First Jump[

I'm new to skydiving, I spent a day in AFF Level 1 class and will make my first solo jump August 11th. We were taught to PLF, not landing on feet, taking a few steps or running. Is there a reason for this? Thanks

the parachute landing fall is designed to absorb the energy of the fall and spread it out so that you don't break things.  you should always be ready to do a plf and if you don't have to, you stand up.  when you gain more skills and have more experience, you can run it out if out need to take a few steps.  kind of like when you throw your pilot chute, you should always be ready to have nothing come out and be ready to deal with the emergency you have.  if you are always prepared to deal with an emergency, you will take less time to react and hypothetically be more prepared with the proper emergency procedures.  always be ready for things to go south, even if 99% of the time or more they don't.  you'll thank yourself the time it does go south and you react instinctively and deal with it as if nothing were wrong.  the way i started trash packing my new canopy had me doing this.

There is a reason for everything you were taught. 

A less than ideal flare can mean landing with a bit (or a lot) more forward or downward speed than is ideal. PLFs make less than ideal flares less likely to cause pain and crutches and such.  Those with very few jumps often perform less than ideal flares.  Thus, your instructor wants you to PLF... so you'll walk back to the packing area ready for level 2.

It's a skill that you will find useful throughout your skydiving career.  Not every landing can or should be stood up or run out. 

Enjoy your first jump!

8 hours ago, BaldEagleOne said:

I'm new to skydiving, I spent a day in AFF Level 1 class and will make my first solo jump August 11th. We were taught to PLF, not landing on feet, taking a few steps or running. Is there a reason for this? Thanks

Well, you've come to the right place for advice. The truth is that it is never too soon to start doubting and second guessing ones skydiving instructors. 

A lot of people are more likely to follow what they are told when they understand the reasons behind what they are told. There are plenty of dumb, incorrect, and arbitrary things that people are told in life, so backing an instruction up with some reasoning can be helpful.

On 7/24/2021 at 2:00 PM, pchapman said:

A lot of people are more likely to follow what they are told when they understand the reasons behind what they are told. There are plenty of dumb, incorrect, and arbitrary things that people are told in life, so backing an instruction up with some reasoning can be helpful.

Be that as it may, JoeWeber's comment is still funny as hell. :-)

To the OP, in my opinion a "standup landing" is the most overrated type of landing there is.
Personally, I have been making PLFs for most of a year when recovering from a knee injury (which I sustained while participating in a ballroom dancing contest, if you believe it).
I reasoned that while my knee was finally good enough to jump safely, I was not going to jeopardise it with "having to" land on my feet as experienced jumpers are "expected to". I reasoned that I was jumping out of an airplane - no need to try and look cool. :-)

I hope you did the best skydiving. Did you feel nervous? As it was your first time.