Nicknero1405

Rant? What rant? That was an amazing life story. It's really awesome to see someone overcome his fear of heights the way you did. I can certainly tell by your writing that you enjoyed every second of it, and I can certainly relate to the experience of your very first Tandem jump (As I did my first tandem jump back in May.) A rant is something negative IMO. (Like a complaint). But this post is nothing but an awesome positive experience! I wish you good luck with your AFF! It really is different from tandem as this time you have to do all the work yourself. But the adrenaline kick and general experience of free fall is pretty much the same.

Good luck on your AFF mate! Just be careful that you don't accidentally jump out of your own airplane the next time you are the pilot again. Because that must be some great temptation. Haha

It seems that sexism is still alive and well. In my FJC, (1981) we were told by the instructor that the heavier people are dispatched first. This was back when students were dropped under T-10s. When it came to loading up the plane for our first jump, they wanted me to exit first. Me = woman, ~140# and the other guy = +200#. I brought up what was taught in class and the exit order was changed. The big guy was first pass and I was second pass. (cessna SL load) Years later, I learned that reason 'they' put out women first is to provide social pressure for the men to jump. ie if a 'girl' went out before the 'men', then the 'man' was less likely to balk or ride the plane down. If the woman balked, the man could be shamed as in 'you don't want to be a pussy do you?' or if the woman jumped, the man could be shamed as in ' hey man - a GIRL already jumped- don't you have the balls to jump too?' The 45 degree rule is of the same vintage of teaching. The guy you are dealing with is old school in a big way. Keep up the good work. . Wait whuuuttt??? This thread has nothing to do with sexism and nothing in this thread is even hinting that way. And somehow you turned it into this. false-positive thought... (Aka seeing things because you are specifically looking for it, not because it is actually there). There could have been many reasons why the girl was instructed to jump first. Most logical reasons would be deployment altitude or flight plan (Where for example bellyflyers go before freeflyers.)

My local dropzone is open every day of the week. Although during weekdays they open at times based on tandem loads. So sometimes it's already at 9am, other times it's somewhere in the afternoon. If you are still doing jumps that require an instructor (AFF, SL, etc) then you need to book your jumps so that they can arrange enough instructors for the day. If you are a graduate student and you're jumping solo, then you can just come whenever you want when they are open, and there would always be a load with a couple of slots available where you can go with. So yeah, I guess it depends per dropzone. Some are busy and always open, others are less busy and thus not always open.

That's what they say when you start to do your Solo jumps: With each continuing jump, your nerves are going to be replaced by joy and excitement. I bet everyone is nervous during the plane ride while you're doing your AFF. But as you continue to jump, you start to enjoy it more and more.

Yes it is. A Talon T7. Good eye. It is a second hand rig though. Used to have a Raven 2 in it. Now it has a Triathlon 210 in it with the option to downsize to 190 when I'm above 100 jumps. This has nothing to do with the thread though, so I'll stop derailing it any further. You can always PM me if you want to continue this conversation. ^^

Well, in that case we broke some rules then. Because during my second Relative Instructional jump with my instructor last week, we had to exit right inside the cloud layer. And not only that, it was a cloud that had rain/hail in it which really hurts on your face if you fall through it with 200km/h. :( See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQjxZfF7zQA This was the last jump of the day anyway, because after this the weather became bad and it started to rain and such.

Consult your instructor about it. Ask him/her if you really need it or not. Some people seem to Ace the AFF course. Others have a lot of trouble Arching. I for instance, completely screwed up my AFF level 4 and 5 by ending up in an uncontrollable spin, simply because my body was too stiff. And due to the spin I started to panic, which caused it to be even worse. I got the advice to visit a wind tunnel, and I did. After that it went a lot better. But wind tunnels are quite pricey too. Surely 15 minutes in the wind tunnel is a lot cheaper than 15 times 1 minute skydive freefalls, but if you don't need it you'll save yourself like $250 for those 15 minutes of wind tunnel time. Here, as a reference point to my story, I'll provide you with 3 videos. AFF level 4 (Spinning out of control): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF99Rj-6f6E Tunnel sessions (Between AFF 5 and 6): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS2AcVoYnqs Relative Instructional Jump 2 (Total jump #30): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQjxZfF7zQA Anyway, whatever you decide to do and what your instructors tell you: Good luck! And blue skies.

