jrouse 0 #1 October 21, 2012 Hey everyone, my name's Joe and I'm new to the forum. I'm checking this place out because I'm thinking of...No I am going to get back into Skydiving this coming spring. I haven't jumped in years and I only have had 6 jumps, 2 tandem and 4 AFF. I stopped going 1. because at the time I wasn't making enough money, and 2. I kind of psyched my self out the last time I jumped. On my release jump I guess I was doing the wrong input and spinning in the left direction really fast and couldn't stop it. My instructor had to swoop in and stop me from spinning twice. Then on the same jump I flared to late and ended up spraining both of my ankles. Its been probably 9 years since I've jumped and I have thought about doing it again at least a couple of times every month all year every year since then. I want to get back into really bad but wondering if there's somethings I should study this time or read about before just diving into the deep end again(No pun intended)? I live in Pennsylvania so there's no DZ's open here until next spring. I guess i'm also asking if there's anything I can practice to make things easier when I do get the chance to get to a DZ? Or if anybody has any advice on when the right time to flare is? Thanks guys looking forward to talking with some of you and any advice is greatly appreciated.Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #2 October 21, 2012 If you have a wind tunnel nearby, you can learn stable belly flight in there. It took me, my sister and her daughter about 5 minutes in a wind tunnel to be flying reasonably well without much assistance from the instructor. It took me a fair bit longer (around 45 skydives and 20 minutes in the tunnel) to look like I almost know what I'm doing in there. If you're not comfortable with your stability in the air, wind tunnel is a valuable resource. I'm not going to tell you when to flare. I'm not an instructor and I'm the last person you want landing advice from. What I WILL tell you is I, personally, would rather flare early and PLF rather than flare late and shatter my heels. You can get away with a lot if your PLF is solid. If it's not, practice it. Another thing I'll tell you is that your DZ probably offers a canopy course, and I highly recommend that you take it as soon as you can once you get off AFF. You should be somewhat comfortable with low-altitude hop and pops before this. I did one, liked it, and signed up for the canopy course almost immediately. It will dramatically improve your canopy and landing skills.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #3 October 21, 2012 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southern_Man 0 #4 October 21, 2012 Quote I live in Pennsylvania so there's no DZ's open here until next spring. Don't know where you live but Chambersburg is open year-round I believe. Also dropzones not far south of there are open year round."What if there were no hypothetical questions?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #5 October 22, 2012 I live in a small town called Clarion. It's about 45 min north east of Pittsburg. I do however work on the road for my job. Right now my project location is Wilmington Delaware. Not sure what's around that area. I am interested in hitting one of those wind tunnels but not sure where the closest one is, so ill have to do some researching. Thanks for the info guys.Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southern_Man 0 #6 October 22, 2012 Delmarva and Crosskeys are both relatively close to Wilmington, DE. I believe both are open year-round. The nearest wind tunnel is in Raeford, NC."What if there were no hypothetical questions?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #7 October 30, 2012 Well I have booked my appointments for this upcoming week end in New Hampshire at the SkyVenture wind tunnel. I'm doing 15 min Friday, 15 min Saturday, and 15 min Sunday. I'm very excited to getting started back on my goals of achieving my A license and beyond! Can't wait for this weekend!!Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #8 October 30, 2012 Sweet! That sounds like a blast! Is it coaching time? Be sure to spring for the video -- it's usually not that much more, you can export to youtube pretty easily and it's very easy to see what you're doing that needs improvement when watching yourself on video. How far are you looking to get? You can probably get reasonably adept at back or sit flying in that amount of time! Maybe even both.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OneJumpWally 0 #9 October 31, 2012 Wind tunnel bro. I had the same EXACT problem. Level 4 AFF and im spinning to the left on both failures. Sucked it up and forked over the cash for 8 minutes in the tunnel. Did wonders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #10 November 1, 2012 QuoteSweet! That sounds like a blast! Is it coaching time? Be sure to spring for the video -- it's usually not that much more, you can export to youtube pretty easily and it's very easy to see what you're doing that needs improvement when watching yourself on video. How far are you looking to get? You can probably get reasonably adept at back or sit flying in that amount of time! Maybe even both. Yep its all coached time. I'm looking to get as far as I can in the time I have booked for the three days. My main goal was to just freshen up on being stable and then I thought to myself, if I'm driving all that way up there to do this then I might as well plan my whole weekend around it! I usually pick things up fairly quickly so I'm excited to see what I can do!Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #11 November 1, 2012 Quote Wind tunnel bro. I had the same EXACT problem. Level 4 AFF and im spinning to the left on both failures. Sucked it up and forked over the cash for 8 minutes in the tunnel. Did wonders. I have 45 minutes booked over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this week in New Hampshire. It is expensive but I've mentally committed to making skydiving the #1 hobby in my life. Super pumped for this weekend! Have to work tomorrow and then its off to NH for the weekend!! Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #12 November 1, 2012 Heh well whatever problems you had with stability before, the shouldn't be so much of a problem after this! That's pretty close to exactly the amount of time I've had in freefall to date! I'm actually trying to book some more tunnel time in the next couple of weeks to learn how to back-fly. It'd be funny if you went into your next AFF jump and did some sitflying with the instructor, or something... Once you get out of AFF, go through the canopy course and you should be in really good shape!I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #13 November 5, 2012 Well I did my first tunnel time this weekend and it was awesome! By Sunday I was pretty dang stable and could fly around the tunnel belly flying. I can do turns left and right, 180's, 360's, fly higher, fly lower, forwards and backwards! I had so much fun I can't wait to go back. Next time its a little fine tuning and then hopefully start learning how to back fly. My goal is to get trough all of that and learn how to sit fly pretty proficiently by the time spring rolls around and I start AFF. I forgot how much fun this was and I can't get enough!!Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #14 November 5, 2012 Awesome dude! I've got my A license and 52 jumps and I'm just getting around to trying to book some time with an instructor I know to do back flying! It'll be funny for you to go back into AFF with mad freeflying skills. The biggest difference in the sky is the need to maintain altitude awareness, but as long as the change in scenery doesn't faze you, I'd expect you to breeze through AFF now.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrouse 0 #15 November 8, 2012 Quote It'll be funny for you to go back into AFF with mad freeflying skills. The biggest difference in the sky is the need to maintain altitude awareness, but as long as the change in scenery doesn't faze you, I'd expect you to breeze through AFF now. Thats the goal man! The heights thing and jumping from the plane was never a problem for me. I loved just about every part of it except the hard landings...go figure! I actually just booked another 30 minutes of tunnel time two weeks from now. Can't wait to get back in there and I'm taking my 12 year old daughter with me this time for some time in the tunnel. I thinks she's gonna love it!Lovin every second of it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
