FallingRGR 0 #1 December 17, 2012 I have one more jump to complete before I am cleared solo; and wanted to get a communities perspective on what types of maneuvers I should be working on once I'm cleared. I would think I should stick to the basics and my obvious weaknesses until I have full control, and confidence of my body movements? Does this sound accurate? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shredex 0 #2 December 17, 2012 What type of skydiving do you want to get into? It's best to just work on your belly flying, though. Me, I just started tracking right away...think I did 2 belly solo's and I have done nothing but tracked the rest...It all lays on what YOU want to do as a skydiver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingRGR 0 #3 December 18, 2012 Not sure what discipline I would eventually like to go after. Of course they all seem like the right choice now, but I'm sure a year or two from now I'll know what path I'm headed along. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #4 December 18, 2012 What do your instructors recommend? That would be the first place I would start. Some dropzones have formalized dive flows and suggested progressions for post-AFF jumps. others are more informal and let the students figure it out as they go. Have you had a look at the USPA SIM and the descriptions of Category F, G, and H skydives? Have you looked at your A-license progression card to see what skills you still need to demonstrate to earn your A license? Some of them are freefall skills, some are canopy skills, still others are ground-based learning. You can plan your post-AFF jumps to make sure to get all of those skills in, either on solos or coach jumps. As you're ticking off each of the skills, make sure you work with an instructor to sign off the progression card after you complete them (some will require direct observation by an instructor or coach on the jump with you, others will be things that you'll plan and do on your own and discuss with an instructor when you get down to sign off the card. It's important to know which is which as you plan the skydive). I would argue that thinking about where you might want to go in the sport isn't really critical at this point. In the time between now and working towards your A license, it matters little if you eventually want to be a 4-way belly competitor, a bigway jumper, a freeflyer or CRW dawg or wingsuiter down the road - your key developmental priority right now is working on and refining all of the basics of flying on your belly, building awareness and comfort in the sky, and demonstrating all of the skills required to earn your A license."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shredex 0 #5 December 18, 2012 Right on the money. For some reason I was thinking post A-License solo status. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr_Polite 0 #6 December 18, 2012 QuoteI would argue that thinking about where you might want to go in the sport isn't really critical at this point. In the time between now and working towards your A license, it matters little if you eventually want to be a 4-way belly competitor, a bigway jumper, a freeflyer or CRW dawg or wingsuiter down the road - your key developmental priority right now is working on and refining all of the basics of flying on your belly, building awareness and comfort in the sky This is still what a newly licensed person should be working on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #7 December 18, 2012 Quote Quote I would argue that thinking about where you might want to go in the sport isn't really critical at this point. In the time between now and working towards your A license, it matters little if you eventually want to be a 4-way belly competitor, a bigway jumper, a freeflyer or CRW dawg or wingsuiter down the road - your key developmental priority right now is working on and refining all of the basics of flying on your belly, building awareness and comfort in the sky This is still what a newly licensed person should be working on. You know, if you're going to quote someone you should probably quote the right person, since that's something that I posted, not Shredex. Recall that Shredex was the one advising someone just off AFF to do a bunch of tracking jumps. I was making an attempt to give more reasoned advise. And yes, I'd agree with you as well that it's still a priority for a newly-licensed person."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingRGR 0 #8 December 18, 2012 I appreciate the advice. I have checked out the Cat F, G, and H, as well as the progression card which I have begun to fill out. The card definitely gives me a place to start. The DZ doesn't have a formalized progression after AFF that I'm aware of but I'm sure the instructors will help me out. I absolutely agree, master the basics. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dthames 0 #9 December 18, 2012 QuoteI appreciate the advice. I have checked out the Cat F, G, and H, as well as the progression card which I have begun to fill out. The card definitely gives me a place to start. The DZ doesn't have a formalized progression after AFF that I'm aware of but I'm sure the instructors will help me out. I absolutely agree, master the basics. If your goal is to get your license, be sure to let some of the instructors know that and ask for guidance. What worked for me was to get some advice on the next tasks, do a practice jump, then a coached jump to get some of those things signed off. It is nice to be on solo status at first. But you will not be able to do fun jumps with others until you get that license. Don’t forget those canopy tasks either.Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trafficdiver 8 #10 December 18, 2012 Quote The DZ doesn't have a formalized progression after AFF that I'm aware of but I'm sure the instructors will help me out. You don't have coach jumps? Might want to look at a few different DZ's. