gatorbait 1 #1 May 17, 2003 I just watched the video from my first AFF jump that my main JM filmed. It is so obvious that I am in total la-la land during my jump. I can remember what I needed to do running through my mind, but my body just wouldn't do it. I managed to get two PRCP's done, and then my reserve JM pulled me at 5700 feet b/c he thought we were too far off to make it back to the airport if I pulled any lower (his words). The whole dive flow is completely engrained in my head (my husband has been jumping for awhile and has helped me alot at home). I am really disturbed and am mentally beating myself up over this b/c I am totally in love with skydiving and want to take it as far as I can. My JM's passed me on to level 2 and said that I did fine for my firt jump and my husband said I did okay. I just can't get past this. I can't wait to get in the air again, I just want to make sure my brain is with me. Any advice? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #2 May 17, 2003 Your brain'll catch up in a few more jumps. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bunge 0 #3 May 17, 2003 Don't be too hard on yourself. Like many other things, the first step sucks. its comon for the first jump to be sensory overloading. try to concertrate on the positive, Did you feel the hacky on the PRCP's? Were you stable? how was your landing? You DID pass the level. you lived! (read below) BUNGE I don't hate them, I just like us better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gatorbait 1 #4 May 18, 2003 Quote try to concertrate on the positive, Did you feel the hacky on the PRCP's? Were you stable? how was your landing? the first prcp I felt the hacky, went right to it, 2nd time tried to pull my JM's alti off, on the the 1 to 10 stable scale I was about a 6. I was arching from my shoulders & towards the end was digging my knees in. Thanks for the advice, it does help with the confidence, especially when its positive advice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #5 May 18, 2003 You really have nothing to worry about. I mean think about it! You jumped out of an airplane with a couple of crazy people and you had the wits about you to complete a few of the tasks you were assigned. And you got to the ground unscathed. In my book that makes for a perfect first jump. I did static-line and for the first 10 or so jumps, I really couldn't remember much about the exit... And I had nothing to do during those jumps except for PULL on the later ones. On my first 5 second delay, I actually did 2 back loops before pulling, right off the step. I never knew it until my JM told me on the ground. hehe...I passed that jump too Anyway what I'm trying to say is you did great and in time, you will become much more aware of your surroundings...and you'll be able to tell the difference between your handle and your JM's altimeter Blue skies and happy landings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRWBUDDHA 0 #6 May 18, 2003 Congratulations on your first jump and passing to the next level of awareness.........If this is what you want, feel free to give it your best effort, ......You'll be glad you did. Years ago, when I was where you are right now, the instructor told me something that might be just what you may find helpful......."Don't think, just do." Believe it or not, this has stayed with me some 18 years of jumping and on regular occassion, it returns to me..........Hey, you've been taught what you need to know, you've practiced it over and over........NOW, DON'T THINK, JUST DO....! Perhaps you will find this little bit of wisdom helpful and maybe one day, you will mentor another in a similar manner. Best of awareness, attitude, altitude and above all the JOY OF SOARING WITH THE EAGLES...... Welcome to the world and the excitement that awaits upon your journey....... Cheers, CRWBUDDHA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikkey 0 #7 May 18, 2003 As mentioned by the others, what you experienced is totally normal. When I started with static line many years ago it took me probably 5-6 jumps before I ever "noticed" the plane after exit, i.e. before the "blurr" was reduced enough for me to actually register my surroundings accurately. So don't worry it will pass quickly.--------------------------------------------------------- When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #8 May 18, 2003 I trained on a static line. We were supposed to arch, count to 5, and check the chute. I clearly remember counting 3000, 4000, 5000, but I can't remember the 1000 and 2000. The sensory overload passes, but the enjoyment only increases. I haven't gone very far yet, but believe me, it only gets better from here. -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #9 May 18, 2003 Hi, GB... OK, so you had overload. It wasn't too bad, you managed to fly yourself home, right? So all good...and they passed you to level 2, and they wouldn't have done that if you'd been too far gone. Me? FJC, fine. Got a little fixated about landing on a snake, but fine. PLFs, PRCT, all perfect. Harness work, all perfect. However...in the air, I was a complete mess. I'm flying around the sky, grinning like a fool. my JM is frantically shaking my jumpsuit, but I ignore it. He wants my attention, so I finally realize it's not the wind, and look at him. Legs in signal. I nod, and don't do a thing. Then I look at my rJM, and he gives me the arms in signal. Again, nod, and nothing. I am grinning and waving at