Flying an hour over a weekend or 15 minutes per week?

[Vallerina 2]

For those of you that have had the luxury of a tunnel nearby for years, what is the best way to learn? Is it better to fly 15 minutes every week or one hour every month? For my own enjoyment, I would probably be happier flying a smaller amount more frequently, but I do want to learn how to not fly so crappy as well.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[Squeak 17]

15 per week, backed up by jumps.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Vallerina 2]

I don't jump anymore, so....tunnel backed up with tunnel.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[mattjw916 2]

15 a week would be my preference

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[piisfish 140]

Welcome back on the forums Vallerina I would say as the previous posters. Would add : try to fly as much as possible with the same coach. Find one that has the flying and teaching style you prefer, stick to him/her as much as possible

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[NWPoul 1]

Defenetly it's better and more effective to fly smaller amount of time but with smaller intervals between flights

Why drink and drive, if you can smoke and fly?

[NWFlyer 2]

With a tunnel nearby, I tend to split the difference. 30 minutes every other week (two 15 minute blocks in an evening with a break in between for rest/debrief). It makes the drive (which isn't that far, but is still 20+ miles/30 minutes) more worth my time, but more importantly it feels like the right amount of flying for things to sink in and get reinforced without being too much so that I'm tired enough that there's diminishing returns.

I've done as much as 3 1/2-4 hours over a 3-day weekend as part of tunnel camps, but that's when my entire days are devoted to the tunnel and I can put all my physical and mental energy towards it it. For the times when I'm squeezing in tunnel time after a full day of work, 30 minutes is just about right.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Vallerina 2]

piisfish

Welcome back on the forums Vallerina I would say as the previous posters. Would add : try to fly as much as possible with the same coach. Find one that has the flying and teaching style you prefer, stick to him/her as much as possible

I'm actually making my coach move to Chicago so that I stick with the same one

Thanks for the input everyone! I was already leaning towards flying in smaller chunks on a weekly basis anyways, and this confirms it!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[Remster 30]

Quote

I'm actually making my coach move to Chicago so that I stick with the same one

Does his wife know yet?

Remster

[ianyapxw 0]

As a regular tunnel flyer, I would suggest 15mins unless you are a REALLY slow learner.

From my experience, you need time to sleep and breaks to register the information, as well as a debrief afterwards to realize things you might have been missing out in the tunnel.

And I disagree with what piisfish said. You don't necessarily have to stick to the same coach. Different coaches have different tips, and you can learn different things each time from different people. I'm not saying it's better, I'm saying be open minded and you be the judge of what works for you.

edit: I realised I'm very late to the discussion. Hope I helped anyway.

[piisfish 140]

ianyapxw

And I disagree with what piisfish said. You don't necessarily have to stick to the same coach. Different coaches have different tips, and you can learn different things each time from different people.

I partly agree with you. I am always keen to learn from different people, but do get pissed off by coaches who take you 2 steps behind each time...

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[ianyapxw 0]

Well no instructor actually takes you back 2 steps Some instructors would you rather be better at old skills before moving on.

It is useful if your sole aim is to tunnel fly, but if you have basic back and want to move to sit before jumping then yes, it is frustrating.

[Remster 30]

Quote

unless you are a REALLY slow learner

So, you've met Val then?


(Don't hurt me, Val!)

Remster

[ianyapxw 0]

Remster

Quote

unless you are a REALLY slow learner

So, you've met Val then?


(Don't hurt me, Val!)

+1

[Vallerina 2]

Remster

Quote

unless you are a REALLY slow learner

So, you've met Val then?


(Don't hurt me, Val!)

I am not ashamed at all with how slow of a learner I was in learning to flying on my head. That sh*t is hard!!!!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[BigBUG 0]

15 mins will work WAY better.

you should leave the tube with the thought like 'ok, if I only had another 2 min block, I could nail it', not 'Ok, I'm done for the month'.

[andubkov 0]

I live near a tunnel now, and flying about 15 mins per week, and I must say it's quite frustrating. I've done a few hours like that already and don't feel much progress. Previously when I used to travel to a tunnel and do 1 or 2 hours at once (30 mins per day, 2-4 days in a row) - I felt good improvement after such camps. But these days it's mostly frustration. You practice something for these 15 minutes, get some tiny result, come next week - and start over (body has forgotten how to do the move that you learned last week). The impatience (desire to fly every week) keeps me following the 15min/week schedule, rather than accumulating some money and doing 30 mins every other week, or 1 hour once a month.

[ianyapxw 0]

I'm surprised as to your experience.

When I started tunnel I flew 3 minutes each day, 3 times in a week, and then didn't fly the next week.

What kind of flying are you doing, I'll see how I can share my experience.

[adamUK 3]

I started on about 20 mins every couple of weeks. Then this wasn't enough to scratch my itch. Then I upped the dose to about 20 minutes a week. Again I got used to this strength. I had to up the dose again to about 30 mins/week. No I am on a much stronger intravenous dose of about 40 mins. I'll see how this goes. One thing to say this habit is ruining me financially

[jumpwally 0]

I'm curious,,,why did you give up jumping ?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[Vallerina 2]

Many reasons!

- I think the tunnel is more fun
- I don't have to sit in a plane or pack (or pay a packer!) to fly
- It's a two hour drive to the dz (depending on traffic.) Waking up on a Saturday, driving out to the dz, making a couple of jumps, and driving all the way back home is really time consuming for just a couple of jumps.
- I learn MUCH faster in the tunnel.
- I'm getting too old to break an ankle! I consider myself very lucky I never had to go to the hospital from skydiving, and I want to quit while I'm ahead!
- My gear is old and sh*tty. I'd have to buy new gear to freefly without being scared in the sky. I wasn't skydiving enough to buy new gear.
- Last summer, every time I picked a weekend to go out to the dz, something else would come up that sounded like more fun....so, I never made it out to the dz.

There are many things I miss about skydiving, and if I ever miss it too much, I can always go back.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[Remster 30]

"Is it better to fly 15 minutes every week or one hour every month?"

You know very well what you'll end up doing now that you'll ave a tunnel next door. \

One hour every week.

Remster

[Vallerina 2]

Only if I can sit next to the tunnel with a sign, "Will wash windows for tunnel time," and have people put their spare minutes in a mug.

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning