cap190 0 #1 March 4, 2012 Hey all, Finally nutted up and did my first AFF tandem jump, which was also my first jump ever, and now i'm HOOKED. Everything went smoothly, only things i f'd up on were: 1) Didn't look at the horizon when I jumped out the plane. I was looking straight down, so we ended up doing a few front flips before we got into position lol (was fun though) 2) Didn't do too well under the canopy. A combination of the huge adrenaline rush, nerves, and asthma had me almost passed out and extremely nauseous after the chute opened. B/c of this I wasn't able to maneuver the chute much because I was so out of it. On the landing I flared to one side by accident, so we hit the ground pretty rough! Anyways, I still have one more tandem (this week) before my first instructor-assisted solo. However, they were telling me that they usually recommend students do ground school and/or wind tunnel before the solo. What do you guys recommend I do after my next tandem? I really want to learn more about parachuting, because I feel that that would be the hardest part about my first solo dive. I don't really know much about maneuvering the canopy, and after reading a few articles about divers perishing as a result of poor landings / "hook turns", I'm a bit nervous to do it myself... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
milehigheric 0 #2 March 5, 2012 You will be jumping on a very large canopy designed to be very docile and forgiving...Im not saying you can't hurt yourself with one, but they are designed to be very easy to fly. Your landings will all be radio assisted from a TA or similar so really all you have to do is listen and act on his/her request. Pay attention in ground school and understand the basics and you will have no worries. Based on your recount, on your next tandem I would suggest you try and overcome sensory overload. Pay attention to your body position and try and put all that addrenaline/fear/etc in the back of your mind. Use the ride up (and the time on the ground) before your jump to prepare yourself mentally. If your asthma still troubles you post deployment you should consult a doctor and eliminate this hazzard - it is the last thing you need especially as a student. Good luck with your first solo mate ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
potatoman 0 #3 March 5, 2012 Ground school you will be doing. As for tunneltime, it is a benefit, but not really needed. Congrats!!!You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is. Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum" Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dthames 0 #4 March 5, 2012 QuoteI don't really know much about maneuvering the canopy, You might want to study on how the canopy work/flies. There are some good books that cover that. Knowing how things work always helps me. Knowing how it works and then learning (in your training) what to do, will get you ready to fly it.Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!” Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ferrarimv 0 #5 March 6, 2012 Quote Quote I don't really know much about maneuvering the canopy, You might want to study on how the canopy work/flies. There are some good books that cover that. Knowing how things work always helps me. What good books would you recommend that would help understanding how canopies work/operate/fly. Thanks :::Skydive - Preacher ::: ~~Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God~~ (Jn3:3) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leandercool 0 #6 March 6, 2012 Congratulations on the jump! The windtunnel isn't a bad idea. It helps you fly stable when you jump on your own, so that's one point you'll have to pay less attention to. Some ground school won't hurt eitherThere's a lot of information on the internet, like on youtube (humans seem to learn things easier with moving pictures). But you never know if the info is legit. A book will often tell the truth. I'll let someone else name a booktitle for you From 0 to 12.000 in 9 minutes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #7 March 6, 2012 Quote However, they were telling me that they usually recommend students do ground school and/or wind tunnel before the solo. What DZ are you going to? Most DZs require the ground school prior to solo jumping. Quote What do you guys recommend I do after my next tandem? Hmmmm....taking recommendations from the internet is quite often a bad idea. What is important is what the DZ and its instructors want/recommend and we don't know what that is. There is more than one way to skin a cat and what you are told here may directly conflict with what your DZ and instructors want from you. OTOH, prior reading is not, in and of itself, a bad thing...with a caveat: -read, but understand that what you are reading is not gospel as far as your instructors and what they want from you is concerned. If you do prior learning, do it with this thought in mind: "I'll read with en eye towards simply familiarizing my self with terms and general knowledge. My prior learning is not geared to learn 'how to do' or 'what to do'. I'll get that from my instructors." Quote I really want to learn more about parachuting, because I feel that that would be the hardest part about my first solo dive. I don't really know much about maneuvering the canopy, and after reading a few articles about divers perishing as a result of poor landings / "hook turns", I'm a bit nervous to do it myself... You see? Your prior reading has already put fears into you that you will have to eventually overcome. Be assured...your instructors are going to teach you how the canopy flies and how to fly it. You will learn it and practice it on the ground during your First Jump Course (FJC). I tell my students: "Flying a canopy is 10% technical and 90% common sense and logic. What I will recommend is: -enjoy the adrenaline you experienced -develop the mental attitude that skydiving safety is first and foremost in your learning -contact the DZ and ask THEM what you could be doing prior to training -try not to lose too many friends by always talking about your skydiving experiences...the non-jumpers will soon get to feeling inadequate. "If you ain't smilin', you ain't doin' it right" -Jack HammerMy reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