Well, once I was finished with my AFF (And I already had those 7 jumps logged), I jumped almost every weekend. Mostly 3-5 jumps per week. So it's pretty easy to get to 30 jumps with that dedication. :3 And to those who might think: "Jumping that many times a day, must cost a buttload!" Well, yeah. But I have invested a LOT into getting my own gear very early on. I have my own helmet (Cookie Fuel), Alti-meter (Analog FT60), Rig (Triathlon 210 as main), and my Jumpsuit (Bev Competition Jumpsuit) is being shipped right now. So, I save myself a lot of rental costs in the long run, which is a smart idea if you plan to jump as much as I do. ;)

That's exactly how I got into this sport. I did my very first Tandem jump two months ago. And after experiencing that I was so hyped up that within a week I decided to start on my AFF. And now, two months later I've logged 30 jumps so far. Sooooo yeah, best of luck to you if you're happening to go through the same thing! ^^

I saw this Gopro Hero4 Session was in discount on some website only today and I was considering to buy one for future use. But after seeing the drastic decrease in quality compared to the Hero 4 Silver, I'm not going to buy it right now. It's going to be a long journey towards my 200 jumps minimum to be able to use camera's anyway, so hopefully by that time I find a better deal for a Hero 4 Silver. Or maybe a new one has come out by that point. Either way, not worth it to buy the Hero 4 Session right now with a $50 discount only to be sitting there collecting dust before I would be able to use it.

This helmet has advantages and disadvantages. Advantages would obviously be safety. There is no way something can get entangled with this helmet as it completely covers any "sticking out" points. Disadvantages would obviously be that it's going to be a pain in the ass to get your camera in and out of your helmet after every jump to look at your footage. And you have no way to angle your camera if it is pointing up or down too much.

Coming back once again after a while, like to let you guys know that I have my helmet now. It's the Cookie Fuel one. And I quite like it! It fits good and it comes with 3 optional mount places. On either sides and on top. So it's a really nice helmet with future upgrade options. And yes, you can also replace the chin band with a cutaway system which I will do at the same time as when I get my camera. Meanwhile I also have my custom made Bevsuit Competition Jumpsuit order out and it will be done by 31th of July. I also bought a simple cheap RT60 analog alti-meter which is the same one as you can loan at our local dropzone and used during my AFF. To top it all off, I've also been busy with our local Parachute Case to get my own first rig. Last week I reached 25 jumps which means I can now fly a category 2 canopy. So I'm getting a good rig with a 210 main and the option to downsize to 190 after a minimum of 100 jumps. So I guess you could say I'm well on my way with this stuff. Maybe even too fast. But honestly, in the end it saves me a lot of money from gear rentals. And I'm happy with my decisions, so we'll keep it at that.

I hoped I wasn't too confusing about this. Don't worry, I don't want a GoPro mount right now. I was just looking for a helmet that has the option for a GoPro mount so that in the vast future (Aka after a couple of 100 jumps) I could add a mount without having to buy a new helmet. -------- Anyway, thanks for the suggestions everyone. The Cookie Fuel does look like a cool helmet, and it's not too ridiculous expensive. Although I'm sure there are cheaper ones out there, I guess this one is of great quality. Meaning it will last for a long time, which again adds to me argument why I should go for this helmet. (So I can keep using it after those couple of 100 jumps) Now I'm still looking for a good alti-meter and jumpsuit. Maybe someone could tell me the major differences between an analog and digital alti-meters? (Aside from the obvious number display of course.) And what would you guys recommend a good beginners choice?

