Well, I did it. I have completed all seven jumps of the AFF course at Kapowsin. I am now cleared to solo dive, and work up to jump 25 and my A-class license.
http://www.skydivekapowsin.com/aff1.htmWhich is good, cause I got to tell ya, being evaluated while performing very specific tasks falling at 120 mph is just a little bit of added stress I don't really need. Repeating a class also means more $$$. I did it in seven, and couldn't be happier.
Jump six was the front flip, back flip, barrel roll class. The goal is not to execute a perfect set of flips, but to make sure you can regain control if you end up tumbling through the sky for some reason. Honestly I thought if there was any class I would have to repeat, that this would be it. Up until this point the tasks were various turning and control exercises.. Flips really turn the volume to eleven and then some. My Front flip was perfect. I was a bit aggressive on my backflip and ended up with a double. And the barrel roll was decent.
I really can't put in words how intense it was to do flips in the sky at 120mph. It was another case where the stimulation was so great that my brain started to narrow my awareness. My eyes were open during the flips, but I didn't really _perceive_ anything except the change in light intensity. Dark, Light, Dark time to stop.. oops, Light again, and back to Dark. OK.
Jump seven was an exercise in tracking, which is basically moving forward toward a destination. I did a dive exit on this one, and I haven't quite got the hang of that yet. Basically you dive out of the plane and try to present your body to the prop wash of the airplane which is the relative wind until you start falling. I can't quite describe the feeling of jumping out, and unexpectedly going end over end backwards... This is not good. Relax do an arch, get control..ok. I rotate around and watch the plane fly away and wait for my instructor to jump out.. She was still up there and was evaluating my stellar exit I'm sure. Everything goes well, I pull my chute at 4K, and land on my own without a radio.
I am ready to solo. Booya!
another highlight for jump seven was being the first out of the plane. Which also means I'm one of two people opening the door. You are sitting on your knees, looking through basically a clear plastic garage door, waiting for the jump light to go on and looking for any _other_ airplanes that might be below us (that would be bad)... Jessie (my instructor) says this:
~Ok, the door takes two people to open, we wait for the light, open the door, and check for clouds or other planes below us. If you accidentally fall out while opening the door, that's ok, because that's what we are here to do anyways.~ [evil grin]
Let me tell you, when you open a large door on the side of a moving airplane at 13,500 feet, suddenly there is a roaring wind, and It really hits you: "Dude, I'm going to jump out of a Fucking airplane, right NOW" and you are completely in that single moment. I'll admit I day dream and zone out on a lot of things, but my god, immanent departure has my full attention. Believe that.