DeLand / AFF / Pine / Scott Miller

[RossDagley 0]

Anyone who remember my posts originally about not being able to jump in the UK can now sleep soundly in their beds that as of last week, I now can

DeLand.
I'd like to thank Pine and Bob for all the effort they put into me - I know I was hard work especially as I required 1-on-1 instruction and attention. It was an honour to be taught by Pine. His motivation and enthusasm are simply unheard of over here in the UK. The whole DZ was very accomidating towards me, with every single instructor being very open and helpful (except one, but I'll not let that tarnish my memory!)

My new gear is simply perfect - everything arrived exactly on schedule (thanks Aerodyne, Alti-2, and Merlin) - my RW pro-comp suit fitted perfectly first time and looks the dogs danglies, even my custom alti turned out rather fappin great Photos to follow!

Total of 2.5 hours in the tunnel in that fortnight and I'd like to thank Chris, Randy and Bowen from Skyventure for all their coaching.

Specific details below for the bored -at-work..

26th June to 8th July was spent in Orlando, and a large part of that at DeLand.

The weekend of arrival (Sunday) I visited to make sure they were ready for me (because of my custom student rig requirements) and both Bob and Pine took time out of their busy days to come talk to me for a while, show me my gear and go through what we were going to be getting up to.

Monday saw 30 minutes in the tunnel, and that was the best investment I think I've ever made. The first 15 minutes made all the difference to my stability and general freefall skills.

Tuesday, and up at DeLand. I'm taught 1-to-1 with Pine as we need to keep my gear (and hence me) seperate from the rest of the students. I'd already say ground school in the UK about 3 weeks previous, so Pine and I went over plenty until he was happy with my knowledge. He watched some clips of me in the tunnel, and decided I'd be good to go in at AFF level 4. Mock exits, drills and some more chatting, until the weather turned sour.

Wednesday and arrival at 8am. By 8:30, I'm in the RocketVan and heading to 13k. Jump went good. Pine released me within 10 seconds, and I'm on my own. Odd to see him in front of me and knowing I'm on my own! Couple of practice pulls, lots of reminders for altitude awareness (damn that tunnel and its 2.5 minute blocks) until 5.5k. Under canopy and oh dear, I'm on my own. No tandem instructor to do the hard work Radio very confusing as theres 6 other students on the load, all Arabic, so Tim (the radio guy) is talking Arabic mostly. Luckly, he prepended most of my stuff with "ROSS!..." Landed ok, on my bum (apparently that kinda happens when you dont bother flaring )

Debrief with Pine was very through. Exit and jump very good, canopy control needs work. This is set to be the theme for my time in Deland...

AFF 5 same day, passed no problems - same comments. Jump good, canopy control could be better. I'm jumping with the other AFF students and wondering why they're so much more accurate than me - turns out they've 10+ more landings than me to get to AFF 5.

Next day, AFF 6. Take one stable belly flyer and put him on his back (backflips). Ok, that didn't work out. Getting stable is a new one on me My only retake, but did it the following day and nailed it. Canopy control needs work. Third jump, first standup landing. They all are from this point forward.

Day after, AFF 7 and oh my god, its a dive exit for my checkout dive! The girlfriend secretly phoned DeLand and paid for a videographer to film that jump - i didn't know why he was filming me until afterwards Dive exit unstable (give me a break, first time!) but recovered quickly. All moves performed (although the track was more of a delta), Pine passed me as good to jump on my own. Flight plan still needs work. Result. Serious feelings of elation.

Here was the hardest part - now what. Spoke to Pine. what do I do now?? Go jump and enjoy the view was the answer - do nothing but fall on your belly. Look around. Enjoy. Okay Still on radio because of my low jump numbers and my flight plans still aren't all that hot, but now I'm at the back of the Van waiting for someone to checkout to. Pines not there. Moment of panic! Someone gives me a thumbs up and I just return it and give in - small hop backwards and theres the plane.

Probably the most memorable jump I've done so far that one - seemed to take an eternity with no moves to perform and no-one watching me. Belly to earth, enjoying the view. And WHAT a view. Landing better too.

Couple of days off (more tunnel time) until Scott Millers Course on the Tuesday. Only me and Bowen who I knew from the tunnel, so we're all mates.

The course itself is pretty intense. 10 non-stop hours with 5 hop-and-pops. These were of course my first hop and pops, so when the time came to get out (now from the porter, not the van) I had a brief moment of "fuck THAT" but it quickly passed, and all was good.

The canopy stalls are mental - very frightening to watch on video then told "now you go do that" but it turned out out. Line twists as a result of the brake stalls, but nothing that wasn't easy to deal with.

My landing improved dramatically with Scott although he said the landing part was good-as, just my approach needed work. I think I'm now getting the hang of that, as I can consistantly get within about 100ft now! No radio for this lot too - forgot to say.

