Skydiving News

Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered what it would be like to fly? Are you an adrenalin junkie? This article looks at the AFF method of learning to skydive and the benefits of skydiving in Spain.

Learning to Skydive

The AFF course (Accelerated FreeFall) http://www.freefalladdicts.com/aff.shtml is the most modern way of learning to skydive, and is geared towards complete beginners who have no prior skydiving experience. Students work through 8 different levels (each level is a skydive), and are able to learn to skydive with just a few days of instruction to become a qualified skydiver. Most people like to book about a week to complete their AFF course and ten solo skydives, although the AFF course is usually completed with 3 or 4 days- depending on how many skydives the student wishes to make per day.

The AFF System

The course starts with a ground school that usually takes about 6 hours long. This ground training is split into manageable lessons that cover everything the first time skydiver needs to know. When they are ready for their first skydive, AFF level 1, the student will be skydiving with two AFF instructors holding onto either side of them. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/aff.shtml Throughout levels 1 to 3, the two instructors work on perfecting the students body position, teach the student how to turn left and right, altitude awareness and hover control (being able to fly without turning involuntarily left or right). When the student reaches AFF level 4, they will be skydiving with one AFF instructor and the subsequent AFF skydives will teach the student how to regain stability (being in a belly to earth position), turns and tracking (horizontal movement across the sky).

Before each skydive there is a detailed brief that the instructor and student will spend time over, ensuring that the necessary skills are taught and learnt on the ground, ready to practice in the air on the skydive. On every AFF skydive your instructor will be wearing a special camera helmet that holds a small, but powerful, video camera. After each skydive, the instructor will debrief the student using this video that is an invaluable teaching tool. Once the student has completed their course the videos of each skydive are compiled into a DVD, complete with titles and music to present to the student as a fun memento.

Not sure what to expect during your skydiving holiday? Have a look here for a day by day breakdown of a typical holiday. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/holiday.shtml

Do Static Line jumps count towards my AFF course?

Static line jumps are when the parachute is automatically opened when the skydiver exits the aircraft. This method of learning is slower than the AFF system, as more jumps are required to pass the course. However, if you have started learning to skydive on the static line system, you may be able to convert your training to the AFF system. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/slc.shtml

Id like to try skydiving but I dont want to do a full course what are my options

Of course you could try skydiving by doing the more traditional tandem skydive. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/tandem.shtml This is a parachute jump in which you are strapped onto a tandem instructor, and after a short brief, are ready to go!

However, now you also have the option of doing the AFF level 1, without needing to book onto the full AFF course http://www.freefalladdicts.com/introtoskydiving.shtml This alternative really gives a more in depth introduction to skydiving. You would complete the ground part of the training, exactly as per the full AFF course learning more about body position, equipment, canopy flight etc. Then, you would make you parachute jump with the two instructors holding onto you, before gently floating down to the ground, steering your own parachute and assisted by one of your instructors through a radio that you will be wearing. Should you decide that you would like to keep skydiving, you can then progress straight away to the second AFF level.

What are the benefits of skydiving in Spain?

Many people choose to go to Spain because of the fantastic weather which means that they can skydive constantly throughout their trip. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/weather.shtml

The centre in Seville also boasts great non skydiving activities as well, whether you would like to go to the beach, discover the rich culture that the city has to offer, or explore the diverse bars and restaurants. The Cathedral of Seville is famed for being Spains largest church, and was built over 400 years ago. The streets of Seville are lined with orange trees, and in the evenings there is no better way to enjoy the city than sat outside a typical Spanish bar, with a cool drink, some Tapas, and the scent of the orange blossom. Its a great place to explore by foot, along the cobbled streets whether you are looking for souvenirs or just shopping. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/sevillesights.shtml

For those that are interested in more of a lively evening, Sevilles bars and clubs have to be experienced! Whether you end up in Triana a district of bars and clubs right next to the river, or the centre of Seville, it has to be said that the Spanish know how to have a good time! http://www.freefalladdicts.com/sevillenightlife.shtml

The beach is only a 45 minute drive, and the most direct route also takes you through the National Park, where an abundance of wildlife can be found. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/beach.shtml

Skydiving in Spain is also much cheaper than learning in the UK, and this allows people to make the experience into more of a holiday. The cost of living in Spain is also much less than the UK, which makes it a pleasure to go out to eat when the average cost of a meal with drinks is only 15 euros! http://www.freefalladdicts.com/why.shtml

Often, people like to take a day out to visit Cadiz, Huelva, or even Tarifa which is famous for being one of the best kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing sites in Europe.

How can I keep my friends and family updated on my skydiving progress and where can I find more information?

