Worried over AFF

[Mrmojorisin 0]

Hi, I am about to undertake an AFF course, can anyone give me any advice on their experience that may help me on my quest, many thanks. Willy....

[skytash 0]

you'll read this a lot - talk to your instructor(s).
Don't be embarrassed to admit fear or concern about any part of the course or the kit or the jumps. Believe me - they've heard it all before. Perhaps not all from the same person but you are unlikely to have any worries that someone before you didn't have too!

Keep it up - if you've gotten as far as booking the course, you've got further than most and the bug will get you!

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[Mrmojorisin 0]

Really appreciate the reply Tash, many thanks

[Mrmojorisin 0]

Tash, may I also ask, how do you know if you like jumping out of a plane, can you get used to it?

[PilotLevi 0]

Whatever you do, don't look down.

[cjsgrlsx3 0]

I am on level 6 and I still worry everytime I do a jump because I don't want to screw up. I have been told it gets better. But I no longer worry about actually jumping out of the plane. That is the fun part! Have a good time and ask lots of questions. After you do one jump ask them to "preview" your next jump so you know what to expect. I have not had to repeat any of my jumps and I credit my ability to ask lots of quetions!

[Scoop 0]

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Tash, may I also ask, how do you know if you like jumping out of a plane, can you get used to it?

During my first jump I didn't really have any emotion, I think I was too overwhelmed and went into auto pilot doing the drills I was taught to do. Once I was on the gorund though the feeling was awesome and I still haven't been able to match that first jump buzz yet. I do get enormous satisfaction from doing a good jump or nailing a paticular maneouvre though. Its a different, more controlled kind of rush now

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[RBM 1]

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Tash, may I also ask, how do you know if you like jumping out of a plane, can you get used to it?

best answer to that is,, that you end up keep going back to the DZ,, thats a pretty good indication..

dude, you will know after the first jump if its something you want to do, and if it is,, its the desire and will of ppl that makes them go back for whatever reasons and plus.. its a lotta fun!!!!! good luck..
Oh and btw, if your like most of us, you will hear "relax" from your instructor, oh maybe a couple million times over the AFF course,,
me i think i heard it 3 million times,, GOD, glad those days are over,,LOL, i was a terrible student,,, so don't worry so much,, we all been there,,

[Mozencrath 0]

I am a sport jumper and I also pack on the weekends at my dropzone, so I frequently talk to the students...They mostly complain about being nervous before their jumps (on the plane ride) which is normal for most inexperienced jumpers and even myself if I don't jump for a few weeks...Just try and relax on the plane as much as possible...What alot of them find that works is going over the diveflow on the ride to altitude but most importantly REMEMBER THIS IS FUN!!!!

[seldon 0]

Breath deep and slowly during the plane ride. Visualize your dive and you doing all that is expected you do correctly. Breath deep at the door and smile during the dive.

I just finished my AFF and the only thing I've learnt is that relax and smile is the more important novice skill. Don´t scare about be unstable. Don´t fight against the air. You're not going to win it.
If you arch and relax you'll be able to get into belly-to-the-earth position.

Think in relax all the time and be aware of the position of your legs touching your feet if its necessary. Force your arch as far as you can and go on smiling and having fun. You'll be OK.

PD: Sorry for my english...

[RandomLemming 0]

About the only advice I can give you is to relax. I found this on my AFF and I found this on my FS1 this weekend - if I'm relaxed, my body flies well and I perform well. If I'm tense and worried about passing something instead of just having fun, my body tenses up and I don't fly right.

As for how you know when you're hooked? Well, my wife told me that after my second jump, she took one look at my face and resigned herself to spending a lot of time at DZs.

[popsjumper 2]

Tash touched on an important part of your progression.

Right now you know very little about skydiving and a lack of knowledge adn coonfidence is what's creating most of your worry right now.

Your instructors will give you LOTS of knowledge before you jump. YOU can increase your knowledge and alleviate many of your fears by ASKING QUESTIONS!

There's a saying..."The only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked." If you are the shy type, you may hesitate to ask questions and you will go through your training without a clear understanding of what you need to do. This is bad. Before you go to the DZ, make up your mind NOW that you are going to put any shyness aside for the time being and take an active role in your training by asking questions. If you don't completely understand what you are being taught - ASK for clarification. The students who have the most trouble tend to be the ones who think they "somewhat" understand but don't ask for clarification to ensure that the "absolutely" understand.

To put it another way, there's the physical and there's the mental. The physical takes practice. The mental only takes confidence. If you are unsure, you will not be confident...so ASK!!!!


You'll never know if you'll like it until you try it.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[reinhart36 0]

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Tash, may I also ask, how do you know if you like jumping out of a plane, can you get used to it?

I found that after about 10-15 jumps the anxiety on the plane ride up becomes a fun sort of anticipation. It really does get to be more and more fun as you get used to it, and learn to trust the equipment and training.

Good luck!

[skytash 0]

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Tash, may I also ask, how do you know if you like jumping out of a plane, can you get used to it?

yes and no - if you like jumping out of planes, you'll know (that sounds lame, but it's true!) and no, you won't get used to it - but in the way that it is unlikely to get boring .

The chemistry in my body before a jump used to be adrenalin driven by fear, then endorphins driven by relief of having walked back to the packing hall in one piece. Now it's more adrenalin driven by extreme concentration on what my task is on the next jump and then endorphins for having achieved at least some of that task when walking back to the packing hall (and getting back to the packing hall in one piece and walking is part of the tasks of every jump!).

