Weekend training and celebrating Peters jump no 5000

Saturday we had hired Clint Clawson for swoop coaching. he wanted us to do all the stuff that we normally don’t do. So i was send up to do a right 450 witch i as expected fucked up totally and landed off to the side of the pond. After that we did some 270 to get the different setup patterns right. On the 8th jump peter rounded 5000 jumps so we made a flocking dive making a diamond with a stinger. The jumpers were Peter, Gonzalo, Kim, Clint, me and Niklas Daniels  on camera.

The practice jumping opened up for a lot of new training and thinking. And again it proves that there is no right way to make your turn. Meany of the things that i was taught earlier have been changed during the weekend coaching and actually i feel that i have been set back in my swooping but that’s the way to learn new things and get better no doubt about that..   

We also celebrated Peters 5000 jump with a BIG cake with cream and fresh strawberries and of cause he got creamed i will try and get pictures of that later….

Day 5 AFF examination jumps

Well today we got to prove what our training had learned us.

My first jump was a level 4 jump with Kim H. He made a ok exit only needed a little correction. He’s solo flying was also pretty fine but after he’s first turn he started spinning. My first attempt to stop him failed but i got him perfect the second time. After the spinning he was a little dizzy so i had to tell him to look at he’s altimeter and i also had to pull he’s canopy. The student survived and i got a score of 75 of 100% possible.

My second jump was a level 2 as secondary with Peter P the student Exits WERY unstable and ends up on he’s back i releases my grip and start following the student down. Peter is handling the student fine getting him turned to he’s back and i am back on level but is making too big a turn around the student witch is costing me a lot of points. But i end up where i am supposed to be and start giving the right signals to the student. peter and i have switched side due to the tumble so now i am on the primary side. the student get a altitude signal and a pull signal from peter and i am just waiting for the student to pull but he is having some trouble finding he’s handle so he need some help from me he also doesn’t pull the handle him self so while i smile over the students back to Peter i press he’s hand around the handle while pulling he’s pilot shute for him.  Due to the long turn I made and i didn’t also give pull signal in i only scored 65% in this jump.

 

Third jump was also a level 3 with Thomas as secondary and me as primary. In the exit the examiner told us he was trying to get us unstable but due to the stability of Thomas and me he didn’t have a chance. He was getting perfect signals and when he tried to spin on us there was no room for him to fuck up. All in all this was a very good jump and i got a score of 91% for that jump.

 

The fourth jump was a level 4 with Peter K. I didn’t had any unstable students so far so i was expecting a bad student from the beginning and exactly as planned Peter was jumping directly out on he’s back, falling like fridge…. i almost was in a headdown just trailing in he’s leg strap. But after some tumbling i got him turned just as in the book perfect nice and easy. A few hand signals was thrown a check your altimeter and last my student pulled in 5600 ft so i got a long track opened high and made a sweet swoop on the grass total score of the jump was 80% and i had the required points to pass the flying part of the AFF course.

Day 4 AFF eval jumping

well now I have better time and battery. Wednesday was practice jumping with our examiners but as realistic as possible.

We made 3 jumps with 2 instructors  and and 3 jumps with 1 instructor. We had both students that was flying good but needed a lot of correction and help at pull time, but we also has the opposite with students “PeterK” that was falling like a brick and needed help to get stable.. This was really good practice and actually pretty funny flying. But i must say that it is hard having 6 students a day that need 110 % attention.

I finished off the day with a 4 way hop n pop in 7000 feet and flying some relative flying with Bundy Kim and another canopy flyer here. its a perfect way to end a day and with a 10 knot downwind i got to make a pretty loong superman on the grass here in Perris. After we got home to the house both Thomas and I passed out in our room. Great but tiring day.

AFF Examination day

I will run out of power very soon so this will be short

I just made 4 Examination jumps today and passed with 311% out of 300 in 4 out of 5 jumps. So i am pretty happy we just need to pass theory tomorrow and i can call my self a AFF instructor.

More details will follow when i get more battery power on my laptop…  ;o)