And the JMs never knew the difference

[FliegendeWolf 0]

Something occurred to me recently, and it might be useful for any instructors out there to know. I realized that on my last few jumps I was NOT altitude aware and I did NOT have a good heading, yet I passed my levels without a hint of reservation on the parts of the jumpmasters. Why? Because they never knew I made a mistake.
On the ground, when I rehearsed the flow of the dive, I'd practice my COAs, but I wouldn't actually be looking for a heading, and I wouldn't actually be reading an altitude. I simply moved my head in the necessary directions. In freefall, I did my COAs exactly like I did them on the ground! I would move my head up for a heading without actually getting one, and I'd look over at my altimeter without actually reading it! I realized this on the ground when my jumpmaster asked me what I used for a heading. In the future, when I rehearse the dive on the ground, I'm going to pick something as a heading and announce what it is. I don't know what to do about the altimeter, though. I know some places have those training altimeters, but I don't know if my dz does. I'll ask them, so that I can read and announce my altitude during the practice run. It will be useful to me to be actually practicing getting a heading and altitude reading on the ground so that once I'm in the air, I won't just be going through the motions.
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A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[petur 0]

I recall experiencing just about the same when I started. I used the sun for a heading though, I remember I just glimpsed at my altimeter but my left-hand instructor noticed it and took a hold of my wrist and kind of shoved it into my face. During de-briefing he compared it to when people look at their wrist-watches and have to look again when someone asks what time it is... "READ the altitude" were the words I went up with on the next jump and it hasn't been a problem ever since.

As I always say: RELAX and remember to BREATHE!!! that's the key... since everything else becomes easier if you do. Imagine being totally relaxed up there, looking for a heading and reading your altimeter seems like a fairly simple task... doesn't it?

---
P.
"It Hurts to Admit When You Make Mistakes -
But When They're Big Enough, the Pain Only Lasts a Second."

[dida 0]

i had a similar thing happen - i wasn't completely unaware of my altitude, but i would look at my alti in freefall and see that i still had time left...when we were on the ground debriefing, i'd tell my instructor, "i checked my alti", he would ask, "what did it say?" and i couldn't answer him. what he suggested was while in freefall, when you look at your alti, actually SAY YOUR ALTITUDE ALOUD. this will force you to be fully aware of what your alti says. it works!

spiral out...keep going...

[Cornholio 0]

I too had something similar happen, but it was on the ground during my FJC. I was in the training simulator and going through practice for the first dive when my instructor stopped me for about 20 seconds to correct something I was doing wrong, then we started over again....or so I thought we had started over. So during the next 20 seconds or so, I am going through my COA a couple times and then I feel my instructor slap me on the back and say "YOU'RE DEAD!!"

I was like, 'huh?? WTF ?? "

It turns out that when he stopped me during my simulation ( for that 20 seconds or so to correct me) , he never stopped the practice altiimeter, so during my COA - I was not really looking at the NEEDLE on my alti, I was just looking at the face. Unbeknownst to me, the needle had made its way to 0 without me even noticing.

That sure made me alti-aware ever since then.

Look at the needle and pay attention, just don't go through the motions.

- Matt

Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast!
Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool!
bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump

[jncoughlin 0]

Just got finished w/ AFF but had the same experience.
For heading, I kinda just looked to see if I was turning. No big deal although I tended to reference myself against my JM, who was probably compensating for a gentle turn.

As for alti awareness, it's something to be careful of. On my first 3 jumps, i realized afer that I was looking at the altimeter and mentally registering (I'm not at 5,500) yet, instead of noting the actual altitude. Then I started shouting the reading to myself. But on my graduation dive, I only tracked for about 4 seconds and then pulled. I think I pulled high (6,500 ish). Agian, not altitude aware.

I'm going to do 5 fun jumps and work on reading altitude every 500 feet. Maybe that'll help.

[fred 0]

Quote

when you look at your alti, actually SAY YOUR ALTITUDE ALOUD. this will force you to be fully aware of what your alti says. it works!

I definately think the "say it aloud" strategy is important. In my AFF, during COA, I was told to read the alti, then shout it to my AFFI. I strongly doubt that he had any clue what I was saying, but it didn't matter. In order to shout it, I actually had to read it.

The other thing that I think was helpful was "locking on" to the altimeter when I reached a certain point. In Eloy, I was pulling at 5500, and was instructed that if I looked at the alti and it read between 6 and 6.5, that I was to stare at it to 5500, wave off, and pull. One jump, I locked on at about 6900, and watched it fall, when I suddenly realized not only how much time I had to do the maneuvres, but also how little time I'd have if I'd been pulling lower.

In summary, I think pushed me in the right direction for altitude awareness.

[NewGuy 0]

In the AFF course at Golburne Australia, you used tongue signals to indicate you read your altimeter. You had to stick your tongue out, at the a pre-defined instructor, at a particular altitude, a couple of times through the jump.

In order to do this, you had to be aware. I don't know how I could have done it, if we couldn't rehearse on the ground with the practice altimeters as there were a number of skills that had to be done as well. Now it all seems quite easy, but back then it was a huge deal.

Cheers,
NewGuy

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I hope one of these predefined moments wasn't while you we waving off and pulling. I mean one hard opening and there you are, with 1/2 a tongue.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[NewGuy 0]

That wouldn't be good. I think they were 9K and 5K 'tongue pokes'...

Cheers,
NewGuy

[FliegendeWolf 0]

I have this picture in my head of half-a-tongue slowly descending under its own tiny parachute

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All