1 hr tunnel before AFF

[thomps33 0]

I'd like to do 1 hour of tunnel time before I start AFF. However, I have a 6 hour drive to the nearest tunnel, so I only have Friday through Sunday to spend in the tunnel. I was quoted $1000/hr with a coach.

Is it realistic to do 1 hour of tunnel time in 3 days? Also, is there a way to get better rates? The tunnel I looked at was an Ifly facility.I'd like to do 1 hour by the beginning of June, so I can be flexible on when and where to go (not against flying somewhere). I'd also probably do anther hour or 2 next winter if I enjoyed it.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

[daffes 4]

That price is fairly expensive, you don't have a location in your profile so I can't tell if you're flying in one of the bigger shiny tunnels. Skydive Arizona coached hour is about $950.

At iFly SF Bay you can get one hour of coach with a top instructor for $650 (for the tunnel) + $220 for the coach = $870. Here, if you buy 20 hours in a group of up to 4 people you can pay $575 the hour for the tunnel.

1 hour in 3 days is definitely doable, even more belly flying which is not as physically demanding on that stage.

15 min is usually enough to fix bad body position of students who have failed an AFF level, but tunnel is fun and a great learning tool, so doing one hour is a great idea for your skydiving career.

[pandamonium 0]

I did this exact same thing before my AFF a few years back. I did 3x10 minute sessions on Saturday, and the same on Sunday. I think I had like an hour break in between each 10 minute session. It's very doable. You'll be tired, but doable. Looking back, I think 30 minutes would have been enough for me. I'm glad I did. I felt like I breezed through the stable/maneuvers portion of the AFF.

I think my rate was close to that. Maybe 950-960 for 1 hour with a coach.

I hate landing in planes.

[Kiwiskydiving 0]

Hi! I'm a newly licensed jumper, just gonna share my own experience here. I did my first 10 minutes in the tunnel after I failed my AFF CAT B, and second 10 minutes for my CAT D jumps. It's great that you want to use the tunnel before hitting the sky. IMO, 10 minutes are enough (at least for me) to get a stable belly to earth position and build leg awareness. Another 10 minutes focused on turning made me breeze through the rest of my AFF. 1 hour seems a bit excessive just for AFF, and the money can be better used on actual jumps.

As for rates, many dropzones have special rates for AFF students going to the tunnel. For example booking through my dropzone is $140/10 mins.

Also, make sure the instructor that's going to be in the tunnel knows that you are working on AFF, so he/she gives you the appropriate hand signals. (In the tunnel, one finger is arch; in the sky, one finger is PULL) You do not want to get that mixed up Besides, you can't build altitude awareness in the tunnel. This can potentially be very dangerous for an AFF student because in the sky nothing is more important than knowing your altitude and PULL. Neither of which can be learned in the tunnel.

I'd say book 10 minutes at a time and book more only if you really need it. Good luck on your journey

My skydiving blog: www.kiwiskydiving.com /// youtube channel: kiwiskydiving

[Blis 1]

Kiwiskydiving

Hi! I'm a newly licensed jumper, just gonna share my own experience here. I did my first 10 minutes in the tunnel after I failed my AFF CAT B, and second 10 minutes for my CAT D jumps. It's great that you want to use the tunnel before hitting the sky. IMO, 10 minutes are enough (at least for me) to get a stable belly to earth position and build leg awareness. Another 10 minutes focused on turning made me breeze through the rest of my AFF. 1 hour seems a bit excessive just for AFF, and the money can be better used on actual jumps.

As for rates, many dropzones have special rates for AFF students going to the tunnel. For example booking through my dropzone is $140/10 mins.

Also, make sure the instructor that's going to be in the tunnel knows that you are working on AFF, so he/she gives you the appropriate hand signals. (In the tunnel, one finger is arch; in the sky, one finger is PULL) You do not want to get that mixed up Besides, you can't build altitude awareness in the tunnel. This can potentially be very dangerous for an AFF student because in the sky nothing is more important than knowing your altitude and PULL. Neither of which can be learned in the tunnel.

I'd say book 10 minutes at a time and book more only if you really need it. Good luck on your journey

Tunnel is always good for the freefall portion of the skydive, if you rack 1hr of tunnel time now you're good until you start freeflying... It's not like the tunnel looses it's purpose once you nail stable belly-to-earth...

