GentleTiger 0 #1 February 10, 2004 Hi all, this is for folks having a tough time with fear. I feel like an expert at it now that I've conquered mine, so I wanted to share a technique I used, in the hopes it might help someone else. Big feelings most often are the result of lots of small ones put together. So I thought about my fear of the door, freefall and the canopy ride and broke it down to the smaller fears. With each tandem I did, I knocked my fears down one by one. First I couldn't breathe in freefall, and couldn't keep track of altitude at all. Bang, bang, down in 2 tandems. Then I had a really rough canopy ride one day (it collapsed at 1500 and we were going up and backwards...didn't even look like we'd make the airport), and lost my confidence under canopy, but was having a ball in freefall. My fear under canopy was mostly about steep turns and landings. Bang bang bang bang...Knocked those fears down one at a time, blessing my JM's for their wisdom and patience. When it came time for my AFF Level 1, I simply walked up to the door, did my count evenly and deliberately and exited with my JM's. There was no fear...I'd trained long and hard for that moment and the exit was right on. Now I'm just blowing off time until Friday, when I'm scheduled to do Level 2. Ugh. It seems such a long way away and I'm bored with everything else in my life now, all I want to do is jump and learn and jump... Fear can be conquered, sometimes it just takes time and some tandems to work it through. Blue Skies everyone, I hope this helps someone out there. Tiger________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Misslmperfect 0 #2 February 10, 2004 thanks for the post!! as march is quickly approaching ive been thinking more and more about what lies ahead in AFP for me. for some reason, and ive discussed this with some people on here, freefall doesnt get my nerves going, being under canopy does. i think that is because while in freefall during my tandem i had to keep my mind on one thing - altitude - pull at 5000. once under canopy my instructor was explaining to me about turns, flaring, winds, etc....theres more but my skydiving vocabulary is limited lol. so in my mind, its like freefall is simple and landing a canopy safely is incredibly difficult. i KNOW thats not the way it is, and they take equal amounts of education and training, but thats the way my mind has decided its going to be lol. the more i think about my first solo canopy ride, the more nervous i get. ive been reading some incident reports about low turns and improper flares (correct term?) and the damage that they can do, and thats just feeding the nerves. so i dont go there anymore. i think that after my first solo (well, AFP solo) when ill be in full control of my canopy, ill realize that i CAN in fact handle it, and your post has really inspired me in the fact that fears can be conquered..and not to let them consume you or hold you back. i still have 1 more tandem, and im hoping to have a little more control under canopy..or at least gain a little more knowledge about why you do what you do and when. im sure that will ease some tensions...but thanks for the post! its really encouraging!Oh Canada, merci pour la livraison! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GentleTiger 0 #3 February 11, 2004 Hi, thanx for your reply to my post, I'm really glad my experience has spurred someone on to examine and conquer their own fears. In our AFF program, one of the JM's has a walkie talkie, and tells us when to flare. Is that the case with you? In the Level 1 course they will teach you how to land safely and the student canopies are very forgiving. Keep up the great work, and let me know how you're doing! ________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverjames 0 #4 February 12, 2004 Quote So I thought about my fear of the door, freefall and the canopy ride and broke it down to the smaller fears. With each tandem I did, I knocked my fears down one by one. great post !! it brings back memories. my tag line is taken from a skydivng poster , but i've found it's applicable to ANY pursuit in life !! rock on ! it's only when we've lost everything that we're free to do anything ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GentleTiger 0 #5 February 12, 2004 Thanx Diver, Blue Skies! YeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaa!! ________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paige 0 #6 February 12, 2004 Why 15 tandems?????Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate www.TunnelPinkMafia.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GentleTiger 0 #7 February 12, 2004 Hi Paige, Well, I did 6 tandems before I decided to do AFF. Then I blew 2 chances at Level-1, and did a tandem after each shot, so that's 8. Then I did 7, working on each aspect of my fear, one bit at a time, slowly building my confidence. Plus, the DZO wanted to be sure that I would be safe, so he wanted me to work on canopy control for a few of those 7...see, I took one little chunk at a time and worked on it. The AFF program is incredible, and my DZ is the BEST! Happy Jumping and Perfect Winds to ya, Tiger________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shawnstarr 0 #8 February 13, 2004 damn! i hope your loaded. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #9 February 13, 2004 Everybody just needs to remember to BREATHE My instructor used to put his hand on top of mine and clasp it, then raise it up as we inhaled, paused, lowered it as we exhaled. We'd do this three times, and on the third time as he lowered our hands, we'd make our hands come down in a spiral. It became a ritual and it really did help to relax me. Don't forget, you're up there where the air is thin -- you NEED extra breath just to break even. Deep in, deep out. Focus and clear your mind. Fear goes away. Do what you got up there to do. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Croc 0 #10 February 13, 2004 Great advice from Jeffery--breathing is essential to controlling the mind. I had a big fear of the door. I found that when I attacked the door aggresively during AFF, yelling out the hotel check, things went well. Another thing I have noticed is that fear doesn't go away, although it certainly subsides. But you can feel the fear and do your job. Good luck on the rest of your AFF."Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so." Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GentleTiger 0 #11 February 15, 2004 Hey Shawn, Not anymore. lol________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GentleTiger 0 #12 February 15, 2004 Hi Jeffrey, Sounds like a really beautiful way to relax and that you have wonderful JMs too. Breathing is getting easier and easier. Thanx for your post! Tiger________________________________________ Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a tiger in the sky!! Throw down some steaks and run for the hills!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #13 February 15, 2004 You're welcome. I was gonna say I hope it gets easier for you, but I already know that it will. I remember seeing others going for the door, and it used to kinda squick me out a bit to see them near it for extended periods. Of course, you can train that feeling away by simply remembering that they're all experienced skydivers with PARACHUTES on! What the hell could be so wrong with being near an open door if the worst that happens is that your skydive starts a little early?! (Granted, the door is closed until at least a few thousand feet.) I came to relish the idea of being near the door, even for the whole trip up. It's really very similar to when I'm flying a Cessna and looking out the window. There's little to no difference in the view, and there's the security of having a skydive rig on. But on every skydive, I continue to pause to make sure I'm breathing deeply and relaxing. I still think of the hand-thing that Dave Cole did with me on my AFP jumps. It works. I've even taken the hands of other people to do it, now. ---Jeffrey-Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
