Even though my ankle was hurting, it didn't make sense to rush home. I bought some crutches, ice packs, a brace and some ibuprofen at the drug store. I wasn't sure what I would be doing while I was at Z-Hills, but it was better to be sitting in the Florida sun than sulking at home.
When I entered manifest, I was happy to see Laurie Clark! After we talked about my ankle, I decided to sign up for water training. Laurie looked through my log book to see if I met the freefall and landing requirements for my B license. YAY! I only needed the water training and the exam. Laurie suggested I take the exam and get it out of the way.
I spent an hour or so studying the SIM and took the test and PASSED! To earn a USPA "B" license, you need the following:
- A license
- 50 jumps / 30 minutes of controlled freefall time
- 10 accuracy landings (10 meters of target center)
- Ability to perform maneuvers (left 360, right 360, backloop, left 360, right 360, backloop) in freefall in 18 seconds or less OR 10 successful formation jumps.
- Water Training
- Pass Written Exam
Later in the day, I attended the ground school for water training. We discussed how to prepare for a water landing and what to do once we were in the water. For more information about water training, check out the Section 5 of the SIM.
In a bathing suit and shorts, I crutched out to the swoop pond and joined the group. The swoop pond at Z-hills was pretty gross, but when I entered the water my foot sank down in the muck. It actually provided some much needed relief. We took turns simulating water landings. By the end of the session, I was B license certified!