Alright, so although this is going to be a slightly different topic, it is still semi-relative. So instead of making a new thread I'll continue posting in this one. I've decided to invest into some starter gear which will save me costs in the long run. I mean, if I'm going to buy my own gear eventually I might as well do it as soon as possible to save costs on renting it every time right? I'm looking for: - jumpsuit. XL size assuming they use the same size dimensions as student gear? - helmet that might be useful for GoPro mounts. (Meaning I have the helmet now and I could choose to add a GoPro mount to it once I qualify for them in the far far far future) Still not sure if I should go for a full face, or an open helmet. - second hand alti-meter (Preferred analog since I'm used to them and I suppose they are cheaper than digital?). Although, I have no idea what I should be looking for. I don't know any brands, or any certain specifications I should look at when choosing my gear. So googling for it wouldn't be much useful. Or perhaps someone from The Netherlands or nearby has something second handed that he or she wish to sell for a reasonable deal? Let me know. ;)

Having lots of fun is an understatement. I'm completely addicted to this sport now. It's so awesome and I'm trying to do as many jumps as I can each weekend. Like last weekend I did 6 jumps (3 per day). My last jump was an off-field landing due to sudden weather change mid flight. We were all dropped really far from the landing field and I didn't realize it until I already opened. Because there was a really dark cloud below us which I avoided by diving away from it in Delta (Which I'm really starting to get good at now ) but after opening I realized I was going even further away from the landing zone. At this point, I was above another field at the other side of the airfield, and there were a lot of trees between me and the landing field. I was looking at the angel of my decent and forward momentum, and figured that I was either BARELY going to make it, or go into the trees. I saw about 5 others behind me that had the same problem, but luckily we all had the same idea: Turn around, and land on the field below us rather than risking to fly over the trees. Because #1 priority: Land obstacle free. ^^

Yes I do. The so called TRIP jumps (Teuge Relative Instructional Program) where you have to complete 5 jumps with an instructor for your A license, and/or 10 to be able to jump with other non-instructor people that are roughly as far as yourself. But currently I'm just doing a couple of solo jumps. I will start on those TRIP jumps when I'm around 20-25 jumps probably. We'll see when I'm getting bored of jumping alone. ;)

Although this is indeed fun, jumping solo at the earliest stages of the learning process can ingrain some bad habits that you won't discover until you begin jumping with others. Other than solo distance/time wingsuit jumps, skydiving is a very social sport. Learning to be in the air with others, and discover your position control and movement relative to others requires being in the air with others that have training to deal with less than stable and position-controllable students. In short, I'd suggest tempering the solo jumps and jump with coaches, instructors, or those rated/qualified to jump with newer skydivers. Your growth curve will be rapid, and you'll be a much better skydiver. Plus, jumping with others frequently means you'll have video that allows for proper debriefs. Well yeah, I would love to start on my TRIP jumps (Teuge Relative Instructional Program) but I was afraid that if I'm too early with this, I might fail some of the tasks. Hence I wanted to improve my skill with a couple of solo jumps first. But it's hard to determine how many jumps, or what skill level you really need to start with those TRIP jumps.

Hello all! I have been here for a couple of days and made a few posts already. But I never properly introduced myself yet. I'm Nick, 24 years old and from The Netherlands. Main Dropzone Paracentrum Teuge, and I started my AFF 1st of June, and finished it 28th of June. I had some delays during my AFF because I had spinning problems on my 4th and 5th jump. But 15 minutes in the wind tunnel helped me through that problem. Currently I'm trying to do lots of solo jumps to increase my skills and eventually work towards my A license. If you are curious, I have a video of my entire AFF course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwitVP3j_BE Anyway, I hope to have lots of fun here on the forums and in the sky. Blue skies to you all!

At Teuge you can get one packing course for free with a basic course (AFF or SL) and they are every last friday of the month. So I applied for the next one which is Friday 31th of July. Also, you sure it's 5 TRIP jumps? Because the website says 10. Unless it differs per person. (Like 5, minimum or 10 maximum). Edit: Nvm, website says /maximum/ 10 TRIP jumps. So I guess it is 5, but can increase to 10 depending on your results. And what would you suggest as a good start for TRIP? At how many jumps or what kind of skill. (As in, what positions or maneuvers do you recommend to practice before you start with TRIP?) Am I understanding it right, that the whole road towards my A license would be roughly about this?: - AFF (total 7 jumps) - Couple of solo (total 25?? jumps) - TRIP (Total 30/35 jumps) (Depending if TRIP is 5 or 10 jumps) - Some more solo (Till a total of 50ish jumps) - A license exam.

