dthames

Congratulations on the A license. I am working toward that as well. If you take a look at the Canopy Control Proficiency Card and what the SIM said, with each new canopy we need to relearn those canopy tasks that we did in Category D-H in the initial training. I just got a rig of my own, and now I am starting that process all over. I could not cause a line twist on the student 260 with hard reverse turns. I bet I can on my 210, if I went all out like you did . I will be sure to ease into that when I do the hard reverse turns. Thanks for sharing. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am from a small DZ and this week did a couple of jumps at a large DZ. It was not my first visit to a large DZ but the first visit to this specific DZ. I had a good first visit briefing. The landing pattern direction was made clear to me. The student landing area as way out there and clearly marked. The wind was steady and near student limits. My challenge was to keep an eye out for the other 20+ canopies and land in my area. I was watching for everyone around me, flew my pattern, and landed to hear, “Your pattern was perfect”. Reminder threads do help, I would say. The things to watch for at a larger DZ are not always brought out to jumpers from smaller DZs. But here, on these forums, that information is often mentioned. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Pinocchio Swiss Family Robinson Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Do you ever jump from something other than the C-206? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I think if you have a good knowledge of aircraft flight, you are ahead of the class on setting up a pattern and landing. There is still plenty to learn but that basic knowledge delivers a big bonus from the beginning. Your free fall experience seems pretty typical. First jump you are well prepared for what you know you need to do and totally unprepared for what you don't know about free fall. I think the 2nd and 3rd jumps can be harder and rougher than the first for a lot of people. You are not the first to have this experience. All aspects get easier as they become more familar. Welcome to the sky. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I asked the question because my second jump with any tracking, I tracked right past my coach and on the video you can see I was moving pretty slowly. I know I don't know what I am doing and it will get better. A couple jumps later I tracked for about 10-12 seconds and I was loving it. I was told I was a bit steep and needed to track "flatter". On a jump yesterday I moved my shoulder shape a bit and also the curve of my spine. In the track already I did something to make it a lot steeper and then tried to flatten it out again....then it was time to pull. Lots to learn there. I like science. That don't mean the math but the process. The Flysight audible GPS has both a horizontal and a vertical mode, where the tone changes based on the vertical speed or the horizontal speed, depending on the mode it is in. A person should be able to tune their tracking shape to give the slowest vertical speed, in vertical mode. The same thing could be done to learn how to adjust your horizontal speed in the track. I would guess that somewhere there is a crossing of the curves to give a good forward speed while giving up the least altitude. That would be the sweet spot and the proper angle of 13 degrees. Someday that might be a good study project. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am still a student, not a teacher, but I did my first diving exit yesterday. I have been jumping at a C-182 DZ but I am on a family trip and near a turbo DZ. I went yesterday for a coached up and then a fun jump. I had not done a diving exit and I thought, why not (fun jump). I just pretended the direction of the aircraft flight was where the "earth" was. I launched myself out the Otter door, head slightly down, left shoulder toward the real earth, belly toward the direction of flight, and arched real good like I was falling in that direction. It went smooth as silk. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Use a download converter program that is free. It works well for me. http://freemake-video-converter.en.softonic.com/ Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Sounds like a great chance to get a Flysight and do some science. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was so well drilled on the exit and dive that when the instructor said, “Take your position at the door”, I was on autopilot. I was very determined to do well on the jump and I did. But all I saw was the hand signals, my altimeter, and the sky around me. Even at the door, the focus of my vision never went beyond the door frame (hand position) or the outside instructor. The wind and noise from sticking your head out on a Caravan was a bit of a shock. If you want a thrill, a tandem might be better for a first jump. You get to look around more and your are not tasked like you are on an AFF jump. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

When tracking away before deployment, is a fast, steep track better or something more shallow/flat with a reduced decent rate better to gain distance within a given vertical distance? I know there must be an ideal angle, but I have no idea would be better. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Welcome. Those will be too very long months. You download the SIM and study Section 4 in the mean time. http://www.uspa.org/SIM.aspx Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I try to study the SIM. There is a lot of background reading that is not covered in detail with the jump briefings. The SIM fills in some of the gaps. Also, look ahead a bit and know what is coming in the training. I always like to be familar with the topic before the actual training starts. Be understanding went things don't go your way. I have to keep reminding myself of that. It sounds like you are working to get the best understanding aleady. Keep it up. Learn from the lessons others had to pay for with pain. Keep safe/healthy so you can keep jumping. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

