new jumper excitement.

[nigel99 619]

I love the new jumper vibe. My wife did her first solo this weekend. She was the only fun jumper on the load (caravan full of tandems). She was freaking out about the door, spotting and other stuff. She didn't think and asked a tandem student waiting by the plane for advice
Her favourite jump by miles and she got to see the spot in freefall. First thing she said to me on landing was "I saw the ground, and didn't realise I would be in the same place over the ground as where my parachute opens!"

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[NWFlyer 2]

We had a group of 12 doing AFF together this weekend; they had done ground school earlier in the week and were trying to get through their AFFs in the two weekend days. Several of them succeeded; others were close but either needed to repeat jumps, or got hit by mother nature (we had fog on Saturday morning that delayed the start, and high winds this afternoon as a front moved in). It was pretty awesome to feel that much new jumper energy on the dropzone at once (having that big a group going through in a concentrated fashion is very unusual for us).

Not to mention the fridge was nice and full tonight.

Congrats to your wife on her progress.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Squeak 17]

Give my regards to Miss D, sorry I wasn't there to witness it

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[nigel99 619]

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We had a group of 12 doing AFF together this weekend; they had done ground school earlier in the week and were trying to get through their AFFs in the two weekend days. Several of them succeeded; others were close but either needed to repeat jumps, or got hit by mother nature (we had fog on Saturday morning that delayed the start, and high winds this afternoon as a front moved in). It was pretty awesome to feel that much new jumper energy on the dropzone at once (having that big a group going through in a concentrated fashion is very unusual for us).

Not to mention the fridge was nice and full tonight.

Congrats to your wife on her progress.

Sounds fun. I really wish we had the equivalent of the coach rating here. There is something about the energy of people just discovering their wings that is amazing.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[ryoder 1,590]

So did the tandem student give good advice?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[nigel99 619]

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So did the tandem student give good advice?

I forget what she'd asked him. But the TI answered the her question. It was only later when she asked how many jumps he had that she realised.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Squeak 17]

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So did the tandem student give good advice?

I forget what she'd asked him. But the TI answered the her question. It was only later when she asked how many jumps he had that she realised.

Any advice he may have given is probably on par with some of the advice given here

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[nigel99 619]

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So did the tandem student give good advice?

I forget what she'd asked him. But the TI answered the her question. It was only later when she asked how many jumps he had that she realised.

Any advice he may have given is probably on par with some of the advice given here

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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She didn't think and asked a tandem student waiting by the plane for advice

That's cool.

You need to teach her to look for which harnesses have hook-ups on the risers and no backpacks.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

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She didn't think and asked a tandem student waiting by the plane for advice

That's cool.

You need to teach her to look for which harnesses have hook-ups on the risers and no backpacks.

We sort that out by making the tandem students wear the same colored jumpsuits as the AFF jumpsuits. If you don't want to be asked questions 'round here, wander around in a purple-and-yellow jumpsuit with purple stripes on the handles!

At least they wash them for the tandems. The coaches were always making me put them on for my coach jumps on the (sadly, misguided) belief that they'd help slow down my fall rate. Then I'd end up smelling like AFF student, a piquant boquet of sweat, fear and urine that makes you want to take a shower as soon as the jump is done.

Those first solo jumps after AFF are a little intimidating! The dropzone has you do three mostly-solo before setting you up with the coaches. This lets you get a little taste of what it's going to be like. Your fellow skydivers know you're on your coach jumps, but it still feels pretty lonely!

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Then I'd end up smelling like AFF student, a piquant boquet of sweat, fear and urine that makes you want to take a shower as soon as the jump is done.

It's been shown that fear sweat does have different aroma from regular sweat. All the scared chemicals coming out of the pores.

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Those first solo jumps after AFF are a little intimidating! The dropzone has you do three mostly-solo before setting you up with the coaches.

DangerRoo's first jump after her Level 7 was a four way sequential with 3 instructors. It was a blast.