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shredex 0 #11 December 18, 2012 Quote Shredex was the one advising someone just off AFF to do a bunch of tracking jumps. I wasn't advising anyone to do anything. Just stated what I did and I have perfectly legitimate reasons for doing so ;p As for fresh off AFF, as my wonderful instructor Sally Hathaway told me, is to work on what I learned for a couple solo jumps, then do the next coach jump(Cat-F), then do a couple more solo's practicing what you've learned, and so forth up until your check dive and A-license, then the real fun begins :P P.S. Get those Hop n' Pops done! And Do your HnP's with your packing course! Sub-terminal openings are softer then a fuzzy kitty :] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr_Polite 0 #12 December 18, 2012 sorry about that, honest mistake :) Fixed it for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #13 December 18, 2012 You may want to re-think giving advice to young jumpers.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #14 December 18, 2012 QuoteQuote The DZ doesn't have a formalized progression after AFF that I'm aware of but I'm sure the instructors will help me out. You don't have coach jumps? Might want to look at a few different DZ's. Rash statement given that there is no tie-in between coach jumps and organized progression. One does not follow the other. Do you know what DZ you are trashing?My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drewcarp 0 #15 December 18, 2012 More skydives... then maybe some drugs and the manifest chick? It's your world bro! Como si dice! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #16 December 18, 2012 Quote More skydives... then maybe some drugs and the manifest chick? It's your world bro! Como si dice! You got the sex and the drugs. You missed the Rock 'n Roll. My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingRGR 0 #17 December 18, 2012 They do offer coach jumps at the jumpers discretion. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to lay out some dive flows for me, but they don't have a formal progression past AFF is what I meant. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #18 December 18, 2012 Keep in mind that not all of what you need to learn is done in the sky. Keep your head up. Watch, listen, learn, practice, remember. Watch the spot, approaches, traffic, landings, winds, weather. Listen to your coaches and the stories! Learn about your gear. Practice canopy skills on every jump. Have fun. jon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lazarus_762 0 #19 December 19, 2012 you have some very experienced and knowledgeable jumpers offering good advice...as a total n00b who just got off AFF 11 jumps ago, I'll toss my 2 cents in; just jump for the sheer joy of it for the next few skydives. Don't worry about how fast you can get that A stamp, just enjoy yourself, with simple dive flows that maybe work on one basic skill at a time. Practice the stuff you have learned, like stable exits, 180 and 360 turns, picking a heading and turning to find that heading again, etc...when you re-enforce the basic skills you just learned, you will be more confident and will solidify your skills base. At the same time, the lack of pressure to perform will make it more fun and make you more comfortable in the air. Even without a formal planned progression, you will learn something on every jump, if you keep your eyes open and your mind receptive...enjoy, bro, this stuff is fun, and it gets more fun as you go just jump!.....and listen. Airtwardo:"There is a bit of difference between a rigger with a nipper and a guy with 138 jumps and a swiss army knife...usually!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #20 December 19, 2012 Quote from dthames: QuoteIf your goal is to get your license, be sure to let some of the instructors know that and ask for guidance. Let me add to that. Ask yourself, "Am I more interested in getting the card signed off for the license or am I more interested in learning something well?" I ask because of this (and it is IMO far, far too prevalent in the sport today.) Your goal should be learning and learning well. That A-license progression card sucks in that it is mostly a "do it one time and you are good-to-go" lie. Too many young jumpers focus on simply getting that damned card signed and at the end of the day, they actually know very, very little about it all. The saddest part is that too many instructors encourage that and allowing it to happen. Please don't let yourself fall into that trap.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingRGR 0 #21 December 19, 2012 I understand what you mean. I don't remember the quote exactly or who said it, but it went something like, we are all anxious to get to the end of the path, the final result, but too little times do people enjoy the journey. So I definitely got you there, take my time, enjoy it, learn. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyjumpenfool 2 #22 December 19, 2012 Quote What to focus on after AFF? Ummmmm? Beautiful Woman!!! Duh! Birdshit & Fools Productions "Son, only two things fall from the sky." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antibac 0 #23 December 19, 2012 I did my AFF last year, and my focus after level 7 was just to do the basic stuff. Stable exits, 360s, etc. I also seeked a lot of information from my instructors, especially regarding canopy flying (I had issues landing where I was supposed to). Safety has always been an important part of the sport for me. 1 year later, I still ask instructors a lot of questions. Got so much to learn! Basically I just enjoyed my jumps, relaxed, and had fun. When I got my A-license, I started doing coaching jumps, and found out that I wanted to start out with freeflying. Have also done a lot of tunnel the past few months. I've attended a couple of canopy courses too, and will probably go to more next year. Now my goal is to train a lot next year, and eventually compete in the nationals, hopefully in 2014 :) So, yeah, just enjoy yourself and be safe. Talk to your instructors about the path ahead. They might give you a few good pointers :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DocPop 1 #24 December 20, 2012 Canopy skills as the training in AFF is woefully inadequate."The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 584 #25 December 20, 2012 Just to add to what pops has said. There are excellent FREE resources available to aid your learning process. The SIM is very good, although few people seem to read it and follow the guidance. The APF also have a manual for the A license jumper that is an excellent resource. Just remember that our Australian A license requirements are different to the USPA requirements, so refer to an instructor for guidance. As far as jumps go, I'm a great believer in coached jumps and canopy courses.Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
