How long was your first jump course?

[lopullterri 0]

Just curious as to how long the average first jump course is. My FJC was at a DZ that taught AFF and Static line, and was approximately 6 hours for all of us in a combined class, and then we split up for exit training. The AFF student (me) received at least an additional hour of ground prep. Class size was small (3 static line, one AFF) and even years later with plenty of jumps under my belt and having participated in many FJC's, I believe that I received excellent training.

How about you? After much experience and seeing other FJC's...do you look back and believe that your training was sufficient?

~"I am not afraid. I was born to do this"~

[Hellis 0]

At our DZ a FJC is about 14 hours plus theoretical test and EP test in a harness.
And some last minute reversal just before boarding the plane.

And i know there are other DZ that have longer FJC.
Im rather suprised 6 hours was the highest in the poll.

[BIGUN 1,307]

Three weeks

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[kkeenan 14]

1/2 hour in the DZ trailer with crazy, hippie gun-toting instructor/jumpmaster, a bunch of PLFs off the platform, and off to the Cessna 180 with no door for a 2800 ft. static line jump. However, that was 1971 in Texas. I hear that current techniques may have improved on that.

Kevin K.

[airtwardo 7]

...Goin' on 36 years and I see no end in sight!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Hellis 0]

Yes, i belive you must have a door on the plane today

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

1/2 hour in the DZ trailer with crazy, hippie gun-toting instructor/jumpmaster, a bunch of PLFs off the platform, and off to the Cessna 180 with no door for a 2800 ft. static line jump. However, that was 1971 in Texas. I hear that current techniques may have improved on that.

Kevin K.

Funny, I don't remember seeing you in my last FJC..... :-)

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[stratostar 5]

I've seen a number of instructors who teach a FJC in 4 hours, both S/L and AFF methods... The end results have always produced less then stellar students, many of them fail at basic understanding of what to do, from climb out to EP's to canopy control and they always need additional time in review or retraining in some areas.

In some cases however you might find your teaching a returning jumper or a pilot who has some understanding of flight and they are the only person in class, this can allow for a quick moving class time.

In most cases a normal FJC (where I trained) was 10 to 20 in class each day for SL, there is no way in hell you can properly train that many people in 4 hours or even 6, 8 min if your lucky... with smaller class sizes 3-8 people, an 8 hour class can be done, with extra 2 hours for anyone in AFF.

You can tell the difference in the skydiving part with a student who was trained in great detail vs a quickie class, the first one always dose better over all.

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[airtwardo 7]

Quote

1/2 hour in the DZ trailer with crazy, hippie gun-toting instructor/jumpmaster, a bunch of PLFs off the platform, and off to the Cessna 180 with no door for a 2800 ft. static line jump. However, that was 1971 in Texas. I hear that current techniques may have improved on that.

Kevin K.

The planes got bigger and the instructors got smaller!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[MrLicious 0]

Mine was 3 weeks as well!!

The first jump course I took for skydiving was about 20 hours. M-F from 6-10PM, with one night dedicated solely to packing. Every student packed for themselves, from the very first jump.

There are no pessimists in skydiving.

My Advice: It's worth what you pay for it, and I'm an expert at it.

[SkyBastard 0]

a whole day with written test which if you failed you failed the course. no jump.

Dude #320
"Superstitious" is just a polite way of saying "incredibly fucking stupid".
DONK!

[shropshire 0]

2500'

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[popsjumper 2]

Me:
AFF FJC 6 hrs +/- depending on how fast they pick it up...average class 2-3.

So far I haven't had any injuries although that's probably more luck than skill seeing as how some people just insist on landing on their butt or landing with no flare no matter how much PLF/landing training and repetitions you put them through.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[beowulf 1]

Quote

Yes, i belive you must have a door on the plane today

I don't think a door is necessary. I have recently jumped a 182 that didn't have a right door at all.


I think my FJC was about 8 hours long. It was sufficient for a first jump.

[JohnMitchell 16]

The time it takes to train a static line class varies for me, depending on class size and if I have any problem students. I'd say my FJC for s/l is about 5 hours, and included individual practice of exits, arches, EP's and PLF's, so I feel it's pretty complete. Some former instructors taught faster than I do, but one in particular, I remember, skipped the PLF's.

