mccordia 74 #1 September 8, 2002 Being without transport (motorcycle is still trashed:( I managed to convince my mother to come to the DZ with me yesterday. The weather was pretty bad, and I thought I'd be going there just to hang around (and maybe show my overly worried mom how it all works, safetlywise) The winds where verry high, but still within limits and I was told I could jump...YEAA!!! One of the instructors came to me and asked if I wanted to do another RW instructional jump at around one o clock. I'm not sure if it's the same in the US, but in holland, after you've learnt all your turns/backloops and so on (via S/L or AFF, doesn't matter) you need to take part in a 10 level trainingprogram (I gues kinda like skydive-u?) to learn the (safety) basics of RW, and only then you can start jumping with other people... It was to be my fifth instructional jump (Level 7, I managed to do level 1/2 and level 3/4 both in one jump:), which would mean the last thing I had to do for my A licence next to the written exam (you need 5 instructional RW jumps for your A in holland) First I did a jump from 4.000 ft, just to kill the time and to practice a bit...it always makes me feel better to do one solo jump before an instructional jump, to sort of practice..when I was done packing I got instructions for the jump and we went up. I had to learn how to side-slip in freefall (something I havn't done before). We jumped from 9.000 ft. We went out linked (she did a floating exit, I dived) and then I had to let go, and put my hands on top of her hands. I was soo focussed on hangin on to her during exit that I forgot to let go, so she grinned at me and sorta janked my hands from her grips. I realized what I did, smiled and let go :) Then I had to slide left, and place my right hand on here right hand. Then slide over to the right and do the same thing (left hand on left hand) then in front of her and both hand on top of each other, and then over to the left again...an so on..It all went great...I slid a small but to the back one or two times, but corrected it by giving a bit more legs.. The thing I was most worried about (staying level) was not to big a problem luckely...:) It was oooo great...I still get a realy bad case of perma-grin by just seeing someone with me in freefall. It's SOOO incredible....and I was already amped by just doing solo's...to suddenly see someone in freefall just a few centimeters in front of your face is soo wierd, cool, fun and amazing..all at the same time... At 4.000 ft came breakoff, and I waved off and turned around and tracked away....it was soooo incredible..my chute opened perfectly and then I realized...this was the last thing I had to do for my A licence...!! The whole jump went so smooth....it realy made my day... I'm gonna study hard and take the written exam in a few weeks...and then I'll be a fully licenced skydiver....:) Fun thingy: Next to me and my instructor, there where 2 tandems going up in our cramped cessna. One girl (17 or 18 years old, she was realy sweet) was sooo scared, but at the same time loving it soo much. When she landed she smiled, sayd yohoo...and then she had to throw up...she got a bit sick from the parachute ride..it was a bit sad to see...she loved what she had done, but it got her soo sick..:) This wednesday I'm gonna go to SkyDive Rotterdam after work and do one jump (both solo:) with a friend of mine who I've been talking to over the internet for more then 1,5 years...we both met through ICQ, just a few months after we both jumped for the first time, so we basicly did the same thing every weekend..."Hey..I did my first backloop" "Coool...I did my first backloop too this weekend". We tried meeting a few times (we jump at different DZ's), but there was always one of us that couldn't go... But now he's moving to canada, leaving holland forever, and this wednesday will be the last chance to ever jump from the same plane together...:) Hope it's gonna work out..:) The next weekend I'm also gonna go skydiving saterday and sunday.......this whole being without a girlfriend thing is starting to have advantages when related to skydiving...:)JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SudsyFist 0 #2 September 8, 2002 wooooHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! permagrin in da house!!! keep it up!!! steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viking 0 #3 September 8, 2002 so what does your mom think about your skydiving now?? My mom is still scared that i do it but has accepted the fact that its somthing i love doing.I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 74 #4 September 8, 2002 Quoteso what does your mom think about your skydiving now?? My mom is still scared that i do it but has accepted the fact that its somthing i love doing. She's still scared, but walking around the DZ (and hearing me preach for 2 years about safety) did help in feeling a bit better about it. She knows what I get out of it, and wants me to keep on