andyvaughn

I'm on my way to my A! 10 (or so) more jumps and I'm there! Andrea Congratulations Andrea! If you think it's fun now, wait until you're licensed! :) In which case don't be a stranger if you ever make it down to Elsinore. I will Emily! I'd love to venture out of the nest one day soon, right now I'm feeling pretty cozy at my DZ - and still sort of clinging to my instructors tail feathers, but, gaining more confidence by the jump! I'd love to meet you in person and share some airspace - and thanks for all your emails and encouragement along the way.

I'm on my way to my A! 10 (or so) more jumps and I'm there! Andrea

I finally finished my levels today! It only took 10 times to complete 7 levels, (my first 4 jumps were tandems, I was pretty horrified of the parachute for a bit there - had to do several tandems just to make sure I could make peace with that stretch of nylon). I had great instructors, who worked hard with helping me get past my fears and mind lock, and stuck with me even when my brain kept suggesting that there was no way in hell I could do this! I got to take my first true solo jump today, what amazing freedom to leave the plane by myself, do what I wanted, and have the knowledge that in just a few jumps I've been given the ability to save myself. That solo jump was sheer magic, did some flips, 360's, enjoyed the view of the ocean and islands, and assure you had a shit eating grin from 13.5 to sea level! I LOVE skydiving! Andrea

I also had to repeat level 3. I too was spinning on level 3, 10 minutes in a tunnel took immediate care of that. I didn't think the tunnel did anything for me, and actually left the tunnel very discouraged, but the next day I knocked out level 3 and had absolutely no spinning (nor have I had to combat that since) and was able to easily lock onto a heading and stay there. So, moral of the story is, tunnel time actually did help me and was well worth the money spent not to have to repeat that level - yet again! Andrea

Hi Nicole, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. I relate to your experience, I lost my husband 13 months ago, and my first jump was in honor of him. I too was bitten by the skydive bug, and am now in the AFP classes. A woman I consider a spiritual mentor said to me, after my first jump, "where you see God, mark that spot and go sit in that window again". Skydiving turned the world back into technicolor for me, and is as much spiritual as it is physical. Life somehow goes on, and has the power to be beautiful again, or rather, I have the power to see the beauty again

Welcome to skydiving, now kiss your money goodbye! What's a little top ramen between friends, anyway? I just started my AFP (almost same as AFF, but you jump with 1 instructor instead of 2 for your first few jumps) recently, it's the best thing I've ever done with my time/money/soul! Can't wait to hear how you're first solo goes, it's a whole new zen like experience being under the canopy alone! Good luck and blue skies! Andrea

I'm the exact opposite of the post above, I've been a scuba diver for 16 years, and skydiving for about 3 nanoseconds - it never once sent shock waves of terror spinning thru me to get underwater, under any conditions. But I go thru severe psychological warfare trying to get myself out the door of the plane. Like it was mirrored before, most people swim, are familiar and comfortable around water. And, they aren't informed, unless they scuba dive, on the risks. It's so against our instincts to leave a plane and fly, yet it's built into our very body makeup to be attracted to water. I noticed after my first tandem and my first AFP, I had a very hard time remembering what the hell had happened, and I may be wrong about this, but my theory is my nervous system couldn't recognize the events as it had no frame of reference, and was desperately just trying to compute WTF was going on! And I couldn't even imagine in my prejump fantasy what it was going to be like, my brain wouldn't allow it.

Hi! I'm too in the student phase of my development, and 2 jumps behind you, I'm doing my 7th, but my 3rd AFP, Sunday. I am 40, and like you, wish I had started YEARS back. It's such an amazing, zen like experience, isn't it? Looks like we have some career similarities too, I am a RN, but worked for a vet thru much of my college. The problem with pets, they can't tell you what's wrong

Thanks for all of your input. I definitely haven't felt any pressure from the people at my drop zone to tip/buy beer or do anything I didn't feel comfortable doing, I just didn't know what was the norm, and I've been known to not understand the social norms and act out of turn a time or two in my life. I know the instructors at the drop zone love what they are doing; it shows in their faces, their actions and their attitudes. They have been extremely generous of their time and information. I feel really at home there, and look forward to long and happy friendships, and a lifetime of learning. Now on to AFP 3 Sunday… life is turning into a series of waiting my turn to jump next!

I have some questions about DZ etiquette that I’m hoping you old timers can help me out with. First, at what point am I supposed to buy the beer? I did after my first AFP jump, (I’m only on AFP 3) but not my second afp jump. I hung out for a very short bit after my first jump. I have a lengthy drive back home, and I don’t drink (sober a number of years, I don’t get tempted by the company of others drinking, but just was so wiped from the day). Was it rude to not stay? Second question is on tipping etiquette. I was shocked to read the average pay for instructors in another thread, I had no idea the person training me, whose got my life in his hands, makes so little. Like every other student, I’m hemorrhaging money into the drop zone, and sacrificing on every financial level in my life to keep jumping. I just assumed that he was making a reasonable living doing this based on what I’m dishing out. Should I tip on every training jump, at the end, ever? And if so, what is the standard of tipping..ie 20%? This probably sounds naïve, but I’m very new to this and just trying to figure out the pecking order of things…I want to believe I’m making lifelong friends around my drop zone, and no sense bungling it all up by acting like a jerk when I don’t know how I’m supposed to act.

I completed AFP 2 today, MUCH smoother experience! I did 3 minutes in a wind tunnel Friday, I'm sure that helped some, but I think most of the credit goes to the instructor. I was able to get stable, do my PHT's and my 2 90degree turns before 8K. I decided to do one more PHT for the feel of it, which freaked out my instructor a tad, won't do that again! I even landed much smoother, not so much like a bowling ball this time! I can't WAIT to get back for level 3. I sure do look forward to the day when getting out of the plane doesn't induce psychological (and gastrointestinal) warfare! Blue Skies! [

Hi! I was introduced to skydiving via a tandem jump in January, and don't have to explain to you the reason I've been back. I did 4 total tandems, and finally worked up the courage and nerve to do the ground school and AFP level 1 today. Wow, there's a lot to learn, and a WHOLE lot to work on, but what an amazing experience, from the time with the staff/teachers at the drop zone, the the jump, to the after jump. I can't wait to get back up for my AFP2, although I think I'm going to spend a few dollars and minutes at a wind tunnel prior. I'd like to know I could get stable without the ground coming at me at 120mph as a added stressor. I've fallen madly in love with this sport, and the people in it. It started as a honor to my husband, who passed last year, on his birthday. Turns out, the honor and the gift were for me. It's given me a whole new life, and turned the world back into technicolor for me! Blue skies and looking forward to jump #2!