the camera, and my camera guy gives me the three finger signal for RCPTs...which I stare at. Uh, hmmmm....peace plus one? Fuck you three times? What? Oh yeah....and reach with my left arm. rJm is pushing, and JM is pulling, and I finally switch arms and do it with my right hand. On the 4th PRCT, it becomes a pull....and out the pc comes, and whoomp, there the chute is. And then I'm too frightened to look around for the airport, and sail off into the sun. I look between my feet, and start trying to think of outs because all I see are houses and roads... Forever later, I finally look over my shoulder and see the plane. Genius thought - hey, that's where I am supposed to go....so I turn the canopy like 3 degrees at a time, and get headed back. Now, I am about 400 feet, crossing a runway (I saw the plane land, but didn't realize there was another one flying around...), and just let it fly straight. Fly over family, holler hi, and WHHHOOOOOHOOOOO JM on the radio, telling me to pay attention, gets me in the right direction and flared. I fell over. I still passed. You did far better than me. Hang in there, have fun!!! and give it another go. Like was said earlier, your brain will catch up... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #10 May 18, 2003 OMG that was the best (read: funniest) version of an AFF course...hehe spank u berry much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hooked 0 #11 May 18, 2003 QuoteOMG that was the best (read: funniest) version of an AFF course... Yep, that's our Michele gracing us with another great story! Thanks. J -------------------------------------- Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gatorbait 1 #12 May 18, 2003 Hey michele, I can so relate to the signals and nodding & nothing thing, I remember doing that...your funny story perked me up and restored my faith a bit. There for a while I was so feeling like I was the only one who messed up their first dive. I am always way too critical about anything I do, my husband told me tonight that I am trying to hard, you know the old saying K.I.S.S "keep it simple stupid" he said I am making it way harder than it really is... next week will be better...fingers crossed! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #13 May 18, 2003 Quote that's our Michele gracing us with another great story! Thanks, Jan and CaschGB, here's the deal. And believe me I need to remember this too... This shit ain't easy. Relax. Breathe. Smile. Pull. And know that the adventure is just beginning. I am only a few jumps into this wild ride called skydiving, and have had some interesting things happen - both in my mind and in reality. Truth is, it can be hard for some people. It's o.k. if it's easy for some, and hard for others. It's everyone's own experiene. So it was overwhelming, sweetheart. No big deal...perservere, and you will succeed. It's about faith, sometimes, faith in yourself, and in the rest of it, too. Trust and faith. So smile, relax, breathe, have fun, and go again next week. You'll be fine. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tombuch 0 #14 May 18, 2003 QuoteI am really disturbed and am mentally beating myself up over this b/c I am totally in love with skydiving and want to take it as far as I can. My JM's passed me on to level 2 and said that I did fine for my firt jump and my husband said I did okay. I just can't get past this. I can't wait to get in the air again, I just want to make sure my brain is with me. Any advice? Others have said it, and I will too...relax. You did fine, and your jumpmasters thought enough of the dive to move you along to level 2. It sounds like you think it was a marginal jump, at least from your own perspective, and that's important for you to understand. While your instructors think you are ready for a level 2, it sounds like you are not sure. If you are really uncomfortable with moving onto the next level you can choose to repeat level 1 yourself, or perhaps even leave that decision for the actual jump. In most programs level 2 involves stability, more practice PRCP's, and some turns while your instructors hold on. Use the initial part of that dive to get comfortable and do a few nice PRCP's. If you are feeling ready, do the maneuvers. If you feel like you just want to use the extra time to relax and not do turns, then do that...it's your skydive, and ultimately, you are the person who needs to be comfortable. The AFF program is pretty accelerated and many people think they MUST complete the requirements in just seven jumps. Seven is just the minimum. If it takes longer, that's fine. Build a foundation of skill and experience, then move forward one step at a time. Talk with your instructors about your apprehension. Let them know that on the next jump you may do the extra tasks, but that you may just enjoy the freefall. As long as they know what your plan is they should be fine with it. Three people hanging out and enjoying the bottom end of a skydive is more fun than an overloaded student and two struggling instructors being pushed where they don't want to go. So, whatever you do, focus on fun. It sounds like you are heads up, and it sounds like your instructors know that too. Congrats on a successful skydive!Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,439 #15 May 18, 2003 I did static line for my first jump. I remember being on the step, and I remember an open canopy. I have no memory whatsoever of what happened in between. They tell me I arched, and they tell me I counted loud enough to be heard on the ground. You did fine, gatorbait. You too, Michele -- you'd've stayed on level 2's a long, long time if you'd kept being like that. