When did you complete the IAF Jump 7?

Almost two months passed before I completed my level 7 jump.  

First, I went down to Florida a week or two after the first attempt at level 7.  While in Florida, I went to SkyVenture, a wind tunnel training facility just outside Universal Studios.  You can follow these links to read more about my Wind Tunnel Training or my trip to Universal Studios.

After returning from the wind tunnel, I was itching to try out my "newly acquired skills".  Almost every weekend after, I went up to Carolina Sky Sports -- or was ready to go.  

Every weekend it was the same story on the day(s) I wanted go:  WIND and/or RAIN.

At one point, I stayed up there all day.  Finally, on the last load, I was cleared to go!  I went on my briefing and prepped my gear!  I was walking out to the plane doing a radio check when, you guessed it -- they pulled the IAF students off due to wind.

Yes, it's frustrating. However, it's also good to know the operators and instructors are as concerned about safety as they are about profits.  There are enormous pressures to keep things moving and make loads as full as possible.  

A week or two later, good weather was on!  My friend, Doug, came back from Montana and was going to do his 2nd jump.  (He's planning to go through the AFF program at Lost Prairie in Montana within the next few months).  We went up to CSS.  The weather was perfect.  Where was I?  On the ground.  I picked up the mother of all head colds earlier in the week.  Aaaaarrrrrrrgh!

More time passed.  It had been at least 6 to 8 weeks since I  jumped.  I went up on a subsequent Saturday, determined to jump.  In fact, at this point, I just wanted to do a Tandem jump to "get my feet wet again".  I'd then follow up with my IAF 7 jump.  

The little jumpmaster had been comatose for about two weeks.  I grabbed the paddles and jolted his little body back to life.  I scooped him up and laid his limp little body  in the back seat.  I drove up to Loiusburg that Saturday to make a Tandem jump.  My plan was to jump Tandem on Saturday, and my IAF level 7 on Sunday.  That's exactly how it worked out!

You Make your Level 7 Jump!

A different instructor is provided for this jump.  You haven't met this guy yet.  At first glance, he looks a little strange -- long dark hair, thick beard, and a pony tail.  Within the first minute or two, he puts you at ease.  He knows what he's doing.  

The instructor reviews your logbook and talks with about your past performance and what you will work on today.  You practice the dive several times on the ground.  One of the main things will be to relax and get stable.  Some leg exercises will be done before the turn.  Essentially, the exercises will consist of exaggerating the legs straight position.  Only after we're stable will you try a turn.  The instructor is calm and methodical.

You may be jumping the Otter this time rather than the CASA.  The instructor takes you out to the Otter mockup to practice the exit.  While out there, you go over the entire dive again.

By the time a call is given, you've gone over the complete dive several times with the instructor.  You KNOW what to do.  The question reeling in your mind is "Can I execute it?"

After the gear checks, you head to the plane with the instructor.  It will be the CASA, after all.  You think how lucky you are to have the CASA.  At the same time, you're now interested in jumping the Otter, since you've practiced it several times.

It's time.  You head for the door.  "Pilot, up, down, ARCH!"  The two of you leave the plane.  You arch hard.  The two of you soon become stable.  You feel the tap and see two fingers.  You straighten your legs.  Then you get the signal to pull your legs up slightly...  you do.  You see a thumbs up!  You check altitude.  You begin a left turn.  It's a little rough and wobbly.  You make it around, (mostly).  You check the altitude.  You decide to make that right turn a little harder.  You cut hard -- and  you spin around too fast!  However, you stay in control and stop on heading.  

 Altitude checks and practice rip cord touches follow.  You complete everything, but it's not smooth.  You're choppy and uncoordinated at best.  At least this time you can feel what's wrong as you correct things (arch more, relax, legs straight).  If only you could do them all and stay that way!  The lock on altitude approaches.  You wave off and pull!  

As the chute engages, you feel a slap on the neck.  You take a second to get your bearings... Jerry is on the radio.  You give your chute a quick once over.  Everything looks good.  Rather than fumble with the toggles, you pull the risers to execute the initial turns to get pointed toward the field.  After you're headed in the right direction, you unstow the brakes and check things out more.  The view is great!  You look around to check things out.   You try to look down, but you can't -- The chest strap is up under your chin!  Leg straps will be a little bit tighter next time, cowboy...

The flight takes you right over the landing area with plenty of altitude.  You hear the radio crackle: "Go ahead and do some turns and have some fun."  You do!  You do some pretty good turns and feel your body sway out underneath the canopy... you feel the drop and then canopy "catching" you softly as you come back underneath.  It' so much fun!  

It's time to make the final approach you follow the instructions on the radio.  The leg (the set of turns on approach) seems a little short, but you appear to be right on target.  You're still trying to gauge your perceptions at this point.  As you hear the words "Prepare to flare" you think to yourself "I should already be flaring".  

You pull hard, but there's not much time before impact.  Your legs are straight and together.  As you hit, the momentum lifts your legs up and you come down unceremoniously on your rump!  A loud "OOOumph" erupts from you as land.  

Oddly, you hear a 360 degree groan:  All the people in every direction watched you land and let out a "surround-sound sympathy oooumph" on your behalf. It sounds really weird when you're in the middle of it.  It makes the whole thing a little surreal. (If not a tad embarrassing!)

 Despite your very sore rump, you're ready to go to your briefing and find out if you're ready for level 8!

Editors Note:  I continued on and completed my IAF 8 jump.  Since, I haven't had the time to "stay with it" to be current (and safe).  However, I have continued the thrill by going up to Carolina Sky Sports for an occasional Tandem.  Although I'm sure they'd prefer I continue solo, they always welcome me and provide a great skydiving experience.  Thus far, I've jumped a total of over a dozen times!

Here's the logbook entry for the Tandem "confidence builder" jump.

Here's the logbook entry for the successful level 7 jump.