ChuteUAFFI 0 #1 August 8, 2004 How did you do it?Do it I got my camera. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #2 August 8, 2004 There wasn't much time between deciding to take the course, and the actual course. I did between 20 and 25 jumps with some evaluators to practice. Luckily there was a pre-course as well. One thing to remember is the evaluators, and anyone else you are practicing with, are not real students. They will pull for themselves no matter how much they pretend otherwise. Fly like you mean it but it's not a life or death situation. Jesse Rodriquez took me on about 15 practice jumps. A pre-course included jumps with Josh Gwiazda, and Monica Olsen. Each of these folks are evaluators so the dive flow was pretty consistant. Their actions in the air... that's a different story. The ground training was a class room setting where you can pick up some real life AFF tips. I didn't need those tips in the course but wouldn't ya know it, they sure came in handy with real students. The day before the course started, I lucked out tremendously and did a practice dive with Jay Stokes. He's very dedicated to helping you become a good instrcutor. (actually they all are but Jay will put you to the test and is willing to take a beating) All I can suggest is do as many practice dives as you can. Take a precourse if it's available. Jumping with real evaluators makes a huge difference. Tip: Shadow the pull hand during the practice pulls. If you don't the "student" will front flip on you. -ask an instructor or an evaluator about that - Tip: Learn to fly mantis if you don't already. It's easier to maintain proximity. If you have to fall faster, you can point your elbows straight down. Tip: If you're a freeflyer, don't bother freeflying. It's occasionally useful in real life but not at the course. That said, do what it takes to stay with the student. Your tracking dive skills will come in handy though! Tip: Remember altitudes. For Example; We exited the aircraft at 13,500 feet. Could you feel that shaking? You arched pretty quickly after a good shake, and we regained nice belly to earth position by 12,800. You completed the Practice touches and Heel clicks by 12,300. Reserve side instructor released above 12000, Main side released at 12,000. Nice super man position with the arms. Lets work on keeping them in that lazy w position. Oh,, hehehe.. just because you're limber enough to touch the back of your rig with your feet, remember it's a little more useful if you extend your legs and use them for control. You responded well to the arms signal at 11,000 feet, and and by 10,500 the reaction to the legs out signal was very good. Your stabilty was absolutely splendid up untill around 10,000 feet. You won't need much practice with that agressive left hand turn. We redocked with you at 9,000 feet. Did you notice how much easier it was to control a heading after you did the heel clicks and extended your legs a little more? Do you know why that half forward roll occured at 8500 feet? If you can't read your chest mount altimeter, remember to arch instead of grabbing it with your hands. Thanks for arching at 7,000 feet when we flipped you back over to your belly. The next 2000 feet was nearly flawless. You had great heading control altitude awareness, and body position. Perhaps you felt a little anxious at 6,000 feet? Good reaction to the relax signal. You have a great smile but at 5000 feet, please pay attention to the altimeter. Yes!!! that is why I gave the altimeter signal. What's this mean? (shows pull signal) ... Yep you're right, it means pull, not look over there. 4,500 feet is when you felt the tug on your arm suggesting you grab the ripcord. You ALMOST had it but at 4000 feet, your time is up and at 3999 I had to take the ripcord with me. ---Get the Idea?--- You may think I'm kidding AFF evaluators will pull many tricks. They got those tricks from real students. Believe it. The difference is, an evaluator will pull about 10 tricks on one dive, and a student only one or 2. Evaluators are going to hose you on purpose, students will just hose you but they're not trying to. Again, Don't crash into your evaluator trying to save them. They'll do that on their own. Good luck!! (edit: there, their and they're.. oops)My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChuteUAFFI 0 #3 August 9, 2004 How many jump to get it done did you take? With all the jumps.Do it I got my camera. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
