I went back home to South Africa to do my aff course.With the high costs of doing aff in the UK I decided to do it there.I had been to the drop zone before,yes it was for my first jump,a tandem.A year after the tandem I went to do the aff.I thought I knew loads.My research over the previous year had proved that you can't run before you can walk.The ground school training was a one on one with the ops manager,Gerry.This went great and I was ready.The aff instructors were Gerry and Mark.Mark was over from the States.The training was great,and Marks words of wisdom in the plane helped me relax.All was going well up until level three,when Mark became my right hand instructor and Dale my left.I had no problems with this.I started getting excited on the way up.But when I reached level four and was down to one instructor it was Dale.Dale is a great guy,but I didn't think he knew me well enough to train me,but hey I just thought nerves.So we went up and on exit I hit my chin on the step,Dale went flying and I was left spinning on my back.We stabalized just before 6000ft and I pulled fine at 5000ft.I decided to take a break from skydiving after that.But the support from everyone at the drop zone that afternoon was like I was finally accepted,beers all round.The instructors are very experienced and a great laugh.Friends and family have done jumps there and found the whole experience awsome.The low cost of the jumps with the exchange rate is also a bonus.So for anyone in the area,give it a try.Remember its not the size of the aircraft or the drop zone that counts its what you do in the air.Blue skies.