The long spot was a bitch - Scott actually said it was more like 2 miles and not the 1.5 miles it should have been, and with my HUGE canopy and weak shoulder, plus an airport on the horizon I did wonder if I'd make it back! But I did, and learnt a fair bit about glide paths in the process.

All in all, a very very good time.

To summise, its basically the complete opposite of the UK in DeLand (at least my experience). You want it? You got it. Everyone goes out of their way to help. Everyone goes out of their way to be kind. Its not even concious, its just a given. They're there to help, not hinder like in the UK.

Thank you SO MUCH DeLand for everything. I'll be back - as soon as I possibly can. I promise.

[Tonto 1]

Hey!

Congratulations. Glad you left those BPA problems behind you and learned to fly!

Blue Skies,

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[RossDagley 0]

Thanks Tonto, that means a lot especially after all the help you gave me in PM. When I'm over your way, I'll deffo be bringing my rig and we'll go jump

[skymama 37]

Quote

You want it? You got it. Everyone goes out of their way to help. Everyone goes out of their way to be kind. Its not even concious, its just a given. They're there to help, not hinder like in the UK.

Yea, I'm glad you had a positive experience. That's the Deland I know and love. Sorry I missed meeting you when you were here, I was actually in your neck of the woods. I hope you come back sometime and we can do a jump!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[RossDagley 0]

I'm aiming for October for a revisit, so I hope you'll be about then
It really was as good as I'm saying - you simply cant grasp how different the atmosphere is over there to how it is over here. You guys have it so good I swear (and not to mention now almost half the price - how does a $35 jump ticket take you, with a $10 repack? Exactly )

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

That's Awesome! Glad you had such a wonderful experience. You met some great people there at Deland.

_________________________________________

[outlawphx 1]

Congrats! That's great you were able to pack all that tunnel time, aff, and canopy control class into one trip. It definitely makes it easier when you can compress the time between jumps when learning.

[skydog 2]

Quote

His motivation and enthusasm are simply unheard of over here in the UK.

Not want to put a downer on your great achievement but...

Your complaint about not being able to train in UK is because of the BPA "system" not the enthusiasm and motivation of the instructors.

British Instructors are no less qualified, motivated or committed than any other, however they have to work within the BPA framework.

Congratulations on your completetion of your AFF, and it is a pity that you had to go so far to do it.

Bryn

Journey not destination.....

[RossDagley 0]

Quote

Quote

His motivation and enthusasm are simply unheard of over here in the UK.

Not want to put a downer on your great achievement but...

Your complaint about not being able to train in UK is because of the BPA "system" not the enthusiasm and motivation of the instructors.

British Instructors are no less qualified, motivated or committed than any other, however they have to work within the BPA framework.

Congratulations on your completetion of your AFF, and it is a pity that you had to go so far to do it.

Bryn

Thanks for the positive comments, but I'll attempt to clarify what I said I didn't mean to reference my UK instructors competence, just their enthusiasm. And remember I'm only talking about one DZ in the UK. My views are extremely sheltered.
There is no doubt that the UK instructors are up to the job - I'd just rather do it where I felt they REALLY wanted me to achieve (DeLand) rather than not really care so long as they got my money (UK experience). I spent a great deal of time tying myself in knots with UK instrutors and BPA officials before giving up and looking abroad.

What sums it up I suppose it that Bob Hallett himself phoned me out of the blue and invited me to DeLand to train. As he shook my hand as I left DeLand, his parting words were "The BPA aught to be ashamed of themselves. Well done."

[skydog 2]

The BPA ought to be ashamed. I am no advocate of the way the BPA non-elected staff are not held accountable.

Given that, my point was not to denegrate your achievement. Just to reinforce that there are instructors out there who would have been more than capable of taking you, had they not been "hamstrung" by the BPA "system".

Once again, well done.

Bryn

Journey not destination.....

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

What sums it up I suppose it that Bob Hallett himself phoned me out of the blue and invited me to DeLand to train. As he shook my hand as I left DeLand, his parting words were "The BPA aught to be ashamed of themselves. Well done."

Congratulations!

Thanks for your great story.

I hope to train in a windtunnel for 30 minutes too this year. I'm still somewhat of a floppy bellyflyer I did finally have my first 3-ways last weekend though.

[Cloudi 0]

Hey Ross!

Congratulations!!! Your story pretty much mimics my own experience at Skydive DeLand when I was a student and I'm a local jumper. I point that out because sometimes "locals" feel like they are pushed aside for visitors, but that has never been my experience. The staff and the local jumpers at Skydive DeLand are all fantastic people and were a big part of why I continued skydiving after my 1st jump, a tandem. I'm so happy to hear that you had an equally positive experience. I hope, now that you are past the "student" status, jumping at your own local DZ becomes a similarly great experience. I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to meet you while you were here for training, but I look forward to seeing you in October! Bob H. is the BEST! Again, congratulations for giving it 100% and staying positive! We wish you many happy and safe flights.

Kim
Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.