E.Byrd

I was in the same situation as you when I decided I might want to go through AFF. Did a tandem in 2004 then again in 2007. Started AFF in 2009 and got my license in 2010, I did not do another tandem before AFF. If I were you I would take a look at the online ground school (the URL below) to educate yourself on the things you need to know in order to learn to skydive. If it is still something you think you might want to do go sign up for actual ground school at the nearest drop zone. After ground school your instructor(s) should have a good read on you and whether or not they think you should do a tandem before your first AFF jump. Also ask them about it and what they did. Everyone is different and progresses at their own rate. Skydiving is expensive, there is no way around it. It would definitely be cheaper to go straight to AFF without doing another tandem. Before you make that decision, however, be sure to ask yourself "is my life less important than the money it will take to ensure my safety?" If you have to do another tandem, so what, it will just prepare you more for your first AFF. Also, it is very normal to be nervous and terrified for your first AFF jump so expect to be when you are in the door http://skydiveschool.org/#/cover/

Welcome to NC!! I love Skydive Carolina and would be there more often if I lived a bit closer. Not sure how far the commute would be for you to get to Raeford but it is also an amazing place and worth checking out. Raeford is currently my home DZ and I spend pretty much every weekend there. It has a swoop pond and a few dedicated swoopers that spend most of the weekend doing hop and pops so I am sure you could get some great shots hanging out there. They also offer canopy courses whenever there is any interest. It is on its own airport so no tower or sharing with general aviation. They jump a twin otter and a pac 750. They have a bar on site as well as a great gear store. Not sure if you are interested in tunnel flying at all but Paraclete XP is about 10 minutes down the road from the dz. Very convenient if you would like jump and tunnel fly on the same day/weekend. PM me if you have any more questions about it.

I have had many debates with various people regarding the utility of the freefly bungees on rigs. Generally I have encountered two different perspectives. 1. Freefly Bungees should always be worn in the case of a premature opening while in a sit position to prevent the possibility of falling out of the rig. 2. If the rig is cut specifically for you there is no need for a bungee. The legstraps will remain where they are meant to be no matter your orientation. I believe, we can all agree that the bungee is not meant to be weight bearing, just to keep the leg straps closer together and in the correct position on your legs no matter your orientation in free fall. Given the intended purpose of the bungee and the fact that all rigs (I have seen) are made with bungee attachment points why would one chose to not use one? I am guessing the manufacturers see some utility in them if the attachment points come standard on all rigs. The people I have talked to about this have ranged from very low jump numbers to thousands and I have received variations of both answers from both groups. My rig is cut specifically for me and while I believe that my leg straps will not shift in free fall I see no harm in wearing one. If you use a bungee on your rig, why? If you do not, why not?