Alright, thanks for the information Dragon. I was just confused by the price list and wanted some clarification. Your second last post has all the information I needed about that subject. So thanks. ;) I graduated AFF last sunday and did my first solo jump that same day. John (Opa) was nice to let me make my first solo jump without KNVvL membership so I could get that the first of July to save half the cost, which I got now. Tomorrow I'll be making a couple of more jumps at Teuge as well. So perhaps I see you tomorrow then? I apologize to anyone if I come over as annoying, or any other negative way. I'm simply full of curiosity and interest and want to find out everything in maybe a too fast phase. Oh and yeah of course I know Yvonne. She's manifest and did my pincheck last time.

Eh, no. You might want to quit giving advise to students about their course, and going against a (Teuge) instructor? Then please tell me sir, what do the prices on their website represent. And why would they list those prices if it doesn't seem to be true according to you? Of course everyone would think: "Gee, a student with only 8 jumps against a D licensed with 2400 jumps... I wonder who's right?" But I'm simply going by information I find on their own website. If that is wrong, then they should change that. Because nowhere they say anything about your AFF being free (Or well, normal jump prices) if you complete SL first. Maybe you're going by information that was relative to you 12 years ago when you started, and things have changed that you aren't aware of? I don't know... Are you sure you know what the difference is between a SL course and an AFF course? Do you know what each entails, what skills you will have demonstrated by the end and what each qualifies you to do? I may be misreading, but you seem to be implying that SL graduates would go on to do a full AFF course afterwards for some reason? I'm aware the Dutch regulations may vary from those in other countries but that sounds absurd and pointless. Why would it be absurd and pointless? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Static Line mean you drop out of a plane at around 4000ft with a Static Line that automatically opens your parachute right after you exit the plane? Meaning you won't experience a free fall at all. So SL only teaches you how to control your canopy. Teuge offers a package of a full 5 SL jumps + 1 single AFF jump so that you at least get to experience free fall in the end. And from there you could choose to continue your AFF with a remaining 6 jumps. So please tell me how, and why they would let you free fall all by yourself, or let your AFF course be free after completing SL which doesn't teach you anything about free fall?

Ouch. I understand the risks that come with it. I thought: "Meh a mount that couldn't cause line entanglement couldn't hurt that much?" but I'm not going to be that "special" guy that can handle everything. I'll follow up on your advice and stay away from this stuff until I'm experienced enough. ;) And most importantly, I'll ask my local instructors about this if in the future I think I'm ready for this stuff. It sucks that I won't be able to video my own jumps for a very long time obviously. But safety first!

I don't know that his response was rude, but ponder this... If you ask about gear, it'll almost inevitably spark a question of "why are you looking for....?" Understanding why a newer skydiver wants "X" will frame a conversation (much of the time) about what is and isn't safe. Different example; if you asked whether you should be buying an elliptical or non-elliptical canopy...you can bet it will lead into a conversation of "dude, you're not ready for that conversation yet, slow down." Welcome to skydiving.

Eh, no. You might want to quit giving advise to students about their course, and going against a (Teuge) instructor? Then please tell me sir, what do the prices on their website represent. And why would they list those prices if it doesn't seem to be true according to you? Of course everyone would think: "Gee, a student with only 8 jumps against a D licensed with 2400 jumps... I wonder who's right?" But I'm simply going by information I find on their own website. If that is wrong, then they should change that. Because nowhere they say anything about your AFF being free (Or well, normal jump prices) if you complete SL first. Maybe you're going by information that was relative to you 12 years ago when you started, and things have changed that you aren't aware of? I don't know...