So being ex-Military I've done quite a few static line jumps and now, being out of the Army for a couple of years, have been meaning to do an AFF course for quite a while now. Step in the search for an overseas course, hence the weather.
What brought me to FFU was the reviews that I read in which the instructors where one-on-one and you weren't going to be hanging around to wait for an instructor. Plus the weather in land was less windy and a little more reliable than on the coast.
FFU did not let me down!
From the ground school on day one, was met by a really enthusiastic instructor which really sets the tone for the whole trip, and at the end of the day I volunteered for this, expecting fun, and this helped a great deal.
The fact I had been recommended to take up on the wind tunnel in Madrid before I went also went a long way in knowing what to expect in your first jumps.
After ground school had finished I was sitting in the bar area having a coffee when the Chief Instructor 'Mike' came up to me and asked if anyone was my instructor. Shook hands and said 'Right, lets do some jumping.'
From there it was a roller coaster. 3 jumps on my first day, at the end of which I remember getting a delayed adrenaline rush at 2100 at night and trying to calm myself down lol!
Mike and the instructors were always giving advice and tips not only after you had just landed on the DZ but straight after the jump replaying the videos. The course was very progressive.
I put a little too much pressure on myself for the last qualifying jump so had to retake but again the instruction was top notch into what to do right.
Then the real fun came, consolidation jumps! On the last day I managed 6 jumps! You have to manifest yourself onto the plane in order to go up again. This was easy enough and the manifest staff helped a lot and even bumped you up the list should the plane be free one space.
On site is all you need. Bar at the end of the day a couple of beers, which sells food also, huge DZ to land on, training cockpit frames to practise on, plenty of parachutes, great turnaround on parachute packing - treat these guys with respect, they work their arses off!! Which at the end of the day makes your trip better.
At the end of the day, if you have any form of outgoing personality you'll do well here. I turned up on my own out of the blue and came away with some great friends who I still keep in touch with and intend to do so!
Blue Skies,
Dave
