Skydivesg 7 #26 February 24, 2006 Your instructor is right, 60 degrees on the knees is better. My bad. BTW most of us don't have tunnels near us either. You have to go to where the tunnel is. When you go to the tunnel try to get a minimum of ten minutes. Five - two minute flights. Anything less than that may not be worth the three hour round trip although anything is better than nothing. I'd recommend 15 to 30 minutes. When I go I never buy less than an hour. Also my experience with the normal tunnel staff is that not all of them know what to look for or how to help low time jumpers. It pays to hire a private coach. If there is anyway to get to Orlando. That might be your best option. Flight from Toronto is $225.00. Buy a round trip ticket from Mears Van service in the baggage area -$30.00. They will drop you off and pick you up at the tunnel. No car rental. Stay at the Riande Motel across the parking lot from the tunnel- $30.00 per night. All restaraunts and bars are walking distance. Tunnel time during peak hours is $375.00 for 30 minutes - $700.00 for 60 minutes. Off peak time 12:00 to 5:00 pm is $635 per hour. Hiring "Chromy"-one of the best tunnel coaches in the world from Deland is $100.00 for 30 minutes - $150.00 for 60 minutes. If you choose to do this, time it so you can go to the DZ ASAP on your return. No more than one week if possible. Best scenario: fly down on Thursday. Meet Chromy for 30 minutes of tunnel Thursday night. Then 30 more minutes Friday morning. Fly home Friday afternoon. Go to the DZ to jump on Saturday and watch your instructor smile in freefall. Make the remaining jumps over the weekend and graduate. Caution: Tunnel time is highly addictive. Sandy PS The advice about relaxing is excellent. Also I can give your Chromy's contact info if you want.Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Telek 0 #27 February 25, 2006 I did some more digging and I was way off on my initial estimates. For 20 minutes with instructor it will cost $540 USD. This is equivalent time to 27 jumps (with 45 seconds freefall) or $20 USD per jump. Considering a jump with a PFF instructor costs me $150 USD this is saving money big time. And it's only about 45 minutes one way, so that's not bad either. They recomment no more than 20 minutes on training per day for an individual. Since it's hard to get to a wind tunnel I think 20 minutes is good, but do you think it may be too much for a first timer? My Paris trip is 2 weeks before the DZ opens, so that's not too bad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skydivesg 7 #28 February 25, 2006 20 minutes is not too much as long as you break it up a bit. Here is how it should work (or there abouts). You spend time dirt diving and learning hand signals with your coach for 15-30 minutes prior to entering the chamber. You enter the sealed holding chamber along with your coach and any other people who will being flying. You and the others take turns flying in the flight chamber. No more than two minute flights. Anything more than two minutes at a time is too tiring and you will have diminished returns. After each two minute flight you come out the exit door into the holding chamber while someone else enters the flight chamber through the opposite door. While the others are flying your coach will verbally tell you what he wants you to work on. When it's your turn, you enter the flight chamber and fly another two minutes. You should do this for a total of ten minutes (five flights). Then, when everyone has used up their time, they will slow down the fans and take your group out while another group goes in. You should take at least a 30 minute break hopefully during which time your coach will work with you (60 minute break would be better). Then you go back into the chamber and repeat the process, which will give you your total of twenty minutes. If done this way you should be able to handle twenty minutes without any trouble, though you will be quite tired. (I do this routine with 30 minutes of flight time and some say I'm a geezer) Do what you can to be ready physically and make certain you stretch for 20-30 minutes prior. And prepare to get hooked. Remember we do all this because it's fun. When you mess up (and you will) laugh it off and smile. I won't remember to check this thread in a few weeks so if you want to email me when you get back I'd be interested in knowing how your progressing. Good Luck Sandy Skydivesg@aol.com BTW You don't jump at the DZ owned by Mario Prevost do you?Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
