metalslug

As you may already know, the Vortex II is manufactured by Parachute Systems, formerly Chute Shop. Their website is http://www.parachutesystems.co.za or http://www.vortexii.com. Both link to the same page.

If you haven't read something similar yet, this link will describe a AFF syllabus similar to what you can expect. Many AFF students feel a sense of "sensory overload" on their first jumps. Having already done a tandem, you may find the sensory intake more managable. Different students may have weaknesses in different areas; for me it was my legs.. I had to really make a concious effort to keep them aligned and in position to stop unwanted turns. Many students consider their 'release dive' (usualy level 4) to be the hardest, psychologicaly. I coped well because I had huge faith in my JM. I could see him nearby at all times and so, in a way, it was as though he had never let go of me.. merely being a few feet away gave me reassurance that things would be OK. Some students have said that the levels seemed to get easier as they got 'more difficult'... because even though more skills need to be demonstrated at each level, the mind is increasingly more aware of the surroundings and better conditioned for dealing with the intense sensory input.. so you can focus better on the tasks at hand. I also found at my DZ that the AFF training was rather more 'personalised' than what the static line students experience. The AFF instructors are usualy among the most qualified instructors at the DZ.. and all their skill and attention is devoted to one person.. you, for the duration of your jump. It's very reassuring. Also, AFF students often get preferential treatment at manifest because they are usualy more profitable to the DZ than qualified members and static line students. ...And was I scared on the flight to altitude ? Every time ! But as soon as I'm out the door, fear gets left in the plane, the 'game face' is on and the fun starts. So will it be with you.

I'm a little puzzled by this question. I guess AFF programs are a little different in other countries but I had 2 AFF jumpmasters holding on to me on exit at levels 1-3. I did go slightly head-down on these 3 exits for a few seconds but my JM's leveled me out easily without me having to correct body position. I was given the "leg's out" signal on my first COA but I was already 'stable' by then.. their excellent stability seemed to compensate well for my lack of stability on those early jumps. With those two holding on to me, I dont think I could have ended up on my back no matter what I did. Are your instructor(s) not holding on to you on exit at Levels 2 or 3 ? As for cold weather.. I waited for spring before starting. Many instructors and jumpers may tell you that your adrenaline will help you ignore the cold air. I dont agree though, I felt like an icecube on at least one jump, my fingers hurt a bit too. At DZs in my country, students may not wear gloves. Check with your instructors about gloves and student gear restrictions before starting in the cold. ...and be safe, have fun!

I somehow doubt this student did this out of pure stupidity. It just seems.. well.. too stupid. I am seeing hints of sarcasm in the student's actions (which then resulted in a stupid/unsafe action). The student perhaps felt angered that his JM was pessimistic or impatient enough to cut short his fall at 7000 and then reckoned he'd get back with a little "f**k you, I'll deploy my own canopy..", inconveniencing (and perhaps scaring) a few DZ staff by chopping at 2000 and having them recover and repack it all. If so, it would certainly not be intelligent, safe or justifiable behaviour.. but it does seem an almost more plausible explanation than taking the student's explanation at face value.

Yet another sign.. another photoshop job ?

There's a fairly recent thread related to this here

I've had dreams of freefall long before I started jumping. There was almost no wind in those dreams and my body position was not great for stable freefall. It was a somewhat whuffo perspective of freefall having no experience to relate to then. The dream would always end on canopy opening and there was never a mal. I have had one or two other dreams though of falling chuteless from lower heights like cliffs and buildings till impact. I guess that's my clue to never do BASE. I have heard rumor somewhere that dreams of falling can happen during cardio arythmia(sp?) where the heart skips a momentary beat during dreams of freefall impact. I'm not sure which one causes the other or if there is any truth to this corelation at all. Since actualy skydiving for real I have never had dreams of either of the above. The (good) dream has become real.

Wow.. if you're not refering to your daughters then the above situation would sound really good.

Hmm.. very cryptic.. wish I knew more. The only thing wrong with those legs is that they're not close to me.

Practise safe sex ? ...practise it ?! Hell no, I execute it with expert precision.

The Perfect Man.. The perfect man is gentle Never cruel or mean He has a beautiful smile And keeps his face so clean. The perfect man likes children And will raise them by your side He will be a good father As well as a good husband to his bride. The perfect man loves cooking Cleaning and vacuuming too He'll do anything in his power To convey his feelings of love on you. The perfect man is sweet Writing poetry from your name He's a best friend to your mother And kisses away your pain. He never has made you cry Or hurt you In any way Oh, fuck this stupid poem The perfect man seems gay.

LOL, are you looking at the number plate on the Subaru ? Truth be told, I dont know where it was taken, I got it in an email from a ladyfriend.

Aha, and here is a close-up photo of pussy...

Hmm, quite close to perfect.. asking if she's hot is like asking: Are the Kennedys gun-shy ? As with most people, some photos and camera angles look more flattering than others, but the talent is there. I reckon she could make a bishop kick a hole through a stained glass window.