QuoteOne key to what to expect of a rental gear is to see what the DZ's SOP is for student/rental repacks... Years ago, more than one DZ I was at, the more experienced students who had been signed off to pack their own mains we expected to pack the rig they had just used and put it back on the rack for use (even if they weren't going again). While the DZ's I am now do not follow that old practice, take a look at who is packing the rental rigs before agreeing to use it without repacking it yourself. /reply] Even recently I have jumped at a DZ that students pack under supervision with several specific rigger checkpoints throughout the pack job. All student rigs are flat/tab packed, so it is not a problem to get to a checkpoint, leave it on the floor until you can be checked, then continue to the next steps. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have been doing SL as well. I didn't have the problem you described but until you can have good form on the exit, looking up, watching the plane, you might also have problems with the pull. I was doing great with my form until my practice pull and my form went to pot. If you don't have the control for good form, you can expect trouble in other areas. Use that for a bit of a guage on how you are doing all around. Once you put the rig on, practice, over and over. I feel like I can just grab it without even thinking, but ever time I put the rig on, I arch, reach, grab, and do that many times before we load up. People might look at my like a first jumper but I don't care. Be careful not to get hung up on others progress and your lack of progress. We all learn at different rates. I am a bit slow on some of the objectives, but I just keep after it. For whoever asked, the bowling speech is, "You should be looking for another sport, like bowling." I got that, and just went to another DZ where they would work with me. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you are out for a period of time, use that time to study. Learn more about how the canopy flies and how to fly it. The SIM has some basic information and books like The Parachute And It's Pilot should also be useful. I trust my instructors and value their guidance. But I always want to understand what I am doing and why. Ask enough questions that you really understand. Recently I transitioned to my own rig. I was told that I didn’t fully flare on the landing. In fact, what was reported to me was not at all what I remembered. Thankfully I had it on video and could study it closely. Studying your landings with your instructors can be a big help. I was curious to see how high I was when I started my flare because I tend to be late rather than early. I have attached a photo showing 3 frames of a landing with some reference lines. This type of thing can be helpful to see really where you were in different stages of the landing. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you want to jump, never give up! Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

This can't compete with Cheese, but I tried. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s61DBgD3JG4 Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was in that same spot just a very few weeks ago. Getting in good form very quickly on exit is pretty important and helpful. What type of exit and what aircraft are you working with? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I finished my 5 and 10 second SL freefalls just 2 and 3 weeks ago, and was counting for them. I may not be able to fall worth a hoot but I can count. I told the instructor, I count pretty slow so don't get worried. He had me count for him and he said, Okay. My instructions were, "Reach on 9, Pull on 10. This is where a lot of students go back to the tether, if you can't pull on time." On my first 10 second I was trying to figure out what my legs were doing and why I was wobbling around. For whatever reason on 8, I reached. Then though, too early...wait....pull. He said he saw fabic right on 10. Yea, I can count! If you think about it, a student with 5 or 6 jumps may not have his wits yet in free fall. If you keep that student on a 5 second free fall until he/she can be stable AND count to 5 with some accuracy, then this method could be very useful to get the student to calm down and relax. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

There have been a lot of people learn on SL. The students and the instructors will make or break any program. I did some tethers SL jumps while working on AFF and they taught me a lot about exit form and getting into an arch quickly. Being in poor form after only 3 jumps is not a sign something is wrong (my 2 cents). Tighten up your butt musles really hard will help that initial arch. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Another update (SL progression): I have been cleared "to the top" for free fall delay, doing practice solo jumps, and coached jumps. I jumped my own rig (Pilot 0.93 WL) 3 times this last weekend, and the A license it not too many jumps in the future, I hope. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have not but I-40 runs right past me and goes from coast to coast. However, it is hot down this way in the summer. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I would like to add a bit more of my experience to this thread, not to change anyone’s mind but to leave the information here for someone that might search on this topic in the future. I am not knocking AFF either. For reasons that are not important to this thread I did 2 AFF, 2 SL, 1 AFF, 2 SL, 4 AFF, and quit AFF. I quit because flexibility in my lower back and strength in my lower back, prohibited me from sustaining a good arch during the 50 seconds of free fall. C2 jump instructor’s comments were like, “You did fine for about 10 or 15 seconds and then your arch got lazy”. Try as I might I could not do better, at that time. Jan 4 was my last AFF jump. SL from then on was my plan. Through the winter I worked on my back. In late March our local DZ was open and I quickly was cleared for free fall. 3 five second jumps, 2 ten second jumps, and I could hold heading and be stable. Doing 3 five second jumps instead of 2, didn’t seem as bad to me as repeating an AFF jump. As Ron mentioned it might take longer. I need longer and to be a slower pace, as I am an older student. SL has fit me very well. I love the challenge of being by myself trying to get it right. I also provide some entertainment for the other jumpers as they put me out, chuckle a bit, and keep climbing up. One more note, the SL exits between AFF jumps did one thing I didn’t expect. I was able to exit a LOT better for my next AFF jumps. It took me some practice to get my head in the game the instant I was falling. SL was good practice for that. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am a parent with adult children. Both my parents are still alive and well. I didn’t tell them until after my second jump (just last year) because I didn’t want to worry them, and because I didn’t want the situation you described. I have a deep respect for my parents and their opinions. But at age 19 I told them I appreciated their positions on matters but I had to do what I decided to do (not skydiving that time). This was not a rebellious statement but a statement of “Please let me be an adult”. I have really great parents, by the way. For me, maintaining a good relationship with my parent is very high on my list. I don’t know what I would do if they tried to act hurt or offended because I did not see something their way. I have a long tradition of being “different” so skydiving is just another chapter in the book. I had sister die of natural causes. What the death of a child does to the parents is certainly a good reason for their concern. I had seen it before with people that I knew but when it happened in our family and I saw how it affected my parents, it really made me understand better. So, don’t hold their concern against them. It is very valid. My wife knows I will die from something. She says, she would rather see me get killed having fun than in a car driving home from work. Educating them has already been suggested. Maybe you can discover what they really are fearful of and address those things directly. Tell them you won’t swoop or something. Show them some Jeb Corliss clips, get all excited, then back down and say you will restrict yourself to jumping from a plane. They should be delighted. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”