[tred 0]

Kiwiskydiving

1 hour seems a bit excessive just for AFF, and the money can be better used on actual jumps.

one hour is overkill for aff but... it will pay off when you get to your coach jumps and newly licensed jumps. especially with the way newer jumpers have trouble getting on jumps, having some ok belly skills will help you get on some small ways. and it is much more cost effective to learn your freefall skills in the tunnel. I say if you can afford it got for it

[wan2doit 6]

Don't forget to notice - tunnel flying is just Flat Out Fun also - and the sense of accomplishment when "the light bulb goes on" in the learning process ain't bad either.

Watch out - the tunnel not only blows u around but it also sucks you in. :) :)

Have Fun

[Trafficdiver 8]

wan2doit

Don't forget to notice - tunnel flying is just Flat Out Fun also - and the sense of accomplishment when "the light bulb goes on" in the learning process ain't bad either.

Watch out - the tunnel not only blows u around but it also sucks you in. :) :)

Have Fun

Yeah, when it finally clicks it's awesome! Sometimes I'll go home and want to high five my walls cause there's no one else to high five.

As for doing the tunnel for an hour before AFF I say go for it! I did 15 minutes during my C1 jump and it made me so much better. An hour would have been even better. Unless it's going to financially hurt your then there is very little downside..other than getting hooked.

[ryoder 1,590]

I went through a 3-day tunnel camp some years back, and one of my peers was in the same situation as you: no jumps and about to start AFF. Over the 3 days each of us accumulated about an hour.

So this was his first flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhNUEEQYAOY

And this was him 3 days later with about an hour of tunnel flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjLfxflnoOU

The instructor in black is Eliana Rodriguez.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[AKcharger 0]

ryoder

And this was him 3 days later with about an hour of tunnel flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjLfxflnoOU

It's working for him but he seems "flat" with little arch...or am I looking at it wrong?

Oh, can you to flips and barrel roll practice in the tunnel? I'm an AFF student about to do E1/2 was wondering if tunnel would be helpful

[dmaline 0]

There is no such thing as too much. Tunnel can help with so much! This sounds silly ... But during AFF, i had trouble with turns. I did 1 hour during AFF and when I went back, I flew through it. If you go to the tunnel with goals, say AFF, turns, forward, backward, up, down etc ... You'll do great. It should help you relax in the air and focus on other things. It will teach you better body position too!! yes $1k could be expensive but if you're getting it with coaching, then its worth it! Make sure you get a coach who is a skydiver!!!

[Kiwiskydiving 0]

yes you can do flips and barrel rolls in the tunnel, but not at your level. The tunnel is much less forgiving than the sky given its physical constraints. For Cat E jumps I'd say just say f*ck it and do the flips and arch. You'll be just fine :)

My skydiving blog: www.kiwiskydiving.com /// youtube channel: kiwiskydiving

[NWPoul 1]

Kiwiskydiving

yes you can do flips and barrel rolls in the tunnel, but not at your level. The tunnel is much less forgiving than the sky given its physical constraints. For Cat E jumps I'd say just say f*ck it and do the flips and arch. You'll be just fine :)

Oh c'mon... barrel rolls some times doing even first timers)

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

[38lightning 0]

(Apologies in advance for what could be seen as a minor thread hijack, but I think this is better than having two threads at the same time asking very similar questions.)

Would tunnel time still be useful even for much less than an hour? I'm looking at doing AFF over the summer and would like to at least get some solo belly flying experience beforehand (never been in a tunnel before, and my only jump experience so far is one tandem). I can spring for 4 minutes with a coach in the tunnel at Eloy right now ($80 is a lot for a college student), but when I start earning money over the summer I would rather spend it on an AFF course than more tunnel time. (Of course, I am open to being convinced otherwise.)

William "38lightning" Carpenter
High-power rocketeer, aerospace enthusiast, engineer

[Trafficdiver 8]

I think 4 minutes coached can make a difference in your ability to perform in AFF. You will be a bit more comfortable in freefall and hopefully will fall stable once they let go of you on your c jump. 15 minutes is great but 4 minutes is better than none.