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #16 May 18, 2003 It's amazing how your brain reacts, I remember (well, almost) my AFF 1, what I remember is the door, jumping out, 1 practice touch and POOF!!!! canopy deployment, however, my instructors told me I did a good level 1, needed a little more arch and relax a bit, now, looks like I have 1 hour of freefal instead of 1 minute. Congratulations and welcome to skydiving. __________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gatorbait 1 #17 May 18, 2003 I think some of my problem may be my husband too, I mean he isn't doing anything to me, he is very supportive & has been more than helpful in learning, he is my best friend. The problem is my pschy...my husband just made his 100th jump and he flys like he's had 1000's (not my words, coming from several more expierenced jumpers at our dz) He always being invited on freefly dives & formations. He really intimadets me. Even though he is completely trying not too. The only thing that keeps me somewhat from being totally overwhelmed is I was with him when he completely blew in 2nd aff. I doubt if this is something that ya'll can help with it just helps talking about it. Since he works at the dz where I am going through AFF. he will always be there when I am jumping. He is also very protective of me and wants to go on all my aff loads. My JM's are cool with this b/c of hos flying skills...okay that the end of my blab. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #18 May 18, 2003 Don't feel intimidated or pressured or anything, there's no need to. You've only done 1 jump! Who knows, you might blow him away! With 1 jump it's absolutly impossible to tell how good you are or what your potential is. IMPOSSIBLE! All you can be sure of at this point is that you WILL pass AFF, you passed the first level no problem! There have been people who TOTALLY flunked AFF1, as in; de-arched spinning and flipping about with no control. And a few of them continued and are now some of the best skydivers around. Don't worry, you'll be GREAT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luna 0 #19 May 18, 2003 Let me start by saying that to some extent, I know where you are coming from. My husband and I started AFF together. After he started screwing up on his 5th jump, he took some money he had inherited and went to an Airspeed tunnel camp. He came back and blew through the levels. My only consolation now is that his last 25 jumps or so have all been sitfly, so now he sucks on his belly. As for me, I had a cutaway on my 3rd jump, got over it, then started having spinning problems in freefall around my 6th jump. I've been jumping since late August and have only 20 jumps, still not licensed. He has over 50 jumps. So, the situation isn't the same, but I have struggled with feeling like I should be keeping up with him. Quote He is also very protective of me and wants to go on all my aff loads. Here is my best advice for you. First, tell him how you feel. Then, ask him for some space. Tell him that you feel so lucky that he is so concerned for you and that he wants to be there for you, but what you need most is to feel comfortable, and you can't feel totally comfortable if he is on the plane with you. And then decide what you would be most comfortable with. Whether it's him meeting you when you land so you can tell him all about your jump, or if it's waiting until after you have been debriefed and talk to him at the end of the day...whatever you would feel best about, decide that and tell him that he can best support you in your training by respecting that. I had an experience where my husband was sitting with me on the plane (we usually are not on the same plane, and this is one reason I prefer it that way). All the way up he was giving me advice. Everything from Relax (which he knows I have trouble with) to telling me to vent my goggles because they were fogging (I KNOW THIS, DAMN IT!!!). He was totally coming from a place of caring and concern, but it was breaking my concentration and annoying me. That was not serving me! I explained this to him later, and since then, like I said we usually aren't on the same plane, but when we are, he mostly just leaves me alone. But the thing is, I talked to him in a very non-confrontational way, about how what he was doing was not what I needed. I suggest that you do this as well, and it should alleviate some of the pressure that you are feeling. He really loves you and just wants to see you succeed, have fun, and be safe. If he trusts your instructors, then he doesn't need to be on that plane with you. He knows that they will take good care of you. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it. Incidentally, I lost altitude awareness on my first AFF jump and came about two seconds from having my JM pull for me (it takes a while for the brain to connect what the signal means, and then to take action on it), and on level one, not pulling for yourself is one of the few guaranteed ways to fail the level. But you know what? You learn from your mistakes! I haven't had an altitude awareness problem since then. Good luck to you, and have fun!! I'm walking a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click Here for more information! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
