Skydiving - AFF Through To A Licence

[Moiser]

I just attained my Skydiving A Licence with the BPA (British Parachute Association).

This means I can now solo jump anywhere in the world.

As far as I am aware, this is exactly the same as the American version from the USPA. In order to gain my A Licence I had to complete all eight levels of the AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) course, before completing ten consolidation solo jumps.

This story starts back in April 2013, I'd booked onto an AFF course in Eloy, Arizona. I can't remember how I was feeling prior to arriving, but... I assume I was nervous.

I turned up a day early, opting to stay in the drop zone's bunk house to save cash... it was horrible, and really fucking hot. Skydive AZ require you to have completed a tandem jump before starting the AFF course, so I did a tandem jump, experiencing some pretty heavy sensory overload. Long story short, buy the end of the day I'd pussy'd out... made several excuses to myself and fucked off to see the Grand Canyon via Sedona.

I had reached the limit of my comfort zone at that time, the goal remained on the list. If I didn't have that list, I am not sure I would have gone back to skydiving.

So, briefly, I want share how it felt going through it, and how I dealt with the head games throughout the experience. I now have 35 logged jumps (which still means I am a baby jumper). I can honestly say, I've never felt anxiety like it... the first day of jumping, levels 1-3 were a bit of a blur, I remember feeling a little detached, but on the morning of the second day of jumping... I was petrified about completing my Level 4 jump.

The first jump of the day and the first jump with only one instructor. I felt the anxiety in my belly the second I woke up, I couldn't even eat breakfast. The feeling got worse as the jump came closer, arriving at the drop zone, being manifested for a flight, going through the brief for the jump, hearing the twenty minute call, gearing up, getting on the plane, the plane taking off and climbing to altitude, the plane leveling off and slowing down, the door opening, the green light to jump, people jumping, moving towards the door.

It was totally nerve wracking, but it all fell away as soon as I left the plane. Forced into the present moment, mind completely clear of bullshit. Similar nerves would appear anytime anything was changed, my first solo exit, my first solo jump and my first unstable exit. Again, as soon as I was out the aircraft, it all fell away.

The Level 8 Jump caused me quite a lot of stress from the second I was told it would be my next jump, after one consolidation (solo jump with no instructor). To pass Level 8, you have to jump out the plane at a low height, stablise and deploy your canopy within ten seconds. I'd been exiting the aircraft at 13,000 feet, Level 8 required me to exit at 6,000 feet with no instructor, it went fine, and ten seconds is a lot of time, I think I deployed in five.

There are three stages of the jump where fear creeps in... Jumping out the plane, deploying your canopy and landing the canopy. You have some control over jumping and landing, but once you've pulled that toggle, you're just waiting to see if it's going to open correctly, counting in your head and watching the deploying... praying all is going to be well.

I dealt with this anxiety "trying" not to resist it, accepting it and continuing on, small chunking decisions rather to make them easier to deal with and little bouts of meditation to keep myself calm. Drop zones can be a harsh place for a student or a baby jumper, people don't really take a lot of notice of you, and when they do it's normally to tell you how little you know compared to them. This wasn't completely true, but I would say generally it was the case.

All in all, it was a real fucking challenge and I'm really pleased I followed through with it, going to continue with it for a little while, see if I get the bug.

[cantrell]

I've been researching this as well. How much did everything cost?

[Moiser]

I would guess around £2K... prices are going to vary slightly from DZ to DZ.

[Blaze]

Awesome!!