Finally Licensed

To get your A license you need at least 25 jumps which includes tandems and your AFF levels. After I passed AFF level 7 I was on solo student status, meaning I could jump either by myself or with an AFF instructor or coach until I could apply for my license. It was a lot of fun jumping by myself, I had to freedom to try different kinds of exits, I practiced  doing turns, practicing leveling (arching more to down faster and getting flatter to fall slower) back flips, front flips, barrel rolls, back flying and even sit flying! Although jumping is always fun, I wanted to be able to jump with other people. 

I finally was able to take my written test and get my license on jump 29! I am having so much fun being able to jump with other people! I spent the weekend exiting with other people, doing track dives and working on docking! 

I am finally also starting to slowly but surely acquire my own equipment! I bought a used altimeter from friend and then I just bought my brand new PURPLE Cookie G3 helmet! Its sooooooo pretty! I am in love with my helmet! 

I applied for a part time job at Ifly selling Ifly giftcards at Costco! The reason I applied was for the tunnel time that you get for being an Ifly employee. It is only a seasonal job, I am only working for 3 weekends at Costco but I love it so far! I am able to share my love of skydiving with other people and then the added benefit of getting discounted rates at the tunnel! 

Working this part time job doesn't allow for a lot of free time to go skydiving but I did have a random vacation day on a Tuesday so I  was able to take advantage of this day off to go jumping! My coach and friend was at Skydive Phoenix that day, he jumped with me! Our first jump was awesome!!!  We did a sit train exit which worked and we got super stable, we broke apart and then docked into a horny gorilla. It was sooooo much fun! That was my first successful sit train and horny gorilla!

I went to the tunnel on 12/14/17 and did 10 minutes to work on belly flying which I passed level 1 in the tunnel and then I was able to work on back flying which is the first step in learning how to freefly!!! I only did two rounds (2 minutes each) of backflying... man was I sore after! But I was so proud of myself that I was able to actually stay in a stable back fly position. 

I worked all weekend at Costco so I didn't have time to go skydiving or in the tunnel, but I did go back into the tunnel on Monday. I did 10 minutes of backflying. I worked on getting stable, moving up and down and turns... I didn't do that great haha but I am getting better! Then I did 5 minutes of belly flying. I worked on going up and down by planking out and bending/widening legs. 

I plan to go a lot this week so I can master back flying while I am still an Ifly employee, but I also hope to stay as a part time employee ;) 

"Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment"-Thomas Carlyle

That feeling when you accomplish something you have been working so hard to achieve feels amazing! I have gone to the tunnel four times now in a row to work on back flying (I have done about 30 minutes of back flying so far). I was feeling more confident but I was still struggling with getting into the back flying position by myself and getting stable. I also practiced turns the last time I was at the tunnel but was having a hard time. Today is just clicked... I went into the tunnel and was able to stay in back flying on my own and move around the tunnel. If I got out of control I was able to regain control on my own!!! I was sooooo excited! I was so proud of myself. I might even go back today to practice now that I am starting to get the hang of it!