Thoughts on IAD?

[daremrc 0]

I learned via S/L and IAD, so I am biased, but I think it is a great method. In my travels, I have found that it seems to be more accepted and in use out east compared to California and Oregon, but that may just be the DZ's I have jumped at.

I would love to get an IAD rating and teach the method that I learned, but there's no IAD program in my area to be a part of...

Good judgement comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgement.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

So I thought your sig line looked familiar, and so I checked your profile and yep..your going to Fly Free Skydiving....that's where I did my IAD and still jump there...what an amazing DZ with absolutely amazing people...IAD - Mark and Mike are some fantastic instructors and they will teach you a lot...AFF is Ashley and Lutz...Im sure Lutz is great (only jumped with him once on a 3-way) but Ashley is such an amazing instructor and truly a great jumper...either way, your jumping at FFS so you cant go wrong! Great small DZ with some absolutely fantastic people who will make you feel at home...tell them Johnny Boy says hey!!

[riggerrob 643]

Backing diablopilot ...

The best training syllabus utilizes all the different methods, when they are most useful.

For example, starting with a tandem or three is the best way to overcome initial fears and sensory overload ... and a good tandem instructor will show you what the perfect landing pattern looks like. If he takes teaching seriously, he will also show you what an altimeter and ripcord are and how to use them.

Then you will understand what is being said in IAD ground school and will learn how to steer your canopy sooner.

Then a few minutes in a wind tunnel will teach you the basics of freefall stability, turns and loops.

Then, do a few jumps with AFF Instructors to combine all those skills on one jump.

Finally, do a few more jumps with coaches to complete the list of skills needed for a license.

Rob Warner
Strong Tandem Examiner
USPA Instructor for S/L and IAD
CSPA Progressive Freefall Instructor
FAA Master Rigger

[Mangiapane85 0]

Yeah, that'd definitely be ideal to mix it accordingly like that, but i'm fairly positive that I'll be able to bypass the tandem portion, because I don't think fear will be an overwhelming factor for me. AFF would definitely come in handy though, just to get the grasp of stablization alone.

Question: What, if any differences are there between the ground school of AFF and IAD? i guess with iad they focus more on canopy control right?

-FEAR IS TEMPORARY...REGRET IS FOREVER!

-"People living deeply have no fear of death"- Anais Nin

[Andy9o8 2]

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I don't think fear will be an overwhelming factor for me.

You have absolutely no way of knowing that absent the experience of having done it. Having said that, I feel comfortable saying that fear and sensory overload are major factors of virtually every person's first jump experience.

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What, if any differences are there between the ground school of AFF and IAD? i guess with iad they focus more on canopy control right?

Your presumption (in bodface) is not correct, but it does illustrate something important to all skydiving students or prospective students: a new student "learning" the core basics of skydiving from an online forum is not a good idea. You ask a very good question; but the best way to get the answer is to speak face-to-face with a skydiving instructor. Go down to your local DZ, introduce yourself, and take the conversation from there. I think you'll find that you, and your questions, will be quite welcome.

(Which is not to say that they're not welcome here - they are! - we just want you to go to the best source for the answers.) Keep us posted on how you're doing.

[Mangiapane85 0]

Thanks for the input andy. I'm sure that once i'm up there i will feel very nervous, theres no doubt about that. But i am pretty confident I won't freeze up. I've bungee jumped on 3 different occassions as well as jumped off 80 foot cliffs. Now I know those dont really compare to being 10 thousand feet up and jumping out of a plane, but I was just trying to illustrate the fact that I would MOST LIKELY be just as comfortable doing an AFF jump than doing a tandem. Not being argumentative, I'm just saying.
The reason I joined this site (other than it being simply the best site I've ever read) was to learn as much as possible from this site (taken with a grain of salt of course) before I go to the DZ. It'll still be about 3 weeks before I'm able to do my first jump, so this is a great way to learn a little AND a great way to keep my anxiety down due to the fact that I'm so freaking anxious! lol... But really, I understand that I'll learn more from the instructors and actually doing everything hands on and in-person, but considering a large number of members on this site are instructors of some degree, it doesn't hurt (in my mind) to ask questions like these here.

But yes, I will definitely keep everyone posted on how my FJC goes. Look for the thread within the next 3 and a half weeks. Hopefully it's not in the injury forum!... Not funny.

-FEAR IS TEMPORARY...REGRET IS FOREVER!

-"People living deeply have no fear of death"- Anais Nin

[mikepetrucci 0]

I'm practically in the same boat as you. I did one tandem so far but I think I'm going to do some IAD jumps. Mostly for cost and learning to focus on just the ride down & landing. Thanks all for the input!

http://twitter.com/mikepetrucci
http://mikepetrucci.com
http://dropzonemediagroup.com

[riggerrob 643]

"... Question: What, if any differences are there between the ground school of AFF and IAD? i guess with iad they focus more on canopy control right?

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

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But i am pretty confident I won't freeze up. I've bungee jumped on 3 different occassions as well as jumped off 80 foot cliffs.

I hope that you are right.

However, a major difference between skydiving and bungee jumping (and possibly diving) is that letting go is just the beginning of the tasks. There is a long list of cognitive and psychomotor tasks to be accomplished while plunging toward the earth. Sometimes those who are most brash and self-assured on the ground are those who brain lock most completely in freefall.

Good Luck and Blue skies.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[Heatmiser 0]

You just be sure to NOT begin any line with, "But I read on DZ.com..."

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[Mangiapane85 0]

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You just be sure to NOT begin any line with, "But I read on DZ.com..."

When did I do that??... And what do you mean by that?

GLIDEANGLE as well as the other posters that're commentig on the "fear factor" thing... Keep in mind, i didnt ever say fear wouldn't be a factor AT ALL. I merely said i don't think it'll be OVERWHELMING (ie. backing out at the last second,crying, cussing at the instructors., pooping myself, etc.).

A little fear personally drives me to do things, and perform them better as I would if I wasn't "under pressure." Yes, I've never skydived, but I've come to many points in my life where I was faced with a fearful/dangerous situation, and I've always prevailed, albeit using a level head throughout the entire event.

Thanks for the comments again everyone. This sunday, I will "face the music." I'll be sure to keep you guys filled in on how it goes.

-FEAR IS TEMPORARY...REGRET IS FOREVER!

-"People living deeply have no fear of death"- Anais Nin

[Heatmiser 0]

What I mean is, your instructors don't want to hear about what you've learned online. Their training methods may differ slightly from what you've read hear. Go into your FJC and beyond as a sponge, soaking up what YOUR instructors are telling you.

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[Mangiapane85 0]

Ok, I gotcha heatmiser. Thanks for clearin that up. I'm going to be level headed throughout it all, I promise. I know I'm a newbie, I'm definitely not gonna act like I know everything.

-FEAR IS TEMPORARY...REGRET IS FOREVER!

-"People living deeply have no fear of death"- Anais Nin

[Mann 0]

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With all the door fear and sensory overload experienced by students, relaxing is the last thing they can do, so merely telling them "relax" and then having them repeat short delays is useless to the point of stupid.

For me, "smile!" instead of "relax!" worked its magic. Maybe there were other things involved as well, I don't know, but the time I left the plane with a sole purpose of SMILING my way down, spinning suddenly... stopped. Somehow, it had made me relax.

Whereas constant repeating "relax!" just made me realise I've got tension in my body. And in order to get that tension out, I think, I just tensed up because I was trying so hard to relax.