Starter Rigs... AFF or static?

[N5188U 0]

I guess it was only a matter of time u fly the plane long enouf and u want to jump out of it. So here i am a poor pilot/flight instructor/jump pilot. How do i get my Skydiveing rateings with the most value possible?
AFF statice? I have one tandom under my belt allrady?

I know everyone has an oppinion on this one...how did you do it?

[GoatBoy 0]

Static line is usually the cheaper method because repeat jumps are cheaper. At our DZ to get a license under static line runs about 1600 and 2200 for AFF. I personally did S/L, but both programs have their pro's and con's.

Blue skies and welcome to the club

Flying Hellfish #31
"I'm not allowed to talk about it till after the trial"
www.SkydiveTecumseh.com

[Peej 0]

I agree with GB that static line and AFF both have their advantages but i'm an AFF baby through and through. Watching the drop off rate of SL studentsi wouldn't recommend it.

Oh and welcome to the club!

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[riggerrob 643]

We prefer to break this complex process into small, bite-sized, managable pieces.
Most Canadian skydiving schools start students with a couple of IAD (similar to static-line) jumps. ONce the student starts to demonstrate decent exits and soft landings, we introduce them to PFF (a Canadian program similar to Accelerated Freefall) Instructors.

[Orange1 0]

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Watching the drop off rate of SL studentsi wouldn't recommend it.

Is that a function of #s though - do more people at JSC start SL than AFF? When I finished AFF at SCT one of the instructors mentioned that a lot of people finish AFF and then don't come back... personally I'm still not entirely convinced that switching to AFF was the right move for me even though it achieved the goal I was after at the time, of getting through progression faster. I like the idea that the DZs down here have, of one SL before an AFF, at least we don't get the typical AFF fear of the hop'n'pop that way

N, whichever you choose - have fun!!

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[grue 1]

From my first jump course (static line) to my check dive, I paid $772 to get my A, including USPA membership and my licence fee.

cavete terrae.

[mdrejhon 8]

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Most Canadian skydiving schools start students with a couple of IAD (similar to static-line) jumps.

Not all of them though. Mine required 4 tandems followed by a dropzone variant of the PFF program.

The more recent 2 tandems, I was allowed to help with controlling and flaring. I had to demonstrate altitude awareness by waving off at the correct altitude.

[Tonto 1]

To date, over 60% of my AFF students have reached A licence. After that - I think staying with the sport is pretty much up to them.

At JSC, about 10% of 1st jump students make it to freefall. About one of those make it to A Licence.

I now have former AFF students and SL students with 1000's of dives, and some who have made it to Gold at Nationals.

When I chat to them now - the most valuable thing about AFF is that you have someone to talk to in those lonely "Just off AFF" days when you need questions answered about gear, other dropzones, and learning new stuff.

I learned SL. There was no alternative in those days. Both programs work, and when you have a couple of hundred dives, no one cares how you learned. As with everything - it's up to each individual to apply themselves and be the best that they can be.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[riggerrob 643]

Off topic ... at one point PADI (or was it NAUI) reported that 1/3 of scuba course graduates did not bother to pick up their certifcates.
Kind of a "been there, done that, tick" attitude.

I suspect that many AFF graduates are intimidated by the high cost of equipment and time.

[Thijs 0]

In a week I will have my static line course. There are a couple of reasons why I chose static.

Static is less expensive then AFF on first sight, it also depends how many jumps you need to pass both courses.

Another reason why I took static is because I don't want to get everything at once. I would like to focus first on my canopy skills, and once they are good, move to freefalling. This way I think I'll be able to focus more on the freefalling, without having to much to worry about the canopy flight and landing. Since I will have a number of canopy flights then, I'll pretty much know what to expect.

I think that a person who finnishes static has more experience then a person who finnished AFF7, because the static person will have more jumps. I think that 7 jumps is a little too less to start on your own.

Wether you take static or AFF, I guess they are both fun.
Static might be the long way, but I'll get there as well.

Be save, and don't forget to have fun

Thijs

[Orange1 0]

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At JSC, about 10% of 1st jump students make it to freefall. About one of those make it to A Licence.

Similar to what i was told at the Dal - about 10% to first f/f and 10% of those get an A.

Hey, I'm in the 1% (or will be when i finish these damn ISPs)

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[moretole 0]

I did AFF and loved it. I'm a pilot too and found altitude awareness, canopy control and navigation (airfield orientation and pattern setup) not a problem due to the pilot training, so the extra time under canopy that static line gives you is less of an issue.

Research and visualise each level (and emergency procedures!) before doing it for real as i'm sure you did for your flying lessons (I know I did, especially circuits, EFATO's and forced landings) and you will fly through. Preparation = no repeats.