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Everything posted by stringtheorygal
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AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Kalrigan! You've made great points and I think you've touched on lots of things I'm experiencing. Over-thinking? Check! I'm putting away my materials and ENJOYING my AFF1. I'm prepared and I need to believe that. "make sure I'm smiling on the way, smiling while exiting the plane and smiling flying down" I LOVE this advice. I'm fairly certain research suggests that merely using those muscles can facilitate the matching emotion. Wonderful! Don't worry, I'm sticking around. IF my instructors will have me -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
jmy- I think you're spot-on about studying over-kill. I made a conscious decision NOT to crack open my color-coded study binder today. :) The airplane was a Cessna 206. I did my tandem out of a Caravan, so the exit procedure for the 206 was a bit unnerving (at least it was during practice!). One of the instructors did ride down with me. I'm sure he was *thrilled*. I'll remember to smile on my next exit- I sure had perma-smile when I left the plane for my tandem (and for about a week after). Shutting up and jumping... -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
Skymama, thank you so much for your warm welcome! You know, I think a working tandem might just be the trick. To be honest, I believe my fear is two-fold: A) Malfunctions- specifically horseshoe and oddly enough, line twists. Do I know how to handle these problems and have I been trained sufficiently "by the book"? I believe so. But as a *soon to be* green skydiver still getting my head around the environment in ideal circumstances, dealing with a malfunction is, well, a daunting prospect to say the least. Something I'm sure every student goes through, but there just isn't any truly realistic practice/simulation for the EPs. It's a risk I personally have to reconcile. I do have to be careful not to let my mind go wild. Yes, mals can happen but they don't happen EVERY time and there is a greater chance of a successful deployment than not. B) Landing Pattern Accuracy/Landing without breaking my neck! I think a working tandem is a great idea to settling some of these canopy flight fears. I did speak to my instructor before we got in, he tried to reassure me, but doubt grew into fear from hangar to aircraft. Reptilian brain kicked in- visions of slipping out of the harness, etc. The plus side, which I am trying to recognize, is that the humiliation of backing out a jump in an aircraft full of seasoned divers did not dissuade me from speaking up. I don't know if I got a lot of respect, though. Face-palms, yes. Thank you again, SM. I appreciate your input and I think a working tandem may be just the thing I need to make a smooth transition into jumping with my own rig. -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
PChapman- That last bit actually made me laugh out loud. I needed that today- so THANK YOU! I appreciate the very thorough post. My instructors assured me that the leg straps were a bit loose but would be fine. Logically I know to trust their expertise but I suppose my imagination got the better of me. Instructors have been great; my apprehension was due to my own insecurities and not a reflection on them, for sure. I think you're spot on with the problem being mental in nature. I like the way you frame-the newbie fear as a hazing ritual of sorts- I'll have to remember that. :) "With hard work comes great award" is certainly applicable to this sport from what I gather. I have indeed read about fear and although I know it's natural, it sure is tough when it gets the better of you- and such a strange emotion when you *know* this is something you want to do. Thank you again for your perspective and the laughs! -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
Thank you for your encouraging words, Portagee. I'm going to push through these tough first jumps so I can get to the amazing ones! -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
I guess by the statement "zero doubts about my gear" I would be referring to a glaring problem (misrouted strap, too tight, too loose, etc) that could be avoided by proper, routine checks prior to the jump. -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
Did tunnel time, felt very comfortable. Stable, making turns. Went great. I'm hoping that experience will pay off when I actually *get in the sky*. -
AFF1- Rode the plane down :(
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Introductions and Greets
I never posted an introduction post so I guess this is as good a time as any Ground school- have been studying on my own for weeks, made power points on how to deal with different malfunctions, flashcards, dry-runs, etc. Did fine on the written test. Jump Time- not once, but TWICE I tried to do my AFF1. The first time I had all my gear on and essentially started hyperventilating (and then I cried because I was totally embarrassed in front of some tandem students. Not pretty). Have not had this level of fear yet AT ALL. Loved my tandem , have been feeling comfortable in the days leading up the AFF1. (Though I did have a horrific nightmare last night in which I slammed into the ground because I froze and couldn't take care of a malfunction. Urgh). So instead of getting on the plane, I took about an hour to relax and regroup. Felt ready to go and confident. Second time- Get my gear on, going to the plane, notice my harness feels kind of loose (around my legs and behind). I see on everyone else that their harness looks quite tight in those areas. Perhaps it's because I have no junk in the trunk, but there is some serious space around my upper thighs(or what feels like it). I know my perception is heightened because I'm about to count on this equipment (with my help) to save my ass. I understand the risk of a too-tight harness but this just didn't feel secure-- to me. Apparently the harness was as "tight" as it will go. I let my instructor know as we were taxiing to takeoff that I was not ready. Took off, got to altitude, and felt even more certain did not want to go because of *what I felt like* was a loose harness (again, this is my novice perception). Bottom line- nerves + feeling insecure about my equipment resulted in my riding the plane down. And feeling like crap (and utterly embarrassed- not one but TWO refusals in one day.) I want to do this, but I want to leap from that plane having zero doubts about my gear so I can completely focus on the jump, deployment, canopy control, landing pattern, emergency procedures, etc. Advice? Am I nuts? Do slender women have problems with harnesses being too loose/large? Do I need to go to a DZ with a larger selection of student gear? I refuse to give up on my dream to learn how to be a great skydiver, but today's events were discouraging. Any words of advice would be appreciated. I do believe I want to jump. Why? Because I imagine if someone told me right now that I will never get to do it again, I would be extremely upset. Help! -
Instructional Tandem? Advice needed!
