Multiple AFF levels in one jump?

[Gators1240 9]

So I was at the tunnel today and a guy in was talking with was telling me that if I had him come out and jump with me when I started my aff he could have me jump with just him instead of 2 instructors since I have a pretty good grasp of belly flying and complete multiple aff levels in one jump. Is this possible? I haven't heard of it before but if it's true could save me a lot of money

[ridestrong 1]

I'm just curious... is the person that told you that an AFF instructor?

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[Gators1240 9]

Quote

I'm just curious... is the person that told you that an AFF instructor?

He said he used to be. Not sure for how long or how recently though

[Mixoligist 0]

pm sent

..................................
Better you than me
..................................

[KermieCorleone 0]

I completed the TLOs for level 5 and level 6 in one jump ...

- Neil

Never make assumptions! That harmless rectangle could be two triangles having sex ...

[jake95 0]

I just did aff with one instructor for all my jumps

[jaffo 0]

Go to memphis. Mike will take you to 40,000 feet. You can do all 8 levels in 2 jumps!!!

Take chances, just do it with all the information to make good decisions!!

Muff Brother# 2706 Dudeist Skydiver# 121.5

[diablopilot 2]

Sounds like a bad deal.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[absane 0]

Doing multiple levels in 1 jump? I got that deal after I screwed up AFF 4. So we tried on my next jump to do AFF 4 and 5. Too bad it didn't work out

Don't forget to pull!

[jim_32766 0]

Your safest and wisest choice on this one is to head to your local DZ and talk to the people who currently serve as AFFIs. I know students do sometimes accomplish the goals of more than one AFF level in a single jump, and the AFFIs have the knowledge as to whether or not it's warranted in your case. Of course, the tunnel does little for canopy training, and landings are important too.

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[Gators1240 9]

I was still planning on doing that and was aware of the canopy flight of which I have no experience. I was really just more interested because I had not heard of anything like that before.

[davelepka 4]

Have you considered your exit? Seeing as the tunnel offers you no practice for that, What happens if that goes to shit?

Have you considered the mental aspect of jumping from an actual airplane, and the effect that may have on your performance?

You really want one guy, not currently employed at a DZ, to be your only friend at that point? Can you see the value in a pair of currently employed instructors, who have done 50 or 100 live AFF jumps in the last month?

In terms of skipping levels, how does that help you learn exits, or canopy control? How does that help you learn aircraft procedures or just the mental aspect of making an actual jump?

Look at it this way, you're going to trust the DZ to choose aircraft, pilots, and student gear, so why not extend that to choosing instructors and the pace of the AFF program?

There's no free lunch in skydiving. Just like shooting video or flying a wingsuit, learning to skydive just takes jumps. You can't get around the need to just do the work and make the jumps, and if you're not willing to accept that reality, forget skydiving and stay in the tunnel.

[Gators1240 9]

Quote

Have you considered your exit? Seeing as the tunnel offers you no practice for that, What happens if that goes to shit?

Have you considered the mental aspect of jumping from an actual airplane, and the effect that may have on your performance?

You really want one guy, not currently employed at a DZ, to be your only friend at that point? Can you see the value in a pair of currently employed instructors, who have done 50 or 100 live AFF jumps in the last month?

In terms of skipping levels, how does that help you learn exits, or canopy control? How does that help you learn aircraft procedures or just the mental aspect of making an actual jump?

Look at it this way, you're going to trust the DZ to choose aircraft, pilots, and student gear, so why not extend that to choosing instructors and the pace of the AFF program?

There's no free lunch in skydiving. Just like shooting video or flying a wingsuit, learning to skydive just takes jumps. You can't get around the need to just do the work and make the jumps, and if you're not willing to accept that reality, forget skydiving and stay in the tunnel.

I think you are taking my post the wrong way. I don't doubt the skills or knowledge that the guys at deland have nor do I plan on skipping any of it. I know there are a ton of aspects to this sport that I have not experienced and may not even realize since I have not started aff yet. I have no intention of having someone who I have met once come do this or try to skip anything I was simply curious about the idea since I had never heard of it before.

[AndyMan 7]

Some dropzones have programs where you do two working tandems, then continue with AFF with only one instructor. This program is called AFP, and it seems to work reasonably well. Generally, AFP costs run about the same cost as a full AFF program. The cost saving of a single instructor is offset by additional working tandems.

It sounds like this person is or was one of these AFP instructors.

There's a pretty big gap between going through a full AFP program and having 'some guy from the tunnel' throw you into AFP-style jumps without the requisite working tandems. Also, there's a pretty big gap between two real working tandems (complete with fear of eminent death), and a small amount of safe tunnel time.

I don't know of any DZ's using tunnels as a substitute for freefall. Some use it as an additional training aide, but none reduce the amount of jumps or instructors, as far as I know.

It's possible this guy was blowing smoke, or also possible that he was talking about a full AFP program, but the way you describe it? No, seems unlikely, and definitely a bad idea.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[billvon 2,990]

>he could have me jump with just him instead of 2 instructors

1) Quite literally yes. Legally he doesn't even need to be a skydiving instructor, or even have any jumps at all; there are no federal laws on who can be an instructor. Needless to say, that would be a very bad idea.

2) Many places offer instructional courses where a jumper does either a few static lines (rare now) or a few tandems (more common) before starting them out with a single instructor AFF-style jump.

>complete multiple aff levels in one jump.

In a standard AFF program you will sometimes see jumpers skip levels if they are really good.

But if you go into a DZ with a standard AFF program and say "I have some tunnel time and I'm a natural; I want to do fewer jumps to save money" they will likely not change their initial jumps to suit you. After a few jumps, if you do show an unusual level of skill, they might alter some of the later jumps.

However:

1) Tunnel teaches you nothing about canopy control, and that's the skill which, if lacking, is most likely to kill you. AFF in seven jumps is already a horrendously short period of canopy training, and that may work against you being able to do it in fewer jumps.

2) I know a few people who had a moderate amount of tunnel time (10 minutes to an hour) and they had some trouble learning to fly with a rig. One was doing great until he went unstable and then could not recover because a) they don't want you unstable in the tunnel and b) in the tunnel you don't have an extra 35 pounds on your back.

[Hvance 0]

I also think there's something to said for falling under pressure. Even holding all things equal (like canopy control, which is a good point) being able to do things in the tunnel does not equate one to one in the sky, with a skew toward lower jumps. Even if a student could do the loops, rolls, turns, etc. required to finish AFF, what about altitude awareness, heading control, EPs, etc? The very knowledge that you're in actual freefall adds adrenaline which complicates the thought process.

Nothing you haven't mentioned before. Just musing.

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.