Ever asked an intoxicated person what time it is while he/she was holding a drink in their left hand ? While still holding the drink, they tend to roll their wrist slightly to get a good look... Works best with large mugs of beer.

A person does sometimes need to be a li'l careful about what threads you contribute to while feeling a little pissed off during the day. I know I have made the mistake before of overreacting and placing some harsh posts here while being miffed at things that were not necessarily related to the DZ.com forums. I read back over some of them on occasion and wonder what the flock I was thinking...

I dont really know the area but perhaps Skydive New England is your best bet. You may try contacting some of the Maine members here on DZ.com, via private message or email, for some info. I'm sure many will be keen to help you.

I DO respect the comments of instructors here. This is largely why I think a separate instructors forum is not a good idea. I'd like to read their opinions in the common forums that already exist on a particular discipline. I cant figure why, for example, a CReW instructor would have something to say concerning CReW that should rather be placed in an Instructors forum rather than the CReW forum. Surely the topic would be of interest to CReW pups too, right ? ..so why make people scan multiple forums to chase down all the latest news on CreW instruction? Why not just keep the eggs in one basket ? I am possibly being a little unfair in my interpretation of this idea.. but the other reasons for needing an Instructors forum just aren't clear to me yet.. I cant help but perceive an undertone of ego here. Are an instructor's posts on any skydiving discipline really so different from everyone else's so as to warrant an entirely separate forum ?

What I have a problem with is bureaucracy and people who are keen to 'fix things that aint broke'. I have little doubt that HH busts his chops to create and maintain all the features and functionality on this website that we drink from so freely. Do we really need yet another forum for him to work on ? ..which would then imply that the current forums are lacking in their ability to cater for this proposed new line of instructor threads... even after several months/years of existence. As for my own instructors, I'm doing great with them.. we drink at the same bar and stand in same shade. I dont see how Dave would be implying otherwise.

Oh FFS .. you have got to be kidding. What does the Safety & Training forum serve if not to provide comment and advice on aspects of instruction ? ..with most of such advice coming from instructors themselves. I cant see how it would be healthy if newbies were sharing training tips at one end while the elitist instructors had their own little 'click' going at the other end. What on earth would instructors need to discuss that should be protected from students ? Does skydiving have things to hide that students should never hear about ? Is there some 'cruel truth' that newbies simply dont deserve to hear about until they may one day be so grand as to get instructor ratings themselves ? .. And how long before suggestions emerge to divide that new forum up into TM-I, AFF-I, SL-I.. ad nauseam so that each category of skygod can revel in their own self-importance.

You evidently also have some smart-looking femmes in that part of the world too. Nice avatar.

That is pretty disturbing stuff. Unless there have been some bizarre innovations in video technology, it is pretty far off to mistake a TV camera for a RPG launcher. Have any of us been to an unfamiliar dropzone and mistaken the windsock for either a RPG or a TV camera at 3000 ft ? I mean.. they are both kinda cylindrical, right ? I would be curious to know at what range this mistake was made.. seemingly far enough away to hinder clear vision.. and yet close enough not to miss the shot. Go figure.

There have been two recent threads here and here in the Safety and Training forum on reserve canopy wingloadings. It has been of interest to me to note that Mike Turoff, Instructor Examiner, USPA with 3300+ jumps has a Super Raven 220 ft² indicated as his reserve canopy.. considerably larger than his 170 ft² main canopy.

I would definitely recommend a Tandem jump rather than AFF on your first jump. In my opinion, a tandem is safer, especialy since you dont have to land the canopy yourself and therefore there is almost no chance of a rough landing in a bad spot. On a tandem you're just along for the ride.. you can relax, enjoy the sensory overload and let it mindfuck you. On an AFF Level 1 there is a little bit of work to do.. you have to watch your instructor's hand signals, watch your altimeter, block out panic and fear and focus on passing the level (if you intend to pass it as part of a continued progression). Of course, even if you're hopelessly unstable and freaked on your AFF Level 1 .. your instructors will hold you steady and take care of everything.. opening your canopy at a safe height where its quite calm and peaceful from there on down. Your AFF landing will be guided by either radio assistance or an instructor with batons on the ground.. making your AFF landing pretty much safe and accurate if you follow his guidance. The cost for both is about the same at many dropzones so your decision should be made on how certain you already are of wanting to skydive regularly. If you're less than 90% sure.. I say do a tandem.

There's an overview to read right here on dropzone.com http://www.dropzone.com/safety/aff/. As already mentioned.. the finer points of each level may be different in other countries. I am currently halfway through AFF in South Africa, and from what I can tell so far, my AFF levels are pretty much identical to the "Air Adventures AFF Student Syllabus - Bill von Novak" as it is described there. The 8th Level, which is not discussed on that link, consists of 3 'consolidation' jumps which the student does solo (no jumpmaster assistance). One of these is a 'hop & pop', another is a 'spin test' and the 3rd is decided by your instructor. Once again; there are minor variations on this at DZs around the world.. but they all pretty much cover the same training skills in the end.