jigneshsoni

I went to do my AFF2 on Friday. 1st Attempt I was supposed to do a COA on the jump and 2 practice pulls. Then do a 90 degree right turn, then 90 degree left turn, forward movement for 4 sec. Be Altitude aware, PULL on 5000. As soon as I jumped with my instructor. I did my COA once on arch and stable. At that point, I forgot what I had to do next. But I started doing my turns. So I did a 90 degree right trun which was fine. When attempted do do 90 degree left turn, I would not turn which later realised in debrief that I was not doing it right. Juts while I was doing my left turn, I realised I had forgotten to to the practice pulls. So started doing practice pulls, I am sure my instructor thought I was crazy, since he had no idea why I was doing what I was doing. Also I think I opened at almost 6500. I thik around that altitude I got scared about what if I will not be stable in just a few seconds and somehow pulled at that point. I don't remember it properly. Basically I FAILED and had to repeat the level. 2nd attempt details in next post.

Thanks!!! I appreciate all your support and opinions. I will be doing my AFF Level2 this weekend. Wish me luck. Thanks Jigs

Thanks a lot everybody for your valuable suggestions and opinions. Considering all the opinions I would like to share what I think. It seems to me that the tunnel time is really not expensive and everbody and anybody into the sport should do it. I am sure it will help in some or the other way. But there is a huge factor of other expenses involved to do a tunnel time when it is not at a drivable close distance. You would end up spending air tickets and motel cost. This would add up all and make the tunnel time evry expensive. My intention for tunnel time was only if I needed it to perform better in AFF. I believe that I have not done many AFF jumps yet to conclude that I would absolutely need tunnel time. So for now I think I would make a few more jumps and try to evaluate myself with the help of my great instrcutor and see how it goes bebfore I even think of tunnel time. I will be doing my AFF level 2 and actually my 3rd solo jump this weekend. Will update you guys. Thanks a lot for all the valuable opinions.

Would like an opinion of everybody who went through their AFF training. Would like to know from all you guys what you feel about the importance of wind tunnle before/while AFF training? How many of you think it is a must? How many of you think it is not required? Would like your opinion on it. Thanks Jignesh

Keep it up!!!! Sorry to hear about you repeating levels. I know how it feels (I really know) But I am really glad to know I am not the only one out here. Can you post details of all your jumps. I see you have 11 jumps. Please post details of them. Thanks Jigs

I would like to know from all you guys how you did in your AFF/AFP training. My details so far: Tandem1 - did 2 fun Tandems Tandem2 - repeated 1 time and passed Tandem3 - repeated 1 time and passed Tandem4 - passed AFF1 - repeated 1 time and passed As you see from my records that I have totally jumped 9 times including my 7 tandems and 2 aff level 1 jumps. I am extremely disappointed from this output. Wanted to know if this was normal and how you guys are doing? I am aware this is an expensive sport, but still I had setup some budgets to finish my AFF training and it seems to me now that I will end up spending a lot more money then I had set up for the training. I have started to wonder if maybe I do not have aptitude for the sport, but I am really not sure. I have also heard that somebody did almost around 50 jumps to clear AFF. I am really not sure if I would have that much of patience and money. Isn't there any way to be evaluated and find out if this can be accomplised within certain number of limited repeats or certain time frame? Isn't there a way to get through AFF training with a lump sum amount of money? I have really stated wondering if I should be in this sport all together. I would still like to share this with you guys that I just love this sport and extremely obsessed with it. All comments appreciated. Thanks all. Jignesh

I finally got a good breath of air and checked altitude which was at 5500' so I did my waive off and pulled the ripcord. I made a mistake and just threw my ripcord out into the air - that cost me $20. I am trying to understand what you mean by that? Doesn't a student actually pull the pilot shute and throw in the air? What is the rip cord thing that you are talking about?

What is too small or too large. I am sure I am not too large. HAHA. Do you guys think I am too small? I am around 5feet 4 1/2 inches. I weight around 155lbs. Thanks Jignesh

I am doing a AFP program at STL. I finsihed my last and final tandem level 4. Now I will be soon doing the AFF level 1. I would like opinion from you guys what will be the right time to shop for gear? What kind of gear should I go for? What are all my options to buy it from? Appreciate all your help in advance. Thanks Jignesh

Thanks a lot!!!! I do not think I could have even done this much without the support I have got from this forum. I still have to go a lot further then this. But even to complete the 4 levels of tandem gives me so much of satisfaction. I am just imagining how I would feel after I have complete the AFF problem. OH MY GOD!!!! would be such a nice feeling. Just waiting to get there. Thank you very much to all of you in the Forum, Thanks a lot STL, Thanks a lot Damian, Thanks a lot Ankur. I love you all. Jignesh

Oh I am so happy today. I just wanted all you guys to know and share this happiness. I passes my last and final tandem4 today. I am very excited to finally be doing solo next weekend. Thanks a lot all of you for all the support. Jignesh

I did my Tandem3 day. Failed again Repeated today itself and passed it. I am just so frustrated why I just go blank and not able to perform very simple things. My instructor was really great. He made me feel OK all the time. Thanks sooo much Damian. Can you send me a PM if you are reading this. I would like to touchbase with you about a couple of things during the week, So I am absolutely ready mentally for my next jump. I exactly know what I have to do in my final tandem4. I will make sure I practice it a lot at home. I do not want to fail this one. I really can't afford to fail this one. Just wish if this sport was not costing so much. Do you guys wonder so? I am just waiting to get the traning done so I can have my jumps only for 18$. Hope to get there soon. Thanks a lot for all your support. Jignesh

Anybody around Newark,NJ area planning to go to STL this weekend? I would like to join. It's boring drive all the way alone. Let me know. Thanks Jignesh

Jigs, good for you for getting back out into the sky. I am looking forward to hearing about your next two jumps, and then all about moving on to your license. You can do it, I've got no doubt. Michele, Thanks a lot!!! that was the sweetest thing to read.