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
Wellll....I hesitate to update but I guess it could help somebody? First let me say that my overall experience was wonderful- my TM got me on the ground safely and for that I am extremely grateful. It was a beautiful ride and I've scheduled my first AFF jump for later this week. So clearly, it was enough to convince me that yes, this is as awesome as I thought it might be. That being said, even though I inquired on the phone with manifest and in person with my TM before my jump, I didn't get the "instructional tandem" I was hoping for. I was calm, happy and eager to learn (would've been a good student!) but it just didn't happen. I would have loved to have had a bit of an introduction to...well, anything- specifically canopy control. Looking back I probably should've asked a lot of questions but felt odd doing so. I guess I wanted to keep the person responsible for saving my life as happy as possible- and I didn't want to distract him from getting us back on the ground in one piece. I was given brief instruction about arching, harness was on, told to put my legs up under the aircraft when we were at the door ready to exit, "look up, it makes a better video" and...that was about it. (JohnMitchell- I didn't get anything you described in your post.) It was early Sunday- a few tandems and some team training going on- perhaps they were too busy. Honestly, everything felt a little rushed. I tried to savor every minute of it! All of the prior reading I had done was super helpful, I will say. I felt the "trap door effect" (wasn't frightening because I knew what was going on), knew about when TM was going to pull so I could be ready for the "jolt" (it was so much softer than I expected!), etc. So, I guess I would advise others that want more than just a "ride" to get a more solid confirmation (?) that an instructional-type tandem is available. I would've been happy to come back on a week day if things were too busy on the weekends. Bottom line- training tandem or not, I didn't need too much convincing to pursue the sport. I haven't stopped smiling since. -
Skydiving in new Hyundai Commercial (9/30/2012)
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in The Bonfire
Lucky- I agree- it made me smile! Take it for what it's worth :) -
Skydiving in new Hyundai Commercial (9/30/2012)
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in The Bonfire
I was wondering about the very young son! -
Skydiving in new Hyundai Commercial (9/30/2012)
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in The Bonfire
Not sure if this has been posted yet... The end of this commercial (0:20) certainly caught my attention!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jEU7yd4yuI -
Oh boy...glad I'm not the only one. Thought about if for several years, finally jumped on Sunday, now I feel like I'm being sucked in! Planning my AFF now-- What the hell have I gotten myself into... Is your wife feeling the same thing? My husband jumped with me and though he enjoyed it, that was "it" for him. Eek!
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AFF Jitters- Losing Instructors?
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Safety and Training
Bill- thank you for you perspective. Quite a story about your student- good to hear a positive ending! -
AFF Jitters- Losing Instructors?
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Safety and Training
Thank you all so much-- my mind is more at ease. Still can't believe I'm doing this but how can I ignore something that is dominating my thoughts?! AggieDave- thank you for the reassurance (and the heads-up on the sunset hijinks...)Hell, if make it to the ground in one piece I'll a buy a keg of shiner Rem- how great you get to jump with your wife! Does she have to wear weights- or is it a matter of learning how to fly? Lazarus- Will be listening and learning intently! WRJ- Love Namo's blog. A kindred spirit for sure. Dthames- Please forgive my ignorance...but I once heard that static line carries more risk than AFF. Am I dreaming this up? I will definitely check into alternatives- so thanks for this info! Bigun- good to hear the vote of confidence for these dropzones. I'm very lucky to have so many choices. Will be checking both out before I commit. And thanks for reminding me not to overthink it...I tend to do that on occasion Glide- wow this is fantastic! Thanks so much! Should I do some tunnel time BEFORE I get started? Karolis- good to hear your're still with us ski- definitely feeling reassured Quag- love the double entendres -
AFF Jitters- Losing Instructors?
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in Safety and Training
Did my first jump yesterday (well, a tandem) and- as expected- I think I'm hooked. It was AMAZING! Probably the most *alive* I have ever felt. I think I'm ready to go on to AFF but have a fear of losing the instructors, going into some sort of spin/ending up on my back, freaking the hell out and...well you see where I'm going. I'm 5'5 and around 108 lbs and can just see myself flittering away like a balloon someone is letting the air out of! My question is...erm...how often does this happen? Is this a situation that I can be fairly assured won't occur? Am I letting my imagination get the best of me? I'm thinking of training at Homestead or Clewiston. I assume I'll be in good hands at either DZ but have this nagging little fear. It's strange. I have never been a risk-taker/extreme-sports enthusiast and wrestling with this incredible desire to get up there and learn how to *FALL* out of an airplane is a totally foreign feeling for me. -
Instructional Tandem? Advice needed!
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
Thank you all so much for the insight. Sounds like it shouldn't be a problem to get an instructional-type tandem. Great news. I understand weekends are busy at DZs; I was a bit concerned my request could be considered an inconvenience since most tandems are "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" (right?) I'll be sure to let them know I'm interested in AFF. And in the meantime will try to keep busy because it's all I can think about. Not sure how I can be *this* excited about something I've never experienced. Wild! -
Instructional Tandem? Advice needed!
stringtheorygal replied to stringtheorygal's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
Newbie here from Fort Lauderdale- so pleased to have found this forum. I'm planning on doing a tandem in a couple of weeks and am looking for more learning and less "carnival ride" so to speak. I have a few options fairly close by but am leaning towards Sebastian. My question is...if I request an "instructional tandem", will that make sense? Is that something fairly customary? Is there a better DZ for this kind of jump? If Sebastian is a good choice, can anyone recommend a TI? I guess I suspect many tandems are of the one-time, bucket-list variety. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll probably want to go further in the sport and would like to find a way to get more out of my experience. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!