The internet is a great way of keeping your family and friends updated, and photos and news are posted on a daily basis on the Freefall Addicts website. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/news.shtml The Freefall Addicts forum is also filled with skydivers and would be skydivers, ready to offer advice, answer questions or just good luck wishes! http://www.freefalladdicts.com/phpBB2/index.php Skydivers do really think of themselves as being in one big happy family, and are more than happy to help others who are thinking of having a go themselves. Of course there are some questions that most people tend to ask, so a FAQ is always useful http://www.freefalladdicts.com/faq.shtml

Who can I train with in Seville?

Freefall Addicts are a company that specialises in skydiving courses, advanced skydiving courses and parachute equipment sales. We are located just outside the city of Seville, Spain only 20 minutes drive from the airport and just 10 minutes from the city centre! http://www.freefalladdicts.com/seville.shtml The parachute centre is a British Parachute Association (the governing body for skydiving and parachuting in the UK) Associated dropzone, so all operations are carried out to the highest safety standards. One of the most popular skydiving destinations for British jumpers, the aircraft here fly to 15,000ft, the highest altitude in Spain. What does this mean? Well, each skydive will have an extra 15 seconds of freefall time. This may not sound like very much, but on the AFF course, the freefall time is your main learning time. You will have more teaching time in the air, and therefore progress more quickly on each skydive. Over the whole AFF course, this equates to about 2 extra skydives!

We don’t just stop with teaching our students to skydive either! When the sun goes down, we organise trips to the beach, to the sights of Seville, and to the local bars and restaurants for some typical Spanish dishes, or to the Irish bar for a taste of home! We make sure that our customers skydiving and non skydiving needs are taken care of throughout their stay. http://www.freefalladdicts.com/why.shtml

Freefall Addicts are happy to be able to help our customers organise every aspect of their holiday, from flights to accommodation to car hire and extra activities. With fantastic weather, a student focused operation and great priced flights with budget airlines, http://www.freefalladdicts.com/GettingHere.shtml we look forward to seeing you soon!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

http://www.freefalladdicts.com/index.shtml

After learning to skydive on holiday in Spain, Lamorna decided that a change of scenery was in order. She booked flights to Spain with no language knowledge and no job to go to. One of the 3 founding members of the skydiving school, Freefall Addicts, Lamornas focus on value for money and customer service have gone a long way in making Freefall Addicts one of the most popular skydiving schools in Europe.

Written By: Lamorna Harpin lamorna@freefalladdicts.co.uk

In years past, a serious physical disability meant unemployment, isolation, and inactivity for many thousands of people.

No longer. While the Americans with Disabilities Act has opened up the workplace and public facilities to people with disabilities, many organizations around the country have sprung up, offering access to sports programs both for wheelchair-bound individuals and amputees with artificial prosthetic devices. Disabled people are experiencing the joy of participating in Alpine and cross-country skiing, all kinds of water sports from swimming to sailing to scuba diving, and even more extreme sports such as mountain climbing and sky diving.

The importance of both competitive and recreational sports for individuals with disabilities can’t be overestimated. Particularly for formerly able-bodied people who find themselves disabled, sports can serve as a tremendous motivation in the rehabilitation process and can help alleviate the depression, confusion, and loss of self-esteem that often accompanies a debilitating injury. For those born with a serious disability, sports can serve as an important way of connecting to the “abled” world.

Competitive sports for the disabled are experiencing phenomenal success. The world-wide organization now known as the Paralympic Games was founded in Rome, Italy, in 1960, inspired by a 1948 competition organized in England for disabled World War II veterans. According to the Paralympic Games website, participating athletes compete in a variety of sports based on one of six disability-based classifications: amputee, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment, intellectual disability, and a general group including individual disabilities which do not fit into one of the other five categories.

Both summer and winter sports competitions give disabled athletes the change to compete in a variety of sports; the list of summer sports includes 21 different competitive sports, ranging from archery and cycling to equestrian, powerlifting and judo. Five competitions designed specifically for wheelchair-bound athletes include basketball, dancing, fencing, rugby, and tennis. The list of winter sports is smaller, but no less challenging: athletes can compete in either Alpine or Nordic skiing, ice sledge hockey, and wheelchair curling.

Children with physical disabilities have special challenges; they’re dealing with sometimes substantial limitations at the same time that they are meeting all the other demands of becoming competent, balanced, emotionally and mentally healthy human beings. The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) offers opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of sports activities, from skiing, ski racing, snowboarding and snowshoeing in the winter to rafting, horseback riding, and in-line skating in the summer.

The Paralympics and NSCD are only two of many organizations founded to involve disabled individuals in sports. It’s evident, from the success and increasing popularity of these organizations, that both adults and children with disabilities benefit greatly from participating in adaptive sports activities, and that the benefit extends to all aspects of their lives.

About the author:

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.

Written By: Aldene Fredenburg