Thanks!!!!! Guys, thank you so much for all the nice things you have posted. I will be doing my tandem3 and hopefully tandem4(last tandem) this weekend. Thanks a lot for all the support. Jignesh

Thank you very much guys. I really appreciate all your good replies. I am trying very hard to get over this. Upon recommendations I have also ordered "Mental training for Skydiving and Life" and "Jump" books from amazon.com. I hope they will be helpful. I think when you expect too much out of yourself and those things are not met you become extremely disturbed. I was expecting to finisht the whole course within 2-3 weeks. Now I think If Ican do it within 2-3 months, I will be the happiest person. Thanks a lot again for all your replies.

I have signed for AFP program which has 4 Tandems and 8 solos. 1st Tandem is just a fun tandem. So technically I failed the 1st level of Tandem. Felt so stupid about it, extremely frustrated. repeated the level same day and passed it. Lot of things makes you frustrated and angry on yourself when you fail. I mean especially in my case. It was just a tandem and all I was reuqired to do is arch,check altitude, check arms. and PULL when time comes. I could not do any of it. I remember how I was feeling while the freefall, but have no clue why I did not pull. When back to ground, felt so stupid about it. Never hated myself so much ever in my life. There was also a lot of shame and embarassment too. Not to mention even the money factor which is also extremely important since this is such an expensive sport. Since I ever decided to get into this, I am thinking about it day and night. I see and feel sky diving in my dreams. I wake up several times at night thinking about it. Nothing in my life has been so scary and so challenging. Never in my life I have been so much into love with something. Never in my life I have felt how I am feeling these days. finally nothing in my life made me feel as nice as when I pulled the parachute for the first time in my life. The feeling that "I PULLED" made me feel so good. I am sure most of you feel whats such a big deal about this. I am so glad to have this place to write down my thought process and get your valuable feedback. Thanks a lot Jignesh

Anybody here going on a regular basis to STL place for skydiving from NJ? I live in Newark,NJ area. Was wondering if we could do car pooling. Thanks Jignesh

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Thanks a lot everybody to refer me to the SIM. It has helped me a lot to understand so many things that I had never imagined. I am goin going to read it in details whenever I get a chance. I read in the SIM that if you jump at 13500 and you open at 3000, you will have length of freefall as 10500. If you are falling horizontal you fall at 120m/h which will give you a total of 63 seconds of freefall. I also read that if you wear a Wing suit you will ge 146 seconds of freefall. Is that a mistake or it that true? What exactlty is a wing suit? How much does that cost? Don't you guys recommend that everybody should wear it to have a longer time of freefall? esp. students like me so that we can have longer time and hence longer time. Thanks Jignesh

Where can I download the SIM from?

Can somebody please answer the following questions: 1) How far is the plane from the dropzone before people start jumping out. I know it depends upon the wind. But still some ideas with examples would be great. 2) What is the maxiumum distance one can do while in freefall? 3) Once the parachute opens, how close or how far you have to be to get to your dropzone. I know it depends upon the speed of the wind. but some ideas with examples will help me understand it. 4) What is the steps of actualy landing. I mean when do you make turns, when do you brake. What are different positions of the legs/body while landing. 5) What are the things you have to keep in mind for a very safe and smooth landing? 6) What makes hard landing? What are the reasons people get inhured while landing? How bad could it get? Thanks Jignesh

I signed up for learning to sky dive at sky's the limit in PA with the AFP program which would include 3 tandems and 8 solos with grouns schoo. I want to get this course finished as soon as possible so that I can start enjoying solo jumps without supervision. I hated it last weekend that both days there were clouds. On Saturday my tandem instrcutor and I were in the plane and went up to 1300 feet just to realise that jump cannot be made. That was so frustrating. But I am not sure of my strange feeling weather I was happt that I don't have to jump or I was upset that I didn't get to jump. Such a strange feeling. Is that just me? How do you people deal with the frustrations caused due to not being able to jump? I mean you plan out your weekend just for doing skydiving and not being able to do is so frustrating. The 5 days of work is not good enough as it is and you are just waitiing for the weekend to fulfil your passion for the new sport and you just find out that you can't jump after doing 1:30 hour of drive one day. How do you guys deal with all this. Thanks

Can somebody give details on the Math and Physics during freefall in all diofferent kind of positions. I mean once you jump of the plane at 13500 feet and get into arch position, how much time you have for freefall if you want to open parachute at 5000 feet? Please post details on different scenerios on how it affects math and physics with respect to weight, postion, speed, wind, speed of the plane. Thanks a lot

I have the following questions about options after opnening the parachute? 1) Once you open the parachute, can you fly for a very long time? I mean can be flying in the air for say 1 hour instead of just 5-6 min? 2) In my tandem jump I realized that you can pull string on right to turn right and left to turn left. How do you move forward or backward? 3) what does it mean by flaring and braking?