually be able to GET TO the formation and get in. I spend more time lying in hybrid bases watching freeflyers orbiting and falling below because they have no belly skills.

Tracking dives are a form of no-contact RW and you learn good tracking, so go on those too.

Most importantly, take a canopy course ASAP. Today's canopies, even the "mellow" ones need real heads up flying. Landing your canopy is something you have to do on every jump, whatever else you're doing. It's too easy to get hurt - or even killed on today's canopies and the proper training to use them is only beginning to catch up to the advanced designs. Learn to fly your canopy first.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !