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linny

My 72yr. old DAD DID A TANDEM yesterday!!!!!!!!!

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Okay guys, I just have to share my excitement with you all.

My Dad surprised me by randomly showing up at Perris yesterday. And when I asked him to do a Tandem (for the 3 millionth time) he actually said YES!!

It's funny cause I was FAR more nervous than he was. I don't think he was nervous at all actually. But in his video, he has the look of sudden death on his face right before exit!

His skydive looked great! He did a beautiful job. He smiled the whole time, skin flapping in the wind! It's just adorable. Ed took great care of him. He even noticed my Dad wanting to go for the rip cord and immediately put his arm in the way so my Dad couldn't get to it. Good job. Ed, you really made the experience for my Dad. You made him feel at ease and comfortable. Thank you!!!!!!!

The landing was a little hard for him though. He came in on his knees (which are in really bad shape to begin with) and almost passed out. He needed help to get up (Thank you Diablo and JC!!) and then needed to sit in a chair in the landing area for a while before the nausea went away.

We showed the video at the bar. Thank you to all my friends who came in and watched and cheered, and generally showed interest in meeting my Dad and making him feel welcome. That was AWESOME!!! I KNOW the cheering and clapping at his skydive made his day! He will be sharing this story for the rest of his life, I guarantee it! That was soooo much fun!

I still can't believe it. My dad jumped out of a fucking airplane! My dream come true! :)Here's a few pics attached, with more in air shots to follow once they're developed.

Anyone else have any cool stories about their parents jumping?

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Way cool! B| Nice pics. How are your dad's knees?

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Anyone else have any cool stories about their parents jumping?



Not yet, but come June, I will. Mom agreed to do a tandem and will be doing it June 4th. B|
Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

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Congrats to your father -- cool pictures

I was just thinking about that earlier today.
My dad's tandem

I think we need a parental tandems thread. Of course, I always feel weird when someone posts about their mom and it turns out she's my age :D

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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Awesome, Linds'. Wish I'd been there to see it. Your dad's a pretty cool guy. Been trying to talk my dad into it for quite a while. Maybe he'll go once I've got my tandem rating, in which case I'll make sure he talks to none of you beforehand, lest you talk some sense into him. ;)
Did make my first jump with my mom, though. We did AFF1 together as my graduation present from high school. She loved it, but once was enough. Then I went on to be a poor college student for a while and before I knew it, a decade had passed--inexcusably--until I got back in the air a year ago. When I called them to tell them what I'd been doing the few previous weekends and that I'd graduated, she FLIPPED THE FCUK OUT. I couldn't understand it. Figured she'd be happy for me. Then she calmed down and I realized she was only teasing. She was 'pissed' that I now had more jumps than she did. She was happier when we were tied 1:1.
-C.

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Of course, I always feel weird when someone posts about their mom and it turns out she's my age :D



Oh no! :ph34r: Well, you don't seem your age, Wendy. I mean that in a good way. :)
Linny ~ That is WONDERFUL! You look so happy in the picture. Btw, Giakrembs grandmother recently did a tandem in Eloy. :)

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That's very, very, cool! My dad actually got me started in this sport almost ten years ago, talking my wife and I into doing tandems with him shortly after his 70th birthday.

I got to jump with him lurking a couple tandems he did after I started jumping, and since I got my tandem rating, I've taken him for his last three birthdays (had to do it early last year as he was scheduled for surgery for colon cancer). He's completely recovered now, and I'm hoping I'll get to take him again later this year for his 80th!

Great pics, thanks for sharing them!

Mike
Doctor I ain't gonna die,
Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

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Anyone else have any cool stories about their parents jumping?

My parents have seen me in this sport for 27 years, and still think I'm crazy. I MIGHT get one of my sisters to jump with me some day.

I did a tandem with a jumper's dad, age 72, a couple of years back. We had a nasty spinner that I had to chop, but we still had a soft landing in front of the cheering section he brought. He really did not like hearing me tell him to arch again after opening. [:/]
Russell M. Webb D 7014
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My Mom, Dad, Step-Mom and Step Dad have all done tandems. They're only in their late 40's to mid 50's though.

They all loved it! And they no longer ask me why I do it. I think they'd all go again except for the money.

I have to really thank the tandem master who took my dad without weighing him. He was probably +250 lb at the time and the tandem master looks scared to death in all the pics. He also had a lineover it appears from the video but it cleared quickly.

They all still talk about it to me and they watch their videos every now and then too. I didn't have enough jumps at the time to go with them but it was still pretty cool.

Christina

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