There is still a fair amount of apprehension, just ask one of my friends how I feel about floating from a tailgate and if I don't have at least some form of apprehension before jumping out of a plane I'll start reconsidering whether to jump.

tash

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. Avril Sloe

[nikejumper 0]

The biggest thing I remember during my AFF experience was the feeling after landing my first jump. I WILL NEVER FORGET IT! that first jump is something that no matter what my mood is all I have to do is think about it and a smile comes on my face! relax and have fun because you will remember that first jump for a while!

Is it saturday yet?

[chuckakers 425]

(in order of importance)

1. pull

2. pull at the correct altitude

3. pull at the correct altitude while falling stable

[Newbie 0]

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Hi, I am about to undertake an AFF course, can anyone give me any advice on their experience that may help me on my quest, many thanks. Willy....

Learn to control your breathing, it will help you relax if you can take slow, deep breaths, especially on the way up and as you get ready to jump. Don't tense up, try and be relaxed. It might help to do some meditative stuff on the ground, which can help to focus your breathing and keep a clear mind. Read books on Zen meditation.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[Andy9o8 2]

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Hi, I am about to undertake an AFF course, can anyone give me any advice on their experience that may help me on my quest, many thanks. Willy....

Don't eat a high-roughage diet the day before.

[mnskydiver688 0]

I was nervous for a fair number of my jumps. I was very nervous when I jumped my first pack job. That was an interesting ride to altitude. To a certain extent fear is what keeps you safe, but don't forget to have some fun. Those butterflies I get before I exit the plane is what I look forward to. I like having my senses bombarded. That is probably why I started jumping out of a plane. If it doesn't feel like anything that person should consider some other sport.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[FallingDuck 0]

Take deep breaths, and go through the jump in your head while you go up in the plane. This will help you focus on the way down. Rely on your instructors, and remember to go to the bathroom before takeoff. Have a great time.

[dorbie 0]

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I am on level 6 and I still worry everytime I do a jump because I don't want to screw up. I have been told it gets better. But I no longer worry about actually jumping out of the plane.

It was the same with me even on my first jump. The worst part was the ride to altitude on my first jump. I knew I was committed and wondered what the heck I'd gotten myself into. Once I was in the door the drills took over and after the exit I was more concerned with not screwing up the skydive than the fact I was falling from altitude. I remember being slightly surprised when my parachute opened perfectly and thinking to myself "If you're surprised it worked what the heck are you doing jumping". Of course I couldn't wait to get back up.

[HillerMyLife 0]

Whats up man?? As many have said before you WILL be nervous your first few jumps. The biggest thing is pay attention in your classes because once you've exited the aircraft there isn no flying back in...your going for a skydive!!

Things that used to make me nervous(like the door opening or that first sensation of falling) I now am almost impatiently waiting for on the ride up. You'll know if its for you after that first leap into the great blue sky and the subsequent landing.

A side note...do you post on the Adult Swim message boards under the same name??

Someday Never Comes

[chrismgtis 0]

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and no, you won't get used to it

I got used to it around my 7th or 8th jump. After that I wasn't nervous at all anymore. For a few jumps after that I felt funny at the door, but now I'm so used to it that it's no different than getting out of my car.

*shrugs* I never would have thought that I would have found something like skydiving so easy to handle, but I eventually did. I think it's just a matter of finding your comfort point in your mind and using it.

I chose not to think about the dangers - but to perform all the safety checks and make sure I've done everything I should before I get on the plane. If you do that, then there is no reason to fear your skydive. If you don't, you have plenty of reason to fear and a single detail that you may realize you forgot can make you nervous on the plane.

If you've done everything you should have and are prepared, you're jumping out of the airplane and you chose to take that risk, so why fear it. That's the way I look at it.

It in no way means I think I'm less weak than the next person. There are plenty of things that would scare me that wouldn't scare others I'm sure.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[GravityJunky 0]

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best answer to that is,, that you end up keep going back to the DZ,, thats a pretty good indication.. dude, you will know after the first jump if its something you want to do, and if it is,, its the desire and will of ppl that makes them go back for whatever reasons and plus.. its a lotta fun!!!!! good luck..
Oh and btw, if your like most of us, you will hear "relax" from your instructor, oh maybe a couple million times over the AFF course,,
me i think i heard it 3 million times,, GOD, glad those days are over,,LOL, i was a terrible student,,, so don't worry so much,, we all been there,,

*My Inner Child is A Fucking Prick Too!
*Everyones entitled to be stupid but you are abusing the priviledge
*Well I'd love to stay & chat, But youre a total Bitch! {Stewie}

[millertimeunc 0]

I was nervous on my first jump too. I think it's just the fear of the unknown, kind of like the first time you drive a car (well, not quite, but you know what I mean). I think the thing that helped me the most was doing "dirt dives" with the instructors several times on the ground before we ever even got into the plane. By doing that, everything became automatic after we exited, and we had a great skydive. As others have told you in this thread, don't forget to SMILE and give a big thumbs up after your done with your practice touches and other procedures, and HAVE FUN!!! I'm working on my A license and I still get nervous on every jump, but now it's more from a desire to do everything correctly and safely to pass on to the next level. Enjoy it, 'cause nothing beats that first jump high!

The best things in life are dangerous.