New & Completed 2nd Tandem

[2Windwalk 0]

Hello All!

AWESOME experience!

I did my first tandem jump on 8/17/12 in Eloy, Arizona as a way to mirror fears I've had throughout my life. I took the day off so I would not be under any perceived pressure of time and didn't tell anyone I was going. Since I got there rather early for my assigned time, I sat down in the grass and did some breathing, visualization and meditation exercises to help keep calm.

I remember not really focusing in on the camera person in the free-fall and instead was enjoying the feel of "being" out there and in the moment. It was an UNBELIEVABLE rush of excitement and energy.

Surprisingly my parents were very supportive when I told them. Of the two, I thought my dad would freak out - but he took it very well to the point I was shocked! The second phrase from my mom was she wanted to go.
I managed to wait until 10/6/12 to do my second tandem. A colleague and my 70-year old mom went too for their firsts. I realized on the plane just how "out of it" I was the first time - I was SO in my own little world. The second time, I did feel some anxiety when we were about 5,000 feet from altitude and had to clear my thoughts and re-focus on how my mom and friend were doing to calm myself.

This time, I was given an altimeter to track, pulled the chute and landed on my feet!! WOO HOO! It was a somewhat different experience - maybe due to more responsibility in the jump as well as with my mom and friend - but GREAT none-the-less!

Now to determine how long I can wait to do the next one...

[luke2481 0]

hahahahahahahahahaha

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Yeah... you're hooked. May as well just enroll in an AFF program, now...

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[skymama 37]

Welcome to the forums!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[2Windwalk 0]

Thanks - will check it out!

[2Windwalk 0]

Yes, this is the continual mind debate right now: tandems with some tunnel time thrown in for a while vs AFF training...

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I didn't do a tandem before going to AFF, and didn't find the training to be bad at all. You've got a couple of instructors holding on to you for your first few jumps, and they keep you very stable until you know how to do it on your own.

I was astounded at how fast progress was. I'd have not called me having no problem with flips and barrel rolls at the point that I was doing them. They were more fun than anything. Getting on the plane was a mental effort for the first few jumps, but once I started relaxing, I was OK with it. Now there's no place I'd rather sit than on the floor of the king air, right next to the door!

Wind tunnel's great too, especially once you aren't flailing around on your belly anymore and can actually do some stuff. That also doesn't take as long as you might expect it to. My sister and niece were pretty much flying on their own within 7 minutes. I think they'd need another 5 minutes or so to clean up their body positions a bit and they'd be well on their way to the fun stuff.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[LookUpHigh 0]

I would base it on your money situation. This is not a cheap sport. If your funds are limited then i wouldn't waste my money on more tandems and just go right for AFF. I believe when people say the tunnel is a great tool, however, again if money is limited it is almost completely unnecessary. They'll teach you how to fly in AFF, and this way your canopy progress is pretty evenly matched with your flying skills. The tunnel isn't cheap.

But if you live somewhere where its about to be snowing and 7 degrees out then I could see your point of not starting AFF. I have 5 jumps left until i'm licensed and I KEEP GETTING SCREWED! Every weekend its raining or 80 MPH winds lol. And its not getting any warmer.