So PFF problems seem to be backards from AFF

[hackish 8]

I'm still having problems arching on my 5 second delay. Had to repeat it twice so far and still haven't passed. My problem seems to be an unstable exit from the plane and not enough time to regain stability.

From what I've heard the AFF people seem to have problems with the lower jumps but not the higher ones since there is lots of time. The IAD for me went OK but I still had problems with arching properly.

Someone has suggested that I go find a DZ with AFF and just do one AFF jump to see if I can get things figured out that way then continue my PFF.

From what I can gather from the old-timers it's just one of those things few people have naturally but damn-it this is getting frustrating.

-Michael

[firstime 0]

the next jump look at the bottom of the plane as soon as you exit

[docdialtone 0]

I failed my hop and pop twice, what I was told is ARCH (hard) LOOK (at the plane) RECH and PULL, take your time and RELAX!!!!

[monkycndo 0]

At the DZ that I did my AFF, the 5.5K and 3.5K H&P tend to be out of the C206 instead of the KA. My exits were not the best. I tended to push off with my foot causing me to turn. Then someone gave me a tip. Climb out a little further than normal and get a good grip on the strut. Now take your foot off of the step so you are just hanging. Wait for a second or two so that you stop rocking and are nice & stable. Look up at the wing and just let go. Try and count the rivets in the wing. As long as you keep your head up, you are in an almost perfect arch. Worked like a charm for me.

I saw one plane that had a red circle on the bottom of the wing that said "Look here".

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[councilman24 37]

Put your head back as far as possible and stick your dick out. (no name so don't know gender, hope it applies) Will usually work.

I really mean the above. But what I've also told students in the past is that doing a good student arch takes effort. You really do need to use the muscles in your back to hold it, much like laying on the floor and doing it. It's easier in the air, and later you can relax, but for now it takes work.

But talk to your instructors, ask about hanging exits (depending on plane) and realize that a lot of very good skydivers had issues during their training.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[peanutgallery 0]

Hi there, I'm only a few jumps ahead of you but I just wanted to share a tip that helped me out. I just did my first hop-n-pop as well also from a 206, I was way nervous. An instuctor told me that while I was sitting in the door with my legs out to leave my left hand on the floor of the plane. Then to push with my left hip and my left hand so that my left hand was the last thing to leave the plane so that it was almost forced to present to the relative wind at the same time throwing your hips foward to a hard arch. It was a perfect exit and worked every time after that. Good luck.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke

[hackish 8]

I'm sure my instructor is frustrated too as he's offered all these suggestions and more. On my first 5 second delay he had me do a different exit (C182) I was to move forward and then go backward from the step. When I let go I forgot to look at the plane. Looking at the ground I did a complete and perfect front flip. Soon as I realised what was happening I forced myself to arch. I somehow screwed up my count and when I reached 5 I'd finally become stable.

This displeased the instructor and rightly so as I had compromised pulling in favour of getting stable first. He said he counted 10 seconds before the opening. I was still open by 3400 but still not acceptable to move on.

The previous week I had spent a lot of time practising the arch in front of the mirror. I'd arch looking up then reach and pull.

So on my second try I focused on looking up. Unfortunately this triggered a bit of muscle memory and I did the arch reach pull thing. Soon as that happened I looked over at my hand thinking "oh crap I wasn't supposed to pull that out". After maybe 1 second like that I was like oh well f-it and tossed the PC to the air. At least it gave me lots of time to practise flat turns and such under canopy as I was open at 4000.

This too was very much to the dislike of my instructor as he said he saw the bridle coming out and it could have becomg entangled in my arm. The instructor also observed me on my back facing the plane as I let go of the PC. Good thing these parachutes are reliable...

I do feel very much like if there were sufficient time I'd be able to adjust myself and find the stable arch. Fortunately I've been fairly symmetrical and have never had problems turning or spinning in the air. (accidental forward flips and backward flips on exit excepted).

The instructor feels that it's too dangerous to have a longer delay if I'm not stable within the first few seconds. He has the experience and I don't.

Suggestions made to me so far...
clench my ass cheeks. (sounds gay)
act like I'm in mid-air-hump
look at the airplane (that must be how I ended up on my back last jump)
Point my toes to keep my legs from peddling

This evening I spent about an hour watching solo videos posted on the nouvel air and guys with 7 jumps seem to hop out and get stable right away - albeit they're doing front flips out of a larger twin prop plane.

-Michael

[hackish 8]

Quote

Put your head back as far as possible and stick your dick out. (no name so don't know gender, hope it applies) Will usually work.

I really mean the above. But what I've also told students in the past is that doing a good student arch takes effort. You really do need to use the muscles in your back to hold it, much like laying on the floor and doing it. It's easier in the air, and later you can relax, but for now it takes work.

But talk to your instructors, ask about hanging exits (depending on plane) and realize that a lot of very good skydivers had issues during their training.

Yeah there is a dick down there somewhere but he runs and hides from the cold prop blast :P One of the other instructors suggested wearing pants instead of shorts but that didn't seem to help the arch.

Previously I was doing hanging exits and although they were mediocre they did get me to the 5 second delay part. My instructor may allow me to return to this type of exit next week.

-Michael

[wmw999 2,587]

Actually, it sounds like you made two entirely different mistakes on 2 5-second delays, and were thinking and aware during both of them. This is not nearly as bad as it sounds. Really. Thinking and aware are more important than perfection, because it means that you're unlikely to make the same mistake repeatedly (which is where the real problems come in), and you'll probably be thinking and aware if things don't go right with the canopy or anything else in the future. This is good.

Keep practicing, and smile so the instructor can see you. Throw your arms back with abandon, smile, and look up.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[174fps 1]

You appear to be a little mixed up on your terminology
PFF ( Progressive free fall ) is the Canadian equivilant of AFF
You appear to be doing Standard Progression with IAD then increasing delays.

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

...seem to hop out and get stable right away...

I'll suggest this:
Change your mind-set.

It's a mind-set change to get away from the idea of throwing your body out of the door and then doing things to get stable, belly to earth.

Instead of "hop out and get stable right away", start thinking in terms of immediately flying the air on exit. Watch some quality 4-way video and you'll see that the jumpers are turning points on the hill with bellies towards the horizon. That's because they are flying the relative wind on exit.

As soon as you leave the plane, you are flying your body...you are not jumping out and trying to correct for stability. You can fly your body with your eyes closed simply by feeling the relative wind.

I know it's going to be hard at first, but the first time you actually do it, the light will come on and you'll say to yourself, 'Damn! That wasn't so hard to do!"

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[hackish 8]

Aha, right you are. I assumed since they called this progressive training and I knew what AFF is then what was doing was called PFF. You are correct - I started with IAD and have worked up to a 5 second delay.

-Michael

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Are you counting out loud? I bet you aren't. Try again and this time shout the count at your instructor. This will encourage you to keep looking at him as wellas to pull on time.