jumping (although she does wants me to jump less:) So she's verry supportive, but still...there's this fear that she can't get rid off... But she made me an real cool RW jumpsuit (a few guys from my DZ wanted to order one with her directly) Grips and everything...incredible quality... She used to be a seemstress...now she's using her talents to make me happy :) But the fear is something you can't realy take away...she's also afraid of flying (terrified) so any chances of getting her on a plane, let alone tandemjump are almost zero... What does help is that my father loves skydiving and did a tandem (he signed up for a S/L cource 20 years ago, only the weekend before he went his brother broke his back in a skydiving accident, so he never started the cource..mainly for my mom and his own mother..he still regrets it..) and my sister also did a tandem, and my younger brother Kenny and my Nephew also jump (since last year)....so my mom sorta has to deal with skydiving if she likes it or not....and I must congratulate her on how incredible she's doing it....even though she's scared shitless..:)JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #5 September 8, 2002 Quote When she landed she smiled, sayd yohoo...and then she had to throw up...she got a bit sick from the parachute ride..it was a bit sad to see...she loved what she had done, but it got her soo sick..:) I love stories like this! It's kind of like overcoming your own limitations to do the things you really want. There should be a Special Olympics skydiving for people with motion sickness BTW - does anyone out there routinely get sick under canopy? I've never gotten motion sickness at all, and I wonder about it. If so, do you still get sick, or have you adjusted? And has anyone tried dramamine while skydiving? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #6 September 8, 2002 QuoteBTW - does anyone out there routinely get sick under canopy? I've never gotten motion sickness at all, and I wonder about it. If so, do you still get sick, or have you adjusted? And has anyone tried dramamine while skydiving? Tandem students occaisionally get sick. It's mostly got to do with a poorly fitting harness and the lack of student control over the canopy. Students don't generally get sick under their own canopy. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sillyolethang 0 #7 September 8, 2002 Thanks Andy~ And here I am going for 2 tandems to start up training wednesday...shakin my head at you...such encouragement! Amy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #8 September 8, 2002 Amy, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Most of the problems with poorly fitting harnesses have been fixed by getting better harnesses. Also, most tandem instructors give you the controls for most of the canopy ride, so you'll have some degree of control. Don't worry about it, just go and have fun. If you've got any worries, talk to your instructor. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sillyolethang 0 #9 September 8, 2002 Heehee, no, I was just worrrying about what shoes to wear now...;-) Laughing, no worries at all...just a big burst of spontaneous combustion about to happen from the excitement! Amy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 74 #10 September 8, 2002 Don't worry at all...the only thing in your mind should be 'this is gonna be SOOOOO f*cking awesome...!!!!' and no worries about other silly stuff.. Even if you get sick...it will go away after a few minutes, but the experience will last a lifetime... p.s. Just uploaded some stuff, no flashy edited video this time :) I'm up into my neck in editing now...working on my DZ's holiday video...got to edit 3 hours of footedge into a 45 minute enjoyable video..quite a bit of work...but fun to do..:) ooh..the video's :) My Ass ftp://ftp.skydivingmovies.com/UPLOADS/exit_mccordia_ass.avi and a misc. exit from an instructional jump...nothing fancy...but fun (for me:) ftp://ftp.skydivingmovies.com/UPLOADS/exit_mccordia_rw_instruction.aviJC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ifallout 0 #11 September 8, 2002 How cool sounding, it is great to learn something new. Your Profile says you hawe over 70 jumps though? How many jumps are in AFF there? just curious... have fun, Bill have fun, love life, be nice to the humans Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ifallout 0 #12 September 8, 2002 You will have such fun, and you are going knowing you are doing the two tandems and starting school? Good for you, have fun, those first few jumps are just incredible, well they all are but those are just too cool... Kiss your money good bye and jump in head long you will love it. have fun, Bill have fun, love life, be nice to the humans Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccordia 74 #13 September 9, 2002 I didn't do AFF, I started on the StaticLine...the poor mans route :)JC FlyLikeBrick I'm an Athlete? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