Once I taught my brother-in-law, Vskydiver's brother, the s/l FJC in 90 minutes. He was very athletic and a quick learner. I put him thru the entire class, didn't leave anything out. I was really surprised when I looked at the clock and saw how little time it took. He did great, BTW.
I guess I have to say I don't teach to the clock, I teach to the student.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

Quote

Yes, i belive you must have a door on the plane today

I don't think a door is necessary. I have recently jumped a 182 that didn't have a right door at all.

You are correct. You simply have to have a plane that is certified for flight with the door off. In fact, adding a jump door requires more paperwork with the FAA.

[jimmytavino 16]

Quote

...Goin' on 36 years and I see no end in sight!

excellent !!!!



mine???

2 nights...a total of 6 hours or so.
28 college students who had just watched Masters of the Sky
reported as ordered, on a thurs. evening and a friday evening.. The DZO took the $$$$$$ ( 50 bucks each) the very FIRST thing... hahahahah
then we all went through the static line 1st jump course... some came back on saturday to make the jump, some didn't...

i did and to quote Robert Frost, " THAT has made all the difference"
jt

[petejones45 0]

Quote

Just curious as to how long the average first jump course is. My FJC was at a DZ that taught AFF and Static line, and was approximately 6 hours for all of us in a combined class, and then we split up for exit training. The AFF student (me) received at least an additional hour of ground prep. Class size was small (3 static line, one AFF) and even years later with plenty of jumps under my belt and having participated in many FJC's, I believe that I received excellent training.

How about you? After much experience and seeing other FJC's...do you look back and believe that your training was sufficient?

mine was about five, i think anything longer than 6 and the student would be overloaded with information and would not like to continue with learning anymore

Look out for the freefly team, Smelly Peppers. Once we get a couple years more experience we will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future! BLUES!

[fcajump 164]

Quote

1/2 hour in the DZ trailer with crazy, hippie gun-toting instructor/jumpmaster, a bunch of PLFs off the platform, and off to the Cessna 180 with no door for a 2800 ft. static line jump. However, that was 1971 in Texas. I hear that current techniques may have improved on that.

Kevin K.

You weren't on your way to the Mexico boarder with a bunch of friends in a old beat up sedan... trying to talk them out of dodging the draft while you were going through ROTC were you ... Looking for "Proof"...?

(Before there was "Fandango"... there was "Proof")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wlqDzkIDPU

JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[airtwardo 7]

Once I taught my brother-in-law, Vskydiver's brother, the s/l FJC in 90 minutes. He was very athletic and a quick learner. I put him thru the entire class, didn't leave anything out. I was really surprised when I looked at the clock and saw how little time it took. He did great, BTW.
I guess I have to say I don't teach to the clock, I teach to the student.

Same here...I once taught two Air Force guys in 90 minutes.

They had on their own, studied all kinds of information prior to the class, were very smart and athletic...they even taught ME a few things!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[JerryBaumchen 1,362]

Hi terri,

Quote

After much experience and seeing other FJC's...do you look back and believe that your training was sufficient?

Yup; in Feb '64 mine was ~ 3-4 hrs and most of that time was doing those @%#@ PLF's. But they did save my keester when that ground starting coming up at me. It seems to come up a lot faster the closer you get.

JerryBaumchen

[billvon 2,990]

My FJC was about 6 hours. I can teach one in 4 hours with a _really_ exceptional student. 6 hours start to finish is more normal. 7-8 for bigger classes.

[JohnMitchell 16]

That guy in "Proof" could teach the whole class in, like, 5 minutes and one piece of chalk.

[brucet7 0]

I did a static line, so it was shorter than the AFF First Jump Course. Actually we attended the AFF class, but were dismissed when they got to the practice pulls, arch practice and exit routine.

We were done and watching the AFF students head to the plane.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[AndyMan 7]

When I learned, my FJC was 8 hours over two days.

When I teach, I have never taught one that took less than 5 hours. 6 hours is normal, and I have had some that take 8. It depends on the student. One of my biggest challenges was a student that was completely illiterate, but wouldn't admit it. It turned out he could not read a single word. It took me 7 hours to figure it out...

My fellow instructors tell me I teach a very good course. I usually start at 8am and finish around 2.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.